Late .. and inspired

Trains can be very unreliable- you might hope to arrive slightly early and end up arriving ten minutes later instead. Such was my introduction to this year's Demon Crew reading at the Cultural Exchanges festival, and it was for this reason that I almost didn’t attend.

I am beyond glad that I reconsidered. I was barely noticed as I made my late entrance- so absorbed were the attendees in the performances. And soon enough, so was I. Each performance was unique, ranging from political satire to humorous odes, personal experiences, and duets - I’d never heard of poems being performed in that way before. The short hour passed much too quickly for my liking and I found myself wanting to listen to more stories and poems from the immensely talented writers present.

I'd never been to a poetry reading before, and though the setup didn’t look the way I imagined it to (the TV show Jane the Virgin is to blame for my perception of book readings...), I came away feeling invigorated with new ideas and the urge to just write.

Here’s hoping this surge of inspiration will last more than a day!

Hanaa Nisaa

Reviewing the Demon Crew

This morning I had the privilege to witness brave Creative Writing students showcase their own work as part of the Cultural Exchanges Festival in Leicester.The enthusiasm in the room was evident and the students' passion for their writing quickly reached the audience. A huge range of styles and topics were on show and this diversity added to the excitement of the event.

 When you're a writer, getting your work out there and heard can be one of the hardest things. You've written a book? A poem? A short story? That's great. But, if you don't do something with it, it could easily sit gathering dust on your bookshelf or lost and forgotten on your laptop.

That's why events like this matter so much. They give students/aspiring writers a platform on which to showcase what they can do - and they give audiences a chance to encounter new writers and new work.


Chloe Smart 

People are people

 

photo by: Mstyslav Chernov: women and children among Syrian refugees

at Budapest Keleti railway station, 4 September 2015 (wikimedia commons)

 

At a time when the refugee crisis is at an all time high, it is important to be aware of just how often fellow human beings have been forced to choose between leaving their dangerous homes or facing the treacherous seas on the journey to a new homeland. 

After reading last night that new refugees arriving in the country are being forced to wear red wrist bands at all times (bearing a striking resemblance to something that happened during the 1940s, perhaps?), I knew that I needed to improve my understanding of what is truly going on. These are human beings above all else, and should not be treated any differently to the rest of us. 

With so much tension in the country, I couldn't forego the chance to listen to four De Montfort historians sharing their research with the public.

Having already primed myself with facts on the Labour party, the cost of a warhead and the teachings of Islam to argue with my Conservative father, I can't wait to pick up more fuel for thought to fire off when I return home the next day for my birthday. 

There are still a few seats available, and you are welcome to come along to De Montfort University's Clephan Building (Room 0.01) at 5pm on Tuesday 1st March to allow yourself to be further educated on this issue.


Georgia Chenery