RISE

RISE – Reading In Secure Environments from Julian Langham on Vimeo.

Reading in Secure Environments (RISE) is funded by Arts Council England and is bringing high-quality, challenging contemporary writers to readers in secure criminal justice and mental health care settings in partnership with an exciting range of literature festivals around the UK: Liverpool, Sefton, Wigan, Manchester, Durham and London.

RISE forges the link between these dynamic annual literature festivals and the work The Reader Organisation does year-round in a variety of mental health care and criminal justice sites by bringing authors directly to readers who could not otherwise attend festival events. Each guest author will appear in the public festival as well as in the secure site, thereby providing a link between audiences.

RISE authors so far

• Inua Ellams (Prestwich Hospital)
  
  
• Joe Dunthorne (Greater Manchester Probation Service)
  
  
• Jackie Kay (HMP Styal)
  
  
• Jean Sprackland (HMP Low Newton)
  
  
• Michael Stewart (HMP Low Newton)
  
  
• Philip Schultz (HMP Kennet)
  
  
• Lemn Sissay (HMP Hindley)
  
  
• John Burnside (HMP Liverpool)
  
  
• Rita Ann Higgins (Mersey Care NHS Trust)
  
  
• Lionel Shriver
  
  
• Jon McGregor
  
  
• Natasha Walter (West London Mental Health Trust)
  
  
• John Hegley (HMP Reading)

RISE festival partnerships

• Manchester Literature Festival
  
  
• Durham Book Festival
  
  
• Sefton Celebrates Writing Festival (with Writing on the Wall)
  
  
• Leigh and Wigan Words Together Festival
  
  
• Writing on the Wall, Liverpool
  
  
• London Literature Festival
  
  
• Reading Poetry Festival

For the latest news, information, author interviews and profiles of RISE events, visit the RISE blog.

If you are interested in being involved with RISE, please contact Charles Darby-Villis, RISE Coordinator.