So despite the perils of a global pandemic Covid 19, inertia, anxiety and uncertainty, a lockdown of the arts, e.g theatres, personal family bereavement. On a personal level, there is some good news, the last year has seen for me, writing commissions now published in print, of non-fiction arts, and an excellent collaborative poetry anthology, with poets from across the world (details below).
In addition to being appointed as Visiting Guest Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University for MA Creative Writing Students. Whereby, I recruited a number of enthusiastic student to take on writing choreopoetry for the page and stage. This was a total delight, I was so pleased to find new choreopoetry fans. Great to be able to convey the importance, of writing not only what you know, but to delve into their own background indentity, to explore a diverse range of voices for characters. In particular, I was able to share my passion, for Leicester and the East Midlands, its potential for narratives, and its unique dialect, slang and argot I use in my own writing.
I will be a Visiting Guest Lecturer also for Derby University this April, for the MA Creative Writing for Performance Students. With a focus on using core writing skills, in order to make them transferable for different platforms and writing contexts. With a view to maximising income generation, building profile and portfolio. In addition to identifying writers voice and audience for their own writing. Importantly, to write for an increasing culturally diverse UK/ Europe and World. In the wake of #Black Lives Matter, there is an urgent need for real change, what is required, is anti-racist actions, to address systemic racism in society, its institutions. This in turn will galvanise us all to also address social equality and justice in general, for Women, LGBTQ, the Disabled, and all currently excluded groups.
Publications
Poetry and Covid Anthology Editors Anthony Caleshu Rory Waterman
https://www.shearsman.com/store/Caleshu-and-Waterman-(eds)-Poetry-and-Covid-19-p294597003
Reflections:Cultural Voices of Black Irrepressible Resilience Serendipity Editor Pawlet Brookes
https://www.serendipity-uk.com/product/reflections-cultural-voices-of-black-british-irrepressible-resilience/
