Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Lle desiel?


Richard Wilcocks writes:
“Lle desiel?” is Elvish for “Are you ready?” One-time Headingley resident J R R Tolkien was responsible for creating the Elvish language, of course. It comes in two variations – Quenya and Sindarin, or High-elven and grey-elven. Tolkien provided only three hundred and fifty words, but his followers have now added thousands more, so you can now take part in a reasonably intelligent conversation.

Perhaps it will replace Esperanto as the world’s most significant made-up language. Who knows? And before you ask, there is no evidence that Tolkien was working on Elvish grammar while he was living in Headingley, and the blue plaque which will soon be put on the wall of the house in which he lived while lecturing at the University of Leeds will have English words on it, in spite of intensive lobbying by local elves.

Elvish has a credible but rudimentary grammar, and is based mainly on Finnish and Welsh, so I am told. Perhaps after the forthcoming LitFest in March next year (keyword is LINGO), some people will be inspired to become experts, because Elvish will be at least talked about by Dr Richard Brown from the English Department of the University of Leeds as part of an event which will probably take place on a Wednesday evening – ‘probably’ because the programme is still being fixed. It will appear in its final form in January.

In the meantime, you might like to look at this website.

Below, the Elvish written on the One Ring:





Saturday, October 15, 2011

Mila and Craig at Café Lento

Café Lento on North Lane is the place to be on Friday evenings. That's true for yesterday, anyway. Mila and Craig were terrific, with a variety of musical styles- including Bossa Nova - and songs in Portuguese. Audience loved it. They could come to the Iberian Evening (we'll probably change that as a title...) which was mooted after the show. This would take place during next March's LitFest.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Leeds Lieder rocks!



Heartwarming to see such an array of fledgling talent at Leeds Lieder's Composers and Poets Showcase on Saturday! Some of them were at Headingley LitFest too - in New Shoots last March.

Click here for full review.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

We Are Poets - at Hyde Park Picture House


Thanks to Peter Spafford for alerting us to this: 


 

The award winning 'We Are Poets' is in Leeds for a very special 'homecoming' screening at the Hyde Park Picture House, Sunday 2nd October, 5:45pm
We Are Poets is on tour around the UK and after a successful opening at the British Film Institute, it is now coming to it's home town of Leeds to share and celebrate this amazing local story. Don't miss it!

Winner of the Youth Jury Award at the Sheffield Documentary Festival 2011 and shortlisted for a prestigious Newcomer Prize at Grierson: The British Documentary Awards 2011We Are Poets intimately follows six remarkable young poets from Leeds Young Authors, a youth poetry group based in Chapeltown, as they are chosen to represent the UK at Brave New Voices, the most prestigious poetry slam competition in the USA.  From their inner city lives to a stage in front of the White House in Washington DC, the poets must prepare for a transformational journey of a lifetime. 



Cinematic, honest and deeply personal, We Are Poets is a moving testament to the power of creativity, community and the dynamism of young people. Anyone tempted to dismiss today's youth as politically apathetic better pay heed: here is electrifying evidence to the contrary. 

We Are Poets was directed and produced by local filmmakers Alex Ramseyer-Bache and Daniel Lucchesi.



There will be a Q&A with the directors and poets following the screening and live poetry performances! 



Here's what a few people have said about the film:


Sheffield Doc Fest - "A poignant, truthful and uplifting perspective on youth today and its potential. From its utterly brilliant opening, through to its moving finale, 'We Are Poets' is inspirational!" 

I-D Magazine -  "Lyrical, inspirational and ultra-cool...a brilliant story and a milestone in breaking down stereotypes”

Benjamin Zephaniah - “Amazing...the film itself is a poem. Poetry is an art, filmmaking is an art, it's takes great sensitivity to bring them together - this film shows us how it's done!” 







Monday, September 12, 2011

The Zoo Story


Dave (Theatre of the Dales) Robertson warmly invites everyone to a free performance of

THE ZOO STORY
by
Edward Albee

with
 Guillaume Blanchard
and
David Robertson


First staged in 1959, shortly before he wrote Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Albee's one-act tour de force is as wry and hypnotic as ever.

Two New Yorkers strike up a conversation in Central Park. One irritates, amuses and intrigues the other with his life story, till the listener is caught up in a climax at once shocking and deeply moving.

You can catch it next weekend at the following times and venues:

On Saturday, Sept 17th,
at 3pm in Dagmar Wood (opposite Dave's house) or in the nearby LS6 Cafe (often called the Clock), if it rains.

Also, at 8pm
in Cafe Lento on North Lane, Headingley (where there will be a licensed bar).

On Sunday, Sept 18th,
at 3pm in Dagmar Wood. (Again, in the Clock, if it rains.)

Also, at 9.30pm
in the garden of 1, Grosvenor Road (Dave's place) by the light of a bonfire. (Shelter will be rigged up, if rain threatens.)