Roma Tearne, the acclaimed novelist and artist, will take up a week's residency at Blackwell Bookshop, Oxford from Monday 26th April to Saturday 1st May 2010.

A Sri Lankan born writer and artist living and working in Britain, Roma is the author of four novels, Mosquito, Bone China, Brixton Beach and The Swimmer, all published by Harper Collins.

What's the purpose of a residency at Blackwell Bookshop? In Roma's own words:

"For a week at the end of April, I will be working at Blackwell, capturing the life of a large bookshop. The residency will take the form of an investigation into what it really is like to work with, and surrounded by, books. Books are magical things, material objects, receptacles of imagination and ideas, information and touchstones of feeling. While this is not an anti e-book event, it would be fair to call it a pro-book celebration. A life without books is a life without sunshine. Imagine a literary festival with only virtual books?"

There will be a number of distinct elements to this residency, highlighted below:




Throughout her residency at Blackwell, Roma will be posting her thoughts, feelings and a range of news and developments on her very own blog. Visit http://romainresidence.wordpress.com for the latest updates and stay tuned for regular post before, during and after her week in the bookshop is up.




The General Genre Election - Question Time - Thursday 29th April

To tie in with election fever, Roma will be conducting a week-long poll to find out readers' views on books and reading. Come along to our evening Question Time style debate where different genres will be championed and free & frank views will be exchanged.

Roma has captured the imaginations of several politicians and a couple of national broadcasters with her decision to hold a faux general election at Blackwell Bookshop in which books genres rather than politicians will be voted for. Local schoolchildren, readers, non-readers and high profile Oxfordians are being asked to cast their ballot for their favourite book type.

Tickets cost £2. Please visit our Customer Service Department or telephone 01865 333623 for further details.




Roma's residency will be encapsulated in a publication entitled "Between the Lines". This will be available in early May, please look out for further details.

A Warehouse of Memory by Roma Tearne
Roma recalls her lifelong love of sketching, painting and ripping notebooks at the 5th Estate website:

http://www.fifthestate.co.uk/2010/01/a-warehouse-of-memory-by-roma-tearne/

Creative Writing at Brookes University, Oxford
Roma is a Creative Writing Fellow at Brookes University, Oxford. Find out more about the programme here:

http://ah.brookes.ac.uk/english/ma_creativewriting/

The Art of Bill Viola by Chris Townsend, Thames and Hudson, 2004
Campo Santo by W G Sebald, Penguin, 2006
Wandering Star by Jean Marie Gustave Le Clezio, Curbstone Press, 2009
Georges De La Tour" by Bruno Ferte, Mondadori Electa, 1999