Skip to main content

Year: 2018

Review: ‘Hold’ by Michael Donkor

Hold, Micheal Donkor’s debut novel, is a story of friendship, loss, cultural identity and the adolescent desire to be accepted. Set in Kumasi, Ghana, the novel follows Belinda, a maid to an affluent family.

Belinda is so occupied with cooking, cleaning and supervising the mischievous Mary – a younger maid who is like a sister to her – she is almost able to forget her estranged mother who sent her away from her childhood village.

Donkor expertly transports the narrative from Ghana to England, when a friend of Belinda’s mistress arranges for her to live with them in London. The move plunges Belinda into a world of uncertainty. Although she is encouraged to study, she is still effectively a maid. Instead of house-hold chores, her new duty is to be a stabilising influence on Amma, the wayward daughter of the family.

The relationship between Belinda and Amma binds the novel together. Belinda finds Amma spoilt and irresponsible. Amma finds Belinda judgmental and prudish. Despite this, they develop an unlikely friendship as both detach themselves from their prejudices and begin to empathise with each others’ struggles.

Donkor subtly explores themes of class and sexuality as Belinda questions the role of servility that has carved out her life and Amma deals with the pressure of hiding her homosexuality from her parents. It is hard to finish reading Hold and not be fully invested in these characters and their relationship.

Donkor is a master of dialogue. As a Londoner of Ghanian descent who used to teach at St Paul’s Girls School, his ears are finely attuned to both Ghanian English and the chatter of rich London school girls. Donkor’s manipulation of language is a joy to read, though the way that language can divide characters can be devastating.

From Amma’s sarcasm, to hilarious  phone conversations between Belinda and Mary, Donkor’s characters speak in real and honest ways. The many conversations between the novel’s young female characters reveal how they feel that they have little control over their lives. Lesser writers would breeze over these characters, but Donkor gives them centre stage.

Hold is an engaging and accessible read. Donkor portrays his characters with warmth, drawing the reader into each of their personal journeys. It is excellent fiction for modern Britain, depicting individual experiences within the fabric of the immigrant experience while exploring many problems that young people face.

As an Observer New Face for Fiction 2018, Donkor is certainly a writer to watch. He recently appeared at the Manchester Literature Festival alongside Elaine Castillo and Olumide Popoola. If readers are fans of Donkor and looking for similarly refreshing narratives, both Castillo and Popoola are also worth looking into.

In conversation with Jack Tindale, Policy Connect

Speaking to Jack Tindale ahead of his role in the Design Manchester festival debate: ‘All Schools Should Be Arts Schools’, I uncovered his intriguing perspectives, ranging from the redesigning of Parliament to Brexit. As the manager of the All-Party Parliamentary ‘Design and Innovation’ group for the thinktank ‘Policy Connect’, Tindale provides an insight into the role of design in the inner workings of society.

Having worked as a freelance graphic designer, a skill he developed from his role as editor of the satire section of The Beaver (LSE’s student newspaper), Tindale’s enthusiasm for the Arts is evident. When asked to describe the role of creativity in society, he concluded that the impact is two-fold — both on emotional and educational levels.

“On an individual level, creativity can improve one’s attitude and physical wellbeing” he said, identifying the all-encompassing nature of the Arts, he acknowledges “the great thing about the creative industry — everyone is good in some way.” Tindale illustrates his point by adding “one doesn’t need to be a talented actor to be involved in a play  —one can be involved in script-editing, lighting, costume design.” Suggesting that the Arts cover a range of skills and provides access points to most students.

Tindale adds that there is a great educational importance of the Arts, as they have “a huge impact on mental awareness, providing an outlet for students who are increasingly under pressure.” With frequent changes to exams and emphasis on results, this is an evermore important outlet.

As an LSE graduate in History and Economics, Tindale’s educational background falls into both artistic and scientific categories. He aims, therefore, to debunk the “tendency by policy-makers to make out that you’re either an ‘arts person’ or a scientist.”

He underlines his belief that “design and creativity has an influence across all subjects.” In his role at ‘Policy Connect’, Tindale seeks to “communicate the importance of design” with lawmakers. He describes how ‘Policy Connect’ brings together policy-makers and Parliamentarians to critique Government strategy, and “instead promote good public policy.”

Past examples of the ‘Design and Innovation’ group’s work include advising to the Government how to redevelop Parliament in a way that is “modern and accessible to all” and the streamlining of the Government website during the coalition years.

Tindale believes that “Design Thinking” should be more deeply embedded in the curriculum. He describes how limited budgets render schools unable to invest in equipment for subjects like DT. Instead, the focus should be on adapting the current curriculum to include creative thinking as “universal Design Thinking” he says.

In the midst of a Fourth Industrial Revolution, Tindale describes how “people need to be able to leave school with the ability to shift from sector to sector” given the changing nature of the job market. While roles such as “haulers and lorry drivers will be gone in 20 years’ time”, he describes how “design jobs are immune from automation [as] design and creativity are ultimately about problem-solving.”

Finally, the conversation took a turn to Brexit; the subject to end all conversations. Having produced the paper ‘Developing Creative Education After Brexit’, I asked Tindale what the role of creativity will be post-Brexit (if we ever get there). Whilst admitting that no one seems to have “a shrewd idea what Brexit means for the Economy”, he describes how he’s “not in a position to sugar-coat — there are going to be job losses.”

On a less defeatist note, Tindale presents the case for a “real shake-up to the design sector” so it can thrive in a situation of increased barriers to recruitment, mobility, and funding. “We must remember that the creative industries are a huge amount of Britain’s soft power and a huge amount of our economic strength.” Given the industry’s potential for vast annual GDP increase, Tindale’s position is that of “long-term pragmatism coupled with short-term Sinicism.”

To find out more about the Design Manchester 2018 festival, click here.

Historic buildings in the Northern Quarter ‘under threat’

Historic buildings on Soap Street, in the Northern Quarter, are set to be knocked down to make way for glass towers and blocks of flats.

Many of the historic buildings require urgent repairs to ensure they stay standing and maintain the cultural reputation of the city centre.

Streets in the Northern Quarter have featured in popular series such as Peaky Blinders and Sherlock Holmes, as well as blockbuster films like Captain America.

The Liberal Democrats in the local area claim that Manchester Council is deliberately ignoring concerns about the deterioration of historic buildings and are even going against advice from statutory bodies like Historic England.

Liberal Democrat Councillor, Richard Kilpatrick, said: “It is just another part of their social cleansing plan which has been going on for years.”

“Manchester Council is dangerously close to completely ripping the heart out of one of our city’s most iconic and beloved areas.”

Only recently, the demolition a 19th-century building on Thomas Street has begun, after being at hazard of collapse for numerous weeks. This has sparked a heated topic once again among the Northern Quarter community, which is quick to accuse local authorities of neglect.

Resident David Redford-Crowe, took to twitter to express his concerns:  “Most of ‘the historic fabric of the Northern Quarter’ has been bulldozed away. You will hardly recognise the area.” He added: “They [the council] are convinced that buildings within the NQ pose a danger to life and limb and risk imminent collapse.”

The local residents and wider Manchester community urge the Council to protect the heritage of buildings in Manchester, but days after social media uproar there is still yet to be a response from Manchester Council.

Review: Picnic at Hanging Rock

The recent BBC production of ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’, based on Joan Lindsay’s 1967 novel, portrays the disappearance of a group of schoolgirls from an Australian boarding school. The 2018 adaptation, directed by Larysa Kondracki, is so luxuriant in production that it is easy to feel as if you’ve overindulged: glossy ringlets, billowing costumes, and corsets starched as crisp as sugar paper are the order of the day.

Unfortunately like any surfeit, it fades quickly. Kondracki’s production, although aesthetically beautiful, lacks the dark underbelly of Peter Weir’s 1975 film. The success of Weir’s version was that it was as delicious to consume as marzipan, but left a bitter aftertaste betraying the poison at its centre. By contrast, Kondracki’s adaption is all sugar and no salt.

For a story that’s concerned with pitting society against nature, there are far too many shots in the prim and polished school and not enough of the Australian landscape. The Weir version didn’t skimp on filming the wilderness and therefore achieved the dichotomy that Kondracki fails to capture. There are flashes of greatness, such as a scene of a character’s breakdown, in which the camera wheels and turns to such an extent I found myself dizzy observing it. In the same vein, the soundtrack is evocative of the uneasy, flitting tones of the one created in 1975.

The 2018 script is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the year. Writers Beatrix Christian and Alice Addison have done an admirable job of remaining true to the novel, while nurturing the plots hinted at in the subtext. They capture perfectly the girls’ sexual, romantic, and personal frustrations along with the claustrophobia and tension native to a girls’ boarding school. It realises the crucial point of being a teenage girl, being both funny and deeply tragic, unlike the 1975 film which was always rather flighty about the reality of female adolescence.

The casting of this adaptation is superb. Natalie Dormer is the obvious highlight, in the plum part of Headmistress Appleyard. Dormer’s talent as a stage actress elevates the role noticeably, with one of her best performances yet — though I found her Estuary accent a little over-exaggerated. Criminally overlooked are Ruby Rees as Edith and Yael Stone as Dora Lumley. Both are screechingly funny in their roles, from Edith’s petulant bluster to Dora’s ridiculous fanaticism. Yet Rees’ performance also reminds us of how the scorn of older girls can sear when you’re hovering between child and teenager. Stone also carries a brimming mania under the surface, which is telling of the abuse she received from her older brother.

Samara Weaving is particularly endearing as Irma Leopold — heartbreakingly beautiful, a tad snobby, and really quite insecure beneath her turned-up nose. Lily Sullivan as Miranda Reid carries off the idea that half the school is in love with her with aplomb, bringing an androgynous quality even while swathed in white petticoats. Madeleine Madden as Marion Quade also has the difficult task of representing the young girl in love with her teacher without coming off as annoyingly soft. Your heart really goes out to her — wide-eyed and easily hurt. I also felt it was high time for the inclusion of an aboriginal actress.

In the end, much like the Weir version, Kondracki’s falters at the last minute. I don’t think I’ll be content with any adaptation until they acknowledge Joan Lindsay’s ‘lost chapter’, removed at her editor’s request. The chapter explains the girls’ disappearance in terms of time travel, the rock being a form of a dimensional gateway. If you’re going to omit it, don’t tease us with the recurrent theme of ticking clocks that litters the soundtrack throughout.

 

‘New can be scary’ – the new female Doctor

It’s taken 55 years and 12 doctors, but the day has finally arrived — the Doctor has regenerated as a woman!

Since Peter Capaldi stepped aside at the end of last year, there has been a lot of build-up to the first episode of the new series. As a result, a lot of pressure has been placed on Jodie Whittaker as she undertakes the role of the first female Doctor — as soon as the episode began, I found myself really rooting for her.

Whilst the gender of our Time Lord is completely irrelevant in terms of the show’s premise, this is undeniably a moment for Whittaker that will impact the trajectory of her career. More significantly, this is a moment that has the potential to challenge and impact the representation of gender diversity in British television for the better.

Ultimately, this episode was required to strike an important balance. It needed to self-consciously acknowledge that the Doctor is a woman but simultaneously needed to make sure that this didn’t steal focus to the point of diluting the overall spirit of the iconic series. To do this would result in a patronising portrayal that would make us all, especially women, just want to switch off.

The episode is framed by new series regular, Ryan Sinclair’s YouTube video in which he is talking of “the greatest woman [he] ever met.” At this point, I immediately settled down to be shown a predictable celebration of our new female Doctor. When we return to Ryan’s video at the end of the episode, he reveals he is talking about his grandmother (whose eventual tragic bravery in the episode further exemplifies its positive representation of women). This approach certainly struck the balance that was so essential in successfully introducing the female doctor.

While the doctor’s existential identity crisis is evident in every regeneration, this one functioned as a humorous nod to the public’s overreaction to Whittaker’s casting back in 2017; even the Doctor’s subconscious initially refuses to reconcile itself with womanhood! This makes the later declaration of “I know exactly who I am, I’m the Doctor” an even louder rallying cry that attests to the power of women. Initially, Whittaker’s performance was reminiscent of David Tennant’s portrayal, but this soon settled into a very distinct character that is distinctly funny, charming, and one of a kind.

Overall, this episode was a great introduction to our new Doctor. To make no reference to the Doctor’s new gender would be thoughtless and ultimately counter-productive but to acknowledge this too much would have been irritating and condescending. Thankfully, the BBC came good and gently poked fun of the storm that surrounded this historic television moment in a way that celebrated the appointment of our new Doctor. A Doctor who indirectly attempts to comfort those still struggling with this gender transition by acknowledging herself that “new can be scary.”

 

score 4/5

Suffragettes commemorated with new Pankhurst garden

The Pankhurst Centre has officially unveiled their new garden to mark the centenary of the first women winning the vote. The garden, which opened on September 14th, honours and celebrates the Suffragette movement, and all those who have fought for gender equality since.

The garden, designed by Janet Leigh, is full of symbolic meaning. The structured box hedging reflects the restrictions and confinements the Suffragettes faced, whilst the traditional Suffragette colours of purple, white, and green are represented in the colours of the plants. The arch in the garden is identical to the parlour window, depicting the campaign moving out from the parlour to Parliament. The ironwork figure of the Suffragettes and the benches engraved with Suffragette quotes signifies the spirit and courage of those women. Many of the plants have female names, such as Dianthus ‘Emmeline Pankhurst,’ to remember the thousands of women who fought for gender equality.

‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ Bench. Photo courtesy of The Pankhurst Centre.

The garden designer Janet Leigh said: “When I found out that I had been chosen to create the Pankhurst Garden, I burst into tears and completed a lap of honour around the kitchen. I have worked in male-dominated industries throughout my life, which would not have been possible without the work of the Suffragettes. Their story must be told.”

Ironwork figure of a Suffragette. Photo courtesy of The Pankhurst Centre.

The garden was funded by 524 people who donated £24,000 in the ‘Plant a Seed for Gender Equality’ crowdfunding campaign in 2017 — it received no public funding. Bex Shindler, the Fundraising and Development Manager announced: “This is your garden. This is every woman’s garden. It is a garden for women across Manchester to seek out services to find a sense of peace.”

The garden provides a tranquil and therapeutic space for the hundreds of women and children who use Manchester Women’s Aid. Manchester Women’s Aid helps women across Manchester live a fuller life through activities and drop-in sessions.

Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor, June Hitchen and Sally Lindsay cut the ribbon. Photo courtesy of The Pankhurst Centre.

Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor, June Hitchen discussed the role that the garden plays in the wider community of Manchester: “This garden reminds Manchester of the women who fought for equality so that women’s’ voices would finally be heard. It is time to pass the baton of fighting for gender equality on to the next generation.”

The Pankhurst Centre is the only museum in the UK dedicated to women’s suffrage. Students can visit the Pankhurst Centre on Tuesdays from 10am to 4pm, and on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month.

Elaine de Fries, the Director of Operations of the Pankhurst Centre, hopes that with continuing support, the Centre could become a museum and creative space open daily. The Pankhurst Centre is always looking for volunteers to support the work of the museum. To find details of volunteering, go to http://www.thepankhurstcentre.org/

Leave the Church out of public life

The Church of England is facing oblivion, fewer and fewer Brits claim to belong to the Church and fewer still regularly attend church services. Today, more than half of the public, and more than two-thirds of those aged 18-24 describe themselves as having ‘no religion’. The University of Manchester’s own Christian Society has slightly over one thousand Likes on Facebook. Not a particularly large number in a University of forty thousand students and is less than, for instance, the Cheese and Wine Society, Anime Society, and Swing Dance Society. Given its dwindling status, why is the Church of England still allowed to interfere in education and public life in Britain?

This is most obviously the case in the Houses of Parliament. Twenty-six bishops of the Church of England sit in the House of Lords. Collectively known as the ‘Lords Spiritual’, they have the right to debate and vote in Parliament and are in a position to influence those in Government. They are also entitled to claim expenses for each day they attend the House — this is intended to cover their accommodation and transport costs while in London and may be up to £300. The ‘Lords Spiritual’ claim to offer “spiritual insight to the work of the Upper House” and yet speak only a handful of times each year. Is this service still needed in a country of non-believers?

The presence of Bishops in the House of Lords privileges a particular denomination of a particular religion which most of the population no longer feel an attachment to — this is undemocratic in a multi-faith society such as Britain. Iran is the only other country to include religious leaders by right in its legislature and the United Kingdom is the only democracy to do so. The ‘Lords Spiritual’ are a relic of the Middle Ages that should have been abolished with monarchical rule. Even Boris Johnson has acknowledged that this arrangement is archaic, describing the Bishops as “clerical fossils”.

Christianity also continues to interfere in education. Students in state schools are required by law to take part in an act of collective worship each day of “wholly or mainly of a Christian character.” Parents have the right to withdraw children from worship yet many are reluctant to do so; they should not have to withdraw their children from part of the school day because they are not Christian. Many readers may recall singing hymns and praying in school assemblies despite not really being religious or knowing anything about Christianity beyond the nativity.

Compulsory worship is clearly an obstacle to building a secular state and, like the ‘Lords Spiritual’, could be easily abolished. These criticisms are not about being anti-religious or wanting to drive theists out of politics, they are about rejecting the privileged position of the Church in modern, secular Britain. We are no longer a deeply religious country, Britain must catch up with other democracies and reform the relationship between church and state.

Military Martyrs over Mickey Mouse

Disney is no longer to decorate school walls in Egypt as Governor of Qalioubiya, Alla Marzouq, issues an order to replace any depictions of Disney characters with images of military heroes within his region.

The move is said to be an attempt at reinforcing patriotism, providing realistic role-models, and working to prevent Americanisation. The order comes following a visit by Mickey Mouse and friends to the Pyramids of Gisa as a celebration of the Walt Disney mascot’s 90th anniversary.

Marzouq explains that there is no reason to use American based idols when the country themselves have a wealth of figures from whom children can draw inspiration, namely war martyrs. This has of course received a huge backlash on Twitter and calls into question a number of issues. At what point should children leave the realm of the imagination, and face up to the realities of life, including that of warfare?

This debate goes further than simply reinforcing patriotism and a sense of ‘keeping it within the family’. The concerned images are not neutral, and replacing a cartoon mouse with a soldier will have a number of implications. Expressing patriotism through war heroes, idealises violence and potentially encourages hate crime. Where school is supposed to be a safe environment, this will instil a sense of fear in children. The theme of war and death will literally become a backdrop to their learning.

Encouraging a sense of solidarity or patriotism within the country additionally serves to exclude those without. Not only might this encourage racism, but further endorses the existence of exclusive groups, which in a school environment will undoubtedly cause problems. I would also argue in fact that a sense of patriotism founded on violence, will not serve to generate positive feelings towards the country.

For me, it is quite obvious that military heroes, despite portraying qualities of defiance and strength, are too problematic to be given to children as idols. However, this then calls into question what does constitute a good role model for a child? Is a cartoon mouse any better?

If we consider the qualities of Mickey Mouse, we could say happy, kind, fun, but probably not realistic. Some people would argue that we need to be providing our children with concrete ideals to work towards, ones they can see in action, and therefore actively try to emulate. Yet, Mickey Mouse’s traits; happiness, gentleness, are these not, what we could say, the ‘bare necessities’ of life?

So in short, I would say that a cartoon mouse with a squeaky voice and flappy ears has precisely the personality traits our children should be aiming towards. At the end of the day, if you can’t dream, imagine and invent when you’re a child, when can you? So ‘reach for the sky’, ‘to infinity and beyond’, and never forget that ‘once you’re grown up, you can’t come back.’

‘Weight’ is such a weighted word

The weight loss advice service, Weight Watchers, is undergoing a re-branding — dropping the emphasis on the word ‘weight’ and going instead by ‘WW’. These letters are to stand for nothing in particular, but simply to carry a meaning that the organisation feels is already attached to their brand. Explaining this decision, WW has claimed that this is part of their attempt to focus more on general health and well-being rather than individuals’ weight and appearance. If WW is attempting to present itself as a more wellness-focused program then let them do so; after all, it is not their branding, but their entire premise we should be questioning.

The name change has generated controversy for its implication that the word ‘weight’, and the attempt to lose it, is somehow embarrassing and should thus be disguised. Surely, however, it is these critics and their unceasing crusade of rhetoric who are placing that sense of shame onto the word? In reality, this is a simple case of branding which is being weighed down by the heavy discussion surrounding health. A discussion dominated by feelings of shame and guilt which are spuriously attached to each new approach to physical wellness. To say that a company’s name has any more responsibility for this culture than those commenting on it is another move in this tired blame game surrounding modern eating habits.

This is not meant to be a sycophantic praise of the new WW by any stretch of the imagination. Whether they’re focused on weight loss or wellness, they’re still a stifling diet programme that relies on a restrictive point system which perpetuates notions of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods. Regardless of their name, prescriptive diet plans have in common their ignorance of the diversity of all humans’ nutritional needs and mental attitudes. WW will still be attempting to dictate what ‘wellness’ means (if indeed it means anything) and promoting themselves as having the key to achieving it. It is the perceived necessity of organisations like WW that we need to challenge rather than the petty issues of their PR campaigns.

There is a collective anxiety surrounding body weight that prompts people to pay for membership of a club filled with other anxious people in an effort to induce more anxiety through calorie counting. Instead, we should trust people to be able to live a healthy lifestyle of their own accord. Arguably, this is because many feel they don’t possess the self-restraint to avoid unhealthy ‘junk food’ options because of their scarily successful marketing. So, like some sick self-fulfilling prophecy, it is our slavery to advertising that is locking eating habits into a perpetual cycle of campaigns, slogans, and logos.

If we are to genuinely ever reach a point where body image issues aren’t so scarily prevalent as they are today, we need to stop searching for the right words and just start doing the right thing. Perhaps the first steps to ‘wellness’ would be to shift the ten-tonne connotations we have with the word ‘weight’ and there is no doubt everyone would feel an awful lot lighter.

Interview: Meet the Young Board members of Contact Theatre

Grainne Flynn and Joshua Wilkinson are the Young Board members of ‘Contact Theatre’. They are animated and clued-up about the changing landscape of theatre.

As board members, Grainne explained, they are “involved in the decision making and [representation of] all the young people involved in different programmes in Contact.”

They sit on panels that evaluate potential new members of staff alongside the main panel. “Having a young person’s voice is really important to give a different perspective from other older professionals on the board who may not think of stuff we would” (Grainne). Josh explained that all together, there are “fourteen board members, that’s including four young voices but even in terms of progression we’re looking to get that to a fifty/ fifty basis.”

He told me that “the ethos of Contact is having that young people’s approach to decision making at the centre of everything they do, it’s really important to be bold…” He emphasises the importance of this, given that these young people “are the people that those potential employees are going to work with…working first hand with them.”

When I asked about how they became Young Board members, Grainne explained that she started with the Contact Young Company: “I wanted to be an actor…but actually going to [CYC], it was different from any other young company because it actually gave you the opportunity to write your own work and really delve into different artistic disciplines, like choreography, writing, acting.”

Whereas, Josh described a different route, finding the job through The Agency. He found Contact through The Agency, “an outreach programme that will bring people into the arts, in a way that’s not a normal progression of someone in the arts.” He explained: “Contact has given so much to me in terms of opportunities…[I’ve] learnt business skills and how to run a business and a community project, that’s now become a business that I run.” He went on to say “for me specifically I wanted to be a voice to reach out to people who don’t understand Contact.”

Grainne emphasised how “in a lot of theatres you can think of yourself as just one thing,” but Contact “gives you an environment where you can test your skill and actually learn new skills”. Grainne and Josh have expanded their work from being performers to producing and commissioning.

When we discussed more specific projects for young people at Contact, Grainne talked about how the Young Commissioners programme has allowed her to take risks. She said “I’ve never commissioned a show before” and “to be given the opportunity to go ‘okay let’s see how it works’ is so important because how do you learn, unless you just take a risk?” This is what Contact encourages young people to do — find their voice.  Josh mentioned ‘Music Drop’, a project that gives performers “an up in the industry”. People come into the space “with different songs they want to record, and they get supported with the equipment and the professionalism of the people who work for Contact.”

Both Grainne and Josh highlighted Contact’s focus on diversity with these projects. Josh explained that this focus is diversity in every sense — “young, old, different backgrounds, and that diversity is always there, because it reflects what the programming is showing.” Contact has two very impressive people representing the youth of Manchester in the arts.

Changes to The Women’s Prize for Fiction could prove costly

A recent change to The Women’s Prize for Fiction entry requirements means that the publishers of the 16 long listed books will need to pay a fee of £1000.

While this change means little to big publishers, it could potentially become an entry barrier for smaller independent publishers. One publisher that has been vocal about the change is Galley Beggar Press, an independent press based in Norwich, who have published critically acclaimed authors like Eimear McBride and Preti Taneja. I contacted Sam Jordison of Galley Beggar Press, to find out how the increased long list fee could impact indie publishers.

“£1000 means an awful lot. It’s an advance. It’s a good part of a print run. It’s a lot of work. Spending that kind of money on a prize is an extra risk— it might mean we can’t pay the next print bill.”

The Women’s Prize for Fiction is one of the UK’s most prestigious literary prizes, with previous winners including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Zadie Smith, and most recently Kamila Shamsie; who is a Senior Lecturer at Manchester’s Centre for New Writing. The winner receives £30,000 and until recently, this was funded by the prize’s corporate partners, Delloite, Bailey’s and Natwest.

In 2013, Galley Beggar Press published Eimear McBride’s debut, ‘A Girl Is A Half-Formed Thing’, which went on to win The Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2014. I asked Sam if the novel would have been submitted if the current rules were had been in place then.

“It’s very hard to know. I like to hope that we’d have taken our chances – but we’d have been worried. We’d also have been concerned that the prize committee might not have long listed us because they might have assumed we couldn’t pay the £1000. My present fear is that other very small publishers will find this idea very off-putting.”

Not all prizes charge publishers for being on the long list. The Jhalak Prize is completely free to enter and as Sam noted, “The Republic of Consciousness Prize is a prize for small presses. They actually give money to the publishers who make it onto their shortlist. It feels like they are there to help and promote publishers and their authors.”

Not all readers will be familiar with Galley Beggar Press, so I asked Sam where someone should start in terms of their books. “Oh boy! I love all of our books equally. So for diplomatic reasons, let me just recommend the last three we published: Francis Plug: Writer In Residence by Paul Ewen, Lucia by Alex Pheby and Wrestliana by Toby Litt. They actually give a pretty good insight into what we do.

Lucia is challenging, intense and earth-shakingly beautiful. Francis Plug is hilarious and sad and curiously moving. Wrestliana is like nothing else – a daring book about masculinity, failing, failing better and Cumbrian Wrestling. Oh god, can I recommend some more? We That Are Young by Preti Taneja is amazing, Tinderbox by Megan Dunn is strange and brilliant, We Are The End by Gonzalo Garcia is a superb book about depression, making it in the world, rivers of shit… Just get them all!”

It’s clear from Galley Beggar Press’ varied back catalogue, that smaller presses are willing to take risks publishing new and exciting work. McBride’s Women’s Prize winning ‘A Girl is a Half-formed Thing’ was rejected for ten years by other publishers, before being picked up by Galley Beggar Press. Independent presses help ensure a place for adventurous and experimental writing, if they get priced out by major prizes, plenty of hidden gems might stay hidden. One change to one prize won’t make a difference to the overall publishing landscape, let’s just hope that it doesn’t become a trend.

Live Review: Good Habits

The Manchester-based, four-piece that is Good Habits certainly proved that orchestral instruments really can be cool, as they played their very well-received gig at Goodstock, on the 28th September.

Good Habits describe themselves as an instrumental indie folk band — a necessary mouthful considering their eclectic sound. The band’s principle instruments are viola, cello, bass guitar, and cajón (to you and I that’s a slappable wooden box, a task that Good Habits did with jaw-dropping energy).

Opening their set with a few of their slower-paced, relaxed tunes like ‘Waiting for a Ride’, the audience was quickly mesmerised by the vocals of Bonnie Schwarz; the closest comparison of which would be Lily Allen or Kate Nash. These songs produced a gentle sway in the audience, the type of which you find whilst fully immersed in sheer appreciation, myself included.

This tranquillity, however, did not last too long with Schwarz jokingly promising that the band would play some happier, more uplifting songs. This followed a song about justifying an affair, which alarmingly was so good it almost had me second-guessing my position on such. It should be mentioned, given Schwarz’s insistence onstage, that she doesn’t actually approve of such infidelity.

The second half of their set electrified the crowd, as they played one of their better-known tracks, ‘Small Person’. They then proceeded to take requests cheered from the audience including ‘Pumped up Kicks’; this truly stunned me as I watched viola player, Lydia Taylor, strum the instrument as if she was rocking out some epic guitar solo. This was definitely the highlight of the gig, as the whole audience sang and grooved along to Foster The People’s iconic track. Even a La Roux cover made an appearance — ‘Bulletproof’ — which garnered a similar reaction from fans.

Good Habits put on an impressive, interactive show, especially for a band who are in their early days; they have only just released their first EP, Patient World, on Spotify and iTunes. As if seeing this side to the likes of the cello wasn’t enough, the band even threw a harp into the mix mid-set as guest musician, Alice Roberts, joined them onstage. All this ought to leave audiences eager to hear more of what this unique quartet can do. I, for one, am looking forward to it and you should be too.

Stay tuned with the band’s Facebook and Instagram for news of future gigs.

9/10.

Photo: Virginia Saul.

Review: ‘Leading Ladies’

The ‘Leading Ladies’ Cabaret, celebrating the third birthday (party hats included) of the Hope Mill Theatre, was a triumph. The concept, of four women who had previously held lead theatrical roles singing songs from musicals, was nothing groundbreaking. But it did not claim to be, nor did it need to be. In fact, its somewhat unrehearsed simplicity is what gave the production its charm.

A set of four red velvet chairs, a piano in the corner, and a floor scattered with various top hats and feather boas helped to create a nostalgic theatrical atmosphere. However, the real focal point of the piece was its four leading ladies: Laura Harrison, Sarah Louise Young, Shekinah McFarlane and Genevieve Nicole. Each performer offered something unique, in their voice and even more, in their personality.

Before every song the performer shared a memory of performing, the inspiration for their chosen song or in the case of Nicole and Young, a dry showbiz themed witticism. These personal anecdotes, such as Harrison’s amusing tale of crashing headfirst in to a pillar during a rehearsal exercise, made me feel as if I was spending time with a group of (extremely talented) friends rather than watching a production. An especially touching moment was when Nicole dedicated her beautiful rendition of ‘No One But You’ to a friend who had sadly taken her own life the previous year.

McFarlane was a standout performer. She had a voice that you could feel in your soul particularly during her performance of Etta James’ ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’. However the highlight of the production was the dynamic of the four women together. Their voices complemented each other’s beautifully, making each of their group songs a joy to hear. They energetically encouraged one another, gasping and cheering from the back of the stage as a fellow performer belted out a particularly difficult note.

The production served as a touching reminder of the power of a supportive group of women and its necessity within an industry that offers female performers fewer opportunities than their male counterparts. The audience was wittily reminded of this reality before the cast performed a medley of iconic male solos.

Although the show could have been more slick and accompanied by more complex choreography, I thoroughly enjoyed this production. It was funny, charming and showcased the talent of some incredible leading ladies. On leaving the theatre I wanted to sing all the way home, however I doubt that the 142 bus would be quite as appreciative as the audience at Hope Mill.

Manchester Entrepreneurs kick off a new year

Manchester Entrepreneurs held their launch event on Wednesday, 26th of September,  it was the perfect opportunity for all budding The Apprentice candidates to find out more about how they can start their own venture.

The evening featured talks from the likes of Henry Ludlam, focusing on how to start a business at university, and interactive workshops for students to participate in. Alongside various stalls featuring representatives from partners and start-ups, attendees were also given the opportunity to network with other students and with industry professionals. With the event reaching its full capacity of 200 people, attendees certainly found the event useful, with one student saying ‘[Henry Ludlam] made me think about a power within me’.

As well as this, they also ran three workshops all about generating unconventional ideas, delivered by Daksh Jindal from Rolls-Royce, Kiran and Myrto from AccelerateMe and the Manchester Entrepreneur team themselves.

Manchester Entrepreneurs was set up in 2008, aiming to connect future entrepreneurs with industry professionals, focussing on a two-way relationship between students and businesses. They have won awards such as Student Educator of the Year 2010, and run various programmes throughout the year such as AccelerateME and WhatNext, designed to progress the future and current careers of students.

Joe Wear, President, said “Manchester Entrepreneurs is the place to be if you’re looking to meet interesting people, share ideas and be inspired to do something amazing at university”.

Next up, Manchester Entrepreneurs are taking part in Wakelet’s Start Up Stories. This features a panel consisting of Kiran Arokiasamy from AccelerateME, as well as Jonah Enyi Ogbuneke, the founder of Love for the Streets, and Jamil Khalil, the founder and CEO of Wakelet.

The evening will take place in the Theatre Room of the SU, starting at 6pm on Wednesday, 10th of October, and will provide students with the opportunity to listen to and network with some of Manchester’s most experienced entrepreneurs. If you’d like to get involved, tickets can be booked on Facebook.

 

The Great Design Debate: In conversation with Lou Cordwell OBE

Ahead of the sixth annual series of the ‘Design Manchester Festival 2018’ (DM18), I had the opportunity to speak with Lou Cordwell OBE — the CEO of ‘magneticNorth’ and Chair of the Advisory Board of DM18.

The Design Manchester festival will commence on the 10th October and run until the 21st, providing a variety of events ranging from talks and debates to workshops and exhibitions. Cordwell informs me that the aim of the festival is to provide a “showcase of world-class design thinking” highlighting Manchester’s position as “the credible Capital of design.”

Cordwell describes the festival as “a window into the Manchester design community, once a year” where “people who don’t normally mix” within the community are united by “a shared passion for design and Manchester.” The festival seems to reinforce the aims of the Northern Powerhouse project, placing “a spotlight on Manchester as a significant creative hub; being the fastest growing city in the UK.”

When Cordwell isn’t bearing the flag for the Design Manchester festival, she is running her company, magneticNorth — an independent, digital design company which she founded in 2000.  Having been inspired by the young, boundary-pushing creative houses of the 70s, such as ‘Saatchi & Saatchi’, Cordwell says that she felt an “itch to scratch around newness and [push] the boundaries.”

Following the internet boom in the late 90s, she decided to leave her traditional communications background and pursue a creative career. Out of this move, she established ‘magneticNorth’ and relishes in the variety of her work, which is “constantly moving and changing” in an internet era. Despite having worked all over the world, Cordwell refused to establish herself in London, dryly remarking, “we invented the computer for god’s sake, we should be able to build a tech business here.”

On Thursday 11th October a debate will take place at the ‘Manchester School of Art’, as part of DM18. Cordwell is one of an exciting panel of speakers who will be debating the motion — ‘All Schools Should Be Art Schools’.

Given the recent decline in the number of students studying arts subjects, this debate could not be more timely. According to the ‘Education Policy Institute’ (EPI), the diminishing number of arts students is due to a combination of factors, including Government policies like the Progress 8 performance measure, which centres its results on traditional academic subjects, along with wider cuts to education.

When asked to outline her position within this debate, Cordwell informs me that “there’s a really strong social and economic argument.” Despite being considered “the fluffy stuff,” Cordwell describes how the arts are endlessly important given the technological revolution on the horizon.  With the growth of AI and technology causing the loss of many jobs, Cordwell claims that the demand for “original thought — the thing a machine can never do” necessitates “people being brilliant at thinking creatively.” Arts funding, therefore, is a must.

In tandem with this economic argument, Cordwell underlines the social importance of the arts: “given the spiralling rates of depression and anxiety, we need creativity more than ever.” Cordwell describes how there’s a “need for enjoying the work we do, it is a way of feeling fulfilled,” therefore we ought to “put the arts at the heart of schools.”

The DM18 festival has been planned in a way which maximises accessibility, with a focus on “scheduling and affordability” to ensure the engagement of a diverse community. With events taking place in the evenings, Cordwell says that the festival is designed to be compatible with a school and work timetable so that no group is excluded. Given her support of the arts on economic and emotional levels, Cordwell is keen to ensure the DM18 festival pursues this aim by reaching as many people as possible.

In our final exchange of conversation, Cordwell again expresses her passion for Manchester and for design: “it’s a brilliant time for the city, and a brilliant time for the industry.” In the build-up to DM18, Cordwell exudes an infectious sense of excitement for what is coming next in the world of design.

You can find out more about the festival’s events through the link: http://designmcr.com/

Live Review: Jimothy Lacoste

Only 19 years-old, internet famous, and “looking hella smart”, Jimothy Lacoste played a sold-out show at Manchester’s beloved Soup Kitchen.

The youngster’s fame first came from his viral hit ‘FUTURE BAE’, a song which made the rounds on Twitter and has reached over 430,000 hits on Spotify. The second boom in his fame came with ‘Subway System’,  a tribute to the Tube; the song’s accompanying music video features Jimothy dancing through train carriages and accessing private areas of the tube. This lead to ‘Transport For London’ to issue a takedown request on the video for “imitable behaviour that could cause serious injury.”

The small venue made for an intimate show, opened by the new girl on the block, Mavi Phoenix — an Austrian singer/rapper who is worth keeping on your radar. Jimothy’s set was energetic yet disappointingly short at only 7 songs long; having said this, though, his repertoire only consists of 6 songs on Spotify and just double that on Soundcloud.

His dance moves are just as glorious live as they are online, his singing over lo-fi beats, however, is not. Lacoste’s blatant use of a backing vocal track which was as loud as his microphone definitely detracted from the experience and made for a performance difficult to follow at times. 

Having said that, Jimothy’s showmanship is admirable, leading the crowd in synchronised waving and bouncing drove them insane. The icing on the cake was his shirtless crowd surf which was, of course, incredibly well received by his fans as they flung their arms up to grasp at his form.

The short-lived explosion of energy felt like a sugar rush — short, sweet and one of many. Jimothy will play a show at Gorilla on 10th February. I hope he releases new material before then, otherwise, while “Life Is Getting Quite Exciting”, the show might not.

Rating: 6/10

José Mourinho at Manchester United: The impossible mission?

In a managerial career that has spanned 18 years, José Mourinho has earned a reputation for quick-fix solutions — he has won a major trophy in his first season at every club since 2003. These include both the UEFA Cup and Champions League titles in successive seasons at Porto, back-to-back league titles in his opening two years at Chelsea, and European triumph with Inter Milan in 2010 — having tasted Serie A success the year before.

Such success has often been facilitated by an expansive budget and control over transfers, an understanding of revolutionary tactical methods, and the freedom for the ‘Special One’ to implement his wide-ranging philosophy across a club. At Chelsea for example, his 2004-2006 side was defined by his defensively-minded, counter-attacking style of football — an approach that survived at the club long beyond his initial departure in September 2007.

The flipside of the Portuguese’s methods were a series of run-ins with individual players, criticism for negative styles of play, and consistent clashes with senior management. It’s by no means a revelation that Mourinho has never survived more than 3 years in one job — and a recurrent case of third season syndrome threatens to strike again at Manchester United.

It was the aforementioned appeal of a rapid turnaround that first alerted the Red Devils’ management to the 55-year old back in 2016. After inconsistent progress under Louis Van Gaal, United had looked to make an appointment that would return them to the very top of English and European football.

In a somewhat elementary first season, Mourinho achieved his goal of getting the side back into the Champions League. Consequently, however, the failure to effectively co-manage Domestic and European competition led to a 6th place finish in the league — disappointing when compared to summer spending of nearly £150 million.

Despite a UCL spot, and recruiting former Chelsea colleagues Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku, Mourinho again failed to assert his influence in 2017-18. United racked up an impressive 81 points, only dampened by Manchester City’s record-breaking campaign. It was the failure in other competitions that dominated the season’s legacy – an FA Cup final defeat to rivals Chelsea, and an early exit to Sevilla in Europe. Mourinho came under intense scrutiny after the 2nd leg home defeat, vilified for a naïve and uncreative game, saw his smash and grab tactics used against him.

Such tactical confusion has become an alarming theme of Mourinho’s reign at Old Trafford and his typical defensive solidity has been jeopardised by uncertainty over his best back four. Compound this with his attempts to lay out a flat 4-3-3 which has isolated the effect of certain players such as Paul Pogba, creating noticeably sub-par performances for the player, and it is not looking good for the manager.

There also remains an enduring question regarding Mourinho’s style of play — has it simply lost its impact in the developing game? Surely the rise of the wings-back and counter-attacking football across the Premier League makes digging in for points a less effective method. With the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal all injecting pace into their forward lines, some would say, the best way to approach games is a positive, attacking style, with emphasis on a high-press. Pep Guardiola has shown the virtue of this but it is vehemently anti-Mourinho.

Aside from questions of footballing philosophy, Mourinho is further unlikely to be comfortable at a club that has a figure of influence as great as Ed Woodward. United’s transfer strategy is questionable, to say the least – the side failed to recruit a much-needed centre-half this summer and the addition of Fred came in central midfield, an area that was by no means a priority. This erratic use of the market is grounded in issues of club structure and that, although not Mourinho’s fault directly, means he cannot exercise the control he feels he needs over his team’s recruitment policy.

Small-scale clashes are also causing Mourinho issues, his resistance to developing youth talent is out of place at a club which has a strong tradition in the field – Marcus Rashford’s treatment under the Portuguese has been strongly attacked in the fanbase. The legacy of Sir Alex is also important, a 20-year plus tradition of dominant, attacking gameplay has left an expectation among supporters that future Red Devils sides will follow the same pattern – such assumptions are difficult to dislodge.

The essence of the problem is not Mourinho, but rather the immense difficulty of bridging the gap between expectation for achievement and the controversy of his methods. His tactical consistency has remained one of his defining features, his ability to achieve results remain intact as ever. Commentary which suggests he has lost his touch as a manager is inaccurate – he simply cannot have his conditions for success fulfilled at United. He is faced by an overbearing Chief Executive and a demand for a footballing culture he does not appreciate and has never used at any of his 7 clubs. This is Mourinho’s impossible mission.

 

 

Hot Right Now: Heir

Heir are a dynamic Leeds-born quintet that have recently refashioned themselves as a vibrant indie synth-pop disco. After their relaunch as a tighter, bolder and generally superior five-piece, they liberated all their inhibitions — leading to a buoyant and utterly thrilling soundscape.

Released just last March, their first single, ‘I’ll Pick You Up’, exhibits the band’s archetypal songwriting structure.  With each song adopting a storytelling narrative, Heir have a magical ability for sucking you right to the forefront of the protagonist, making you powerless to their groove. Released later in the year, ‘Need You the Most’ presents an electrically-charged concoction of 80s synth-beats and catchy lyricism, both of which are blanketed in nifty guitar licks forming an irresistible melody.

However, despite Heir already having over a quarter of a million listens with just two songs currently on Spotify, their upcoming single ‘Restless’, due be released 12th October, might be their most exciting project yet. Infused with a charming dubbed-synth framework that reaches its peak just as heavenly harmonies set in, ‘Restless’ has a breezy, positive and sweetened vibe; this is a song perfect to indulge in as the autumn cold sets in to make you feel that bit warmer.

For fans of Hippo Campus and COIN:

Catch Heir on their upcoming tour dates, including Voodoo Lounge, Exeter (30th October), Notting Hill Arts Club,  London (20th October) and The Grayson Unity, Halifax (21st October).

Breaking: New Zealand Wines under criminal investigation following police raid

Fallowfield convenience store New Zealand Wines has been raided by the police this evening.

Officers from the Fallowfield Neighbourhood Policing Team executed a warrant under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016.

Following a series of intelligence submissions, the police were led to believe that staff within New Zealand Wines have been openly selling nitrous oxide and associated paraphernalia from the convenience store.

According to a statement provided by the police numerous Nitrous Oxide canisters have been seized leading to a criminal investigation. The full statement read:

“Today, 7 October 2018, officers from the Fallowfield Neighbourhood Policing Team are currently executing a warrant under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 following numerous intelligence submissions that staff within New Zealand Wine, Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield are openly selling nitrous oxide and associated paraphernalia to local residents.

“Early indication would suggest that a number of Nitrous Oxide canisters have been seized and subsequently a criminal investigation has commenced.

“Officers from Greater Manchester Police will be completing a comprehensive search of the property over the following hours.”

If you wish to report any knowledge or observations of individuals engaging in criminal activity then please do not hesitate to contact GMP on ‘101’ or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 (anonymously or otherwise).”

New Zealand Wines lies directly opposite Owens Park student accommodation in the heart of Fallowfield, making it popular with students.

Two men found dead at Manchester’s Britannia Hotel

A murder investigation has been launched after two men were found dead at the Britannia Hotel in Manchester city centre.

The men have been named as Hayden Fitzpatrick, 21, and Thomas Noakes, 29.

Fitzpatrick was killed after apparently falling five stories from a communal hallway at the hotel in Portland Street on September 26.

Police later discovered Noakes in a first-floor room which was booked earlier that morning. A post-mortem has been carried out, but further tests are needed for conclusive results, which could take weeks.

Detectives have connected the deaths of the two individuals, but are not treating Fitzpatrick’s death as suspicious nor looking for anyone else in association with the incident.

The two men are thought to have known each other from their jobs at an insurance firm, according to Manchester Evening News.

Thomas Noakes was described by his family as a ”much-loved son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend.”

”It is with great difficulty that his friends and family have to say goodbye to someone who touched so many lives, and was loved by everyone he met. He will be missed so much but never forgotten for the fun, loving and caring person that he was.”

Detective Inspector Andy Butterworth of Greater Manchester Police said: “This is a complex incident that has sadly led to the death of two men. My thoughts and sympathies are with the friends and family of the men.”

”Although the investigation remains in its early stages and we are keeping an open mind into the full circumstances, we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. I would appeal to anyone who might have seen something, or those with information that might help this investigation, to please get in touch with police.”