Marlborough LitFest is delighted to host this event to mark the 10th anniversary of the only literature festival currently taking place in a UK prison.
Offering a unique insight into what goes into creating a festival behind bars, Penned Up’s director and co-founder David Kendall sets the scene: “Penned Up has a unique location within the walls, and razor-wire-topped fences, of HMP Erlestoke, but at its heart remains a tangible, honest exchange between audience and speaker,” he says.
“Its programme has included some great names: Nick Cave, Tony Adams, Rapman, Dr Rachel Clarke, Billy Bragg, Kit de Waal and hundreds more. But more importantly, the festival is put together with a committee of serving prisoners who oversee and support it at each stage. It is crucial to Penned Up that prisoners have a non-tokenistic voice in the festival’s curation.”
Joining David Kendall to discuss how Penned Up has evolved will be Mark Hewitt, director and co-founder; Jasper Jameson, former member of HMP Erlestoke Penned Up committee, now an advocate, fundraiser and trustee in the charity sector; and Elizabeth Williams, Learning and Skills Manager, HMP Erlestoke. The session is chaired by Saili Katebe, performance poet, writer and Penned Up writing workshop facilitator.
