Lost and Found in Leicester

Short stories are like overlooked diamonds in an ocean of jewels. Writing them is a skill that must be honed, for writing a novel and writing a short are two very different forms. Short stories are making a resurgence, and to make the most of this, the Dahlia Press gathered writers from Leicester to create an anthology of shorts. 

Based on the theme of Home, the collection took a variety of approaches to this. Whether it was the destruction of home, leaving one's home, or someone making a house a home, these stories are all emotive and powerful, drawing on a word that is heavily loaded with emotional baggage ready to exploit. 

A particularly notable piece came from writer Jonanthan Taylor, who created a character failing to recognise her own home due to a medical condition, as told from a doctor's perspective.

All writers observed the value of each word in a short story and one compared short stories with a shot of vodka, giving you more of a hit than a novel could achieve with so few words. 

Walking away from such an event, I realised that although a short story might be described as a sprint, and a novel a marathon, both Mo Farah and Usain Bolt have to train for months in order to compete. Just because one is shorter, doesn't mean any less effort can go in. 

 

Dominic Gilmour

Leicester: more than a historic city

If you ever journey into Leicester, you'll see signs bearing the words HISTORIC CITY. But that's what most signs say when they welcome you to any major city in the United Kingdom. Leicester and its residents, however, feel that there's more to say.. 

 

And after attending a reading from the new anthology Welcome to Leicester: Poems About the City, I began to appreciate just how much more there is.

.

The passionate and inspiring poets who read made aware of Leicester's great cultural variety it possesses, and I found the city's lack of wider recognition saddening. Editor Ambrose Musiyiwa highlighted Leicester's modesty, which makes it slightly reluctant to broadcast its immense collection of talent and artistic culture.

  

The anthology itself contains poems from a variety of writers, all conveying what the city means to them - whether it’s a poem from the perspective of a refugee who has found a home here or an imagined flight above Leicester  rooftops. Poets also address the less happy aspects of the city, recognizing its flaws as well as its strengths. 

 
Despite this, the main theme I felt was pride in Leicester, whether for their title-winning football team, their historical heritage or the diverse and friendly community in which all are welcome. This poetry collection speaks to people of Leicester form every walk of life and should reinforce their pride in the city. 

 

Dominic Gilmour

All Things Arty

(Source: dmu.ac.uk)

With the exciting Cultural Exchanges festival just around the corner, I decided it was time to take a look at the events on offer. Hosted by De Montfort University, the festival showcases a range of performance, art, literary discussion and much more. The event draws people from across the country and beyond and is a great opportunity for DMU students to watch, listen and take part. I was thrilled to see the variety of events in the programme.

What am I most excited about? As an aspiring writer, I'll be popping into as many poetry and writing events as possible, such as a talk with Nina Stibbe, and a session on writing short stories. I also thought, Why not see what other stuff Leicester has to offer? So I've booked onto a few visual arts events and I'm both curious and intrigued to see what awaits me.

The festival is nationally renowned, drawing large crowds and media interest each year. So next week I'll have my running shoes tightly laced and be bouncing from one event to another.

Don't take my word for it, why don't you come along and see the festival for yourself! Follow the link here and book yourself in!

 
Dominic Gilmour