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Crossing the Tees - 2022

2022 was a hugely successful year for the festival. We had 33 events in 7 days, held in person around the Tees Valley and via Zoom. Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Here were some of our 2022 highlights:

Into The Wild Blue Sea with Kate Fox

We launched 2022's festival in spectacular style with a community dip on Redcar beach!

We Hope This Finds You Well

Created by Laura Degnan, A Time Capsule of Hopes is a short film that will introduce you to the stories of community members and library users across Teesside, as they reflect on what keeps them well and happy, now and in the future.

Bodies in the Library

A thrilling evening with readings and conversation from three members of the Northern Crime Writers Syndicate – Fiona Erskine, creator of the Chemical Detective novels featuring Dr Jaq Silver; Golden-Age-influenced Chris McGeorge; and Robb Scragg, author of the Porter & Styles series, and winner of the 2021 Lindisfarne Prize for Crime Fiction.

Mrs Death Misses Death with Salena Godden

Author, activist, and spoken word powerhouse Salena Godden performs live from her acclaimed novel Mrs Death Misses Death, a book full of “hope, resilience and love”.

Big Bluemoose Book Club

Spend an evening in the company of two fantastic authors from quirky indie label Bluemoose Books. Devika Ponnambalam’s debut I Am Not Your Eve tells the story of Teha’amana, the 13-year-old girl who was sold to artist Paul Gauguin during his first stay on Tahiti in 1891, and incorporates pre-colonial Tahitian origin myths. Ronan Hession’s delightfully wholesome first novel Leonard & Hungry Paul won our World Cup of Book Club Books, so we can’t wait to hear him read from that and his latest book Panenka, a tale of rebuilding relationships after the disatrous mistakes of the past, learning new ways to let love into broken lives.

An Evening with Ian McMillan and Lucy Holden

Two great shows for the price of one! Book for a double bill, with a performance by Ian McMillan followed by Lucy Holden interviewed by Tom Taylor of Teesside’s Comedy Club.

View this years listings and book online

Crossing the Tees 2022 Short Story Competition

The winners of the 2022 Short Story Competition are

First place – ‘Crossing the T’s’ by Philip Sculthorpe

Second place – ‘Once for a Friend, Twice for a Stranger’ by Kayla Martell Feldman

Third place – ‘Sometimes My Annoying Sister is Right’ by Catherine Leyshon.

We were delighted to award Philip and Catherine their prizes at our award ceremony aboard the Teesside Princess on 25 April and welcome many of the shortlisted writers who are included in our sixth short story anthology.

Three stories were also highly commended by judges Jenna Warren, Ian Wilson and James Harris – they are

‘As Above, so Below’ by Laura Timms

‘Erosion’ by Penny Blackburn

‘My Nigel’ by Patrick Belshaw.

All thirty-one shortlisted stories appear in the sixth anthology, which will be available to borrow from libraries across the Tees Valley and to buy from Drake the Bookshop, Stockton and Book Corner, Saltburn.

Shortlisted authors are:

Jenny Adamthwaite – The Day the Spinach Wilted

Helen Anderson – When The Loveliness of Ladybirds Landed

Artemis – Strangers

Aaron Bailey – Orangutan and the Wig

Edward Barnfield – Warscapes (2024)

Jane Bradley – On Thin Ice

Chris Brock – Space and Time

Cathy Bryant – The Creator

Timothy Burton-Martin – Tapestry

Jo Clark – One Lane Closed Due to Incident

Beck Collett – Curiouser and Curiouser