From Peter Bennet's new collection of poems THE GLASS SWARM (Flambard Press, 2008)

Red Squirrel is a new fiction and poetry publisher based in Morpeth, Northumberland. Read a poem from one of its first titles, COLOURING IN GUERNICA by Kevin Cadwallender.

Poet Katrina Porteous talks to Acknowledged Land editor Paul Batchelor about her work and her particular affinity for radio.

After less than a year in business, new North East publisher Myrmidon Books has had a title longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2007, making it the youngest company ever to achieve that honour. Literature North East speaks to Myrmidon co-founder Anne West

Slim Palmer's book Albert The Third has been shortlisted for the $10,000 Blooker prize for books which have been adapted from blogs. LNE asks him how he made the leap from screen to page.

As the Hexham Book Festival celebrates its second birthday, LNE spoke to festival organiser Susie Troup about how the festival has earned its place on the region's literary calendar.

Tonto Press is celebrating its first birthday with a free collection of short stories. Literature North East speaks to founders Paul Brown and Stuart Wheatman.

The CD 'Home in 3 Bits' is a collaboration between poet Paul Summers and a musician, Lindisfarne guitarist Dave Hull-Denholm. Paul tells LNE about the project and what it's like to work with a collaborator from an entirely different medium.

Acknowledged Land is a new website set up to cover the literary scene in Northumberland. Literature North East spoke to the site's editor, Paul Batchelor.

After last year's successful events, Phantoms at the Phil will once again be putting a chill in the bones of Tynesiders, with two evenings of new ghost stories at the Lit & Phil. Literature North East speaks to author and organiser Chaz Brenchley.

With an eclectic mix of performance poetry and music, Stockton's Writers' Café is fast becoming one of the best nights out in the North East. LNE spoke to co-founder Paul Williams.

Julia Darling was a writer of great gifts and versatility and, in recent years, an extremely prolific one. She wrote novels and short stories, plays and poetry, as well as collaborating frequently with painters, musicians and other artists.

Kenaz is a new magazine from the Tees Valley featuring poetry and short fiction accompanied by graphic illustration, along with features and arts listings. Co-founder Bob Beagrie puts Literature North East in the picture.

New Middlesbrough publisher Smokestack Books has just launched its first two titles. Founder Andy Croft tells LIterature North East about his plans for the new press.

Set up just over a year ago, identity on tyne supports the development of new writing and live literature in the North East, with a spotlight on writers of colour. Literature North East talks to the organisation's founder Sheree Mack

In 1989 Durham celebrated its first ever literature festival. This year the festival is 15 years old and celebrating its birthday in style with 15 days of celebratory events between Sunday 26 September and Saturday 23 October.

This September sees the seventh annual Festival of Writing organised by NAWG, the National Association of Writers' Groups at St Aidan's College, University of Durham. LNE speaks to NAWG chairman, Mike Wilson.

Imagine the buzz of the Ramones, the electric intensity of the Clash. Imagine rock'n'roll turned into fiction. You'd be thinking of Sunderland-based rock 'n' roll fiction magazine Bullet, which has just launched its second issue.

The Poetry Vandals have been lighting a fire under Newcastle's performance poetry scene for nearly five years now. Literature North East speaks to Vandals founder Jeff Price.

Biscuit Publishing has added another must-attend event to the north east's literary calendar with its writers' conference, which makes its debut this April. Literature North East spoke to Biscuit's Brian Lister as he put the finishing touches to the event

It's been a busy year for Claire Malcolm and New Writing North. She spent last week guiding a party of Russian guests around the north east and will shortly host the third edition of the Northern Rock Writer's Award and the Northern Writers' Awards.

Bloody Murder: Celebrating Crime Writing runs throughout February at Newcastle's Literary and Philosophical Society. Lit & Phil librarian Kay Easson gives Literature North East all the gory details.

New Word Order was set up by Kate Fox and Karl Thompson with the aim of getting more people involved in spoken word performance via a series of workshops and regular gigs. LNE spoke to Kate about the origins of the group and their plans for the future.

Writer Andrea Badenoch lost her fight against cancer on Sunday 4 January. Fellow writers Debbie Taylor and Sean O'Brien remember their friend's life and work.

It's a poetry event, but not as we know it. Jo Colley and Andy Willoughby of Darlington's Hydrogen Jukebox tell Literature North East about the place "where words explode".

October 2003 saw Tyneside celebrating the life and work of acclaimed north east dramatist Tom Hadaway, who is 80 this year. Whitley Bay writer Valerie Laws speaks to Literature North East about her new play, Hadaway: The Making of a Writer.