Literature Development Strategy

"A Literature Development Officer’s job is to bring literature to people - and to encourage them to produce their own. In literature, perhaps more than any other art form, the distinction between amateur and professional is hard to draw, and Literature Development Officers (LDOs) effectively straddle both worlds. Through the promotion of reading and of writing, LDOs aim to create new audiences for literature, and to gain support for the art form from a wider range of venues and arts organisations."

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Literature Development is one of the key components of the County’s cultural structure. The Literature Development Officer’s programme, if it is to flourish effectively within the wider framework of Leicestershire County Council’s remit to offer the highest quality and broadest range of services to its customers, must be relevant to the policies of the County Council. The key aspects of the County Council’s Corporate Objectives that are of concern in the role of literature development are:

The objectives of the County Council to ‘Advance Lifelong Learning’, build ‘a Healthier Community’, and improve ‘Economic Well-being’ as set out in the Mission statement (1999) are also relevant to the development of a Literature Strategy. It should also be pointed out that the Literature Strategy will be linked to the wider perspectives and goals set out in the Cultural Strategy now being formalised within the County Council.

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Because the Literature Development Officer works in close accord with the Libraries and Information Service of Leicestershire County Council, developing reading and writing projects in conjunction with library personnel, the Literature Policy must be in alignment with the principles and goals of the service. The Vision Statement of Leicestershire Libraries and Information Service is:

In addition to this core understanding, there is an index of principles by which the Library Service is run:

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The library service and East Midlands Arts work in partnership on the project of Literature Development in Leicestershire. East Midlands Arts provided half the funding to set up the post. There have been long standing links between the two organisations, and more generally between East Midlands Arts and local government, culminating in the formulation of the East Midlands Chief Librarians Policy Group. The key strategic objectives that inform library policy and literature, and by implication, the wider initiatives surrounding Literature Development in the whole of the County, are:

All these targets are represented in the report through the various projects and events which are set out in the following pages.

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Finally, it is worth mentioning the Government document "New Library: The People’s Network" with its broad objectives for libraries in the next century. The emphasis on new technology in the report is something which I hope this plan reflects, however tentatively. The notion that a library is (and will be) a key enabler of literary production in our culture is something the report is not geared to explore, and therefore does not have that much impact on the direction of this report.

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The following report aims to convey and explain the structure of the County’s Literature Development Policy with all of these principles and objectives in mind, and looks to develop standards and policies of similar breadth and intention.

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In the broadest sense, the three key areas of the County’s literature policy are:

By following these policies we want to heighten the way people see themselves as producers and consumers of literature, and following on from that, broaden the range and reach of literary activities that are taking place in the County.

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In more precise terms, the aims underpinning these core principals are:

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Such a policy can only be realised if a good infrastructure is in place. One of the main roles of the Literature Development Officer is to create effective partnerships with library personnel, East Midlands Arts Officers, Community Arts Groups, and the Arts Development Officers located in the seven districts of Leicestershire (Charnwood, Melton Mowbray, Oadby and Wigston, Harborough, Blaby, Hinckley and Bosworth, and North West Leicestershire). Contact with members of the central organisations is pivotal not only for support purposes but can also work as a springboard to links with the wider community. The nurturing of a volunteer service, encompassing members of civic organisations, community groups, and the help of private individuals must be a high priority if a far-reaching policy is to be carried out. This is particularly pertinent in Leicestershire because of the rural nature of the County. If Literature Development opportunities are to reach this network of villages then support for the village groups must be of paramount concern.

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The Literature Development Officer has already, over the past year, worked in partnership with many individuals and organisations. These include the Literature Development Officer for Leicester City Council, the Arts Development Officers in the County, Snibston Discovery Park, Leicestershire’s Arts in Education Service, Library Services for Education, the County’s Youth Service, the Poetry Society, Community Arts Organisations (Charnwood Arts and Mantle Community Arts), the charity Headway, Ibstock Community Enterprises (ICE), Melton Writers’ Group, and a number of village groups who want to set up their own Readers Circles. As the length and range of this list suggests, the creation of partnerships is key to maximising the impact of literature development on the widest possible audience in the County.

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The Literature Development Officer’s budget for the financial year 1999-2000 (April to March) was £5000. The budget for the financial year 2000-2001 has doubled to £10000. This is mainly a reflection on the change of status of the Literature Development Officer from part-time to full-time employee, and a general reflection of the needs of the Officer to implement the growing number of library-focused initiatives, and community based ventures. A list of both realised and potential schemes, with information about the (projected) locations, time scale, and investment involved can be found in the action plans for 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 at the back of the Literature Development Strategy.

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The prospect of developing fund raising as a means by which potential additional projects might be initiated, or where current programmes may be expanded, is an on-going concern. The funding, which may be either "in kind" or currency-driven, would come from a variety of sources. With the development of fund-finder software and literature, and the increasing interest of Corporate, Arts and Charity organisations in promoting public and community ventures, the notion that the set budget can be supplemented by "private" sponsorship is a realisable goal. Companies like Next, Walker’s, Pet Foods, and 3M Riker, and organisations like The National Forest are potential candidates for sponsorship support. The role of the charity Arts and Business should be particularly emphasised here as it has the clearest mandate to help arts and business organisations work together, with match funding schemes and Arts Sponsorship seminars. Thus the Literature Development Officer will look to develop sound links with funding organisations and attempt to find sponsors for suitable up and coming projects.

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There is already an extensive programme of literature-based events in the County, many of which were organised and supported by the two previous Literature Development Officers (Catherine Byron and Alison Dunne). A considerable share of resources - time and money - were targeted at setting up Readers and Writers Groups around the County. A list of Readers and Writers Groups that are currently known to Leicestershire County Libraries can be found in Appendix A. The various functions of these two types of groups demonstrate the division that lies at the centre of a Literature Development Programme, that of providing outlets for people’s own writing (writers groups, reminiscence studies etc.), and creating access for people to hear and read other people’s work (bookshop and library reading events, Internet, festivals etc.) However, it is worth emphasising how much the two strands run parallel with each other, and are supportive of each other. In fact, for there to be a thriving literature programme in the County the two facets have to be as closely in accord as possible. Thus those groups that are run through Library channels will be assisted by the LDO, who will provide financial and consultative support (see "The Literature Development Budget" above). Groups that are known by the libraries but do not use library resources can ask for advice and information.

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The Readers Circles in the County were organised centrally by Leicester City Libraries. Because of the split between City and County Councils, these Circles now come under the control of County Libraries. As part of these new responsibilities, the Literature Development Officer has undertaken to put together a list of titles covering fiction, poetry, biography and travel writing (bought in multiples of ten) that seek to extend the participants range of reading experiences. Each year new stock will be purchased. The acquisitions will be included in a booklet serving as a catalogue for the Readers’ Circles. New groups will be encouraged to join the Readers Circle network through the consultation work provided by the Literature Development Officer in partnership with local librarians.

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What also needs to be considered is the national standing of reader development programmes and how they are assimilated into the system on a local level. Certainly with the momentum of the National Year of Reading (1999-2000) the provisions for reading has increased in terms of the number of schemes developed to encourage reading, the amount of capital spent on these projects, and the all round awareness of the public and media regarding reading ventures. The Literature Development Officer is involved in promoting both national and local reading projects in the area, and keeps abreast of all new "reading" initiatives (e.g. Open Ticket). The schemes run by Leicestershire Libraries range from Reading Partnerships, which have included the Launch Pad project run by Asda supermarkets in conjunction with Wigston and Oadby libraries, the County-wide Summer Safari reading scheme for children, the Summer Olympics Reading Challenge, and the on-going Book Start programme for mothers and their young children.

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Such library initiatives as Reader Recommends, where people are asked to comment on books they have enjoyed, are also instrumental in encouraging customers to read new books, and take an active interest in the reading culture of their local library. The work done by the Reading Promotions Task Group, who plan and organise these promotions, is therefore a key partner in the development of an inclusive and far-reaching reading strategy in the County.

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A series of creative writing programmes were undertaken in the year 1999-2000. The programme ranged from one off workshops, to larger projects, the most notable being the Poetry Places scheme at Oadby Asda and Oadby library. The long-term plan is to get involved more closely with the writers groups in the region, supporting them primarily through the putting on of workshops, and providing access to information. The task of providing support for writers groups, and individual authors, is being addressed mainly through the development of a Writers’ Resource Centre. The Centre is run in conjunction with Charnwood Arts and is situated at their headquarters at Loughborough Library. It is a reference facility, with a large variety of magazines, books, competition leaflets, and flyers available to writers who want to find out about the range of publishing possibilities open to them. The Centre is also a provider of space for courses, workshops and surgeries, and is part of a long-term strategy of linking up writers and writings groups in the County.

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There has been a Literature Festival jointly organised by Leicestershire County and City councils for the past six years. The events were meant to have been staged biannually (but have actually taken place in 1993, 1995 and 1998), so it would be expected, from this series of dates, that another festival will be arranged for the year 2000. However, with the division of City and County councils into unitary authorities (thereby pushing the two Councils increasingly in different directions), and the difficulties found in co-ordinating a County-wide festival, the plans for another major programme of events encompassing the whole region have been put on hold. If another festival is to be planned, such issues as maximising the time devoted to large projects, the nurturing of a collective identity for a County-wide programme, the financial outlay directed at promoting the festival, and the close monitoring needed to evaluate the success of such an important venture, will all have to be considered thoroughly. The balance concerning the amount of time and money spent on the project, and the degree to which the festival finds its intended audience, is a key equation. Certainly the notion that any financial commitment may be more productively directed at creating and supporting on-going projects that benefit the wider community is a strong counter-argument to the short-term benefits accrued from concentrating on a two week festival.

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Over the year 1999-2000 there was a wide range of author events throughout the county. These included adult and children storytelling events at Coalville and Oadby libraries, thriller/crime writer readings at Stoney Stanton, Hinckley and Oadby libraries, sci-fi readings at Melton and Loughborough libraries, script writing evenings at Loughborough and Hinckley library, poetry at Wigston library and the Century Theatre, Coalville, and various children’s authors readings. The profile of live literature has become more central in the design of the developing literature strategy. This is indicated in the more structured approach to the type and range of events being planned. The aim is to promote bigger events, in terms of the popularity of the author, and the size of venue chosen. Significantly, there will increasingly be more events for the public, extending the scope of the readings from local author readings and more specialised readings, right through to big name author readings. For this to have the largest impact on potential audiences, the events must be publicised through a more ‘badged’ approach: the advertising literature will be more comprehensive and will cover all the main readings for each quarter in one pamphlet (hence a longer term strategy for the organisation of events). People will also understand that each event is a Leicestershire libraries event through ‘uniformity’ of the publicity and advertising material on hand, and the general sense that this is an ongoing, connected series of events, rather than a one off reading here and there. Of course, the budget for live literature has increased to accommodate the organisational and promotional side to these readings. The aim is to create a sense of a lively, varied, exciting group of events that is available to everyone, whatever their location is in the County.

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An important, coterminous aspect to live literature events is audience development. Some of the measures mentioned above will in themselves help to promote literature and gain a wider audience for the series of events. In the longer term, there must be a more strategic attitude to targeting audiences, in terms of reflecting and drawing on the cultural diversity of the county. The use of questionnaires at readings is just one facet of the way we can gather information about who is coming to the various readings we are putting on, how they got to hear about it, and the kind of readings they might be interested in coming to in the future. There needs to be ways of encouraging the attendance of people who might normally be missed out of the loop, and strategies to target specific audiences (for instance, teenagers) in the type of events being arranged.

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Audience development work must be seen in the wider context of East Midlands’ promotion of live literature. Specifically, the Strategy actively aims to support the Word Count project, and any future audience development initiatives from East Midlands Arts.

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There are many national initiatives taking place to encourage children to read (this was particularly the case during the National Year of Reading). Some of the emphasis of Literature Development work must focus on this particular area. The Asda sponsored Big Read, and the Dads and Lads promotion highlighting the importance of fathers reading to their sons are obvious examples of recent literacy campaigns. More specifically, the project that gives fathers at HMP Gartree the chance to tape stories to send to their children, is the kind of initiative that needs on-going support.

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The notion that teenagers are consumers of literature, through many different (often non-orthodox) forms, has to be reflected in Literature Development work. One of the successful strands of the Poetry Place at Oadby Asda and Oadby library was the good attendance at the teenage writers’ workshops that were put on in the library (after school). The Strategy must take into account the various needs of this particular group.

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A Reminiscence project will be undertaken if a suitable subject is found. The project would lead to the publication of material accrued from such an undertaking.