The Cities of Literature

There are eight new UNESCO Cities of Literature, with Bucheon, Durban, Lillehammer, Manchester, Milan, Québec City, Utrecht and Seattle the latest to be welcomed into the Creative Cities Network.

NottsLit takes a look at all twenty-eight UNESCO Cities of Literature:
 

Bucheon, South Korea (joined 2017)

There are more than 20 active literary societies and organizations in Bucheon, including the Bucheon Literary Society. Their literary festivals tend to be held in honour of their writers, such as the Suju Literary Festival commemorating Korea's pioneer of new poetry Byun Yeongro (whose pen name was Suju), Neighbors in Wonmi-dong Festival in honour of Yang Gui-ja, and the Pearl Buck Festival, in memory of the Nobel laureate who founded an orphanage for war orphans in Bucheon and wrote a novel about Korea. Known for its well-organized library network which comprises of 119 libraries, Bucheon is the only city in Korea with a book sharing system between public and university libraries. There is also a special library services for the elderly, people with disabilities, pregnant women and migrants. They also have a Braille library and a mobile library.   

Literary figures associated with the city include Byun Yeongro, Yang Gui-ja and Mok Il-shin.

Durban, South Africa (joined 2017)

Durban was the first city in South Africa - and the first on the African continent - to apply for UNESCO City of Literature status. They have ambitious plans for a Durban International Literary Festival, wanting a truly iconic book festival to harness the city’s many cultures, with Durban known as the ‘Kingdom of the Zulu’ and ‘Little India’. Their current festivals include Time of the Writer, Poetry Africa and Articulate Africa Book Fair. Poetry slams are particularly popular in Durban.

Literary figures associated with the city include the author Lynn Freed and the poet Mazisi Kunene.

Lillehammer, Norway (joined 2017)

Since 1995 Lillehammer has organised The Norwegian Festival of Literature, the largest literature festival in the Nordic region, offering more than 200 events and acquiring an increasingly international profile. The area has been home to two of Norway’s three winners of the Nobel Prize in literature, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (winner 1903) and Sigrid Undset (winner 1928). A ICORN International City of Refuge, Lillehammer has assumed a particular responsibility in the struggle for freedom of expression, by offering shelter for authors who are suffering persecution in their country of origin. Their Nansen Academy functions as a house of literature and a literature academy, holding a book week each year and hosting its own creative writing programme. Their streets offer walking tours through the Norwegian literary canon.

Literary figures associated with the city include Henrik Ibsen, Sigrid Undset, Knut Hamsun, Jon Fosse and Dag Solstad.

Milan, Italy (joined 2017)

Milan has always been a City of writers and readers. They have a network of libraries (more than 200, public and private) and bookstores (over 400), and they host several literary festivals. Milan is considered the capital of Italian publishing, with 500 publishers and thousands of professionals working in the field. Many Italian writers have gone to Milan for its lively literary scene, as Nobel Laureates Montale and Dario Fo did. In fact, writers have come to Milan from all over the world, examples being Byron and Hemingway.

Literary figures associated with the city include the author Alessandro Manzoni, Carlo Emilio Gadda, Giuseppe Parini and Silvio Pellico.

Utrecht, Netherlands (joined 2017)

The fourth largest city in the Netherlands, Utrecht hosts the country’s largest poetry festival. Literature is everywhere in the city with Utrecht University having a particularly important role to play. The University’s Bachelor’s programme in Literary Studies is the best in the Netherlands. Broese Boekverkopers is their largest bookstore, and Bijleveld with its beautiful wooden show windows, is perhaps the oldest. They also have the oldest collectively run political bookstore in the Netherlands, de Rooie.

Literary figures associated with the city include the children's author Dick Bruna.

Manchester, UK (joined 2017)

Manchester is home to two of the country’s most highly regarded writing schools – the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, headed by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, and the University of Manchester’s Centre for New Writing. The Manchester Literature Festival, known for its innovative approach, is one of the most popular literary events in the UK. Manchester built the UK’s first public lending library. The city has plans for a libraries festival and a new writers’ hub.

Literary figures associated with the city include Elizabeth Gaskell and Anthony Burgess.

Québec City, Canada (joined 2017)

The first French-speaking city to become a UNESCO City of Literature, it’s the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec. Home to The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec - the first scholarly or learned society in Canada (founded 1824) - Québec City is has a rich literary life reflecting the French-speaking, English-speaking, and Indigenous people who live there. With over 200 authors, 100 organizations, publishers, and booksellers, there is a strong literary revival in Québec.

Literary figures associated with the city include Anne Hébert, Alfred Goldsworthy Bailey, Jacques Poulin and Gabrielle Roy.

Seattle, USA (joined 2017)

The Elliott Bay Book Company is the greatest book store in Seattle, a force in the independent bookselling world for 35 years. It sits above the Elliott Bay Café, the inspiration for the café in ‘Frasier’. Seattle is home to Starbucks but it’s their indie coffee houses, such as Bauhaus Books & Coffee, that regularly feature books and writers. Working writers head to Richard Hugo House, an urban writer’s retreat that offers many writing programs. Several British writers have made their homes in Seattle, such as Jonathan Raban and Michael Dibdin, and it is the home to Amazon. The Seattle Poetry Festival is their biennial poetry festival.

Literary figures associated with the city include Robert Dugoni and the two-time Individual World Poetry Slam Champ Buddy Wakefield.

Baghdad, Iraq (joined 2015)

Frankenstein in Baghdad - a modern, wartime version of Mary Shelley’s horror - won the 2014 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, the Arab world’s equivalent of the Booker Prize, but the city’s literature is under threat. In 2007 a car bomb exploded on Al-Mutanabbi Street, the centre of Baghdad’s historic literary district, home of booksellers, printers, and the Shabandar café (a venue where Iraqi writers and intellectuals have been gathering for centuries). Once witness to the first literary document, the area of Ancient Babylon now sees ISIS militants destroying statues of poets. One modern poet, Mohammed Sadek, aims to create a community for Iraqi writers - similar to the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa – and hopes to keep Baghdad's literature connected with the world.

Literary figures associated with the city include Saadi Yousef, Fadhil Al Azzawi and Salah Al-Hamdani.

Barcelona, Spain (joined 2015)

A publishing powerhouse in two languages – Barcelona is the largest centre of publishing in the Spanish language and the capital of the Catalan language – the city has a rich literary heritage in both. For the celebration of Catalonia's patron day Saint Jordi, Catalans exchange books and roses with their loved ones. This takes place on April 23^rd, the same day as UNESCO's World Book and Copyright Day.

Literary figures associated with the city include Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Eduardo Mendoza and Juan Goytisolo.


Dublin, Ireland (joined 2010)

With its astonishing literary heritage and contemporary writing scene Dublin is a natural city of literature. The city hosts many festivals such as Dublin Book Festival, Poetry Now, Dublin Writers’ Festival, Bloomsweek and Children’s Book Festival. Attractions include Dublin Writers Museum which features the lives and works of Dublin’s literary celebrities over the last 300 years. The city also hosts the world’s richest literary prize for a single work - the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award.

Literary figures associated with the city include George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and James Joyce.

Dunedin, New Zealand (joined 2014)

Dunedin’s sprawling landscape has inspired poets and writers since the 19th century. Home to many significant libraries - including New Zealand’s first free public library (est. 1908) - and book collections Dunedin also has an impressive publishing heritage. In 2012 the Centre for the Book opened, a centre of excellence on book history and print culture that investigates new platforms and models of book publication and distribution. The city hosts annual festivals that include the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival, and the Children’s Storylines Festival.

Literary figures associated with the city include Thomas Bracken and Janet Frame.


Edinburgh, Scotland (joined 2004)

With its impressive literary heritage and some of the world’s most exciting contemporary writers, Edinburgh was the first designated UNESCO City of Literature. Home to literary events such as Edinburgh International Book Festival, unique book shops and cafes, the city has produced some of the world’s best loved books and characters including Jekyll and Hyde, Sherlock Holmes, Peter Pan, Treasure Island and Trainspotting.

Literary figures associated with the city include Ian Rankin, Robert Louis Stevenson and Irvine Welsh.


Granada, Spain (joined 2014)

Granada has a long history of being home to renowned poets, writers and intellectuals. This tradition has made the city a reference in terms of literary production and the management of activities related to the art of speech. Granada’s public and private institutions, publishing houses and solid network of bookshops provide spaces and synergies for a vibrant programme of literature-related activities. Hundreds of literary events are held in the city every year.

Literary figures associated with the city include Federico García Lorca and Washington Irving.


Heidelberg, Germany (joined 2014)

With a literary history that spans from the Middle Ages to the present, Heidelberg has long been a place for writers. Visitors to the city include Mark Twain, Charles Bukowski and JK Rowling. Its 50 publishing companies form an important part of the city’s literary industry and many of them add to Heidelberg reputation as a centre for translation. The Heidelberg Literature Festival contributes to a city that loves its young readers. Books play an everyday role in school life with reading programmes topping the curriculum in primary and secondary schools.

Literary figures associated with the city include Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Clemens Brentano, Bettina von Arnim, Friedrich Hölderlin and Thomas Meinecke.


Iowa City, United States (joined 2008)

With its unique set of influential literary institutions, which explore new ways to teach and support writers, Iowa City is a place for writers; a haven, a destination, a proving ground, and a nursery. The Iowa Writers' Workshop's creative writing program claims among its graduates winners of virtually every major literary award.

Literary figures associated with the city include Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Flannery O’Connor, Rita Dove, Robert Hass and John Irving.


Kraków, Poland (joined 2013)

With arguably the highest density of poets in the world it’s no surprise that Kraków’s poetry soirées and salons – including Poetry Night, initiated in 2011 – are hugely popular. In 2000 the city became the place of the famous Meetings of the Poets of the East and the West. It hosts the most important literary festivals in Poland: the Milosz Festival and the Conrad Festival, and is the seat of the Book Institute, which promotes Polish literature and supports national literary programmes.

Literary figures associated with the city include Wislawa Szymborska, Joseph Conrad Korzeniowski and Stanislaw Wyspianski.

Ljubljana, Slovenia (joined 2015)

Ljubljana was UNESCO’s World Book Capital in 2010. Slovenians celebrate a cultural day as a national holiday and Ljubljana hosts a book festival called Holiday of Books. A language and reading culture have played a crucial role in the Slovenian history as they helped the Slovenians to preserve their own language and identity. Much assistance is given to students in written expression and many projects and free-time activities have been established for children and young people.

Literary figures associated with the city include Primož Trubar, Janez Vajkard Valvasor and France Prešeren.


Lviv, Ukraine (joined 2015)

Literature written in Lviv has contributed greatly to Austrian, Ukrainian, Yiddish, and Polish literature for which Lviv’s contribution is particularly profound. Translation work took place between these cultures and, in the 19th century, many publishing houses, newspapers and magazines were established. Every day a book market takes place around the monument to Ivan Fеdorovych, a 16th century typographer. Lviv is the birthplace of both the sci-fi writer Stanislaw Lem, most famous for his novel Solaris, and the author Leopold von Sacher-Massoch writer of Venus In Furs a book that inspired the term Masochism. Every September Lviv holds a large International Literary Festival (Litfest). 

Literary figures associated with the city include Zbigniew Herbert, Joseph Roth and Adam Zagajewski.


Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (joined 2008)

Melbourne boasts more bookshops than any other Australian city, has a vibrant community of writers, novelists, playwrights and poets, a large number of reading groups – including the Ivanhoe Reading Circle (1920s onwards) - and the city is home to an array of literary organisations, including Australian Poetry, Express Media, the Emerging Writers’ Festival, the Melbourne Writers Festival, the Small Press Network, Wheeler Centre and Writers Victoria.

Literary figures associated with the city include Peter Carey, Marcus Clarke and Helen Garner.


Montevideo, Uruguay (joined 2015)

The National Library of Uruguay was designed by Luis Crespi in the neoclassical style and occupies an area of 4,000 square metres with a current collection of roughly 900,000 volumes. The capital city has a long and rich literary tradition. In 1900 the city was known as the Athens of the Rio de la Plata on account of its remarkable group of writers: Carlos Vaz Ferreira, Julio Herrera y Reissig, Delmira Agustini and Felisberto Hernández.

Literary figures associated with the city include Juan Carlos Onetti, Delmira Agustini and José Enrique Rodó.

Norwich, England (joined 2012)

The first English City of Literature boasts many literary firsts. Julian of Norwich penned the first book written by a woman in English in 1395. The first poem in blank verse was written by Henry Howard in the 16th century. The first English provincial library  (in 1608) and newspaper (in 1701) followed, and Norwich was the first to implement the Public Library Act of 1850. The UK’s first Creative Writing MA (1970) was established at the University of East Anglia, from which Ian McEwan was the first graduate. Today, Writers’ Centre Norwich provides a hub for excellence in literature from around the world, providing professional development for writers through workshops, courses, networking and competitions. As for books, The Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library has been the most visited public library in the UK, and the Cathedral library is home to more than 20,000 books dating back to 1474.

Literary figures associated with the city include WG Sebald, Sir Thomas Browne and Anna Sewell.

 

Nottingham, England (joined 2015)

A city of rebels and writers, Nottingham has an impressive literary heritage and a fast growing contemporary writing scene, with local digital and visual media innovatively embracing the written word. Many projects and festivals have sprung from the grass roots and the people’s passion for literature and social justice. Links to many of Nottingham’s groups and activities are listed to the right (scroll up). As well as having many literary legends, Nottingham's non-fiction writers have also had an astonishing influence on the world, helping to form the theory of evolution, protestant Christianity, a UN Resolution and part of the American constitution.  

Literary figures associated with the city include D.H. Lawrence, Lord Byron and Alan Sillitoe.

Óbidos, Portugal (joined 2015)

The project Óbidos Literary Town is a collaborative initiative involving a bookstore, a creative writing company, the town hall and a municipal enterprise of cultural management. This project consists of the promotion of the culture of writing and reading through the organisation of festivals, presentations, meetings, representations, projections, concerts, reading and writing sessions. Óbidos’s International Literature Festival (Folio) is a prominent event and the city even has a unique literary hotel The Literary Man Óbidos Hotel.


Prague, Czech Republic (joined 2014)

Prague has about 200 libraries - the largest of which is The Municipal Library of Prague – including a Central Library of 41 branches and 3 mobile libraries (bibliobuses), a huge institution that manages a collection of 2.35 million volumes, loans more than 7 million books annually and hosts around 5000 programmes and events each year. Prague has many independent libraries and street libraries across a city that hosts about 130 bookshops, around 60 second-hand bookshops, and approximately 20 literary cafes. Their International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World Prague runs about 400 exhibitions and attracts around 40 000 visitors.

Literary figures associated with the city include Franz Kafka, Max Bod and Rainer Maria Rilke.


Reykjavík, Iceland (joined 2011)

The first non-English speaking city to join the Cities of Literature Network, Reykjavík is obsessed by books - Iceland’s most popular Christmas gift. One in ten Icelanders will publish a book and over half of its population participate in cultural events. Biannually the city hosts the Reykjavik International Literature Festival and the Children’s Literature Festival.  Literature is celebrated with the Week of the Book in April and there are numerous literature walks hosted by the City Library.

Literary figures associated with the city include Halldór Laxness, Arnaldur Indridason, Thor Vilhjálmsson and Einar Már Gudmundsson.

Tartu, Estonia (joined 2015)

Estonia’s second city - widely considered the intellectual capital - is home to the Estonian Literary Museum which holds held a two-day conference on literature and folklore each December. The museum publishes an annual almanac which includes articles, primary source texts and research. The two biggest libraries, the University of Tartu Library and Tartu Public Library offer rich collections, reading and working space as well as exhibitions and literary events. The Tartu branch of Estonian Writers’ Union is a thriving association for authors, critics and translators residing in Tartu and South Estonia.

Literary figures associated with the city include Ene Mihkelson, Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, Jaan Kaplinski and Andrus Kivirähk.

Ulyanovsk, Russia (joined 2015)

12 Simbirsk literary Apostles (Ulyanovsk used to be Simbirsk) is a project devoted to the most significant writers of the region. It’s helped promote the best examples of Russian and world literature, increased reading activity and the desire to read. A tour, based around Simbirsk/Ulyanovsk’s literary heritage, attracted attention to the reading of classical literature in the region. During the year, every month in all municipalities of the Ulyanovsk region, as well as its cultural and educational institutions, held a cycle of cultural and educational events dedicated to the promotion of creativity of certain literary person.

Literary figures associated with the city include Ivan Alexandrovich Goncharov, Nikolay Mikhailovich Karamzin and Nikolay Mikhailovich Yazykov.

 

Book Flood for our City of Literature

A Book Flood for our City of Literature

Proud of my home county I wanted to help promote its incredible literary output and the many writing/reading events and groups that are active here. So I created this blog NottsLit. That was back in 2011.

Last year I was delighted to learn that Nottingham was aiming to become a UNESCO City of Literature. For too long we had concealed our achievements, it was about time we celebrated them. 

A man could no longer be private and withdrawn. The world allows no hermits. D. H. Lawrence

Now it’s been announced that the bid has been successful and the world can learn what we already knew – but kept to ourselves – that Nottingham is a City of Literature. This permanent accreditation is partly due to Byron, Lawrence and Sillitoe, writers that shook the establishment, but also to the many others that have stood on their rebellious shoulders. I congratulate the hardworking team that put the bid together, and thank them. We must now build upon this status and actively promote our heritage and thriving writing scene. Above all the promised economic benefits and tourism boosts I’m most excited by the pride and inspiration this award can offer to the city’s youth. 

How about marking this announcement with our very own Book Flood? In Iceland the majority of books are published in October and November, ready for their national tradition of Jolabokaflod or Christmas Book Flood. Most Icelanders settle down on Christmas Eve (when their gifts are exchanged) to read a brand new book. So why not join Reykjavik, one of our fellow Cities of Literature, in buying books this Christmas, the perfect present from a new City of Literature resident.

Related article – A to Z of Notts Literature

The Five Challenges of the Indie Author

Saturday 12th December 6pm, The Five Challenges of the Indie Author, at Nottingham Writers' Studio

Meet NWS member Gareth Baker as he discusses his experience so far as an indie Author, the challenges he’s faced and his aspirations for the future. He will talk about his successes, failures and lessons learned. There will then be an interview and an opportunity to ask questions. Part of the evening will feature the launch of his second Nottingham based thriller, Never Forgotten. There will be an opportunity to buy one of his thrillers or children’s books if you wish. You will be welcomed with a glass of wine, but please bring your own drinks for the rest of the evening. There will also be snacks and cake.

Free event

Gareth's website

Book Off, Sunday 22nd Nov, at Rough Trade

Sunday 22nd November 11:30am - 10pm

'BOOK OFF' AT ROUGH TRADE NOTTINGHAM - A FULL DAY OF FREE LITERARY EVENTS.

ALONGSIDE WORKSHOPS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS, THERE WILL BE WORD GAMES, A HAIKU WALL, AND LOCAL PUBLISHERS INCLUDING FIVE LEAVES AND ANGRY ROBOT BOOKS.

THERE'S SPACE TO COME AND COSY DOWN AND CREATE WITH YOUR NOTEBOOK OR LAPTOP, AND PLENTY TO GET INVOLVED IN TOO. WHETHER THIS IS YOUR FIRST LITERARY EVENT OR YOUR FIFTIETH, EVERYONE IS WELCOME. BROUGHT TO YOU BY ROUGH TRADE AND LOCAL THEATRE COMPANY SHEEP SOUP.

THE PROGRAMME INCLUDES:

AMANDA SMITH - STORYTELLING SESSIONS
11.30am-1.00pm

'Amanda Smith is a professional storyteller from Nottingham who works in schools, children's hospitals, theatres, festivals, day care centres and librarie...s. She runs the Sherwood Storytelling Club.
Join Amanda Smith Storyteller for family storytelling fun! Hear how bold Robin Hood outwits the Dragon of Sherwood Forest, join Anansi the West African trickster spider who tricks the big animals to become the strongest animal in the forest and help Mr Rattlebones the skeleton journey to Ghost Island! Songs, stories and music for children aged 3-7 years.
Stories at 11.30, 12.00 & 12.30.'
Children must be accompanied by adults.
http://amandasmithstoryteller.weebly.com/

THE PLAY'S THE THING: IDEAS FOR STARTING AND DEVELOPING YOUR WRITING FOR PERFORMANCE WITH GARETH MORGAN
1.15-2.45pm

'Gareth Morgan is a writer and dramaturg based in Nottingham. He is an Associate Artist at Nottingham Playhouse and has worked with other regional theatres and companies such as New Perspectives, Excavate and Derby Theatre. He also runs Act 2: an East Midlands new writing project, based at Nottingham Playhouse, which runs a number of regular new writing events. He will be running a workshop focusing on writing for performance. People of all levels of experience welcome; so come and try your hand at writing for performance!'
http://www.6016theatre.co.uk/

JON SAVAGE IN CONVERSATION: '1966: THE YEAR THE DECADE EXPLODED' BOOK LAUNCH
3pm: Q&A
4pm: Signing

PANEL DISCUSSION WITH HENRY NORMAL, ROD DUNCAN AND PIPPA HENNESSY
4.30-5.30pm

'Siobhán Cannon-Brownlie will be chairing a panel discussion about creating work and the journeys the following writers have found themselves on.'

Henry Normal:
Nottingham born Henry Normal is a producer, comedian, writer and poet. He has assisted with the organising of Nottingham’s New Poetry Festival (17th November - 2nd December), founded Baby Cow productions with Steve Coogan and was co-writer of the Royle Family, The Mrs Merton Show, Paul Calf, Coogan’s Run and The Parole Officer.
http://www.babycow.co.uk/henry-normalCV.html

Shreya Sen Handley:
Shreya Sen Handley is a Calcutta-born, Nottingham-based mother of two. She is a former television journalist and producer for channels including CNBC and MTV, who now writes and illustrates for the British and India media. A columnist for National Geographic, Times of India and Nottingham Post, she has also written for The Guardian, CNN India and The Hindu. A children’s book she illustrated for Hachette was published in 2014, and her memoir, for Harper Collins, on which she is currently working is slated for the summer of 2016.
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/author/shreyasenhandley/

Rod Duncan:
Rod Duncan is a published crime writer. His first novel Backlash was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Dagger, and he has since written three other novels The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter, Unseemly Science and The Custodian of Marvels (all published by Angry Robot Books, the latter coming Feb 2016), and had his first screenplay produced. He is also a lecturer at De Montfort University.
http://angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/rod-duncan/

Pippa Hennessy:
Pippa Hennessy writes fiction and poetry, works for local small press Five Leaves as a publishing assistant, is the development director at Nottingham Writers' Studio, and teaches at Nottingham University on the Creative & Professional Writing and Humanities degree programmes. She is also a freelance proofreader, editor, ebook producer, writing workshop leader, website designer and IT advisor. She runs the EU-funded Dovetail creative writing project, working with organisations in Karlsruhe and Budapest.
http://nottinghamwritersstudio.co.uk/tag/pippa-hennessy/

ROB GREEN - AN INTRODUCTION TO LYRIC AND SONG-WRITING
5.30-7.00pm

'Nottingham raised Rob Green is a sizzling fusion of acoustic R&B and soul; Rob’s catchy lyrics and rich, emotive vocal fast solidified his status as the ‘Soul Prince of Nottingham’ (LeftLion). His track Underdog made BBC Radio 1’s track of the week and he is co-managed by Nottingham label Outlaw and RedFireMusic (the team behind Grammy winning artist Gregory Porter). Rob’s next EP will be available early 2016.

Rob’s workshop is an introduction to lyric and song writing, exploring different song-writing techniques, using them to develop your own lyrics around the concept of self-identity.'
http://www.robgreenmusic.com/

MAJOR LABIA
7.30-8.00pm

'Major Labia are Nottingham’s newest feminist comedy collective. Debuting at Nottingham Playhouse as part of the Mouthy Poets’ ‘Say Sumthin 9’, the all-female troupe consists of actors, writers, singer-songwriters and activists. Come and revel in the mayhem of their latest sketches.'

OPEN MIC AND PERFORMANCE POETRY
8.00-10.30pm

'Are you a budding poet? Come and sign up for a slot at our open mic session from 8-9pm, followed by some of Black Drop and Poetry is Dead Good’s poets, and fresh from the Fringe, Notts’ own poet Ben Norris (UK All Stars Poetry Slam Champion 2013).'
http://poetryisdeadgood.tumblr.com/
http://bennorrispoet.com/

THIS IS A FREE ALL-DAY LITERARY SOCIAL - NO WRISTBAND/TICKET NEEDED.

ALL AGES WELCOME.

11.30AM START.

New Poetry Festival

New poetry Festival planned by Notts TV and Nottingham born poet Henry Normal.

From 17th Nov to 2nd Dec, Across Nottingham

Nottingham has an international reputation as a city of words thanks to its poetic ancestors such as Bryon, D.H.Lawrence and Alan Silitoe and for ten days in November poets from across the country will take centre stage in Nottingham as the curtain rises on a new national festival of poetry. The stella line-up already includes national names in Brian Patten, Lemn Sissay MBE, Atilla The Stockbroker and Luke Wright together with local poets Kev Fegan, Jon Bitumen and the Mouthy Poets.

Full events programme here

NWUK Book Festival XI

Free to attend festival for writers and readers of all ages.

Workshops, 1-to-1s, Talks, Presentations, Refreshments, Book Launches, Free Parking.
Subjects: Copy Editing, Creative Writing, Mainstream publishing, Panel Q & A session.

Book Festival & Fayre XI, 
County Hall, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7QP

Saturday October 24th
 

Details via www.newwritersuk.co.uk



10.30am-1pm Steve Bowkett ‘Creative Writing Workshops (and 1-to-1s)’*

11.00am – Rachel Littlewood ‘Do I really need to copy edit?’ Committee Room B

11.30am – Frankie Owens ‘Can you spread the F word?’ Council Chamber

1.00pm – Ian C Douglas ‘Creative Writing Presentation for Children’ Committee Room C

1.00pm – Vince Eager ‘The Rock ‘n’ Roll Files Part One’ Rufford Suite

1.30pm-2.45pm –  Steve Bowkett ‘Creative Writing Workshops (and 1-to-1s)’*

2.00pm –  Mike Brooks ‘What is mainstream publishing?’ Committee Room B

3.00pm –  Awards Presentation for the young finalists of the New Writers UK Creative Writing Competition 2015 Council Chamber

4.00pm –  Panel Q and A Assembly Hall

 * to book a place at one of Steve Bowkett’s workshops please email julie.nwuk@gmail.com

 

Workshop and Presentation for young writers

In Review, New books with a Notts connection

Recent reads with a Notts connection. My thoughts on the following:

The Spice Box Letters by Eve Makis (the author lives in Nottingham)

The Zoo by Jamie Mollart (the author is a member of the Nottingham Writers' Studio)

He Wants by Alison Moore (the author is a member of the NWS)

The Astronaut, The Cake and Tomorrow by Matt Sisson (the author lives in Nottingham)

Have you read These Seven Nottingham writers? by John Harvey, Megan Taylor, Brick, Paula Rawsthorne, Alison Moore, Shreya Sen Handley, Alan Sillitoe

Poetry from Notts and Beyond by Lee James Blunt (the author lives in Notts)

The Astronaut, The Cake and Tomorrow

The times they are a-changin'; the news split between mass displacement and the rise of Jeremy Corbyn. Who could have predicted such things? Well, Notts author Matt Sisson could. In his 2014 book The Astronaut, the Cake and Tomorrow Sisson highlighted the need for a new ‘fairer’ political system and predicted mass migration.

***** A must reread

Were it not for its East Midlands Book Award nomination I’d probably not have come across this brilliant book. The curious title and illustrated cover suggest a light, quirky read, but the author’s passion soon bursts from the pages, making for a compelling appraisal of the state of the planet, with answers for the future.

Capitalism and war have contributed to a failing economy and are destroying our planet. The Earth’s resources are being overconsumed, posing serious threats to our future and our policymakers are answering only to the wealthy that call the shots. We have a responsibility to act and West Bridgford’s Matt Sisson shows us how in his debut book. Many of the changes needed (a move away from austerity and towards a bottom up - as opposed to our top down - politics) were proposed by the Green Party, of which Sisson is a member, before the last election. He even stood for election as an MP (he lost to Nicky Morgan). But now, it seems that Labour, if Corbyn wins, could be singing a similar tune.  

The economic and environmental challenges we are faced with are tackled by Sisson with facts and quotes accompanying some imaginative ideas on how we might progress. With the help of over twenty illustrations by Matthew Kay, Sisson examines our financial systems, growing inequality and society in general, proving that radical change is needed if we’re to live within the Earth’s sustainable limits. Could the answer be with the meaning of life itself?

Radical or common sense, you decide. It's certainly an important and interesting read, accessibly told. I wonder if Jeremy Corbyn has read it.

Nottingham: Rebel City?

Nottingham, both anti-war and revolutionary, a northern city struggling with its geography. Our city. A city of Literature.

Back in 2010 our baseball club took the name Nottingham Rebels. An inspired choice as now, with nearly twenty-four million pounds earmarked for Nottingham Castle, it’s been decided that our city is to be rebranded, with our heritage of protest and rebellion coming to the fore.

In industrial cities like ours rebellion and rioting was commonplace in the 18^th and 19^th centuries but it seems that we, in particular, had a reputation for it. We were a city of civil disorder. Inflated food prices (be it meat, butter, milk, cheese) had our poor regularly clashing with the greedy traders. There was the Luddite outrage and various examples of electoral issues that sparked violence and what Charles James Fox called an ‘uncontrollable spirit of riot’. Take 1831 as an example; its Reform Bill was set to give greater voting rights to the Labouring classes. The majority of Nottingham was pro-reform but a powerful minority, which included the Duke of Newcastle (who owned Nottingham Castle at the time), helped have the bill rejected by the House of Lords. Riots ensued. Land owners were targeted, the castle's Ducal Palace burnt down, and, were it not for military protection, Wollaton Hall would have gone the same way.  

Working class frustrations have fuelled most of the riots in a city described by Sir Robert Peel as ’disorderly, radical’. But we are not lairy for the sake of it. Being anti-authority may be our default position but that’s only because social injustice blows through our streets; frustrations that have also influenced our literature. If you’d allow me to generalise, I might say Nottingham’s writers (and poets) are socially conscious, left-wing, a voice for the working class. Our stories often follow a thread back to the legend of Robin Hood. Hood robbed the rich to give to a powerless poor because he had to. The reader understands the logic of his opposition, and that there’s no bigger bastard than Hood’s rival, the rich man that robs from the poor. Hood’s little victories against authority raise a smile. Another Nottingham legend, Brian Clough - a socialist who marched with the miners - also redistributed the wealth. Cloughie robbed the rich of their trophies. Before Forest, the 1970s had only seen three clubs win the European Cup (Ajax, Bayern Munich and Liverpool). Under his management the establishment took a beating.

In Nottingham it’s not just the brassic that feel the inequality. The rich are all too aware of the thin line as they live side by side with the poor, drinking in the same boozers. The wealthy side must save their money, in fear of losing it. The poor must spend what little they have, fretting they’ll lose their minds if they don’t.

There’s a new anthology, with the tag line ‘have you read These Seven Nottingham writers?’ If you listened to the accents of the seven authors in question you’d struggle to name the city they were representing. London perhaps, maybe Liverpool? This is typical of our special literary heritage. Our writers are influenced by the city in a profound way but they have spent time away from Nottingham. They have been able to form a baseline, to see an alternative. Try it, think of a top ten or, if you can, top twenty Notts writers. How many of them have lived here all their lives?

But lived here they must’ve. A visit to Nottingham doesn’t count. To belittle our castle, or decry our attractions, is to miss us. To know the city, and write about it, is to know its people. Self deprecating, tolerant, diverse, gobby.

John Harvey grew up in north London, a city he now lives in, and yet his most celebrated series is set in Nottingham. His much loved detective, Resnick, is himself an outsider but the series is rooted in our city. When Harvey lived in Nottingham he drank in our pubs and coffee houses, he read our Evening Post, listened to our local radio, and stood on our football terracing. He listened to the city’s voice. Witnessed how the have and have nots lived across the street from one another and shared opinions.

Harvey is not an exception. Many of our finest writers wrote about the city when living away from it. Others, including many who now live and write here, don’t set their books in Nottingham but draw upon its inherent conflict. Our writers understand that readers are drawn in by characters. They see that people attract people. The city’s nightlife, its universities, its sport, and, increasingly, its music, bring many young doers to Nottingham. We provide interaction, a hedonistic retreat, an ugly inner city, a place of people and parks. Paris has its museums and structures but it also has its Parisians. We are the other side of that coin.  

If we are to be known as a rebel city, our literary heritage will play its part. The rebellious Byron, Lawrence and Sillitoe are well documented but our heritage is not all about its writers. We are (or at least were) a city of readers too. In the mid-19^th century Nottingham had a healthy number of operatives' libraries. As they were run by the workers they were kept affordable and provided a meeting place for struggles and stories to be shared. A home for union members and free thinkers, they were a place where people could learn how to challenge and make a difference.

Five Leaves Bookshop continues Nottingham’s tradition of radical bookshops, the first of which opened in 1826. Susannah Wright rented a shop in Goosegate and soon angered Christians who objected to her selling publications on theology, freethought and contraception. Despite attempts to force her out of the shop (literally) the store become so successful that Wright moved to larger premises.

 

The anthology These Seven, published by Five Leaves, is part of a new literature development project in the city run jointly with Nottingham Writers’ Studio and Bromley House Library. There’s a city-wide campaign to encourage those who may not usually engage with reading and writing to ‘have a go’.

Here’s what you’re in for:

Ask Me Now. A jazz-loving detective supping coffee in the old market square, this is classic John Harvey, only the lead role, normally afforded to Resnick, goes to Tom Whitemore of the Public Protection Team. The Detective Sergeant works hate crimes, sex crimes, and domestic violence cases. Sick of him taking his work home with him, Tom’s wife left six years ago, taking the twins with her. His hopes that this would be a temporary situation are about to be tested in this contemporary story set on the familiar turf of the Forest and Arboretum.  

Here We Go Again. What ifs can torment us, shape our memories. What if we’d not played spin the bottle in the Arboretum? Such a teenage memory is evocatively told in Megan Taylor’s story of hopes and regrets, set in the present day Old Market Square.   

Simone the Stylite. Saint Simeon the Stylite (the hermit on the pillar) gets the Brick (John Stuart Clark) treatment as he’s reinvented as a Nottingham Uni student in this satirical graphic story. Let’s hear it for the loners, the outsiders, the thinkers. Can a young woman seeking knowledge inspire other minds to enquire? Socialites, sheep, in-crowds, the noisy majority, lend us your ears.  

A Foreign Land. Paula Rawsthorne's YA-friendly story lives long in the memory. The Aziz family from Western Sudan live on the Tower Estate, a block of flats in Radford, but their appeal for asylum has been rejected. Narrated by 10-year-old Jamal, the story tells of his teacher-parents struggle, their friendly neighbour, acceptance and rejection.   

Hardanger. A family from Plymouth take a trip to Hardanger, a traditional district in the western part of Norway, in a story that feels like a folk tale in the Brothers Grimm canon but has a contemporary setting. It’s a departure from Alison Moore’s usual work but, as ever, the untold is just as important as what’s said.

Nimmi’s Wall. Nimmi is an Indian in Nottinghamshire in Shreya Sen Handley’s story. Having joined her surgeon husband in Sherwood Forest, Nimmi is keen to explore her enticing garden. When the weather permits she leaves her domestic troubles behind and heads for a garden wall and an idyllic land of fairylike children and a romantic figure. But is this antidote to life’s problems the answer, a sign of breakdown or a dream?      

A Time to Keep. Friday night and Martin’s parents are in a Radford boozer. After putting his siblings to bed, young Martin gets out his books. Like a secret reader he marvels in their wonder whilst an ear twitches for his parents return. Enter Raymond, a cousin from the Meadows that takes Martin with him to work on the new motorway. It’s Martin’s first day as a’ mash-lad’ when disaster strikes. It’s classic Alan Sillitoe and an appropriate ending for an anthology celebrating Nottingham writers wherever they’re from.   

The Anthology These Seven is priced at just £3.