On Literature Read online

  The group of poets in question is the Bradford Interchange Writers' Network, of which both Karl and Howard are members. Several of its regular participants have agreed to perform work, though some have misgivings about the subject matter of October, or indeed its secondary aims of raising funds in support of the Morning Star newspaper. Such misgivings haven't dampened their enthusiasm for the project, however, and several admit to finding the project thought-provoking and informative.

  "The poem I am reading is very much about the relationship between poets and the way that poets are shaped by their society," says performer Bruce Barnes. "Also, it's about what happens to poets when they confront the system. It's made me want to read a lot more Russian poetry. I think it was some of the finest work that was being written in Europe at that time."

  In the main, as might be expected from a group of writers, it's a love of literature that is firing up the performers. From the selected works and the rehearsals it is clear that a tantalising selection of literature has been chosen, promising a good night of enthralling entertainment. But, and this probably won't embarrass him in the slightest, the willingness to help with Red October is a testament to Karl's popularity at the regular Interchange meetings.

  A celebration in literature is certainly unusual, at least for those not overly-familiar with life in the Soviet Union. Poetry was taken immensely seriously during its 75 years of existence. Ideological battles raged through the rhythm of poetic thought and action.

  "The audience is in for something different," Howard adds about the 12. "It's a different presentation of the subject matter from what I've usually come across. Previously the October Revolution has been done either through out and out drama, or purely in documentary terms. This is more a dramatised presentation of a poem rather than a full blown drama."

  The assemblage of poets and writers selected for Red October were chosen not just for the celebration of a political event but also for a celebration of the literature. Indeed, many of the works show that the two go hand in hand. Like the aspirations and the dreams of ordinary people that lay at the heart of October, the writing has a contemporary feel and a modern resonance.

  It would give too much away to provide even a cursory run-down of the works that the Interchange performers are to bring into life on Saturday. Suffice to say the show promises to be entertaining and thought-provoking.

  It explores both the human and the inhuman faces of the Soviet age, its successes and its mistakes, its contradictions and, of course, its creator's vision of its importance to the history of this century and beyond.

  Red October commenced at 7.45pm, Saturday 13th November in the studio theatre at the Priestley Centre for Arts, Chapel Street, Little Germany, Bradford. Proceeds were shared equally between the venue and the Morning Star.

  It got a very respectable audience for the Studio Theatre and proved to be a great little show. On the basis of this article, someone apparently travelled all the way up from Liverpool to see the show. And as someone said to me on the night: "I've never seen so many Tankies in one place..." (but that's another story.)

  November 1999

  Chapter 6: Tales Of Asylum

  ASYLUM seekers get a raw deal in the British press.

  They are harbingers of disease, crime, poverty, moral decline, and every kind of imaginable foible intended to whip up the xenophobic fantasies of the 'liberal' Middle English.

  Hell, asylum seekers probably wiped out the dinosaurs too.

  Or at least so you might think from the more salacious and shrill of the country's media.

  So it's refreshing to hear the sorry saga of displacement and asylum from those at the sharp end. And in their own words too.

  In November [2003], Biasan (Bradford Immigration and Asylum Support and Advice Network) published Dispersed, a book by asylum seekers living in Bradford. The book is written in French and English, and presents a diverse range of poetry and prose, as well as fiction, drawn from people displaced from all over the world.

  The book also features a foreword by the Bishop of Bradford and an afterword by Terry Rooney MP.

  Content ranges from a harrowing account of a young boy's journey to this country to a collection of Kenyan proverbs.

  It presents the human and individual tragedies masked by the smear campaign that passes for objective coverage. Tales of human hardship, but also hope, from people who have been dispersed by the Government's policy of spreading them through the country, but also dispersed from their homelands.

  "It started with just one piece," said Richard Hargreaves, who co-edited the book along with Kenyan refugee Waiharo Gibson. "Some months ago, some Africans started coming from the Congo and a young man showed me the beginnins of a story about a girl suffering in the Congo. It was in English, which is his fifth language. The book grew from there and enough was produced to develop our first book."

  Hargreaves is a volunteer with Biasan and teaches English. From the classes there emerged an ad hoc, irregular writers group, which he hope will develop further, but the trauma's of the asylum experience can make it difficult at time.

  He added: "I think that some of the asylum seekers are really quite depressed and being able to write might help them. I hope [the book] will encourage more people to write and express their experiences. It's good to write and people have stories to tell that will help people to hear and understand."

  For contributor Liliya Sazanavets, empathy would be a good way to express what the book hopes to achieve. As she said: "All people are human beings, so it's very difficult to talk about groups of people. But I think that if someone decided to leave their country then it's a very difficult decision, so we have to think about it. To understand us you must put yourselves in our position, then I think it will be easier to understand what happened to us."

  Biasan launched the book during an afternoon of cultural events organised to highlight and celebrate the experiences and achievements of asylum seekers in the city.

  Prior to the book launch, when contributors read extracts of their work and which took place on the main stage, Banner Theatre presented its acclaimed production of Migrant Voices. The event ended with a showing of Dana Jalal's award winning video Rights of Passage.

  The play is based on in-depth interviews with Iraqi Kurdish refugees and asylum seekers living in Salford and also members of the host community. The show combined live music and performance, with video interviews and documentary material to show some of the harsh realities behind the media coverage of the asylum issue.

  Migrant Voices has toured in the UK and Canada during the spring and summer of this year and it is now touring again. Audiences are presented with a compelling story abut people who have fled their homes to escape torture and persecution, only to become the victims of racist abuse and intimidation in the place where they believed they would find sanctuary and a little compassion. It also provides some insight into the causes of global instability that uproot people from their homes.

  "We hope to raise the profile of asylum seekers through the book and put ourselves firmly in the context of Black History Month and international struggle," said Biasan's Deb Collett. "I think we have achieved what we set out to do. We have got a really diverse group of people together. This is another expression of people getting together ad making their voices heard.

  You might have missed Migrant Voices at the Priestley, but at least you can hear – or rather read – the voices of Dispersed.

  November 2003

  The above article first appeared in Print R@dio

  Chapter 7: Marking Two Horrors With Poetry

  SEPTEMBER 11 has left its indelible mark in human consciousness after the horrifying destruction of the World Trade Centre that killed thousands.

  Mostly forgotten now, but no less horrifying, is another event that killed thousands, though its shock waves were a little more restricted to the country and continent where it occurred.

  That's a date, many senior politicians and
commentators might like us to forget.

  Like the Twin Towers, it was a murderous attack on democracy, for on 11 September 1973, the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende was smashed by General Pinochet's coup in Chile. Allende himself died in the presidential palace after an aerial rocket bombardment tore the place apart.

  The United States government, far from deploring 'terrorists' looked on approvingly, as a man they had backed and could do business with, installed himself in power.

  Two terrible events separated in space and time, but linked by the same ignominious birthday. One way or another, both were the direct or indirect results of superpower machtpolitik.

  Poetry also bound them together during an evening of performance, held at Bradford's Love Apple cafe.

  Poetry For Peace & Justice was held on September 11 to commemorate the victims of both atrocities, but also to ensure that the latter would not be forgotten in the understandable grief and trauma surrounding the first.

  It was organised by Sam Jackson. At the start of the evening, he told the audience: "September 11 is a big thing in people's minds for the criminal attack on the Twin Towers, but we are also thinking about the victims of George Bush's war on terrorism. The date is also significant as the 30th anniversary of Pinochet's coup against Allende in Chile."

  Sam is former student at Bradford University, where he recently gained a PhD in literature. When he is not looking after his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, he does some teaching at the college. Like many people, he got involved in activities protesting the war in Iraq and joined the Stop the War coalition. He organised the night's event as an individual, but combined his anti-war stance with his interest in literature.

  And it was a night of politics in poetry. As John Sugden of the Beehive poets said at the start of his act: "It's a rare chance to read political poems."

  Much of the poetry was indeed political. But it was also poignant, thoughtful and thought-provoking and full of humanity. Whether the poets (and singer-songwriters) lamented war, or expressed their deep-felt political outrage, together they formed a powerful amalgam of entertaining poetry with a message.

  "It's really important that the coup in Chile isn't forgotten because it happened on the same date as the criminal attack on the Twin Towers," Sam added. "Hopefully [tonight's] event will draw the link in people mind's between the two and the total hypocrisy, not out of disrespect to the people who lost loved ones in the Twin Towers."

  Part of his inspiration derived from an organisation called American Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, he said, which includes families who lost people in the World Trade Centre. The group's attitude, as he explained it is: 'I won't respond to terrorism by becoming a terrorist myself'.

  "It's worth drawing the link between this in people mind's without ramming it down people's throats," he added.

  Many of the performers were contributors to a book of poetry launched in response to the horrors of 9/11. Sundoves, Bumblebees & Blue Streak Bananas (ISBN:0-9535626-1-1) was published by Poets4Peace, a.k.a Seema Gill and Richard Heley in the summer of last year. It was intended as a cry for peace in a violent world. Some of the performers read their contributions out on the night.

  Among the performers were Gerard Benson (of the poems on the Underground fame), Bruce Barnes, Steve Wilkinson, Karl Dallas (former Human Shield), Steve Bindman (accompanied on African drums by Moses Ekebusi), Joe Ogden, Kevin Flaherty and many more.

  Sam adds: "There seems to be a lot of poets in Bradford who have been inspired by certain events from September 11 onwards. I get the impression there's a 'democracy of poetry' out there. A wide variety of performance poets, folk singers and classical poets like Gerard Benson and Steve Wilkinson, and I hope they overlap tonight into a kind of sharing of ideas and viewpoints."

  Though the event was free, a whip round was held for Peace Not War, which raised over £72 for the activities of this two-man production duo, after DJ Disorientalist gave a small talk on what they are and what they do.

  Peace not War was a two CD compilation of music that raised over £25,000 for non-violent anti-war and peace campaigns. The duo behind it, Kelly and Mudge are planning another fund-raising CD compilation to be released next year on the anniversary of the global anti-war demonstrations: 15th February 2004.

  Among those taking part are Fun-da-Mental, Mark Thomas, Billy Bragg, Asian Dub Foundation, Chumbawumba, DJ Spooky and many more.

  "We would prefer exclusive tracks," the producers say, "because it would mean fans would have to engage with a peace group to buy them. We will not be publishing songs whose lyrics call for terrorist nor other violent means to stopping war, although we encourage all other kinds of 'radical' lyrics."

  Poetry has a long and noble history of dissent. Though in itself it can do nothing to shape the world, it can shape and challenge and inspire human consciousness. Even the simplest verse can contain the seeds of outrage and inspiration fit to rock the world.

  And in Bradford, there was a small rumble that joined the wider rumblings of anger and discontent around the globe.

  Sam adds: "As Billy Bragg said with music, it's like a culture of discontent. Poetry can be a part of that."

  September 2003

  The above article first appeared in Print R@dio

  Chapter 8: On The Road For The Cross-Cultural Espresso

  Oscar Wilde once observed that the British and the Americans are two peoples separated by a common language. Here, two Bradford writers discovered that the language of poetry can bridge the divide...

  BRUCE Barnes and Lynette Shaw McKone are no strangers to performance at West Yorkshire poetry venues, but their latest tour took them a little further afield – across the Pond (the Atlantic Ocean) to southern Texas in the United States.

  It was the trip of a lifetime for Lynette. Ever since she was a child she has wanted to visit the States because her birthday falls on the 4th July – American Independence Day. Thanks to Yorkshire Arts funding, she was able to realise her ambition in style, and found a vibrant poetry scene waiting to adopt her.

  For Bruce the reasons were more complex and personal. He enjoys travelling on the US freeways, and is fascinated by what he considers the 'informality' and the 'weirdness' of the place. He also feels it is somehow unavoidable, because as, he points out, it exerts such a large influence on contemporary English culture. Here is an alien land, so familiar yet so strange. An excellent place for the poet to express and explore the strange affinity that exists between the English and the Americans.

  "Poetry is huge in Texas," Lynette says. "It seems to be almost the national pastime. In particular jazz poetry and cowboy poetry, which are quite rhythmical and are art forms in their own right. At every venue there was a mixed bag of performers and a diverse range of writing. The American poets were so supportive and welcoming that we were virtually adopted in the extended circle of writers."

  It's a daunting experience, travelling abroad to perform, especially for someone who only started their performance career 18 months ago, but Lynette was in good hands. Bruce is a veteran performer and has travelled in the States before. In 1999 he went as part of the Bradford Six – a group of West Yorkshire poets who toured with their anthology and CD of performance poetry – Release the Bradford Six.

  Both also benefited from the experience of Thom the World Poet, an Australian resident in Austin, who organised the venues during their tour. He is a frequent visitor to Bradford and he was instrumental in persuading Lynette to take the plunge at becoming an international poet.

  Thom wasn't the only international poet they performed with. They shared the stage with Richard Healey from London, Rupert Hopkins, the Bristol poet responsible for the 'Waste Warriors' project, and Australian poet Pauline Brooks.

  In the first week they covered 700 miles, performing across southern Texas – from San Antonio to Houston, from Austin to Temple and Georgetown. Many of the venues were the familiar café or bookstore, but some were unlikely pla
ces, such as their readings at a New Age Church, a Bedouin tent and a 60s fancy dress party.

  For Lynette, one of the highpoints came at a genuine speakeasy in Austin, the Victory Grill. "A woman who was a poetry fan but not a poet and who had never performed before, got up in front of the audience and performed one of my poems," Lynette says. "Just the thought that one of my poems touched someone so much that they did that, well, I found it a very emotional experience."

  The pair were struck by the vibrancy of the US scene – an event every night in the week in Austin for instance – but at the same time, they found the differences enlightening.

  "I think there is a much clearer delineation between 'page poetry' and 'performance poetry' in the US," Bruce says. "I rarely heard anything that I would describe as a page poem being performed. To me page poems are more cerebral, and are to be mulled over: they don't arrive at the mike to meet you."

  Local poets also noted the differences between styles and delivery as practised on either side of the Pond. According to Bruce, one Texan poet, Jean Guthrie told him that English poets 'always seem so much more talented and cosmopolitan and witty'.

  "I don't believe this displays an inferiority complex, more a recognition that performance poets in Texas have their own agendas," Bruce explains. "These include a recognition of the immediacy of 'white' history, the importance of vernacular story telling in building that history, and the need to express the vitality of the working class American experience. When I listen to Texan performance poets I am often reminded of Raymond Carver's short stories."

  If he was impressed by the quality of the poets, Bruce was also struck by the quality of the venues during his tours. Used to slumming it in Bradford's 'boozy and potentially noisy' places, he finds the Stateside experience refreshing.