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A New Divan: A Centenary Celebration of the Poetry of Edwin Morgan

Watch again now.

A celebration of one of the most important British poets of the last fifty years, by contemporary poets and artists.

Simon Barraclough, Dzifa Benson, Nancy Campbell, João Concha, Kirsten Irving, Ricardo Marques, Peter McCarey and Richard Price read Morgan's poems and each responds with a work of their own.

Taking its name from one of his collections, this evening is a 'divan' in the Persian sense of a gathering of people sitting on a virtual sofa sharing their poems and news, not unlike the concept of the 'ceilidh' in Scotland, where Morgan grew up and lived.

Join us on the poetry couch for an unrivalled insight into this remarkable poet and a glimpse of the wealth of contemporary poetry which has grown up in a creative landscape partly created by him.

With thanks to:

The Edwin Morgan Trust

The Poetry Archive

Carcanet Press

Click here to read the poem’s featured in this event.

Speakers

Richard Price

Poet, Head of Contemporary British Collections

Simon Barraclough

Poet

Dzifa Benson

Artist

Nancy Campbell

Poet

João Concha

Artist and Publisher

Kirsten Irving

Poet

Ricardo Marques

Poet and Translator

Peter McCarey

Poet and Translator

A New Divan: A Centenary Celebration of the Poetry of Edwin Morgan

Watch again now.

A celebration of one of the most important British poets of the last fifty years, by contemporary poets and artists.

Simon Barraclough, Dzifa Benson, Nancy Campbell, João Concha, Kirsten Irving, Ricardo Marques, Peter McCarey and Richard Price read Morgan's poems and each responds with a work of their own.

Taking its name from one of his collections, this evening is a 'divan' in the Persian sense of a gathering of people sitting on a virtual sofa sharing their poems and news, not unlike the concept of the 'ceilidh' in Scotland, where Morgan grew up and lived.

Join us on the poetry couch for an unrivalled insight into this remarkable poet and a glimpse of the wealth of contemporary poetry which has grown up in a creative landscape partly created by him.

With thanks to:

<a href="https://edwinmorgantrust.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Edwin Morgan Trust</a>

<a href="https://poetryarchive.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Poetry Archive</a>

<a href="https://www.carcanet.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Carcanet Press</a>

Click <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OE6li9RuDTNwNiSsD-YZ-H6utNQRxSGD/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a> to read the poem’s featured in this event.

Voice in Cookery Writing: Nigella Lawson, Ella Risbridger and Bee Wilson

How do you tell the story of a recipe? A recipe is so much more than a set of instructions; it is a story, an experience waiting to happen. We explore the role of voice, narrative and storytelling in cookery books with three fantastic food writers; Nigella Lawson, Ella Risbridger and Bee Wilson. This event was livestreamed from the British Library on 8 April 2019 to public libraries across the UK.

Resisting Self-Censorship, with Elif Shafak, Rachel Long, Jacqueline Woodson and Urvashi Butalia

Join us here live: 30 September. 19.00 – 20.15.

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the resultant global Black Lives Matter protests, it has been clearer than ever before that the voices of some are prioritised to the exclusion of others.

As part of Banned Books Week 2020 – an annual celebration of the freedom to read – the RSL, in partnership with British Library, Index on Censorship and English PEN, brings together a panel of writers who have committed to sharing their stories, to creating without compromise, and to inspiring others to do the same. Rachel Long, Elif Shafak, and Jacqueline Woodson explore what ‘freedom’ means in the culture of traditional publishing, and how writers today can change the future of literature. Chaired by Urvashi Butalia.

This event is available to the audiences and users of public libraries through the Living Knowledge Network.

LGBT+ History Month 2021 Launch: Body, Mind and Spirit

Watch again now.
This event took place on: 6 November. 19.30.

Each year ‘Five Faces’ are chosen to represent the theme of LGBT+ History Month. To mark the 2021 launch, join us for an evening celebrating the lives of the five selected icons: Maya Angelou, Mark Ashton, Michael Dillion, Lily Parr and Mark Weston.

Museum expert Dan Vo is in conversation with representatives from cultural organisations across the country on the theme for 2021 – Body, Mind and Spirit – and explores how these individuals embody the concept.

Maya Angelou was a renowned poet and internationally recognised civil rights activist, her works were often taught in schools in Britain. Story presented by Haringey Vanguard Projects and freelance historian and writer Kamara Dyer Simms who has been published by Gal-Dem.

Mark Ashton has been immortalised by the award-winning 2014 film Pride. Mark was a community activist and founded Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners in 1984. Story presented by LGSM and Mike Jackson, Co-Founder and Secretary of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners.

Michael Dillon dubbed Bristol’s most famous trans resident. Dillon was a British physician and the first Western European to be ordained a Buddhist monk. Story presented by Bristol M Shed and author Cheryl Morgan, Co-Chair of OutStories Bristol.

Lily Parr was an English professional women’s association football player and is the only woman to be an inductee in the English Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Museum. Her story is presented by the National Football Museum and Lou Englefeld, Director of Pride Sports UK.

Mark Weston known as the Devonshire Wonder, was one of the best field athletes in the 1920s and represented Britain in the international arena, including the Olympic Games. Story presented by University of Plymouth and Alan Butler, Co-Director of Pride in Plymouth.

LGBT+ History Month is an initiative by Schools OUT UK that focuses on the celebration and recognition of LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, plus) people and culture, past and present; increasing the visibility of diverse LGBT+ histories, lives and their experiences. It has been celebrated every year in the UK since 2005.

Storytalks: Graphic Novels

Polarbear is joined by two of the UK's most exciting and talented graphic novelists, Joff Winterhart (Days of Bagnold Summers, Driving Short Distances) and Katriona Chapman (Follow Me In). Together they discuss their inspiration, and how they are breaking new ground in their use of graphics and storytelling to create dynamic work for this ever popular medium. This event is part of Storytalks, a series of talks from the UK’s storytelling experts programmed as part of Evolve, an imaginative programme of events and artworks within Devon’s Libraries. This event was livestreamed from Exeter Library on 10 October 2019.

Michael Cashman

Speaker Position

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