Freedom And Poetry In The Dark At The London Literature Festival

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 114 months ago
Freedom And Poetry In The Dark At The London Literature Festival

Kate Tempest, photo by Katherine Leedale.

The London Literature Festival is kicking it up a notch this year, with some fantastic events lined up for book and poetry lovers.

The Festival is very excited about T.S. Eliot Prize-winning poet Alice Oswald's performance of her own, newly written poem Tithonus — 46 minutes in the life of the Dawn. In Greek mythology, the Dawn fell in love with Tithonus and asked Zeus to make him immortal, but — crucially — to ask for him never to age. Zeus, being literal and a git, condemned Tithonus to an eternity of senility. Alice Oswald's poem is an account of his ramblings over 46 minutes (the length of dawn in midsummer) and begins in darkness. We'll be honest, we're welling up a bit just at the idea.

We're also pretty psyched about the return of Craig Taylor, author of one of our all time favourite books (Londoners), with a specially commissioned dramatisation of overheard conversations and arguments, looking at how freedom can be taken for granted, easily won — and lost.

Another one not to miss is the 'gonzo gala' of multimedia art and performance celebrating the centenary of William S Burroughs, with music from Gavin Bryars and Richard Strange plus a reunion of proto-punk band The Doctors of Madness (featuring Audrey Riley, Sarah Jane Morris, Anni Hogan and Kate St John). There's also film, sound sculpture, dance and poetry.

Other events to watch out for include the launch of Kate Tempest's new poetry collection, an evening with John Cooper Clarke and guests, Stephen Fry talking about his new memoirs, take-no-prisoners philosophy from Slavoj Žižek, a guide to Great Britain by over 100 playwrights, and prize readings from Polari and the Man Booker.

The London Literature Festival runs 30 September-13 October at the Southbank Centre. For more information and to book, have a browse of the festival website.

Last Updated 05 September 2014