News and views
Reports From The Worlds Literature Festival Salon 2011
Posted By: Katy Carr, 21 May 2012
Each year towards the end of June the Worlds Literature Festival brings together around forty writers in Norwich. As well as a week of public events, the writers take part in three morning sessions of round-table discussion called The Salon. There is a different overarching theme each year, and the 2011 theme was
Influence.
Warm up for Worlds 2012 by catching up with what happened last year including Maureen Freely, (Professor of Creative Writing, novelist and Orhan Pamuk’s translator) speaking openly about being Orhan’s translator; how Japanese fiction differs to English; a discussion on what technology is doing to writing and much more.
The Salon starts with a group of writers from around the world coming in to the reception room of the University Council Chamber for coffee and biscuits. Then everyone filters through into the chamber, takes a name badge and finds a seat at the large oblong table set up with comfortable leather chairs and microphones. People settle down. Some people cough, others look a bit pale. Portraits of ex-Chancellors adorn the room, and everyone turns to the head of the table where Professor Jon Cook, the Chair of proceedings sits.
Each of the three mornings comprises two one and a half hour sessions. At the start of each session there are one or two short provocations, designed, well, to provoke discussion and debate. Each provocateur is given a topic and will take his or her own route in addressing it.
There is no final outcome expected from the discussions, but as Professor Jon Cook mentioned at one point, each year at The Salon there is always a point where writers state that they are taken beyond their own horizons and learn something new. That is why writers remain so enthusiastic about it.
This report is our chance to carry on the discussion.
There is a link to a document covering each Salon session below. There you can listen to recorded podcasts of each provocation direct, or if you prefer, you can read abridged notes from the provocations. Then you will find abridged versions of the fascinating discussions that took place afterwards.
It is worth noting that whether you're a writer who took part in the event, or a reader interested in the ideas, the notes made here are by necessity an approximate translation of what was said, and are inevitably much reduced: they are not intended to be precise transcriptions, but an attempt to catch some of the spirit of the discussions. (It is also possible that there may occasionally have been wayward influences on the note-taker; the thought of a cup of coffee perhaps, a brief foray onto twitter.) Please bear all this in mind when reading!
Given the theme, it was interesting to note how hard it was to keep editorial influences out of the ‘translation’ of the notes on the Salon sessions. Quite apart from the unintentional editorial that went on when making the notes, editing them and putting them online meant making further decisions. When laid out solely as text, the documents looked unwieldy – website based documents call out to become linear and themed; the eye wants something to jump to like a title. As such, some of the comments have been grouped under headings simply to make them easier for readers to navigate on the page. However, as far as possible all ideas and opinions presented should be read as echoes of those of the writers in the room - any deliberate editorial opinions have been avoided.
Sam Reviews 'All That I Am' by Anna Funder
Posted By: Sam Ruddock, 18 May 2012
All That I Am – Anna Funder
“When Hitler came to power I was in the bath. The wireless in the living room was turned up loud so Hans could hear it in the kitchen, but all that drifted down to me were waves of happy cheering, like a football match. It was Monday afternoon.”
All That I Am opens with history on a knife edge. The Golden Era of the Weimar Republic – artistic, progressive, intellectual, experimental, permissive, excessive, - is passing and a new one of extremes about to dawn. So well trodden is this history that we think we know what will follow, but one of the outstanding things about Anna Funder’s debut novel is that it reveals a side to the history hitherto largely uncovered: the early years of the Nazi’s terror, the persecution and expulsion of political opposition, the extent to which other countries were desperate not to antagonise Hitler, the long arm of the Gestapo reaching out further than anyone dared believe. As she did in Stasiland – a reportage collection of personal stories from behind the Berlin Wall that won the Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction – Funder casts a fresh and vibrant eye on forgotten stories. All That I Am is another marvellous book.
The characters here belong to that Weimar generation: they are the World War One survivors who vowed that war could never be allowed to happen again, the political reformers who saw progressive social democracy as the antidote to imperialist conflict, the artists and journalists who captured the atmosphere of the 1920, the teenagers inspired by the language of the future.
All That I Am is narrated alternately by celebrated German playwright Ernst Toller in New York in 1939 as he seeks to re-write his memoirs, and an elderly Ruth Wesemann in 2001, who receives the recently rediscovered memoirs in the post. Reading these memoirs unlocks her memory and events come flooding back and soon overtake her. Between them, Ruth and Toller bring the unremembered – Hans Wesemann, Dora Fabian, Berthold Jacob, Mathilde Wurm (all whom existed though are here sometimes linked in ways they were not in life) – back to life. Their story is of bravery and conviction in the face of history, of desperate opposition to the reprisals that followed the Reichstag Fire and subsequent exile in London. There, powerless and with threats against their lives growing and the UK government turning a blind eye, they continue to struggle, desperate to warn the world against what is happening before it is too late.
The extent of Funder’s archival research is impressive, and her decision to novelise the events a wise one. It allows her to marry the personal stories of her characters with a broad brush stroke approach to history. Fact, interpretation and biography form the framework for All That I Am, but it is the fiction that makes it a great book. Funder imagines the characters back to life in vivid detail; readers will be quickly engrossed in their milieu, standing alongside them in terrified defiance.
This is white-knuckle storytelling. Through the personal narratives, Funder explores the experiences of the characters, the driving forces behind why and how people are able to be brave, and the results of that bravery on their lives and those around them. She adeptly explores the paradoxical mix of fragility and strength that can sometimes be the make-up of great people.
This is particularly the case with the heroine, Dora Fabian, a ‘sort of German de Beauvior: less sex, but more political”. She is driven by conviction in her cause, self-sufficient and no-nonsense. Ruth and Toller are each enthralled by her – ‘We were the two for whom she was the sun. We moved in her orbit and the force of her kept us going.’ – and so is Anna Funder. In an interview with The Scotsman, she describes the experience of coming across Dora’s story as leaving her ‘thunderstruck and irrational and besotted and intrigued.’ She is a compelling character and it is apparent that, for Funder as well as her characters, this book is a act of love, of recording her courage and self-sacrifice, celebrating and remembering her life.
The same desire to resurrect and testify to those past is apparent in the character of Ruth, whom Funder met in Ruth’s later years, and whose stories first turned her on to the possibility of this book. Ruth is the compassionate core of the novel, an unobtrusive observer of those around her. This personal sympathy could easily turn All That I Am into sycophantic fiction of the worst kind, but Funder impressively maintains a rounded warts-and-all view of her characters. Compassion is a constant theme and one feels that it is the challenge of doing justice to these figures that drove her to write. ‘Imagining the life of another is an act of compassion as holy as any’, says Ruth at one stage, ‘once you have imagined such suffering, how can you still do nothing?’
By presenting humanised stories, and enabling readers to experience these vicariously through the characters, fiction has amazing power to change our understanding of the world and compassion for others one person at a time. Funder and I appear to share this idealistic conviction. All That I Am is an exercise in proving the validity of this conviction. But more than this, it is a wonderful read.
The plot starts slowly, with more set-up than feels necessary, but builds and once the characters come into their own it swiftly becomes an involving, compassionate and wonderful novel of love, friendship, courage, espionage, and betrayal. It is both a page-turning thriller and a considered investigation of courage and conviction. The characters are tested at every step, and they respond in varying ways. Some turn, some break, none is perfect. In the end, as Wystan Auden notes to Toller: ‘All that we are not stares back at all that we are.’
Unmissable Events at Worlds Literature Festival 2012
Posted By: Rowan Whiteside, 17 May 2012
Worlds Literature Festival happens every year towards the end of June in venues across Norwich. This year’s Worlds Festival is taking place from the 18th of June till the 22nd and features evening events from world-renowned authors Michael Ondaatje and J.M. Coetzee amongst others. The Afternoon Reading Sessions are open to the public and are completely free- giving you the opportunity to hear from brilliant writers in a more intimate environment.
Jeanette Winterson is returning to Norwich for an evening event with Jo Shapcott and Dame Gillian Beer. I was lucky enough to hear Jeanette Winterson read and discuss her latest book, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal last year, and I promise you her memoir is even better when read by the author herself! Jo Shapcott’s newest collection of poetry, Of Mutability, is incredibly moving and has been in great demand in the office. I'm sure that Of Mutability will attain even greater poignancy when Jo Shapcott discusses her motivation and writing processes.
I also can’t wait to hear Nobel Laureate J.M. Coetzee reading from his work. I’ve been a big fan of his work for years and this event is made all the more special because Coetzee rarely appears at public events. Anna Funder and Tim Parks are also appearing alongside J.M. Coetzee. Our other unmissable event stars Michael Ondaatje and Kamila Shamsie. Michael Ondaatje’s novel The English Patient won the 1992 Booker Prize and was adapted into an Oscar winning film. Both of these events are available as part of our multi-buy deal (£20 or £15 concessions for both events).
Teju Cole, whose novel Open City won the Hemingway/Pen Award is visiting Norwich to participate in World Voices, an event which celebrates Refugee Week. Bestselling author Vesna Goldsworthy will also be reading at this event. The closing event of Worlds will celebrate the launch of Granta Britain. How better to commemorate the year of the Jubilee than with wonderful writing?
This over-arching theme of Worlds Literature Festival 2012 is ‘Fiction, Memoir and the Self’. Each of the events will be loosely focused on exploring the relationship between biographical truth and fictional representation.
Find out more about Worlds Literature Festival.
Words, Ideas and Graphic Novels- A Look at the Festival So Far
Posted By: Rowan Whiteside, 16 May 2012
The Norfolk and Norwich festival collaborated with Writers’ Centre Norwich to create a series of events called Words & Ideas. The events so far have all been brilliant in dramatically different ways.
Friday kicked off with an evening event from Alain de Botton where he discussed his latest book
Religion for Atheists. I missed the event because I was at the Spiegletent watching Bourgeois and Maurice perform- a cabaret band with a scathingly brilliant repertoire of tunes, however I heard all about it from my colleagues at WCN. Leila Telford, our Resources Manager, says:
“What a spark of genius to programme Alain de Botton at the start of a cultural festival like NNF12. His premise in Religion for Atheists, which he so convincingly presented to a packed Norwich Playhouse on May 11, is that we can pick and mix symbolic and ceremonial religious experiences, and recreate them through other mediums, such as the arts. This set the stage for a fresh examination of all the upcoming NNF arts events, and a recognition of how we can artistically exploit religious architecture to add a soupcon of the sublime to secular choirs, art films, jazz and classical orchestras and contemporary circus acrobatics.”
Saturday brought two events; Singing the City: From Dawn till Dusk and Tribunal 12. Singing the City took place around Norwich at dawn, midday and dusk, and was an ethereally beautiful experience. Singers performed in Norwich Cathedral, and around the mediaeval streets of Norwich (Elm Hill, Princes Street etc) which added a historical frisson to the event. It was great to hear the words we’d commissioned from George Szirtes and Andrew McDonnell come to life. Anyone who’d like to relive them can have a read of Andrew McDonell’s ‘3 Songs’ and George Szirtes’ 'Frozen Music’ here.
Tribunal 12 at the Norwich Playhouse was concerned with more contemporary issues. Featuring live streaming from Stockholm the event explored human rights violations across Europe, with particular concern for immigration. In between the live streamed events theatre groups performed pieces based around immigrant experiences. The evening brought music and the judgement from the Jury that Europe systematically violates human rights with its immigration policies. I still feel haunted by the immigrants’ stories and know that Tribunal 12 was an event which continues to have great social significance. (More on this soon.)
Finally, Alan Moore and Iain Sinclair visited the Playhouse on Monday for the Writing and Protest event. Iain Sinclair kept the audience riveted with his stories of being banned from Hackney Libraries and of travelling from sea to London via the river in a swan pedalo. Alan Moore read from his never published libretto based on the intriguing life of the alchemist John Dee.
Sinclair and Moore followed their individual readings with discussion and questions from the audience. Both writers talked about finding material in the everyday world and being drawn to the outsider- both in literature and in reality. Alan Moore described his protest writing as being inevitable rather than motivated by anger and categorically stated that he was against violence. Sinclair emphasised the need to trust our own first-hand experiences rather than the digitally imposed and manipulated images which are presented to us.
Alan Moore said that his writing method was to use the ignored and abandoned sections of society for inspiration. He described this as using the bits of wasteland of society to develop something more interesting. The event left me cheering for the outsider and has converted me to the cult of graphic novels- my next book to read will be V for Vendetta.
It’s the end of a fabulous week of events, but there are still more to come! This Saturday Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library will be hosting A New World of Words; an event which explores Persian poetry next Saturday and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy will be visiting Norwich in a sold-out event on Thursday the 24th May.
Take a look at our upcoming events.
Visit our Flickr Page to see more images from the Festival.
Welcome to Summer Reads 2012, where reading is just the start...
Posted By: Sam Ruddock, 09 May 2012
Love Reading
One of the constants throughout my life has been a love of stories. There has always been something special about holding a book in my hands and wondering where it might take me, that sense of possibility, the desire to dive in and explore. I love stories that take me on a journey I don't want to end, and to be accompanied by characters that become my friends. I love stories that make me think, that introduce me to new ideas and ways of seeing the world, or that show me what I already feel but haven’t found the words to articulate.
More than anything else, I believe passionately in the power of stories to transform our understanding of other people and the world, to help us be the best of ourselves. I often find myself emerging from a story feeling as though I have a new, more generous and conscientious, view of others and the world. As one of the characters in
All That I Am (one of our
Summer Reads) notes, ‘imagining the life of another is an act of compassion as holy as any.’ The intimacy between reader and book is a rare and wonderful thing.
That’s why it gives me great pleasure to bring you our
Summer Reads, which seeks to bring readers together to share the experience of reading, because a great book shared is even better than a great book read quietly on one’s own...and that’s saying a lot!
This brings us to the books. This year, for the first time, the books were selected by readers across Norfolk. It is, I think, our strongest list ever: five brilliantly written and readable titles through which you’ll walk in other shoes and experience other lives. Whether you read a lot, or just a little bit, you like to revisit familiar ground or try something completely new, these five books will challenge, inspire and delight readers.
This years Summer Reads books are:
- All That I Am by Anna Funder.
- Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson.
- Open City by Teju Cole.
- Of Mutability by Jo Shapcott.
- Down the Rabbit Hole by Juan Pablo Villalobos (translated by Rosalind Harvey).
There are characters to treasure – Dora, whose spirit and unquenchable belief in her cause make her the heroine of
All That I Am; precocious and lovable child-narrator Tochtli from
Down the Rabbit Hole – and scenarios that remain long in the mind. Common themes run across them, including personal responsibility for the state of the world, compassion for others, transience, and awareness of the plight of refugees both now and in the past. But first and foremost, these books tell stories that we can all enjoy and engage with. I’ve loved them, other readers have loved them, and I hope you love them too.
Bringing Readers Together
Reading the books is where it all begins. From there you can also get to know other readers in real life or online, meet the authors at events, absorb yourself in bonus material about the books, and win prizes by voting for your favourite.
Most of all, Summer Reads is a community rather an imposition. In the past we’ve selected six books, but this year there are only five: the sixth book is whatever you want it to be! While you read these books, I ask you to recommend your own favourites and to ask other readers for theirs. Over the course of the summer, we’ll be collecting readers’ cherished books at events and book clubs and library open day, as well as online. We’ll also be asking authors to recommend their favourite books. At the end of the summer, we’ll have a list of books that are loved by Norfolk readers that we can all share, and that can influence the books selected in future.
People often say that what they love about Summer Reads is that it introduces them to stimulating books, ideas, and people. Do get involved: I love talking to readers and hope to meet you soon (if I haven’t already). Summer Reads is all about the people who are involved in it, we hope you’ll join us in making this our best reading summer yet.
Reading is just the start... 
Hip Hip! Norwich is England's First UNESCO City of Literature
Posted By: Katy Carr, 09 May 2012
We heard yesterday at about 4.30 pm that Norwich has become England's first UNESCO City of Literature, joining an elite international network comprising Edinburgh, Melbourne, Iowa City, Dublin and Reykjavik. We are absolutely delighted with this news and would like to thank all the many partners who have helped us all to this success.
The UNESCO City of Literature accreditation lends international recognition to Norwich’s literary heritage, contemporary strengths and future potential in the field of literature, creative writing, reading and the literary arts and we are very proud.
See below for some key quotes, and links to more info about what this all means.
“I'm delighted by the news. Literature has deep roots in the beautiful city of Norwich and it was a natural first choice for UNESCO. I'm happy too for personal reasons - Norwich is where my own writing life began. Writers have known for centuries that Norwich is a dreamy city.” Ian McEwan, May 2012
“Congratulations on the success of Norwich’s bid. Thoroughly deserved.” Philip Pullman, May 2012
“This is recognition of the world wide reputation of Norwich as a centre for literary excellence, and acknowledgment that literature and literacy are powerful tools which can inspire people and help change lives." Councillor Brenda Arthur, Leader of Norwich City Council
Click below to read the full bid document:
Rowan Whiteside Blogs About Tribunal 12
Posted By: Rowan Whiteside, 03 May 2012
Immigration and asylum will always be a contentious subject. Whether you yourself have experience of immigration first hand, or have gained knowledge on the subject from newspaper articles and other content, you are sure to have an opinion or stance. Tribunal 12 challenges our preconceptions and forces us to examine our responses to immigration. The day is taking place at Norwich Playhouse from 9am till 11pm and includes live streaming from Stockholm as well as a day long programme of events and music at The Norwich Playhouse Playroom for you to dip in and out of.
Inspired by the International War Crimes Tribunal formed by Bertrand Russell and Jean Paul Sartre in 1967, the live streaming of Tribunal 12 will feature testimonies, documentation, performances and input from acclaimed international artists and experts all beamed to you in your seat in the Norwich Playhouse. Find about more about the live streaming here.
The full day event at the Playhouse also gives you the opportunity to discuss and debate the role of immigration in our society. The day will have a real festival feel and will include several live performances from various theatre groups, including the newly commissioned Label Me Not; a ten minute short which examines the dehumanisation of asylum seekers. There will be DJ’s playing from 4-11pm in the Playhouse Bar, and World Music playing all day.
Tribunal 12 gives you the opportunity to meet like-minded people and discuss key issues in a relaxed atmosphere- and what better atmosphere then the charmingly quirky and fairy-lit Playhouse? There’s sure to be impassioned debate around the plight of immigrants, fiery political discussions and even some dancing.
For those of you who plan to stay the day there will be a Barbecue from 12pm in the Playhouse garden. For those of you who plan to stay all night you can enjoy performances from some of the best DJ’s around. And, for those of you who just want to pop in and out, that’s okay too.
Best of all, it’s only a fiver!
Buy your ticket online.
The Story Museum: Other Worlds
Posted By: Chris Gribble, 02 May 2012
I’ve just returned from the opening night of the Other Worlds exhibition at The Story Museum in Oxford. My mind is hopping between the images and fragments of other worlds opened up by this extraordinary collaboration between writers, artists and the Story Museum building itself: the science of capturing a story as expressed in the marks it leaves on a handkerchief after a sneeze, the Lost Property Office (spare sets of marbles available), the Time Travel Office (has anyone seen Nostrodamus and please, ladies, the Bullingdon Club tour is for gentlemen only, Mr Cameron will be along shortly) and the glorious, tumbling, vociferous angels garlanding the entrance to this magical building in the centre of Oxford.
But back to the beginning, where all good stories start (until the modernists came along, but we won’t get involved in that debate just yet…).
The Story Museum is space to capture the power, joy and importance of stories. A place that reminds and teaches us that without stories (narrative, imagination, difference, risk) we cannot understand, describe or enjoy the world we live in. It is a place that will head Oxford’s bid to be UNESCO World Book Capital in 2014 and a labour of love for all those involved. It is also, in the words of its Co-Director, ‘in the pumpkin phase’. That is, the building is there, the passion is there, the remit is there, but the magical transformation (i.e. the MONEY) is still to arrive in full. They have the building, the great idea, and a lot of backing from investors, volunteers, Arts Council England, Oxford City Council and others, but they’re still fundraising.
So what do they do? Why, they invite a magnificent collaboration between Dark Angels (http://www.dark-angels.org.uk/) and a set of artists (with the support of Arts Council England), to animate their fabulous building with intriguing ideas, fragments of stories, rooms of delight, audio, video, art, and the infinite promise of ‘Once upon a Time…’
The space is an old GPO building – suitably enough, designed for the transfer of stories, news, gossip and information. The artists range from fabulous painters to cunning conceptual types, master story tellers and tantalizing poets. The result is a wonderful exhibition that brings together the playful, comforting, disturbing, didactic and delightful in an amazing setting that is surely set to be a national treasure of a place when it opens fully in 2014.
Do try and call in over May to see the Other Worlds exhibition. If you can’t make it, join their mailing list to hear about the other treats in store. Support it financially with a gift large or small if you can, or perhaps with some time, if you live locally.
I hope they all live happily ever after. Or interestingly ever after, at least.
To find out more about the Other Worlds exhibition visit http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/the-story-museum/otherworlds
Get Out Before Dawn With The Voice Project
Posted By: Katy Carr, 18 April 2012
"We are making a piece which features the beauty of a single voice on a rooftop; the harmonic intrigue of a small ensemble in a crypt and the uplifting sound of massed voices in the cloisters and nave of Norwich Cathedral."
Sian Croose and Jon Baker from The Voice Project are well known in Norwich for their original and beautiful musical events. So Writers' Centre Norwich is delighted to support their 2012 Norfolk and Norwich Festival production Singing the City - From Dawn to Dusk, by sponsoring the original libretto created by Andrew McDonnell and George Szirtes. You can read that work soon on our NewWriting site, but for now, here’s a little more info from Sian and Jon about why you’ll want to be getting up before the sun rises in a few Saturday’s time in order to join in...
Singing the City – From Dawn to Dusk – Saturday 12th May
Singing the City is going to be a musical mystery tour animating the medieval streets and buildings from St Andrews Plain to Cathedral Close with exciting new music created specially for the Voice Project Choir by Jeremy Avis, Jonathan Baker,
Helen Chadwick and Orlando Gough.
We plan to stage three performances that make use of a whole variety of interesting and unusual acoustic spaces - interior and exterior: placing singers in squares and streets, crypts and alleys, dark corners and cloisters, courtyards and rooftops.
The Voice Project Choir conducted by Sian Croose with Nik Bärtsch at the piano NNF May '11
The piece will have a more theatrical feel than previous projects and we will be working with a theatre director as part of our rehearsal process.
The libretto is being created by George Szirtes and Andrew McDonnell and will describe worlds of shadow and light and tell the stories of past and present. We are making a piece which features the beauty of a single voice on a rooftop; the harmonic intrigue of a small ensemble in a crypt and the uplifting sound of massed voices in the cloisters and nave of Norwich Cathedral.
To take part in Singing the City - From Dawn to Dusk on Saturday 12th May, please gather at
Norwich Cathedral. There are performances at sunrise (5.11am), 2pm & 10pm.
About The Voice Project
The Voice Project is the umbrella title covering the joint activities of singer/choral leader/composer partnership of Sian Croose and Jonathan Baker. Since 2003 we have been running large-scale vocal performance projects in the UK which bring together outstanding musicians and community choirs in events that combine the ethos of community music with cutting-edge creativity and high performance and production values. Working with partners from Norwich Arts Centre, Norfolk and Norwich Festival, the Sage Gateshead, Jazz Sous Les Pommiers, the Norwegian and Swiss Cultural Foundations, Writers' Centre Norwich and international music promoters Serious, we have premiered new works by Barbara Thompson, Karen Wimhurst, Richard Chew, Dennis Rollins, Andy Sheppard, Jon Hassell, Gwilym Simcock, Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang and Nik Bärtsch.
Best wishes
Sian & Jon
Norwich Showcase Podcast - Yvvette Edwards
Posted By: Richard White, 12 March 2012
Day four of the Norwich Showcase and we have just enjoyed an event entitled 'New Fictions' featuring readings by Joe Dunthorne, Ross Raisin and Yvvette Edwards.
Below you can listen to Yvvette reading from the forth chapter of her novel, A Cupboard Full of Coats.
Words and Ideas - Our Norfolk and Norwich Festival Programme Launches
Posted By: Mitch Albert, 01 March 2012
I moved to Norwich in December 2011, and began working full-time in January 2012 as the Programme Director of Writers’ Centre Norwich – just in time to join the discussion about programming the literature component of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival.
Now, one of the joys of being the new kid on the block is, in no small measure, the pleasure of perpetual discovery: everything is new, fascinating, remarkable … Of course, such wide-eyed effusiveness can grow tiresome very quickly from the point of view of one’s new local acquaintances, jaded Old Norfolk Hands themselves; yet whenever I directed my breathless appreciation toward the general awesomeness of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, I was met with … more breathless appreciation.
That makes sense. The scope and ambition of the NNF are truly remarkable, no less so for thefestival’s having continued to sharpen its cutting edge even after two and a half centuries of existence.
It is within this context that the ‘Words and Ideas’ strand of the NNF, presented by Writers’ Centre Norwich, will offer the chance to hear great contemporary thinkers addressing some age-old themes. Over five days in May, Norwich will get down to some serious thinking with poets, philosophers, writers, and social activists holding forth on faith and doubt, revolution and quiescence, social exclusion and acceptance, and the life of the emotions.
On Friday 11 May,
Alain de Botton will address the moral utility of religious faith even for non-believers. De Botton can always be relied upon to bring reason, compassion, and clarity to such a complex topic; he’ll be drawing from his new book
Religion for Atheists, and is adept at engaging with enquiring audiences on philosophical questions that inspire and perplex us all.
The following day, Saturday 12 May, Europe will stand accused of violating human rights in itstreatment of asylum seekers:
Tribunal 12, organised by the Shahrazad project (an offshoot of the
International Cities of Refuge Network), has been convened to examine the hard evidence. The day-long proceedings will unfold onscreen at the Norwich Playhouse, live-streamed from the Kulturhuset in Stockholm. An impressive jury featuring luminaries from the worlds of literature, music, film, social activism and law will formulate the verdict later that evening. Tribunal 12 is modelled on the International War Crimes Tribunal organised in 1967 by Bertrand Russell and Jean-Paul Sartre, which focused attention on atrocities taking place during the US military intervention in Vietnam. This prescient Russell-Sartre project was largely ignored in the US, which was not yet prepared as a nation to examine its actions in Vietnam; will the European Union – that is, will we ourselves – listen any more carefully to the accusations of Tribunal 12?
The sessions (and hence the screenings) will be punctuated by four intervals of up to two hours, so audiences will have a chance to check out other events at the Playhouse that day, related to the themes of refugee issues and human rights. Do check WCN’s website for updates on who will be performing and offering information on the day!
Find out more the about Tribunal 12 event.
‘Legendary’ is an unfortunately abused descriptor, but if you’ve been plugged into the counter-culture at any point during the past couple of decades, you would have stumbled across the names of
Iain Sinclair and
Alan Moore. These two – yes, legendary – writers, psychogeographers, and social critics will appear on Monday 14 May to weigh in on the value of anger and action in the face of encroachment by authority – and the erosion of society’s sense of space, place and protest.
Find out more about the Sinclair & Moore event.Poetry is front and centre during this week as well, in a big way. On
Saturday 19 May three renowned Afghan poets and their esteemed translators will perform their work both in the original Dari (Persian) and English, respectively. If the sum total of your information about Afghanistan derives only from news reports of war and social conflict, be prepared to have your assumptions overturned: these poets are contemporary and electric, investing their language (which dates back millennia) with a fresh, modern energy.
Find out more about the Afghan poets event.
Poetry caps this fine series of events as well, with the Poet Laureate her own self, to boot, on Thursday 24 May.
Carol Ann Duffy will perform alongside the musician John Sampson, with whom she often collaborates, to enchanting, moving and thoughtful effect – and how could it be any other way …? Many thanks to the
Rialto magazine - our partners on this event.
May’s looking good, then; can’t come quickly enough! I hope to meet many of you at NNF. I’ll be an Old Norfolk Hand myself by that time, showing signs of impatience at every gasp of delight by newcomers freshly inducted into this best-kept secret corner of England – many doubtless lured here by the festival itself …
Red in Tooth and Claw: Literary Death Match
Posted By: Sam Ruddock, 24 February 2012
“Literary Death Match is the unholy spawn of American Idol and the first reading of Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ at the Six Gallery 50 years ago. Dangerous, edgy, yet very ready for prime time.”
Jane Ganahl, Director San Francisco’s Litquake Festival
In an era where books are desperate to evolve, Literary Death Match — a groundbreaking take on both the written and spoken word — is a crowd-luring, bright-minded spectacle.
Part literary reading, part comedy show, part game show, Literary Death Match brings together four talented writers to compete in an edge-of-your-seat read-off critiqued by three celebrity judges, and concluded by a slapstick showdown to decide the night’s ultimate champion.
Perhaps it sounds a bit out-there? Well it isn’t.
Literary Death Match has long been passionate about inspecting new and innovative ways to present text on the page and off of it. The most fascinating part of an evening is not the upbeat music, free-flowing drinks, or clubby atmosphere – though all make for great fun. It is how attentive the audience is during each reading. This is the great literary ruse: an audacious and inviting title, a harebrained finale, but in-between the judging creates a relationship with the viewer as a judge themselves. After the event, people don’t talk about if they liked a particular story, they talk about why. To put it bluntly, Literary Death Match keeps people’s smartphones in their pockets, their eyes on the stage, and their minds on literature.
If you love literature, it is the night for you.
Since the first event in New York City in 2006, Literary Death Match has grown rapidly and now travels the world delivering energetic and enjoyable events to packed out audiences. Norwich is the smallest city it has ever visited and we are delighted to be bringing it here.
I guarantee that, if you come along, it will be the most fun you have had at a literary event in your life.
Monday 12th March, 8pm, £5 advance, £6 on door, Norwich Arts Centre
Literary Death Match with Francesca Beard, Siddhartha Bose, Martin Figura and Ross Sutherland
Book your tickets for Literary Death Match now.
What's Going On? The Norwich Showcase
Posted By: Katy Carr, 02 February 2012
Hopefully you’ve seen the news about The Norwich Showcase – where Writers’ Centre Norwich and the British Council will be bringing three groups of people together over five days in Norwich from 09th-13th March: international delegates from the world of literature; British literature organisations and 40 of the best writers writing in Britain today.
So what, I wondered, does our CEO Chris Gribble think is exciting about this project?
After thinking about it a few moments he replied:
“The Norwich Showcase is the first time we’ve tried promoting the best in literature and literature development from the UK to the rest of the world.
It’s also the first time we’ve been able to invite so many exciting literary festival programmers, publishers, cultural activists and development workers to the UK to share their experiences and tell us about programmes across the globe that we might not have heard of. I’m hugely excited by the chance both to share Norwich’s love for and experience of writing and reading, and to learn from our colleagues from as far away as Pakistan, Uganda and Brazil.
As home to UEA, the British Centre for Literary Translation and Writers’ Centre Norwich, we are really fortunate to be at the heart the UK literary scene and we hope that as a result of this first Norwich Showcase, we are able to inspire new partnerships, ideas and work within the UK and internationally.”
Indeed.
We’re also aware that many more people will want to take part than can participate, so we’re pleased to be live streaming a poetry reading with Lavinia Greenlaw, Hannah Lowe and Don Paterson on Friday 09th and a full day’s events on Monday 12th March featuring sessions on new fiction, a historical panel, a translation slam and another poetry panel.
We’re sure all the technicalities will work out perfectly.
If you’re around in Norwich in March you can also take part in the Showcase by coming along to our very exciting Literary Death Match, taking place at Norwich Arts Centre on March 12th and featuring lots of talented people spouting away for seven minutes each in a literary duel to the literary death. Find out more about our
Literary Death Match here.
As well as this there will be podcasts, films and blogs galore, and plenty of post event work will be finding its way online too.
Do keep an eye on our latest news page where we’ll be updating you about all of this, and if you have a few moments why not engage in some happy surfing from
The Norwich Showcase project page.
NonfictioNow, Melbourne: Call for panels
Posted By: Katy Carr, 08 December 2011
As you will no doubt have heard Norwich is bidding to become a UNESCO City of Literature and as such we have been developing strong links with other Cities of Literature around the world. Melbourne, Australia is one such city, and they have asked us to let nonfiction writers know about their NonFictioNow conference in November 2012 for which they are currently searching for panels. See below for full details from RMIT University.
THE BEDELL NONFICTIONOW CONFERENCE IN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
A conference exploring the past, present, and future of nonfiction and its myriad forms.
NOVEMBER 21-24, 2012,
Featuring David Shields and Helen Garner
in Melbourne, Australia, a UNESCO City of Literature
RMIT University 2012
Call for Panels
NonfictioNow, The Bedell Nonfiction Conference, is a biennial gathering of over 400 nonfiction writers, teachers, and students from around the world. Panels and readings highlight the myriad forms of nonfiction from the video essay, documentary, and graphic essay to the memoir, lyric essay, and literary journalism. Past keynote speakers have included Patricia Hampl, Pico Iyer, Lauren Slater, and Richard Rodriguez, among others.
NonfictioNow is one of the most significant gatherings of writers, teachers and readers of nonfiction from around the world.
Three full days of panels, screenings and events will centre on the practice, thinking, communication and writing of nonfiction in all its forms to be hosted by RMIT University in November 2012.
The Bedell NonfictioNow Conference seeks panels that showcase the diversity of the genre. Panels should have a minimum of three panelists, including the moderator. Panels can explore any aspect of nonfiction ranging from the celebration, discussion or tribute to the work of a particular essayist, or a discussion an aspect of memoir, ethics, the lyric essay, literary journalism, travel writing, food writing or regional writing. Panels that explore nonfiction at or beyond the margins of the literary, such as film, radio and online forms, are also welcome. In addition, a small number of proposed readings will be accepted for the conference.
Please note that the conference will not be able to pay for the travel or accommodation of panellists.
The call for panels is now open.
Write For Rights This Saturday With Amnesty
Posted By: Katy Carr, 08 December 2011
Please see below for a note from our friends at Amnesty International about an event this Saturday. As a City of Refuge we hope that Norwich's Write for Rights day is fully supported by the many people we know really do care about these things. And if you can't make it down to the Playhouse, there's a big social media campaign going on on the day too - so get tweeting, buzzing, facebooking away.
Write for Rights Event
Saturday 10th December, Norwich Playhouse, 10.30-4.30
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International, Amnesty International Groups around the world are organising 'Write for Rights' events on 10th December (Human Rights Day) this year. The idea is to hold letter-writing events on behalf of ten particular victims of human rights violations. Here in Norwich, we'll be holding a 'Write for Rights' event at the Norwich Playhouse between 10:30am and 4:30pm. Between those times, people will be invited to drop in and write a letter about one of the campaign appeal cases.
If you are in Norwich on 10th December, please do come to the Playhouse on St George's Street to support the event.