Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Award-winning novelist to appear at Leeds Beckett
Joanne, who is from Barnsley in South Yorkshire, is most famous for her novel ‘Chocolat’ which was turned into a film starring Dame Judi Dench, Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.
Most recently she has been writing stories on Twitter in segments of 140 characters which she plans to turn into a book. Honeycomb, a collection of 100 dark and interconnected tales, will be published next year. However, fans won’t have to wait until then to get a sneak preview because Joanne and the Storytime Band will be at Leeds Beckett on Wednesday 22 March. Joanne and her band, which she has been in since college, will perform a live show featuring tales from the book, along with projections, original music and songs written by Joanne and the band.
Dr Peter Mills, Senior Lecturer in the School of Cultural Studies and Humanities, said: “We are very excited about welcoming Joanne Harris and her band to Leeds Beckett for a special performance of their '#Storytime' show. The mix of social media alongside Joanne's famed gifts as a storyteller make for a potent and contemporary mix, while the musical context creates something really innovative for an audience - it's kind of a new art form! I’m especially happy at how closely the #Storytime project fits into the interdisciplinary remit of the University's new BA (Hons) English and Media which I lead.”
Explaining what to expect from the show, Joanne Harris said: “It’s a kind of musical storytelling show combining original music, songs and stories as part of an exploration of different forms of narrative – basically, ‘Jackanory’ with drums.
“The show is intimate, engaging, quirky and darkly magical, appealing to audiences of all ages, but especially lovers of folklore, fantasy and fairytale.”