James Metcalf on the fictionality of the latest archaeological page-turners
Stephen Puddicombe looks at the unusual appeal of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot
Ciaran Rafferty investigates the science of book classification
First up was Seni Seneviratne, a half English, half Sri Lankan poet based in Leeds. Her piece 'Sitting for the Mistress', written especially for the FWords project is based on a 17th century oil painting of a French aristotcrat posing with her black child servant and the relationship that may have existed between the two. It dealt with the conflict between a woman's maternal instinct and her socially enforced ideas of racial hierarchy, a unique and deftly handled thematic treatment.
Next up was a less traditional but highly entertaining poet called Simon Murray, a former marketing man who claimed to have "seen the light." His poem 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHH!' (give or take an A) is an energetic, vitriol charged tirade against government hypocrisy, war and the time sapping parasite that is Facebook. 'Turn Facebook face to a book' he cries and for a second, I feel well and truly ashamed of myself. His charismatic delivery and unorthodox use of poetic form brought to mind the work of dub poets such as Benjamin Zephaniah and Linton Kwesi Johnson, luminaries who's achievements this young guy could well go on to emulate in the near future.
Jack Mapanje is a man whose poetry was powerful enough to earn him a three and a half year prison sentence under Malawian dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Ever since his release nearly two decades ago, he has lived in exile in a village just outside York.
Although the first two poets were excellent, the undoubted star of the night was Jack Mapanje, a man whose poetry was powerful enough to earn him a three and a half year prison sentence under Malawian dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Ever since his release nearly two decades ago, he has lived in exile in a village just outside York. His reflections on the immigrant plight in Britain are delivered in a voice, weary with the weight of bitter experience. His poem Ken Saro Wiwa's Pipe Still Puffing (Ten Years On) is a heartfelt tribute to the writer and activist, hanged by the Nigerian government for amongst other things, his opposition to Shell's exploitation of Nigerian oil reserves. The petrol station in the extract below is in fact the Shell Garage on Hull Road.
'Yesterday, I stopped at another Shell petrol station and recalled how you’d have loved to puff from your pipe there, for your Ogoni people and land; I did not, of course, stop to fill up with petrol, definitely not! I stopped merely to have a good pee'
After the reading, Simon Murray and Jack Mapanje joined us for a few drinks at the Lendal Cellars. As the drink flowed so did the conversation although as is normally the case when drink flows, conversation, no matter how interesting gets lost in the nether regions of the brain. Anyway, I remember discussing a few things, from the lack of literary culture in York (Mapanje pointed out that even Ilkley has a literary festival) to the increasing tolerance of York's locals to minority groups. He told us harrowing tales of his early years in York such as the time he was pelted with refuse by a group of thugs, frightened by the colour of his skin.
After more than a few pints of Old Growler it was time to go. It was pretty alarming to see the plainly drunk Mapanje pull a set of car keys from his pocket and stumble merrily for the exit. As far as we know, he made it home ok; hopefully with his UK driver's license still intact! Oh yeah, and don't think I won't take you up on that offer of a reference, even if you have forgotten all about it!
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