{"id":1933,"date":"2019-07-11T11:00:51","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T11:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/?p=1933"},"modified":"2019-07-11T09:07:36","modified_gmt":"2019-07-11T09:07:36","slug":"contemporary-poetry-collections-poets-and-their-archives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/2019\/07\/11\/contemporary-poetry-collections-poets-and-their-archives\/","title":{"rendered":"Contemporary Poetry Collections: Poets and their Archives"},"content":{"rendered":"

To coincide with ‘Transformations: Newcastle Poetry Festival 2019<\/a>‘, which ran from 1st-4th May 2019, Special Collections and Archives showcased Contemporary Poetry Collections: Poets and their Archives, using material from our recently acquired and catalogued contemporary poetry archives. Material from the archives of poets Sean O’Brien<\/a>, Jack Mapanje<\/a>, Selima Hill, Peter Bennet<\/a> and Moniza Alvi<\/a> were on display to provide an insight into the varied voices of contemporary poetry and literary archives held by Newcastle University Special Collections.\u00a0\"Contemporary<\/a><\/p>\n

Poets from the exhibition are highlighted below;<\/p>\n

Moniza Alvi<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Moniza Alvi was born in Lahore, Pakistan, and came to England when she was a few months old.\u00a0 She grew up in Hertfordshire and studied at the Universities of York and London.\u00a0 After working for many years as a secondary school teacher, she is now a freelance writer and tutor.<\/p>\n

Alvi\u2019s poetical career was launched after winning the Poetry Business Prize in 1991, a prize she won jointly with fellow poet Peter Daniels. \u00a0Her first independent collection, The Country at My Shoulder<\/em> (1993), was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Whitbread Poetry Award. She has since published seven further collections of poetry with Oxford University Press and subsequently Bloodaxe Books.\u00a0 Alvi received a prestigious Cholmondeley Award in 2002.<\/p>\n

The themes of Alvi\u2019s work are often those of duality, division, identity and feminism.<\/p>\n

An Unsafe Subject.\u00a0 <\/strong>Trauma is the central theme of ‘Europa’<\/em>, Alvi’s 2008 collection, in particular the trauma of rape.<\/p>\n

This is explored in Alvi\u2019s re-imagining of the Greek myth of the rape of the beautiful Europa by Zeus (chief of gods).<\/p>\n

Following the publication, Alvi was asked to write the foreword to Feminism, Literature and Rape Narratives<\/em>.\u00a0 Here, Alvi considers how rape is still often considered a taboo subject and explores whether this is a result of rape being primarily considered a women\u2019s issue.<\/p>\n

\"Front<\/a>

Front cover of ‘Europa’. Bloodaxe Books Collection, 821.914 ALV<\/p><\/div>\n

Poetry in Progress.\u00a0 <\/strong>Pages from Alvi\u2019s notebook and draft typescript provide an insight into Alvi\u2019s writing process of \u2018At the Time of Partition\u2019 (2013). This was Alvi\u2019s first new poetry book since her T.S. Elliot Prize shortlisted collection \u2018Europa\u2019 (2008).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Pages from notebook containing notes, poetical sketches and drafts, poetical ideas and suggestions for the creative process. Alvi (Moniza) Alvi, ALV\/5\/1<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Page from a manuscript draft of ‘At the Time of the Partition’ including comments. Alvi (Moniza) Archive, ALV\/1\/1\/1\/2<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Peter Bennet<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Peter Bennet was born in Staffordshire in 1942. He won a scholarship to King’s School Macclesfield before attending Manchester College of Art and Design where he studied art.\u00a0 He then went on to teach art in secondary schools.<\/p>\n

Later, Bennet worked with around 1000 redundant steelworkers following the closure of Consett Steel Works.\u00a0 The job was to teach basic English, which evolved into exploring literature. This exploration and experience was to kick start Bennet\u2019s writing career.<\/p>\n

Bennet has published poetry collections with Bloodaxe Books and Flambard Press. He has received major awards from New Writing North and Arts Council England, and has won numerous poetry competitions.<\/p>\n

Bennet\u2019s themes include folklore, legend and transformation – inspired by living off-grid in the \u2018Wilds of Wanney\u2019, Northumberland, for thirty-three years. Below are some items from the Bennet (Peter) Archive<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Inspired by the Landscape.<\/strong>
\nMuch of Bennet\u2019s work was inspired by his surroundings.\u00a0\u201cSnow at Fourlawshill Top\u201d references the Wanney Hills, which was Bennet\u2019s home for many years.<\/p>\n

Hareshaw Linn is one of Northumberland\u2019s most spectacular waterfalls.\u00a0 It is also a Site of Scientific Interest for its rare ferns and lichens.<\/p>\n

\"Notebook<\/a>

Pages from notebook containing Drafts of Poems, including drafts of Hareshaw Linn, 1985. Bennet (Peter) Archive, PB\/1\/5\/1<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018Sir John Fenwick\u2019s Skull\u2019 \u2013 Award Winning Poem.
\n<\/strong>Early versions of ‘Sir John Fenwick’s Skull’ poem give a snapshot of how it evolved into the winner of the Basil Bunting prize.<\/p>\n

Sir John Fenwick\u2019s skull and helmet, the inspiration for the poem, were returned to Hexham Abbey following his death at the Battle of Marston Moor (1644).\u00a0 The skull is currently on display at Hexham Old Gaol.<\/p>\n

\"'Sir<\/a>

‘Sir John Fenwick’s Skull’ – Final version, 1987. Bennet (Peter) Archive, PB\/6<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Jack Mapanje<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Jack Mapanje was born in Malawi in 1944.\u00a0 He worked as a secondary school teacher before moving to the University of Malawi, first as a lecturer and then as Head of English.<\/p>\n

Mapanje began writing poetry out of despair at the political situation in his homeland, an authoritarian one-party state.\u00a0 His first poetry collection, Of Chameleons and Gods<\/em>, was published in the UK in 1981, winning critical acclaim around the world. \u00a0It was \u2018withdrawn from circulation\u2019 in Malawi by the governing dictatorship in 1985.<\/p>\n

He was arrested in 1987 and detained without charge or trial. During his incarceration, Mapanje continued to compose poetry, but denied access to pen and paper, he crafted most of these poems in his head. \u00a0On occasion, Mapanje was able to write poems on toilet roll, soap packets or similar scraps – which were then smuggled out of prison.\u00a0 After numerous international campaigns, Mapanje was finally released after 3 years, 7 months and 16 days with no explanation.<\/p>\n

His next two volumes of work, The Chattering Wagtails of Mikuyu Prison<\/em> (1993) and Skipping without Ropes<\/em>\u00a0(1998), were largely composed during his time in prison.<\/p>\n

Poems from Prison<\/strong>.\u00a0 The majority of poems in the Mapanje (Jack) Archive were composed during his incarceration.\u00a0 As pen and paper were forbidden, these poems were mainly created and crafted in Mapanje\u2019s head, often coming back into his consciousness after his release. Letters and poems were often also written on toilet paper, such as the below letter from Jack Mapanje to David Kerr.<\/p>\n

\"Letter<\/a>

Extract from a letter written by Jack Mapanje to David Kerr whilst a prisoner in Mikuyu Prison in Malawi. Mapanje (Jack) Archive,\u00a0MAP\/6\/3\/43<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

During his time in prison, Mapanje wrote his second collection of poetry, ‘The Chattery Wagtails of Mikuyu Prison’ (1993), and much of his third, ‘Skipping without Rope’ (1998).<\/p>\n

\"Page<\/a>

Page from a typescript draft of ‘The Chattering Wagtails of Mikuyu Prison’, which includes drafts of two poems included in the collection. Mapanje (Jack) Archive, MAP\/2\/8\/3<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Selima Hill<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Selima Hill was born into a family of painters in 1945 and grew up in rural England and Wales.\u00a0 She later attended boarding school before winning a scholarship to study Moral Sciences at Cambridge.\u00a0 After marrying and starting a family, Hill published her first collection of poetry, Saying Hello at the Station<\/em> (1984).<\/p>\n

She has won the Cholmondeley Award and the Arvon International Poetry Competition. \u00a0Her collection Violet<\/em> (1997) was shortlisted for three British poetry awards, and Bunny<\/em> (2001) won her the Whitbread Poetry Award.<\/p>\n

As well as writing poetry, Hill has worked on a variety of multimedia projects including collaborations with the Royal Ballet, Welsh National Opera, Science Museum and Imperial War Museum.<\/p>\n

Hill has also taught creative writing in hospitals and prisons, and was Writer in Residence at the Royal Festival Hall.<\/p>\n

Hill\u2019s themes include mental health issues, sexual abuse and family conflicts, often written in a surrealist style.<\/p>\n

The Hill Method (Hill (Selima) Archive, SH\/8\/4<\/a>). This was a creative way Hill invented to write a poem – it’s definitely worth a try! Her notebooks, like many of the poets featured here in this post, give an insight into Hill’s creative process – often including notes, drawings, collages and personal reflections.<\/p>\n

\"Page<\/a>

Page from a notebook containing poems, notes, drawings and personal reflections. Hill (Selima) Archive, SH\/4\/10<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

\"Pages<\/a>

Pages from notebook containing notes relating to draft poems. Hill (Selima) Archive, SH\/4\/91<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Sean O’Brien<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sean O’Brien was born in 1952 in London. \u00a0He grew up in Hull and was educated at the University of Cambridge.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien is a poet, critic, anthologist, broadcaster and short fiction writer.\u00a0 He has also written for television and radio.<\/p>\n

He has won numerous poetry awards including the Eric Gregory Award (1979), the Somerset Maugham Award (1984) and the Cholmondeley Award (1988).\u00a0 O\u2019Brien is only one of two poets to have won both the T. S. Eliot Prize and the Forward Poetry Prize for the same collection of poems – The Drowned Book<\/em>. (2007)<\/p>\n

He was Writer in Residence at Newcastle Live Theatre between 2001 and 2003 (which he held jointly with the late novelist and poet, Julia Darling) and was Vice President of the Poetry Society.\u00a0 He is currently Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Brien\u2019s themes include social history, politics and class – written with a mix of detailed realism and dark surrealism.<\/p>\n

The Frighteners <\/em><\/strong>was published in the aftermath of one of Britain\u2019s most divisive events, the year-long miners\u2019 strike of 1984-85.\u00a0 Not only was there a North\u2013South divide, communities all over the country were torn apart.\u00a0 In this interview, O\u2019Brien discusses his thoughts and experiences of the time and how it influenced The Frighteners<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Front<\/a>

Front cover of ‘The Frighteners’. Bloodaxe Books Collection, 821.914 OBR<\/p><\/div>\n

Development of poems in \u2018The Frighteners\u2019.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>These hand written and annotated versions of the poem\u00a0Cousin Coat<\/em>,\u00a0gives a small insight into O\u2019Brien\u2019s thought process.\u00a0 The words come and go, crossings out made and annotations drawn, highlighting how the poem evolved into the final published version for inclusion in ‘The Frighteners’.<\/p>\n

\"Page<\/a>

Page from a draft of Cousin Coat, a poem by Sean O’Brien – a hand written manuscript draft of a poem for inclusion in Sean O’Brien’s poetry collection ‘The Frighteners’. O’Brien (Sean) Archive, OBR\/1\/1\/2\/4<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

\"Page<\/a>

Page from a draft of Cousin Coat, a poem by Sean O’Brien – a hand written manuscript draft of a poem for inclusion in Sean O’Brien’s poetry collection ‘The Frighteners’. O’Brien (Sean) Archive, OBR\/1\/1\/2\/4<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The exhibition was planned, designed and curated by an MA Art Museum and Gallery Studies placement student.<\/p>\n

——————————————————<\/p>\n

Find other Literary Archive collections available online on our Collections Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Listen to oral histories with depositors behind our Special Collections and Archives via Collected Voices<\/a>. These recordings give a privileged insight into creators, collectors and significant figures with close links to the personal and professional activities, borne out through these unique research resources.<\/p>\n

Also, explore the Bloodaxe Books Archive and creative responses to it in a variety of innovative ways, online here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To coincide with ‘Transformations: Newcastle Poetry Festival 2019‘, which ran from 1st-4th May 2019, Special Collections and Archives showcased Contemporary Poetry Collections: Poets and their Archives, using material from our recently acquired and catalogued contemporary poetry archives. Material from the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5894,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[185],"tags":[441,443,439,435,436,434,425,442,438,430,431,406,248,429,356,426,433,432,440,437],"class_list":["post-1933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exhibitions","tag-class","tag-contemporary-poetry","tag-family-conflicts","tag-feminism","tag-folklore","tag-identity","tag-jack-mapanje","tag-literary-archives","tag-mental-health","tag-moniza-alvi","tag-peter-bennet","tag-poems","tag-poetry","tag-poets","tag-politics","tag-prisoner","tag-sean-obrien","tag-selima-hill","tag-social-history","tag-transformation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5894"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1933"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1942,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1933\/revisions\/1942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ncl.ac.uk\/speccoll\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}