Matt Holland reports on the 2008 Literature Festival.
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A look back on the SWINDON FESTIVAL OF LITERATURE 5th 18th May 2008
The 15th Swindon Festival of Literature ran from 5th 18th May. More than 50 events attended by more than 5,000 people took place in and around Swindon. The majority were held indoors, in theatre and libraries, but a few took place outside, in parks, in a farmyard, and even on a high ridge overlooking Swindon.
True to Festival tradition, frolicsome literary proceedings began outdoors at 5.30am in Lawn Woods on Bank Holiday Monday 5th May. Also true to recent tradition, it rained, and rained, and rained. In fact, during those two hours of the Festivals Dawn Chorus, Wiltshire experienced record rainfall.
But the inclement weather did not stop more than 300 Festival followers, including the Mayor and Mayoress of Swindon, turning up and have a wet and wonderful time, together.
They were entertained by songs from the Sunarise Singers, tales from the Man from Story Mountain, meandering and mystery from giantess Miss Havisham, engaging wordplay and gravity-defying audience-participation games with Jake the Juggler, hot breakfasts from Talia and Ros, and Maypole dancing with multi-tasking Community Poet Tony Hillier.
Next stop on day one of the Festival was the town centre and the BBC BIG SCREEN at Wharf Green. As part of its launch weekend, Festival performers recreated Dawn Chorus scenes for midday shoppers. Great fun, and the sun shone!
The first day was rounded off at Swindon Arts Centre with a five-part evening extravaganza titled The Beauty of Books. It included the launch of Commonhead, a new good read from Swindon (for full details, write to commonhead@hotmail.com ) and a presentation by Brian Lewis, who told of books so precious they had to be handled with surgical gloves, and reminded us of Miltons words, that within them, books contain a potency of life.
Liha Okuniwa told the story of how her love of Literature made her start Bookish Designs, which now makes beautiful posters from classic book covers. Karen Griffiths talked about the history and handling of books as things of beauty; and Roger Frederick gave tips on independent publishing and his Interstate Indie outfit. And all the while, in the cosy softly-lit sofa-lined Arts Centre studio, a fine short film of last years litfest was rolling.
The Festival was now well and truly underway. For the next 13 days, Festival followers in their hundreds flocked to the Arts Centre, which this year was wholly and happily occupied by the Swindon Festival of Literature. At the Borders Book Table, there were books galore. In the Gallery, Taste had set up a Festival Café to keep everyone fed and watered. On the walls was an exhibition of beautiful classic book covers from Bookish Designs. In the Studio under the stairs, a film of last years Festival was being shown. The bar was busy and so was the box office, and in the foyer were the forevever friendly 'floating' Festival helpers. The Arts Centre positively buzzed with a fabulous Festival feel-good factor!
Part of that feel-good factor was of course generated in the auditorium where authors and speakers interacted with readers. Marion Molteno reminded her midday audience of the solitary life of the writer. You do your writing alone, almost secretly, and then offer it to the world of readers, who sit in judgement on you. She went on to make other pertinent observations.
Fiction is a great vehicle to help you get into someone elses life. Exile means a new beginning and a new belonging. In losing one thing, you gain another. Culture means sharing the same jokes. In the evening, Johnnie Walker brought stories from Radio 2 and Radio Caroline to town and, in talking about his choice of career, told a packed Arts Centre this. Sometimes, while still at school, you dont know what you want to become. Instead of being forced to decide, you should be allowed to dream. He was followed by Steven Berkoff whose expansive gestures and wickedly-funny stories about English restaurant service, or lack of it, were those of a man used to the stage, an attentive audience, and getting his own way.
At midday, Dr Bee Wilson, discussing her book about food cheats, told us that people who have least money to spend on food are the ones who are most swindled. Professor Nicky Britten, talking about medicine and health, reminded us that pills and pharmaceuticals make money but other ways of maintaining good health, like going for a walk or a swim, do not. In the evening, Dan Kieran, in T-shirt and shorts, addressed funny laws and life traps, alerting us to the literal meaning of the word mortgage:death grip! Professor A C Grayling, spoke about hard-won liberties, and reckoned that at the heart of a good civilization is the choice to make your own relationships.
Meanwhile, in West Swindon Library, Liu Hong spoke of how the East longs for the supposed brightness of the West.
Virginia Ironside, who likes being chirpy, grumpy, and wise, while steering clear of book clubs, reckoned that anything was better than being young. Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, while old people are works of art.
She may have been discomfitted by Tom Paulins dissection of poetic works of art. He took pains to point out the stresses, cretics, and trochees in poems by Dickinson, Heaney, and Yeats, and in the process, according to one reviewer, left them mangled, murdered, and meaningless. Poet Laureate Andrew Motion was lyrical and more gentle, moist, and meaningful. His asides between poems stayed in the mind. The liking between workmates can be as deep as love but without the name. Across town, in lovely Lydiard House, Sally Varlow gave illustrated insights into power and relationships in the Court of Elizabeth I.
The write up for Charlotte Brewer attracted a big lunchtime audience to hear how words get into the OED. They got that, and more, all about the cultural significance of dictionaries, and how some so-called literary writers use words whose meaning they do not understand. Oh dear. In the evening, Lord Joel Joffe, welcomed on stage by live African songs, chose his words wisely and well when talking about the trial of the century, the State versus Mandela. He described the judge who presided over the trial as an arrogant little man with little to be arrogant about.
Booker Prize winner Ben Okri, talking about his Starbook, reminded us to count blessings and reckoned that it is the tough stuff in life that changes us for the better.
At Highworth Library, Edward Marston shed light on his latest hero, soldier, spy, linguist, and ladies man.
Young poets from nine Swindon schools strutted their stuff on stage and were judged by a partisan audience and impartial judges. Four 13 year-olds from Commonweal School, with a poem on the folly of making political choices, won the day and walked off with the big silver cup.
Later in the day, after dark, things got more adult, and the winning out-of-town poet Steve Rooney gave us a poem that spoke of the inner thigh of a Belarusian hooker and hooded Posh Boys verse asked us to imagine our life as our heart would want it to be.
Eco Ideas and Practices at Lower Shaw Farm were the order of this day. The Self Sufficient-ish Twins Andy & Dave Hamilton made theoretical things in their big Bible sound both delightful, practical, and do-able. Director of Fairtrade Harriet Lamb was enthusiasm, knowledge, and common sense personified. Catherine von Ruhland was positive about Living with the Planet; while Richard Hallows, despite the title of his book, Diary of a Reluctant Green, was remarkably green, keen, and funny.
And that evening, terrific trio Annamation were also funny. With movement, barefoot beauty, and magical wordplay, they took storytelling to new and dazzling heights.
The second week began with Laurie Maguire, author of All I Really Know I Learned from Shakespeare. She reminded us how reading Literature is like reading life; and how, in a theatre, good art and performance can not only entertain but also send us out more human than when we went in. To celebrate the 30th birthday of Bloodaxe Books, two poets it publishes took the stage at the Arts Centre. Imtiaz Dharker read work that was pertinent to the way we live now, and Moniza Alvi linked the past to the present. They were followed by live actor Lance Pierson bringing to life the work of dead poet John Milton. His presentation was clear, concise, and captivating. Meanwhile, down on the farm, Knitting & Knowing saw a sell out circle of knitters knowing just what they wanted to knit and say.
Tracing and Writing Family History brought many to hear how from Mary Turner, while Miranda Glover told of family history made fiction in North Swindon Library. And military historian Richard Holmes explained how people pay back as adults the coins received in childhood and told how children were an occupational hazard for the promiscuous in the pre-contraceptive days of the 1650s. He also used that almost-accepted four-letter word, twice, where Marcus Moore, in his challenging and moving one-man show Death & Taxes, used the less-accepted one once but got more of an audience intake of breath.
Knowing more about the Writers Market was of interest to many, who crowded into the Richard Jefferies Museum to hear Caroline Taggart address the subject. Meanwhile, at the Arts Centre, Brian Clegg both alarmed and reassured his audience when pointing out that more airline employees die in hotel fires than in plane crashes; that the media does not let scientific facts get in the way of a good story; and that films, like Al Gores An Inconvenient Truth, tend to put appearance ahead of accuracy.
That evening, at Swindon Town Football Club, veteran television sports commentator Barry Davies told how he stays relaxed and informed when doing his job; while at the Arts Centre, founder of the Eden Project Tim Smit spoke about telling lies to make dreams come true, which he called the telling of future truths; and of the importance of keeping negative people out of successful organisations. He was followed by campaigning mobile phone-less film-maker John Pilger, who reminded his admiring audience that the job of the journalist is to unearth unpalatable facts and that the struggle of people against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.
Midday brought ideas of Druidry and sacred sites to the Festival. Penny Billington took us deep into the Druidss special relationship with nature, how they read for spirit. As I sang the first tree, I could feel its dryad reading out to me. George Wingfield was more matter of fact as he sought to understand the story of Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow, and other pre-history sites. Members of Swindons many reading groups were out in force for Marina Lewycka, who explained her reasons for following tractors with caravans. She was perfectly serious yet had a light touch as she spoke of the sex in her books. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, no matter how good or bad, we get on with it, and look for someone to get off with. After sex, whod have thought that maths could be a hit, but it was!
Un-professorial Professor Marcus du Sautoy delighted his evening audience and got them well and truly involved with his problems, mathematical ones. He made one courageous audience-member called Melissa a happy honorary professor for getting a solution, via factorials, to the question how many symmetries in a Rubiks Cube? A full house and fun with maths on a Thursday night at a festival of Literature, in Swindon: fantastic!
Artists and scientists are arrested by the same impulse, which is:. Ah! Whats this? Let me take a closer look! said Martin Kemp on Friday at midday. And he went on to say that the little grunts from his appreciative audience were signs of the Aha factor being alive and well among Festival followers in Swindon; before going on to talk about the extraordinary contemplative beauty in folds of white sheets. At the Art Gallery that evening Elizabeth Wilson defined those glamorous outcasts, Bohemians; while the Arts Centre played host to performing poets and young musicians. Maggie Harris transported us to Caribbean verandas; Sara-Jane Arbury took us back to the writings of a seven year old; A FHarrold described a bath as a boat with the water inside; and Elvis McGonagall, with quiff and tartan check jacket, used his poetic devices to have a go at devious politicians. The Minnesota Twins sang about a Devil Woman; while Catherine Paver sang about A Complicated Dog. It was a fabulous, fine, uncomplicated evening!
As the traffic drove by the glass window, both the Stonecutter and the Speckled Hen had their stories told in Old Town Library by Matt Holland; while across town, sustainable building design was being discussed at the sustainably-constructed National Trust HQ. Even more sustainably-built was the Round House at Barbury Castle where young and old gathered at dusk and by firelight for bardic stories, songs, and offerings with Becky Brain, Paul Davis, Chris Park, and all. It was magical!
Lower Shaw Farm played host to the Children & Families Day. Participants had terrific choices: a Jungle Den for Creative Kids; a Bookchase in the Hayloft; a Willow Dome Writing Workshop; a Bookstart Bear; a Treasure Hunt; talking with animals; and a Story Walk. Phew! That evenings Finale at the Town Hall was terrific and timely. Theatre of Motion, young, local, talented, and absolutely terrific, appropriately played out the Swindon Festival of Literature 2008 with words, songs, and dances on Life, Love, and the Stuff as Dreams are Made On . . .
See www.swindonfestivalofliterature.co.uk
Swindon Mayor Michael Barnes helped launch the 2008 Festival of Literature, at Borders bookshop on 20 March 2008. A large crowd enjoyed the launch, which included a light lunch, poems by last year's Swindon Slam champion, and opening words from organiser Matt Holland.
Mayor Michael Barnes said, "Swindon's Festival of Literature is firmly established and is highly regarded nationally.
"There is something on offer for all ages, all literary tastes, and the line up for this year promises it will be better than ever. I will be getting up early to join the Dawn Chorus [the opening event] but I can't speak for the Mayoress on that one!"
The full Festival programme.
For further information or to go on the Festival mailing list, telephone 01793 771080 or E-mail swindonlitfest@lowershawfarm.co.uk
Artswords is alive and kicking and is keen to encourage and support creative, entertaining, and even educational word-based activities in Swindon. If you are a wordsmith seeking support, or have ideas that could be exciting, and would like Artswords to be wielded on your behalf, please get in touch with Matt Holland on matt@lowershawfarm.co.uk or telephone 01793 771080.
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