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.

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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

It ends with the poem 'Home'

Taken from
 https://emmalee1.wordpress.com/2017/02/22/lost-and-found-at-write-on/

  On Monday evening Cultural Exchanges featured its first poetry launch of the week with the Welcome to Leicester anthology, and many of the featured poets came to read their contributions to the book. 

One recurring theme in these poems was diversity in Leicester. Editor Emma Lee identified this as an aim of the book. The book includes work by long-term residents, newcomers, and people who have moved away. 

In the discussion afterwards, one poet thanked Emma Lee and Ambrose Musiyiwa for the change in perspective this book offers. Leicester was once known as an unfriendly city but today it's a great place for wonderful experiences, as this book shows.

Another running theme was the comfort people found in Leicester, as shown in Malka Al-Haddad's poem 'Leicester is homeland'. And, as Emma says, she likes tthe way the anthology ends with the poem 'Home.' And the warmth and affection so many people find in Leicester was evident, not just through tehir words but through the energy of the readers and even the way their bodies moved.

The book, now in its second edition, has become a success. Reviews from Everybody's Reviewing shows that this really is a book wit hsomething for everyone.


Megan Louise