Literary Death Match heats up Shoreditch Concrete

Literary Death Match is a literary night with an exciting twist. Created by Adrian Todd Zuniga, this innovative international event brings together four writers who compete against each other in front of a panel of judges and an eager audience. 

The event has been running, in various forms, since 2006 and versions have so far been held in over 50 cities around the world, from Beijing to Helsinki. In the UK, Literary Death Match has appeared in Edinburgh, Oxford and at the Latitude Festival, with the most recent edition (Ep 35) taking place at Concrete in Shoreditch. 

The participants for the latest death match included John Niven, Sathnam Sangera, Nuala Casey and Polly Morland.  For the first rounds these writers shared extracts of their work, to be critiqued by the judges – Louise Doughty (Apple Tree Yard), Sarah Morgan (BBC’s Bluestone 42, Sorry I’ve Got No Head)    and Andy Riley (Bunny Suicides).

Opening the evening, Niven read a highly entertaining extract from his 2009 book Kill Your Friends, a witty insight into the reality of the music industry. Nuala Casey chose to share an extract from her London-based debut novel Soho, 4am, while Morland kept the audience amused with the tale of her interview with a bank robber, taken from her book The Society of Timid Souls. The final reading, by Sathnam Sangera, was a humorous, yet thought-provoking extract from his forthcoming novel Marriage Material. 

For the last act the finalists went head-to-head in a slightly bizarre Pictionary-esque literary guessing game, from which Sangera emerged victorious. 

Almost like The X-Factor for writers, Literary Death Match makes for an original night out. The venue in Shoreditch features a well-stocked bar and serves excellent pizza, making the event the perfect location for an entertaining evening with friends. Literary Death Match is highly recommended to all book lovers. 

Melanie Weaver
Photos: Ben Meadows

For further information and future events visit the Literary Death Match website here.