Newspapers and radio used to rule the day and form opinion.

There’s been the odd free spirited pamphleteer (Martin Luther, Samuel Johnson) who has done well to form opinion, but the birth and galvanisation of the fanzine culture in the 20^th century changed things drastically. The public could write down their fantasies and opinions – and distribute them.

As desktop publishing spread in the 80s and photocopying became more readily available this increased massively.

The internet changed things further. It gave a platform for anyone with some basic skills. Now just about anyone can use a digital device to write, to publish, to read.

Blogs, full blown websites, Facebook, Twitter, computers, mobiles phones – these are all tools that allow us to express ourselves using digital.

The breadth of people that have embraced digital is massive. It is a tool for the people. But there are also some people who are leaders in embracing digital. Some of these people are from Leeds.

Write-Publish-Read looks at the leaders and the innovators from the city who embrace digital to spread their (and others’) words. Join us in Leeds Central Library for an evening of talk and debate about how digital has changed the way we write, publish, and read.

Who will be speaking?

James Brown, Sabotage Times, and formerly Loaded

Emma Bearman, The Culture Vultures

Ian Briggs, thebusinessdesk.com

Lee Hicken and Stacey Hicken, LOL! Leeds Online

Jen Holmes, A Little Bird Told Me

Shang-Ting Peng, UK Observing Diary