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Day: 17 October 2015

Oxford activist resigns posts, admitting non-consensual sex

Written by William Brown on . Posted in News.

Well-known student activist Annie Teriba resigned from her political campaign posts at Oxford University last week after stating that earlier in the year she had failed to receive full consent before having sex.

Teriba was a strong campaigner for BME and LGBTQ+ rights and a significant voice against sexual harassment and abuse on campus. She previously served as the editor of No Heterox—a magazine ‘for the Queer and Trans* Voices’. Teriba also served as a key member of both the NUS’s black students’ committee and the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts committee.

She achieved notoriety by leading a campaign demanding the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes, a white supremacist who was instrumental in the establishment of British colonies in South Africa, from Oxford’s Rhodes College. Speaking to Sky News earlier this year, Teriba said that Oxford University “was built off the back of exploiting labour and the colonial project and it’s something that still gets celebrated in the form of a statue.”

Last year, Teriba wrote an article criticising the Oxford Union over its conduct in an alleged rape scandal. Teriba called for compulsory ‘consent committees’ to educate students about the laws surrounding sexual harassment and rape.

Concerning her own conduct, Teriba wrote an extended statement on her official Facebook profile explaining her resignation. “At this year’s NUS black students’ conference, I had sex with someone. The other party later informed me that the sex was not consensual. I failed to properly establish consent before every act. I apologise sincerely and profoundly for my actions.

“I should have taken sufficient steps to ensure that everything I did was consensual. I should have been more attentive to the person’s body language. In failing to clarify that the person consented to our entire encounter, I have caused serious irreparable harm.

“In a separate incident, in my first year of university, I was alerted to my inappropriate behaviour whilst drunk in a club, where I had touched somebody in a sexual manner without their consent. Therefore this is not an isolated incident. I apologise sincerely and profoundly for my actions.

“With these incidents I have rightly lost the trust of those who I organise with and fully intend to work to ensure that I put my politics into practice in my personal relations and prove to them that I am committed to transformation. As such, it would be wrong of me to accept platforms and access spaces until I have done so.”

Manchester Literature Festival 2015

Written by Katherine Horrex on . Posted in Books.

There can be no better way to familiarize yourself with Manchester than by attending the Manchester Literature Festival, this year celebrating its 10th anniversary as the UK’s premier showcase for international writing. This is especially true if you plan to attend one of the walking tours available as part of the event, such as the ‘History of Manchester in Ten Poems’ tour, on which you’ll learn how the city has been evoked in verse by Carol Ann Duffy, John Cooper Clarke, Rudyard Kipling and others.

Of course, there are plenty of less strenuous opportunities to hear readings from bestselling authors, including Kate Mosse, whose latest novel The Taxidermist’s Daughter finds a fitting backdrop within the university’s own Manchester Museum, while Centre for New Writing tutor and poet John McAuliffe reads on campus for the launch of his collection ‘The Way In.’ Award winning poet Don Paterson will be reading from his new collection of sonnets in the spectacular setting of Halle St Peter’s.

More so than ever before, this year’s festival promises to demonstrate literature’s importance within the wider spectrum of artistic disciplines, with a rare opportunity to hear Paterson perform not only as a writer but as a musician, supported by Rommi Smith who will read from a sequence of poems inspired by Blues and Jazz. Part lo-fi indie rock concert, part exploration of mental illness, on October the 17th songwriter Kathryn Williams and her band will play songs written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar’, and will then discuss the remarkable project with Observer columnist Rachel Cooke.

Other highlights include Turkish writer and TED speaker Elif Shafak’s delivery of the Gaeia Manchester Sermon, which focuses on current ethical issues, and Manchester doctoral student Gulwali Passarlay’s discussion of his first book, which details his journey as an Afghan refugee, at Amnesty International’s Asylum and Exile event. As well as globally established names, the festival makes plenty of time for new and emerging voices in literature. There will be an exciting chance to witness homegrown talent in the form of New Identity; a cutting-edge group of young Moston based wordsmiths whose performance at the Contact Theatre, ‘Battle of the Minds,’ investigates the value of what they have so far learned in their navigation of playground fights, societal pressure and PE classes.

In its aim to make literature accessible to the public, the festival caters not only to members of the literary audience, but to those who wish to work creatively in the building of their own literature. The ‘industry insights’ section of the programme therefore features a small number of creative workshops and conferences. Michael Rosen and Mandy Coe will examine the future of children’s poetry, while Danny Brocklehurst will share his insights into becoming a screenwriter. Instituto Cervantes will host a session designed to help participants gain a head start in literary translation, working with Julio Cortázar’s children’s stories.

Although Manchester is busy all-year-round as a centre for cultural events, there will certainly not be a busier time than the 12th – 25th of October for literary aficionados. We therefore advise you to make the most of the festival’s wonderful and stimulating series of events, many of which are free of charge.

To check the event listings, visit www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk.