Redford Trio Jack Redford (Bass), Ollie Haycock (Guitar) and Richard Muscat (Alto Saxophone) was at W&T on Saturday 20 July 2013 to provide a chill-out jazz ambience. Thank you guys for the special session!
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Authors Andrew Whitehead, Zoe Fairbairns and Sarah Wise shared background stories on their contributions to the anthology London Fictions at Woolfson & Tay at a Tuesday evening session on 16 July 2013. The evening proved to be a fascinating journey which delved into London's past and present. Historian Sarah Wise's exposition of Arthur Morrison’s 1896 novel A Child of the Jago shed light on life in the Old Nichol slum in Shoreditch during the Victorian era, while Zoe Fairbairns trek through Clapham Common - in an attempt to retrace the world conjured in Pamela Hansford Johnson's This Bed Thy Centre - revealed that while much had changed, much also remained the same. Andrew Whitehead rounded off the evening by exploring the slums of London as evoked in George Gissing's The Nether World. The evening was a celebration of not only London fiction per se, but also the diversity of the microcosmic worlds which coexist in the great historic city of London. To learn more about London's evolution, grab a copy of London Fictions or to explore other readings, visit www.londonfictions.com. Thank you to Kenyan author Juliet Barnes for sharing with us her love for the history and peoples of Kenya. In the UK on a promotional tour of her book, The Ghosts of Happy Valley: Searching for the Lost World of Africa's Infamous Aristocrats, Juliet shared images from her research of the crumbling ruins of what was once Happy Valley's colonial homes, as well as offering comparative archival images of the people and sites of scandals. Fans of Frances Osborne's White Mischief or Nancy Mitford's The Bolter would not have been disappointed as Juliet recounted fascinating vignettes from meetings with descendants of the infamous Happy Valley set of Wanjohi Valley. In some cases, she also met elderly Kikuyus who had once served in the homes, estates and gardens of these colonial transplants. Apart from recapturing the dubious 'glory' of those days of debauchery, Juliet offered an insight into present-day Kenya and its challenges with preserving its indigenous wildlife, most notably through the story of Solomon, her friend, guide and collaborator in the retelling of Happy Valley's past. We had a rip-roaring live music session with Maggie Casey and her mates on Saturday, 6 July 2013. From Irish ditties to Scottish folk tunes, to self-penned music and lyrics from the scathingly irreverent and very funny Kath Tait (To get a flavour check out her website, listen to her music or pick up a copy of her CD, Bastard!), the session had an informal feel of a jam session. Thank you to all the wonderful musicians for serenading us with your awesome talent and for sharing your obvious love of music with us. Thank you to everyone who dropped by and enjoyed the afternoon with us. Watch this space, as Maggie and her friends will be back for another session this autumn :) [Or sign up for event updates here] Composer Pete M Wyer shared some verses from his poetry chapbook, The Dance Around the Fire, published by the San Francisco publisher Alternating Current, as well as some music pieces on Tuesday evening, 2 July. It was an informal event with some irreverent and tongue-in-cheek fun, including a short performance of Pete's 'play' 'Neanderthals.' Thank you Pete for sharing your beautiful words, music and humour with us :) Author and publisher Meike Ziervogel shared the extraordinary story of Magda Goebbels. How could a woman, who at one time embraced Zionism and almost converted to Judaism, become a Nazi fanatic? How could she bring herself to not only commit suicide but also murder her children? Meike's exploration of Magda's life blends historical facts with fiction; however, the themes explored in Magda transcend biography and historical fiction. Magda raises a host of difficult questions - how estranged familial relationships can lead to tragic circumstances, the impact of the cult of Nazism on a defeated Germany after the First World War - driven by Meike's urge to understand how a mother could have committed the ultimate crime of killing her own children. |
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