R:FEST 2011
(Patrons: Sir Andrew Motion and Hilary Mantel)
A very warm welcome to the fifth Runnymede International Literary Festival. After
the success of previous years’ festivals, we are once again looking forward to an even
better festival this year.
As in previous years, Royal Holloway, University of London, the Runnymede
International Literary Association and Runnymede Borough Council, the principal
festival partners, are working together to bring a programme of literary activities to
Runnymede, including a range of community events in February and early March
culminating in a four day festival of national and international writers. This year
Proctor & Gamble has once again very generously agreed to be the sponsor of the
community programme. As in 2009 and 2010, this programme will be managed by
the Royal Holloway outreach team, and workshops will be provided by staff and
graduate students from Royal Holloway.
An innovation this year will be a series of events in London (‘Runnymede Festival in
London’) in addition to events at Royal Holloway. We are very grateful to the Centre
for Creative Collaboration for making their Acton Street venue available to us for this
part of the Festival. For further details of this venue see
(www.creativecollaboration.org.uk). The international literary festival will begin on
Monday 7 March, with a lecture by Professor Judith Hawley at Royal Holloway.
Events at Acton Street will begin on Wednesday 9 March with a poetry reading by
Tim Cresswell, Adam O’Riordan and students from the MA in Creative Writing. The
Festival will continue until Tuesday, 22 March.
The festival includes a broad range of activities from specialist lectures to readings of
poetry and fiction by leading poets and novelists. We are particularly delighted to
have the novelist and playwright Lucy Caldwell talking about her recent work and
Professor David Gilbert talking about Hungerford Bridge. In addition, Professor
Judith Hawley will be talking about The Scriblerus Club on March 7, the Royal
Holloway Sinfonietta will be performing works by Berio and Takemitsu on March 16,
and Professor Ruth Harvey will be talking about Courtly Love and the role of
medieval noblewomen on March 22.
I wish you a very enjoyable time at this year’s R:Fest, and I look forward to seeing
you at the events.
Professor Robert Hampson
Festival Director
Royal Holloway, University of London
R:FEST 2011
MONDAY, 7 March
Inaugural Lecture: Professor Judith Hawley: ‘Clubbing
Together: Swift, Pope and Collaborative Authorship’
The satirist Jonathan Swift is sometimes figured as a loner, even a misanthropist, but
he continually formed coteries around himself. One such group, The Scriblerus Club,
he founded with the poet Alexander Pope in 1714. This lecture will describe how
major works such as Gulliver’s Travels, The Dunciad and The Beggar’s Opera were
the fruits of their literary and political friendship.
Windsor Building Auditorium
FREE
6.15 pm
WEDNESDAY, 9 March
6.00: Poetry Reading: Students from the MA in Creative
Writing
The MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway is directed by Professor Sir Andrew
Motion. In its comparatively short existence, it has already made a name for itself
through three anthologies of writing, called Bedford Square (published by John
Murray), and through the success of its students.
Come and hear poetry written by students currently on the MA in Creative Writing.
Centre for Creative Collaboration, 16 Acton Street
FREE
7.30: Tim Cresswell and Adam O’Riordan
After completing the inaugural Faber & Faber’s ‘Becoming a Poet’ course, Tim
Cresswell is now working on a PhD in Creative writing with Jo Shapcott. He has
poems forthcoming in a number of magazines including The North, Smiths Knoll and
the Frogmore Papers. In his other life, he is a Professor of Cultural Geography at
Royal Holloway, researching the cultural significance of place and mobility. He
addresses the same issues in his poetry through a focus on landscape and an
exploration of connectedness and disconnectedness in relation to place.
Adam O’Riordan began writing poetry as an English undergraduate at Oxford, later
studying for the MA in Creative Writing under Sir Andrew Motion. He was
subsequently the recipient of an Arts Council of England writers’ award and
published the pamphlet Queen of the Cotton Cities. In 2008, he was awarded an Eric
Gregory Award, and the following year he was the Wordsworth Trust’s youngest ever
poet-in residence. Out of that residency came the pamphlet home (2009), which was a
Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice. His collection, In the Flesh, was published by
Chatto & Windus in 2010.
Centre for Creative Collaboration, 16 Acton Street
FREE
THURSDAY, 10 March
7.00-9.00: POLYply
Over the last year POLYply has established itself as the promoter of exciting, crossmedia and inter-media, theme-based events. The latest in the series of POLYply
events will take ‘Pulp’ as its theme. Performers include Sophie Robinson (poetry),
Abigail Child (film), Mark Dean (video), Joanna Linsey (performance), Jow Lindsay
(poetry).
Centre for Creative Collaboration, 16 Acton Street
FREE
FRIDAY, 11 March
4.00-5.00: Professor David Gilbert, ‘Mettle, Monet and
Murder: Three Views of Modern London from Hungerford
Bridge’
London’s Hungerford Bridge, a functional wrought-iron railway crossing, was built
across the Thames in 1864 and, until transformed by its new walkways in 2002, was
consistently vilified as an ugly utilitarian intrusion into London’s riverside landscape.
Professor Gilbert’s talk uses Hungerford Bridge as a way of understanding wider
issues in the history of modern London, exploring its surprising significance in artistic
representations of the city, particularly the ‘demi-nocturnes’ of Whistler and Monet,
the role of imperialism in plans to demolish and replace the bridge in the twentieth
century, and its part in the 1980s’ and 1990s’ panics about homelessness and
aggressive begging. The talk ends by setting the redesigned bridge in the context of
the early-twenty-first-century re-branding of London and transformations in wider
understandings of the city.
Royal Holloway, Windsor Building, WIN-05
FREE
5.00-6.00: Lucy Caldwell in Conversation
Lucy Caldwell is a prize-winning Northern Ireland novelist and playwright. Her first
novel, Where They Were Missed (Viking, 2006), was short-listed for the Dylan
Thomas Prize and earned comparisons with the debuts of Ian McEwan and Trezza
Azzopardi. Her first full-length play, Leaves (Royal Court, 2007), won the George
Devine Award, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the BBC’s Stewart Parker
Award. Her most recent novel, The Meeting Point (Faber, 2011), set in Bahrain in the
run up to the invasion of Iraq, was chosen for Radio 4’s ‘Book at Bedtime’. Her most
recent play, ‘Notes to Future Self’, has its premiere in March at Birmingham Rep.
She will be in conversation with Professor Robert Hampson from the English
Department at Royal Holloway.
Royal Holloway, Windsor Building WIN-05
FREE
7.00-8.30: Fiction Reading: Students from the MA in
Creative Writing.
The MA in Creative Writing at Royal Holloway is directed by Professor Sir Andrew
Motion. In its comparatively short existence, it has already made a name for itself
through three anthologies of writing, called Bedford Square (published by John
Murray), and through the success of its students. Tahmima Anam’s novel, The Golden
Age, was short-listed for the Orange Prize; Joe Treasure, Myrlin Hermes and Penny
Rudge have all had novels published after completing the MA.
Come and hear new work by the fiction writers from the MA in Creative Writing.
Centre for Creative Collaboration, 16 Acton Street
FREE
Saturday, 12 March
2.00-6.00:
Poetic Practice Performance: Students from the MA in
Poetic Practice
Curious about digital poetics and poetry that uses new technologies of writing?
Interested in innovative poetries? Since it was founded six years ago, the MA in
Poetic Practice (directed by Redell Olsen) has produced a steady stream of students
who have made a name for themselves in these areas including John Sparrow, Sophie
Robinson, Frances Kruk, and Stephen Willey.
Come and see the work of current MA students on the MA in Poetic Practice and
recent graduates of the programme in an ambient performance and exhibition through
the afternoon.
Centre for Creative Collaboration, 16 Acton Street
FREE
2.00-3.30: Poetry Reading: Ian Patterson, Harry Gilonis and
Amy De’ath
Ian Patterson is a poet, writer and translator – and a Fellow of Queen’s College,
Cambridge. In the late 1960s and early 1970s he ran Curiously Strong, which
published pamphlets by poets such as Peter Ackroyd, Peter Riley, John James, and
Barry McSweeney. His collection, Time to Get There: Selected Poems 1969-2002 was
published by Salt in 2003, and his study, Guernica and Total War, was published by
Profile Books in 2007. His most recent pamphlet was The Glass Bell (Barque, 2009).
Harry Gilonis has been an active member of the London poetry world for many years
as a poet, translator and editor. His publications range from Reliefs (1988), Learning
the Warblers (1993) and Forty Fungi (with Erica Van Horn, 1994) through to more
recent works such as Reading Holderlin on Orkney (2010) and eye-blink (Veer, 2010)
– faithless reworkings of 64 poems by 8 major poets of the T’ang dynasty. He has
recently edited the Salt Companion to Colin Simms and the Selected Poems of Colin
Simms (also for Salt).
Amy De’ath studied American Literature with Creative Writing at the University of
East Anglia and Temple University, Philadelphia. Her work has appeared in Onedit,
Quid and other magazines, and her first book, Eric & Enide, was published by Salt in
2011. Eric & Enide writes out of contemporary feminist revisions of lyric and epic. It
has been described by Tim Atkins as ‘lyrical, local, literary, strong, domestic,
delicate, sexy and epic’.
Centre for Creative Collaboration, Acton Street
FREE
3.45-4.45: Poetry Reading: Emily Critchely and Tim
Thornton
Emily Critchely completed a PhD on contemporary American women’s experimental
poetry at Cambridge – where she was also won the John Kinsella-Tracy Ryan Prize
for poetry in 2004. She has had collections of her poetry published by Arehouse, Bad
Press, Dusie, Oystercatcher and Torque Press. Her most recent collection is Hopeful
for Love are th’Impoverish’d of Faith (Torque Press). Her work also appears in the
Shearsman anthology Infinite Difference: Other Poetries by UK Women Poets.
Tim Thornton is a musician, writer and publisher; his poetry has appeared in a range
of magazines, including Cannibal Spices, Signals, Cambridge Literary Review, Holly
White and Axolotl, and in the chapbooks Now Vulgate (2008) and PESTREGIMENT
(2009) – both from Grasp Press, which he runs with Josh Stanley and Luke Roberts.
His book Jocund Day is forthcoming from Mountains.
Centre for Creative Collaboration, Acton Street
FREE
5.00-6.15: Poetry Reading: Redell Olsen and Fiona
Templeton
Redell Olsen is a poet and visual artist whose work includes performance, writing and
installed texts. Her publications include Book of the Fur (rem press, 2000), Secure
Portable Space (Reality Street, 2004) and, in collaboration with Susan Johanknecht,
Here Are My Instructions (Gefn Press, 2004). Two longer works, Punk Faun and A
Newe Booke of Copies are forthcoming. She is the editor of the online journal HOW2
(How2journal.com), which publishes modernist and contemporary innovative poetry
by women as well as critical writing about such work. She is a Senior Lecturer at
Royal Holloway and programme director for the MA in Poetic Practice, which she
founded.
Fiona Templeton has been involved for many years in poetry, performance and
theatre in both Britain and North America with performances of her work world-wide.
In the 1970s she was co-founder of the London-based ‘Theatre of Mistakes’; more
recently, she founded the performance group, ‘THE RELATIONSHIP’, and has been
their Artistic Director. Her works include the acclaimed YOU-THE CITY (1988) – an
intimate Manhattanwide play for an audience of one; ‘Cells of Release’ (1995) – a
poetry installation at the former Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia; and ‘The
Medead’. Her work has been included in a number of anthologies, including the
Gertrude Stein Awards Annual for 1993-4 and 1994-5; Out of Everywhere: Innovative
Women poets in the US and UK (Reality Street, 1995); Moving Borders: an anthology
of US women poets (1998); and The Kenning Anthology of Poets Theatre 1945-1985
(2009). Her recent publications include Delirium of Interpretations (Green Integer
press, 2003); Invisible Dances (Arts Admin, 2004); Mum in Airdrie (Object
Permanence, 2006); Going (co-written with Anthony Howell) (Grey Suit Editions,
2007); and Medea in Aia (Belladonna Series, 2008).
Centre for Creative Collaboration, Acton Street
FREE
Wednesday, 16 March
6.30-7.45:
Royal Holloway Sinfonietta
Mark Bowden (Director)
Royal Holloway Sinfonietta presents a concert featuring Berio’s iconic Folk Songs for
mezzo soprano and seven instruments and music by the Japanese composer
Takemitsu alongside new music by Royal Holloway’s composition students. The
event is preceded by an MMus and PhD Composition Workshop from 11.00 am to
4.00 pm. All welcome.
Windsor Building Auditorium
£5 (£4 senior citizens), £3 staff, free to students.
Tuesday, 22 March
Inaugural Lecture: Professor Ruth Harvey: The Lady and
the Song
The medieval troubadours are best known for their creation of courtly Love, a cultural
transformation affecting the whole course of European literature and sensibilities. The
idealised Lady addressed in their love-songs lacked voice or agency. In contrast, this
lecture will focus on some of the many ways in which noblewomen actively
nourished and exploited this cultural shift: as patrons, politicians, poets and critics.
Windsor Building Auditorium
FREE
6.15
PRESS RELEASE
FIFTH RUNNYMEDE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY
FESTIVAL
7-12 March 2011
(Patrons: Sir Andrew Motion and Hilary Mantel)
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL
MARCH 9
Tim Cresswell and Adam O’Riordan
After completing the inaugural Faber & Faber’ ‘Becoming a Poet’ course, Tim
Cresswell is now working on a PhD in Creative writing with Jo Shapcott. He has
poems forthcoming in a number of magazines including The North, Smiths Knoll and
the Frogmore Papers. In his other life, he is a Professor of Cultural Geography at
Royal Holloway, researching the cultural significance of place and mobility. He
addresses the same issues in his poetry through a focus on landscape and an
exploration of connectedness and disconnectedness in relation to place.
Adam O’Riordan began writing poetry as an English undergraduate at Oxford, later
studying for the MA in Creative Writing under Sir Andrew Motion. In 2008, he was
awarded an Eric Gregory Award, and the following year he was the Wordsworth
Trust’s youngest ever poet-in residence. Out of that residency came the pamphlet
home (2009). His collection, In the Flesh, was published by Chatto & Windus in
2010.
Centre for Creative Collaboration, Acton Street
FREE
7.30 p.m.
MARCH 11
5.00-6.00: Lucy Caldwell in Conversation
Lucy Caldwell in conversation with Professor Robert Hampson. Lucy Caldwell is a
prize-winning Northern Ireland novelist and playwright. Her first novel, Where They
Were Missed (Viking, 2006), was short-listed for the Dylan Thomas Prize and earned
comparisons with the debuts of Ian McEwan and Trezza Azzopardi. Her first fulllength play, Leaves (Royal Court, 2007), won the George Devine Award, the Susan
Smith Blackburn Prize and the BBC’s Stewart Parker Award. Her most recent novel,
The Meeting Point (Faber, 2011), set in Bahrain in the run up to the invasion of Iraq,
was chosen for Radio 4’s ‘Book at Bedtime’. Her most recent play, ‘Notes to Future
Self’, has its premiere in March at Birmingham Rep.
Windsor Building, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey.
FREE
MARCH 12
2.00-6.15: Poetry Reading by Ian Patterson, Harry Gilonis,
Amy De’ath, Emily Critchely, Tim Thornton, Redell Olson
and Fiona Templeton.
Centre for Creative Collaboration, Acton Street
FREE