A poem by Keith Shadwick

Keith Shadwick was a jazz musician, music critic, author of numerous books on music and a poet. He came up with the original idea for the staging of Southbank Centre’s ‘Ancient Mariner’ – premiered this July at London Literature Festival. He died of cancer a year ago. Here is one of his poems, written one [...]

Michela Wrong – Mama Africa

International journalist Michela Wrong talked about her new book, It’s Our Turn To Eat and her experiences living in Kenya at Royal Festival Hall. In her new book, she writes about a Kenyan anti-corruption leader. The title derives from a phrase she heard throughout her time in Kenya. As she explains, it means people ‘eating [...]

A literature festival? In London?

Derived from the Middle English, festive, via Old French and Medieval Latin festivalis, from Latin festivus, in turn from festus and with its roots in the Indo-European dhēs, the word festival conjures many images, of lavish banquets certainly; of a community and communities coming together in celebration; of times of jointly enjoyed joyousness and rejoicing. [...]

Bit Of Verbal

‘Bit of Verbal’ – by producer/performer Rupert Smith of Southbank Centre’s House of Homosexual Culture
(and do have a look at the photos of the performance in our previous blogs).
Don’t forget the Stonewall@40 event at London Literature Festival tonight!
It was with some trepidation that I decided to present a ‘poetry/spoken word’ event as part of the [...]

Of psyches, ids and egos

‘SUSIE ORBACH INTERVIEWS…Andrew O’Hagan and Will Self.’
The first in a new strand at Southbank Centre on ‘Psychoanalysis And The Arts.’
Wednesday 15th July, Queen Elizabeth Hall
By Rosie Goldsmith
A world-famous psychoanalyst and feminist writer and two internationally acclaimed novelists and social commentators: we knew we were in for a stimulating evening of debate. But about half way [...]

Ox-Tales and the joy of being read to

Reading is mental exercise. It requires metaphorical muscles to lift the words from the page, and into the voice of the author that you hear inside your head. Apparently the more you use them, the more you read, the easier it becomes, and the more effortlessly you glean all that’s desirable in a novel.
My reading [...]

‘Ox Tales’ book launch – a taster

Dear All,
While we wait for your ‘OxTales’ blogs and audio to flow – perchance to flood! – in I have a small picture treat for you from my album….
We had four featured authors reading – nay, performing! -their sparkling short stories in Queen Elizabeth Hall: D.B.C. Pierre, Kamila Shamsie, Jeanette Winterson and Diran Adebayo. It [...]

A poem by Rick Stroud

Dear All,
In response to my ‘Plea For Poetry’ today I have received 3 beautiful specimens already. Keep them coming in!
Here is a poem written for us by Rick Stroud, the author of ‘The Book of the Moon’, film-maker and guest at London Literature Festival. Thanks so much Rick. Rosie Goldsmith
‘Promised land’ by Rick Stroud
Happy birthday [...]

Rick Stroud is over the moon

Posted on behalf of Rick Stroud by Rosie Goldsmith
It is now a week and a bit since my encounter with Buzz Aldrin and I have landed back on planet real life. I emerge from the airlock and the first thing I encounter is my Moon event at London Literature Festival, Escape Routes. The festival is [...]

More on the Moon…

After the event last night I got talking to Rick Stroud on more moon-related matters. We were joined by a chap who re-enacts the moon landings using only his incredibly expressive hands, shadow-puppet style! He’s even performed for astronauts. Anyway, during the conversation I made the observation to Rick that when people with normal colour vision see a [...]