Delicious Dante and Boccaccio

Dinner with Dante on Monday 17 March

Readers Gigliola Sulis and Richard Wilcocks

Conrad writes:
You don't get the chance very often to hear both the original Italian and good English translations of two of the greatest works of Italian (and world) literature performed on the same stage. It might not have been the whole of the two works (we'd still be listening now if it had been) but the brief extracts were obviously chosen with care. We were served Canto 5 and Canto 26 of Dante's Inferno, and we heard Boccaccio's story of Lisabetta and her murdered lover Lorenzo, whose head ended up in a large pot of basil (the best, from Salerno) which grew luxuriantly after it was watered by her tears.

The explanations given by Gigliola Sulis (Director of Italian at the University of Leeds) were succinct and helpful: it was good to see things in context and to know just enough about the background, especially in relation to the Dante, which was written seven centuries ago when attitudes to life, death and much else were shall we say similar but different. The great man seems to have been pretty broad-ranging in his choice of people to hurl into the various circles of Hell. I now know that he included six popes and a host of pagan and legendary characters: Cleopatra was (sorry is - we are talking forever) down there for what she did in life, and so are the two lovers Francesca and Paolo, who committed the sin of lust. They listened to too many stories about Lancelot - fatal! The lines concerning them are, in Italian, the equivalent of "To be or not to be" in English. It was so thrilling to hear them in both languages.

I was reminded strongly of Paradise Lost by John Milton, who was one of the many influenced by Dante (and his guide Virgil) and who used the same style involving epic similes. I was also reminded of John Keats in the story of Lisabetta, whose lover Lorenzo was secretly murdered by her three brothers and who discovered his body after he appeared to her in a dream. Keats was very taken by this pleasantly lurid tale by Boccaccio, which appealed to his romantic sensibilities, but he changed the poor girl's name to Isabella for some reason. I shall now take it down from my bookshelf and read it again.

Something like this must happen again soon in the Salumeria, something with an Italian slant, something to go with all that wonderful, authentic food!

Sally adds: 

Salvo’s Salumeria had an audience not with Il Papa but waiting agog to eat the delicious Sicilian-inspired antipasti and the pasta segundo.  And to hear more about Dante’s Divine Comedy as well as Boccaccio’s Decameron.  They were not disappointed. Mellifluous Italian tones flowed into the waiting pairs of ears as wine flowed into glasses. Intoxicating to listen to, even if they were about the flames of Hell, or love and murder. 

English translations (Dowling version for the Dante, Rebhorn for the Boccaccio) were read in troubadour style by Richard Wilcocks, Secretary of Headingley LitFest, who also sang the two lines which the author added at the end of the story, to the tune of Caro Mio Ben.  A delightful ‘digestivo’ on which to finish.

Audience comments were very appreciative of this venture, organised by Gip and John Dammone to raise support towards their goal of restoring some of the Italian collection of classic but neglected tomes held at the Leeds Library, creating a shelf of them dedicated to their father Salvo Dammone.

Customer reactions:

I loved listening to the music of Gigliola's Italian. I understood more than I was expecting, too!

Enjoyable evening; I’d love to go to a lecture on the Divine Comedy!

My first LitFest event.  Most enjoyable.  Great food and company.  Lovely readings.  Thank you.

Very enjoyable evening.  Community-based, mix of literature and culture (i.e. nice food and wine.)  Let’s have some more.

Loved Richard’s readings – felt like a child listening to a story.

Lots of doors opened

Words on Tap Survival Kit
Workshop with Matthew Hedley Stoppard

Saturday 15 March 2014 2-5pm HEART Ridge Room

Sheila Chapman writes:

                                   Photo:  Matthew Hedley Stoppard

The workshop took place in the lovely Ridge room at HEART, an inspirational setting. Matthew was a genial and encouraging workshop leader and we all relaxed and felt at ease with him. We began with a simple writing exercise during which, I’m pleased to say, we all manifested some degree of ‘zeug’ – we than began to discuss Zeugma (I’m not going to tell you what it is you will have to come to one of Matthew’s workshops!) and its use in poetry. We read several poems looking in particular at ‘voice’ and finished off by writing responses to Dead Bride by Geoffrey Hill – I never thought I would do something like that.

This was a really interesting and productive workshop and I’m very glad I went.

Here’s what the rest of the class thought:

1.     Surprised at the amount and quality of work produced in such a short time. Lots of ‘doors’ opened and lots of amazing poetry poured out from attendees. Would have liked to have been introduced to everyone at the beginning; names, who’s who (briefly) – and seen Matthew’s book.

2.     Very thought provoking. I have the skeleton of a poem and the knuckle of another! Enjoyed learning about zeugmas and close-readings.

3.      A really enjoyable and productive afternoon, and Matthew’s approach is varied, so I felt as fresh at the end as I did at the start.

4.     Really nice to focus on a discipline I am not really familiar with – it was relaxing, informative and enjoyable.  

5.     Have now built up another stock of poems and exercises to unblock the flow of lines and rhymes and Zeugma. So hold that picture and see the means to write and hold oranges up to goddess and sing.

PS We were also surrounded by the photo exhibition set up by Headingley LitFest as part of its Stories from the War Hospital project – don’t forget the book launch and performance –Friday, 21 March,  7.30pm at New Headingley Club

Their diction and humour shone through

                                                                       Photo: Richard Wilcocks

Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal

Trio Literati

Saturday 16 March 2014, New Headingley Club

Twenty audience comments

1.     A very good idea to combine poetry and music.

2.     Learnt so much about ALT that I didn’t know/realize. The music was an interesting and entertaining addition to an excellent performance.

3.      This brought me clearly back to Tennyson – which I was forced to do at ‘A’ level. A lively and original performance.

4.     Imaginative and effective blend of biography and poetry – varied and enhanced by the three voices. The music added an extra welcome dimension.

5.     An ingenious picture of the poet and his work. Vivid and comprehensive considering the limited time available. Excellent team work. The mixture of music and spoken verse most effective!  

6.     Fabulous to get the opportunity to hear poems read aloud. An introduction for me to some works I didn’t know.

7.     Beautiful, clear verse reading plus musical accompaniment. Shall go home immediately and find that volume of Tennyson.

8.     Trio Literati really brought Tennyson’s poetry to life for me. They gave me new insight into his work. Some of the themes are so applicable today; the musical interpretations added a new angle and were very enjoyable.  

9.     Reminded me how good Tennyson is (how could I have forgotten). Music was also a nice touch. Trio Literati really brought the poetry to life.

10.  Superb, inspirational, very well done.

11.  Interesting compilation of T’s works and music created for them.

12.  This was an enjoyable evening’s entertainment with a good blend of speech and singing. It introduced to me the wide range of Tennyson’s work – a poet about whom I knew very little although I was aware of some of the common quotes – ‘come into the garden Maud’, ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, ‘In Spring a young man’s fancy …’. A good contribution to the LitFest. Anon

13.  What a well chosen balanced selection of T. works.

14.  A delightful evening. A pleasure to learn about a poet I hardly knew in the company of such talented performers. The words and songs created echoed across many years, big thank you.

15.  A lovely balance of very well known Tennyson and the less often heard/read poems. The Victorian drawing room atmosphere was enhanced by the musical pieces by Christopher and Graham – beautifully performed. It was very interesting to be reminded that Tennyson contributed some very well known phrases in the English languages.

16.  Varied programme. Very interesting and entertaining. Good with music and song. Some lovely touches. Good costumes.

17.  Really enjoyed it – a great demonstration of what reading aloud of poetry can be. Enjoyed the music very much as well (was hoping for ‘sweet and low’) but the selection was wonderful.

18.  The Trio (plus 2) made Tennyson’s poem and the man come alive in a most unexpected way.

19.  Trio Literati are always good value, and excelled in this Tennyson anthology. As usual their diction and humour shone through. Entertaining and informative. It was accompanied by musical words from sympathetic compositions.

20.  Very enjoyable evening. Thank you.

A blur of words, laughter and good company

Poetry (plus one short story) and Chips

Words on Tap at the Chemic, Friday 14 March (partnership event)

Síle Moriarty writes:

Noel Whittle      Photo: Richard Wilcocks

A night at Words on Tap always starts with a visit to Arkwright’s the chippie - Friday night was no exception. I got my bag of chips - straight out of the fryer, stingingly hot and fresh - and headed next door to that gem of a pub, The Chemic, to eat them and settle in for a night of poetry, heckling - mostly of our host, Matthew Hedley-Stoppard - and  excellent beer. Terrific. Last night Words on Tap had teamed up with Headingley LitFest to present an open mic night and the evening passed in a blur of words, laughter and good company.  

Our readers encompassed: Cyborgs (Jane about her daughter), Cotton Grass (David who will have his own WoT spot in April), New Look (Michael shopping with his daughters), Wordsworth backwards (John saving the first verse of a Wordsworth poem until last to maintain poetic tension– what was it going to be about?), Long Distance Love (Hannah who knew it all by heart – I am insanely jealous of that), an old cornet bent on sweet revenge (Ruth) and Caroline sliding down the banisters.

We also had poems about: the First World War from John Darley and Howard Benn, cash points from Jonathan Eyre, and Decisions from an uncertain Terry Bridges. We heard a short story from Stuart Perreira about Christmas Day, and the evening was completed by two sonnets and other poems on love, ageing and lust from our master of iambic pentameter, Bill Fitzsimons. So an evening of poetry (oh and one short story) came to a close. We had another bag of chips, some more beer and went on our way.

Richard Wilcocks adds:

Hannah Robinson    Photo: Richard Wilcocks

I admired all the performers, which could indicate that the beer and the warm friendliness in the back room brought out the master diplomat in me, or it could just prove that I was once a teacher. I do feel able, however, to pick out a few who I think are worthy of special mentions.  Noel Whittle's brief spin-off from Coleridge's Kubla Khan, delivered with gentle wit, was impressive, Jane Kite's dream-poem about a three-ring circus, which ends with macabre scenes and clowns who have become maniacal, was refreshingly startling, and Hannah Robinson stole the show with her meticulously-learned, beautifully performed poem about love and yearning. The only thing missing was something more poetic from our excellent host. Just a little squib from him would have been welcome.

Audience thoughts:

Keep it up. Well organised and run. Good atmosphere.

An easy going evening with great variety of poems and poets. I would come again to the regular open mike sessions. Glad I came.

Always enjoy Words on Tap at The Chemic. Great room, great atmosphere and the poetry’s not bad too! Enjoy hearing new voices in open mic.

An excellent and very diverse blend of humorous and serious poetry. Very enjoyable

‘It was good to hear open-mic all evening, their work is often very entertaining, and there were one or two stars.

An excellent open-mic night – poetry and poets to add to the excellent beer and atmosphere

The poets:  
Howard Benn, Terry Bridges, Michael Brown, David Coldwell, John Darley, Max Dunbar, Jonathan Eyre, Bill Fitzsimons, John Hepworth, Jane Kite, Joe Nodus, Eloise Pearson, Stuart Perreira, Hannah Robinson, Noel Whittall, Caroline Wilkinson, Ruth Wynn.

Patrick Bourke - ‘just one story, in the story of thousands'

Partnership event with Irish Arts Foundation 14 March, 8pm in HEART

Photo: Sally Bavage

Síle Moriarty writes:

The Claremont Room at HEART was packed last night as Brendan McGowan told us the story of Patrick Bourke – ‘just one story, in the story of thousands, which shows the precarious existence of the Irish in England at the time’ - mid-nineteenth century.

Brendan is a historian who has written previously about the Irish in Leeds (Taking The boat: The Irish in Leeds 1931-81), and it was as a historian that he investigated the story of Patrick Bourke but he also had a more personal interest – he was born in Leeds, of Irish parents, just a stone’s throw away from the Leeds Workhouse - now the Thackray Museum - where Patrick spent his last days before being ‘deported’ to Ireland.

The back-drop to Patrick’s story was the overcrowding and poverty of the Irish in Leeds in the early part of the nineteenth century which was exacerbated by the arrival in Leeds, after 1840, of an increasing number of Irish migrants fleeing An Gorta Mór (The Great Famine) in Ireland.

Patrick himself came to England in 1820 at the age of thirty and he spent the next more than forty years in and around Leeds supporting himself by his own efforts. During this time he never applied for poor relief or for any other sort of assistance but he was also semi-itinerant; he travelled around West Yorkshire plying his trade, as a street hawker and maker of spectacles, staying in lodging houses which were overcrowded and less than sanitary.  He never married and as he became older he could not maintain his lifestyle and in 1862, being ill and destitute, he applied for relief to the Leeds Union Workhouse.

Leeds Union Workhouse - now Thackray Medical Museum)

At this stage he was judged as having no settlement rights – under the Poor Law at the time relief could only be given by the parish where the applicant had settlement rights i.e. where they were born or where they had established rights through other means e.g. marriage or property. This meant that Patrick had to receive relief in West Port in Mayo, his place of birth. Thus, on 31 December 1862, seventy-two year-old Patrick set off for Ireland. His journey in the depths of winter included an eleven hour journey to Holyhead, a 3am sea crossing - where he was a deck passenger subject to the elements - a stopover in Dublin and a journey across Ireland, during the last part of which, in open-topped transport , he was soaked to the skin in a rainstorm. As can be imagined he arrived in West Port in poor condition and died two weeks later.

Patrick’s story, although desperate, would have remained obscure - we don’t know where he was buried - but for the action taken by his MP, Lord Browne, who raised questions about his treatment in the House of Commons. During the subsequent enquiry many of the people involved in his case, both in England and Ireland, were interviewed and records were kept which enabled Brendan’s research.  The outcome of the enquiry was that the Leeds Union had acted within the law but, as Brendan said, ‘it might have been legal but it was not humane’. There were subsequent changes to the Poor Law and limitations put on the transportation of elderly and sick people during the winter but there was no apology from the Leeds Union because they had, of course, acted within the law.

This story engaged our sympathy and Brendan was a knowledgeable and interesting speaker. Brendan, and many people in the audience, drew parallels with modern times when market forces reign supreme - the Great Famine in Ireland was exacerbated by the application of a market forces philosophy - and there was a lively Q&A session after the talk.

Audience reactions:

Really, Really interesting story. I’m so glad I came...

Very  good talk. Most enlightening with very engaging speaker

An interesting presentation giving a clear picture of the state of Irish immigrants and their way of life when fleeing the famine in Ireland. Also the bad way some people were treated on being sent back to Ireland

Taking the Boat: The Irish in Leeds, 1931-81 is available: at the Leeds Civic Trust, at Amazon and on ebay.

The Return of the Soldier

Photo: Sally Bavage

Sally Bavage writes:

The return of Dr Richard Brown, Reader in Modern Literature at the University of Leeds, to LitFest 2014, ably supported by his PhD student Daniel (both pictured), helped us examine Rebecca West’s debut novel – published in 1918 and the only one written in WW1 by a woman – in the context of the movement towards literary modernism. Human complexities and personal circumstances were explored individually rather than in the more Edwardian approach to a narrative of mass sacrifice.  As we know, the war produced a great upheaval in class and gender roles; this novel mirrors some of those societal changes through focusing on the impacts for the key characters.

Why choose that novel, when perhaps a more predictable choice for a seminal WW1 work might have been Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, or even something more in the Blackadder mould?  Exactly because it looks at the Home Front, or at least a part of it that strove to remain Forever England.  Without giving too much away – for you really should read this fairly brief, tightly-written and well-plotted novel – the central character returns from the trenches suffering from amnesia.  There is a wife, a lover and a cousin who move us through the dilemma – return the wrecked man to his military career and thus return him to the war?  Or leave him to remain in the aspic of his youthful happily-deluded self?

This echoes the research work and the book Stories from the War Hospital produced by the LitFest - to be launched on Friday 21 March in the New Headingley Club. The 2^nd Northern Military Hospital based at Beckett Park in Headingley gave treatments for ‘shell shock’, which was both shocking to military doctors and not caused by shells.  At least not physically; it was recognised in 1915 in The Lancet as an emotional or psychological response to extreme stress; there were 80,000 cases by 1918.  But even shell shock had a class bias – it was suggested officers suffered ‘anxiety neuroses’ because of their higher education and sensitivity whilst the lower ranks exhibited ‘mental illness’ causing tremors and speech difficulties. 

Rebecca West picks up on these class-based approaches in a plot detailing the fractured family lives of a wife and a lover each nursing an empty cot, the one responding to the amnesiac by trying to keep life and him just as it always was whilst the other adapts to the changes in the times and her man. West tries to express the processes of change that WW1 set off in British society through the device of the soldier who leaves one idyllic world, goes to as hellish alternative and comes back to find his world view fits neither. Though there is a plot twist to complicate this simple view.

Some  anecdotes about which literary and society figures West may have used for her character models, and why, completed an enjoyable look at how class hierarchies and gender roles were affected by WW1, then it was out into the night clutching the last of Headingley Library’s borrowed copies of the novel thoughtfully prepared by our librarian Rimpu Bains, for which many thanks.

As a member of the audience said “Shall Return to the Novel Immediately.  Excellent.”