Join us at The Little Bookshop in Chapel Allerton for a special French poetry evening with Leeds-based writer and teacher Valérie Harkness, as part of the Leeds City of Languages Festival and in collaboration with Alliance Française Leeds. Born in France and long established in Leeds, Valérie has devoted much of her work to languages, writing and creating spaces for cultural exchange. She will share work from her new collection, Sous la peau, la mer, in which her writing accompanies photographs by her late husband, Scottish artist and photographer John Harkness, reflecting their shared love of the sea and the landscapes and light of northern England and Scotland.

Valérie is a former founder and director of the Alliance Française de Leeds and an experienced poet, reader and creative-writing workshop leader. Whether you speak French, are learning the language, love poetry, or are simply curious, we invite you to join us.

Copies of Sous la peau, la mer will be available for sale and signing (£12.50); we will also have a selection of French-English translated fiction on display.

Booking is essential online or in the bookshop (ticket price also includes a glass of fizz).

In partnership with Alliance Française and The Little Bookshop.

This is a Leeds City of Languages Festival event. Check the full programme at leedscityoflanguages.leeds.ac.uk