Megan Smith writes:
It was fitting that, as
the audience gathered in a cosy corner of Headingley library, Ian began by
recounting the experience of his own first trip to a library and the impact it
had upon him as a young boy. Libraries, he emphasised, are magical places, a
statement that seemed to ring true where we sat. Rites of passage and
inheritance were themes that ran throughout his chosen extracts. He talked of
how he could have followed the dusty boot prints of his forefathers down to the
pit to mine coal in his hometown of Featherstone, but stressed that his trip to
the library saved him from this path, as though his act of first borrowing a
book was his own rite of passage. He expressed his own fascination with local,
vernacular language which was heightened by his reading in his own broad
Yorkshire accent.
Memory was a recurrent theme
that ran throughout his reading and he engaged with the audience on this topic;
he demonstrated with verve the power of the senses for recalling memories and
how this develops and enriches writing. Tell
me a something you saw; a sound; a smell; a taste; something you felt from the
street you grew up in, he asked various audience members. An air of
nostalgia filled the room as we found ourselves remembering our childhoods
almost with surprise that such small details could bring back so much.
What was most striking and
appealing about Ian’s reading was the way he was able to talk about serious
subjects with characteristic light-heartedness and good humour. He answered all
questions with an admirable honesty and openness. His inherent optimism shone
through as even when he talked about the difficulties of his father’s death, he
was able to laugh and make the audience laugh along with him.
Alex Pestell writes:
There is no beating a good storyteller. Ian Clayton, author,
inspirer, father, entertained the 40 strong audience at Headingly Library for a
thoroughly enjoyable two hours on Tuesday evening. Speaking about his book
‘Song for My Father’, Ian had no trouble holding everyone’s attention through a
series of witty yet thought-provoking anecdotes and readings from the recently
released book.
Given the nature of the Headingley Litfest and the emphasis
it places on supporting local authors and artists it was no surprise to hear of
Clayton’s interest in localism. In terms of literature this has manifested
itself in the form of a fascination with accents, vernacular and the ‘rhythm of
words’. Interestingly, although perhaps unsurprisingly given the subjects of
his books, almost all of Ian’s tales involved either his family or his
hometown. One particular account of his first pint (or pints I should say!) with
his grandfather, which he saw as his rite of passage to manhood, brought much
laughter from the captivated audience.
While maintaining a comedic aspect to the evening, Ian never
failed to add a touch of emotion. Discussing some of the most difficult periods
of his varied life, he explained how writing acted as an outlet for his
emotions, such as the grief caused by the death of his daughter Billie. This
was also particularly relevant for the following discussion on ‘Song for My
Father’ which looks at the search for father-figures outside of the home and
how Ian dealt with being reunited with his father after 40 years of silence.
Despite spending a good deal of time reflecting on the past,
Ian, encouraged by questions from the audience, added a further level of
relevancy to the subjects he broached. Most notably, given our location, he
stressed the importance of libraries and the troubles they face today. Telling
us the story, again in a funny and engaging manner, of a school teacher who
took his class to the library and kick-starting his love for books, Ian
expressed his sadness at seeing the cutting of library funding across the
country.
An element of creativity was also included in the event.
This was done by asking random audience members to think of the smells, tastes
and colours they associated with the street they lived on. Not only did this
engage the audience further but highlighted how easy it is to form the setting
of a story for example. Ian then explained how he used these techniques to
inspire creativity at his workshops ranging from prisons to primary schools to
universities.
The evening can be considered a huge success. Entertaining
and inspiring, I would heartily recommend going to listen to Ian Clayton.
Audience Comments
Enlightening talk with surprising depth. Quite lot of
information and knowledge to digest. Engrossing event.
Being familiar with Featherstone made it very
interesting. Amazing difference in language fifteen miles apart. Friend lived
in same street as Ian.
I really enjoyed tonight's event. The author has been
very talented and passionate! The book will be read by many people who might
(illegible) Thank you
Always enjoy Ian Clayton’s events. He is eloquent and
entertaining. I have been to lots of Headingley LitFest events over the years
and this was up with the best!
Ian Clayton is a very good speaker and he enlightened us
with how he was brought up and his stories which are very interesting. His
songs from one of his books were very good and funny as well.
Visiting from NZ. Fantastic!
Brilliant. Really enjoyed it.
An entertaining event. It was good to have a refreshment
break in the middle.
Brilliant talk. Such a natural presentation.
Thoroughly enjoyed the event. Would love to hear more
from him.
A very entertaining and worthwhile event. A good read and
a good listen. Thank you Ian.
Top dollar, I wish I'd have brought the kids. Keep up the
good work. He's written a book I am returning finished.
Thoroughly enjoyed tonight. Interesting to hear how he
went about writing. Thanks for the evening.
Engaging dialogue and readings. Enjoyed the Yorkshire
accent/dialect, the anecdotal riffs - especially the Shakespeare as rapper.
Excellent speaker. Authentic!
It was a very good event.
Wonderful event, Thanks.
He is a good story teller. Have read ‘Songs for my Father
‘- liked hearing it in his accent.
Slight confusion over the start time. Website said -
6.30, publication - 7.15. Author was
entertaining and easy to listen to.
Year five at Quarry Mount School treated us to an outpouring
of poetry this Wednesday morning stimulated by a black wooden box with the image of a
gold fish on the front. James Nash
(pictured with the box) had coached them to write their poems and to be brave
enough to stand up in front of the audience of fellow pupils and parents to
read them. They did him and us proud with the quality of the work they produced
and the confidence with which they read. As one young member of the audience
said, "Everybody did a good performance and I like it".
Year five at Quarry Mount School treated us to an outpouring
of poetry this Wednesday morning stimulated by a black wooden box with the image of a
gold fish on the front. James Nash
(pictured with the box) had coached them to write their poems and to be brave
enough to stand up in front of the audience of fellow pupils and parents to
read them. They did him and us proud with the quality of the work they produced
and the confidence with which they read. As one young member of the audience
said, "Everybody did a good performance and I like it".
