While many literature festivals have
become predictable in their line-up of bestselling authors, some innovative events
have added a social-issues factor to their sessions, raising awareness about everything
from climate change to the need for more diversity in publishing.
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| Nigerian-born, London-based writer Ben Okri will be one of the speakers at the MLF |
The Manchester Literature Festival
(MLF), taking place Oct. 7 – 23 in northern England and celebrating its 11th edition, is one such event. This regional gathering of authors and
book-lovers has increased its focus on global concerns since 2006, and its programme
this year includes topics such as immigration, mental health and the urban
experience.
“The Manchester Literature Festival is
a place where authors, poets and broadcasters come together to share stories,” say
the organizers. “Some of these stories enthral us with breathtaking plot twists
and great leaps of imagination. Others are real-life stories that challenge and
inspire us. Events like Refugee Tales,
The Good Immigrant and Powerlines reflect the turbulence of the
world we’re living in and remind us why we need to come together to fight
discrimination and xenophobia.”
The participants for 2016 comprise
regional, national and international authors, including Scotland’s Jackie Kay,
Nigeria’s Ben Okri, Pakistan’s Kamila Shamsie, Canada’s Margaret Atwood and
American writer Lionel Shriver. The latter recently caused controversy at a
festival in Australia when she used her keynote speech to mock the movement
against cultural appropriation, so her Manchester contribution will be
particularly interesting for some observers.
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| The MLF's co-directors Cathy Bolton and Sarah-Jane Roberts |
The MLF is equally hosting writers
from Sweden, Holland, Spain, Sudan, Bangladesh and North and South Korea, and
it will “celebrate stories from the South Asian Diaspora in a special series of
events curated in partnership with the Karachi Literature Festival”, the
organizers state.
The MLF’s co-directors Cathy Bolton
& Sarah-Jane Roberts discussed the festival’s direction with SWAN’s editor Alecia McKenzie in an
e-mail interview.
SWAN: How has the Manchester Literature Festival
changed since its beginning in 2006?
Cathy Bolton: The festival has
quadrupled in size over the past ten years both in terms of the number of
events programmed and the audience we attract. The festival started out as
quite a niche series of events largely showcasing regional authors but we now
attract an impressive range of leading international authors and thinkers.
SWAN: Some literature festivals in various countries
have been putting emphasis on social engagement, rights and activism. Do you
see this as a growing trend, and, if so, why?
CB: It has certainly become an area of focus for MLF – we
have found that there is a growing interest in activism and issues such as
immigration, perhaps as a result of increasing disillusionment with mainstream
politics and reactionary government policies. I think a great percentage of the
population felt let down by the Brexit vote earlier this year and are
understandably worried about what the future holds - many are looking for an alternative form of
leadership.
SWAN: How did you decide on the programming this
year?
CB: As always, we make a wish
list of writers we would like to invite to Manchester (particularly focusing on
those with interesting new books out). We are always looking for high-calibre writers
but also try and programme a balanced programme of established and emerging
writers with particular programme strands showcasing literature in translation
and events for children and families. We try to make the programme as diverse
as possible so there is something on offer to suit the tastes of readers from
all backgrounds and ages. We also work in partnership with a wide range of
cultural partners including university writing schools and cultural embassies
who feed in programming ideas. Over the past year we have been developing a
partnership with Karachi Literature Festival which has resulted in a co-curated
programme of events showcasing writers from the South Asian diaspora.
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| The MLF includes "An Evening with Jackie Kay", with the writer who is Scotland's national poet. |
SWAN: One of the festival’s stated aims is to promote Manchester as a true hub for international cultural exchange. Why is this important for the festival, and
the city?
CB: We are keen to open up our audiences’ reading
horizons and programme events that reflect the lives and concerns of the city’s
very diverse population. Manchester’s industry and culture has been very
influenced by immigration – we want to celebrate the city’s unique history and
diversity and hopefully attract increasing numbers of international visitors to
the festival.
SWAN: The festival also has a youth focus. How do
literature events like this encourage reading among children, young people?
CB: Literary performances by the likes of Michael
Rosen and theatre adaptations of children’s books such as Hey Presto! really
help bring books alive and make them more accessible for even reluctant
readers. I think people of all ages get more out of reading if they’ve heard
poetry read in the poet’s own voice or heard an author talking about the themes
of their latest novel and what inspired their stories/characters.
SWAN: The events include a presentation by Vivienne
Westwood, a designer known for her activism and someone who is a part of the
ethical fashion movement. How did her involvement come about?
CB: We have been trying to persuade Vivienne
Westwood to come and talk at the festival for a couple of years and luckily our
persistence paid off this year. Her talk this October is very timely as her
fashion designs are featured in the current Fashion and Freedom exhibition at
Manchester Art Gallery.
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| The MLF hosts the Black and Asian Writers Conference |
SWAN: In addition to South Asian writers, the
festival is putting focus on Black British writers. Can you describe the themes
of the Black and Asian Writers Conference taking place Oct. 8?
CB: Themes for this year
include Afrofuturism, flash fiction, immersive poetry and new directions in
theatre. You can read a full description of the various panels at: www.cultureword.org.uk/bawc16/
SWAN: Is the international component of the
festival expected to expand, with more authors from abroad?
CB: We hope to continue to
attract an exciting range of authors from abroad but this will be balanced with
appearances from UK authors.
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| Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. |
SWAN: What is your greatest hope for the festival this
year?
CB: That thousands of people have a wonderful
mind-expanding experience and discover some new favourite authors!
SWAN: How do
you see it evolving in the future?
CB: We would like to develop collaborations with
more international festivals and develop a bigger and more ambitious programme
of new commissions for the festival that could then be toured nationally and
internationally.
For more information: http://www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/
Follow SWAN on Twitter: @mckenzie_ale
