BAWC 2013 Programme 2013

 

10.30am:

Introduction and context by Cultureword Artistic Director, Pete Kalu

Address by Arts Council Literature Representative, Alison Boyle

Keynote Speech by writer, Fred D’Aguiar, poet, novelist.

 

Morning 11am- 1pm

Writing For Children Panel   Space 2

Q for panel:  How do we get more diversity into published children’s writing? Children’s publishing in the UK does not reflect the diversity of the UK as a whole. There are few black characters in children’s fiction and few black writers being published.  Solutions proposed have ranged from (a) getting more diverse editors and agents into the industry (b) redoubling efforts to locate and encourage diverse writers to write for this market, (c) amassing empirical evidence that diversity is what the book buying market wants.  What are the strengths and weaknesses of each approach and why is this problem so persistent?

 

Malorie Blackman, author, Noughts & Crosses.

Melvin Burgess, author, Junk.

Bali Rai  author, Trouble, Shivers. Chairperson.

Alexandra Antscherl, executive editor for children’s fiction, Puffin Books

Tariq Mehmood, author, While There Is Light’, UK & Lebanon

 

 

Morning: 11am – 1pm  

Women In The Spotlight Panel  Space 1

From theory to practice, focusing debate on issues related to performance and gender, this session will examine the reception and subtle exclusions that female spoken word artists face in public space that remains dominated by men.

Shamshad Khan   poet, Megalomaniac

Desiree Reynolds   author, Seduce Chair.

Malika Booker poet, host & co-founder, ‘Malika’s Kitchen’ poetry collective

Sujata Bhatt   poet, Pure Lizard;  Winner, Commonwealth Poetry Prize

Stephanie ‘Dogfoot’ Chan   poet, semi-finalist, World Cup Poetry Competition, Paris, 2013

 

Morning  11am – 1pm                    Space 3

Young Identity young people’s group leads creative writing workshop for young people

Workshop 1: examining Identity and diversity: Is a Black Writers Conference still needed? Is assimilation into host communities necessary? Is resistance futile?  A lively debate that will lead into creating your own poem. Led by Reece Williams, with Shirley May.

1pm – 2pm

Book Launch:  Desiree Reynolds’ debut novel: Seduce (Peepal Tree)                     Space 1

Hear Desiree Reynolds read from Seduce:  “A remarkable debut novel, told in nation-language prose that is poetic, delicate, vulgar and slyly funny.”

Commonword Diversity: Writing For Children Prize Ceremony                                                 Space 2

Commonword will be announcing the winner of its national, Diversity Writing For Children Prize 2013. Sponsored by Penguin/Puffin and Catherine Pellegrino Agency, the prize is in its second year and is unearthing some compelling new voices.

Lunchtime Digital Writers Salon.                                                                                              Space 3

Check in for the digital writers’ salon. Come and discover new possibilities for digital writing. Get your hands dirty with some hot writing apps. With Maya Chowdhry.

 

2pm-4pm Afternoon: LGBT Panel             Space 2

Title: ‘Black in the Rainbow’

Description: What space does the black LGBT+ writer occupy? Is there ‘room at the inn’ for black LGBT+ writers? How does ‘double discrimination’ inform and undermine our writing? Are LGBT+ writers and black writers friends in the struggle for representation and equality? What might the black LGBT+ literary landscape look like, who stands there, and with whom?

 

Adam Lowe (Young Enigma, Dog Horn Publishing, Peepal Tree Press) Chair

Afshan Lodhi, playwright, performer, Deputy Director of Dog Horn Publishing

Dorothea Smartt (Inscribe writer development programme, Peepal Tree Press)

Thomas Glave (Jamaican Forum for Lesbians and Gays, Binghamton University (NY))

Okey Nzelu poet, publicist at Carcanet

 

2pm-4pm  Afternoon:  Uprisings, Springs & Literatures of Resistance :   “David has beaten Goliath with a stone. But if the sling is in the hands of Goliath, what can one do?” – Joumana Haddad

Space 1

In the politics of hope, and of the human spirit, often the sling remains in the hands of those dedicated to oppression. What role does the writer have in navigating and interpreting the lessons of uprisings?

Fred D’Aguiar  poet, author, ‘The Longest Memory’

Tariq Mehmood, author, While There Is Light’, UK & Lebanon

Samuel Shimon (novelist: eg ‘An Iraqi in Paris’) London/Tokyo/Lebanon

Fereshteh Mozaffari, Iranian journalist and exile

Abdel Bagi Elrayah, Sudanese exile

Martin De Mello of Commonword. Chair.

 

Afternoon:  2pm – 4pm Young People’s Performance Workshop              Space 3

Workshop 2: Performance workshop!  – a workshop to lift your poetry from the page to the stage, embodying many theatre practices, for example mic techniques, stage presence and the use of physical theatre.

 

4pm – 4.20pm  Afternoon: Roundup Plenary session with Fred D’Aguiar  Space 1

Afternoon Book Launch:  4.20pm  Samuel Shimon’s   ‘Underwear Under War’ Space 1

Afternoon Book Launch:  4.20pm Thoma Glave’s   ‘BloodPeople’               Space 2

Afternoon 5pm.    Young Identity End Afternoon: showing of skills by Young Identity performance workshop participants. Space 5. Participants at the two workshops share their work, either through a performance or a reading.

 

7.30pm

Evening Entertainment  Space 1

Young Identity (poetry group, Manchester)

Sujata Bhatt  (poet, Germany)

Stephanie Dogfoot  (poet, London/Singapore)

Malika Booker (poet, London)

Pocket Soul

JP Cooper, musician

Host: the legendary Julian Daniel.

 

Young Writers Programming Strand:

 

There are two specific young writers’ workshops and a performance opportunity all led by Young Identity young writers group member, Reece Williams, with Shirley May:

Morning

Workshop 1: examining Identity and diversity: Is a Black Writers Conference still needed? Is assimilation into host communities necessary? Is resistance futile?  A lively debate that will lead into creating your own poem.

Afternoon

Workshop 2: Performance workshop!  – a workshop to lift your poetry from the page to the stage, embodying many theatre practices, for example mic techniques, stage presence and the use of physical theatre.

 

Late afternoon

Performance opportunity: Live & Direct!  Participants at the two workshops can then share their work, either through a performance or a reading in space 5.

 

 

 

Click here for Panelists’ Biographies

 

With thanks to Arts Council England for funding.  Thanks to all the partners & the sponsors.