NEW LITERATURE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR NOTTINGHAMSHIRE

Ross Bradshaw has been appointed as new Literature Development Officer for Nottinghamshire. Ross will be known to some readers from his 17 years at Mushroom Bookshop in Nottingham, or from his three years working for John Heppell, the Member of Parliament for Nottingham East. Here, he talks about his new role and introduces some notable events taking place in Nottinghamshire.

The aim of the first year’s work is to set up a ‘literature infrastructure’ in the County. That sounds very grand, but what it means in reality is working on small projects with those already involved in literature provision to assist them to do more, and to work with those already involved in general arts provision to assist them to develop a literature side to their programme.

The County Council and East Midlands Arts, who are funding the post, both see literature in a broad sense. This means that I will be programming the 17 year old (and very successful) Beeston Poets series – and expanding the series to include Newark – as well as working on projects with those who have never written before. The focus of this last point will be a linked project around working lives/women’s lives.

There is a small group of independent bookshops in the County, as well as professional or semi-professional writers. Part of my job is to work with the shops and writers to give them more publicity and exposure, and to put work their way if I can. I’ll also be setting up some training workshops for would-be writers.

Working mainly in the new County has one major drawback – the absence of the City. If you look at a doughnut you are as conscious of the hole as you are of the dough, and if you will excuse this ghastly comparison, that’s how the absence of the City feels to me. On the other hand, the City tends to pull in audiences from the County. Travel is expensive, and not everyone can or wants to travel to the City, so the nature of my job will be to build an interest in literature where people live. That might mean a course on modern fiction in Retford, or a Windrush celebration in Newark, or a lecture on Brecht in Mansfield.

In September, a trial issue of a countywide literature newsletter will come out. The working title is County Lit, but better suggestions for a title are welcome! Get in touch if you want to be on the free mailing list. The newsletter is planned to be six pages, with a feature on the local National Year of Reading, an interview with John Harvey marking the publication of the last Resnick book (Last Rites), and news and views around the local literature scene.

Looking toward National Poetry Day, on 8 October 1998 – there will be a lot on around the County. For example, Ollerton Library are hanging large posters in the street with favourite poems chosen by local celebrities, and giving out poetry cards to library customers. The Library is also opening specially that afternoon and will be boosting their poetry stock. In Mansfield, John Harvey and the jazz band Second Nature will be reading and playing jazz poetry and poetry about jazz.

Moving ahead to next spring, an event which will be held in the City is a Writers and Readers Day – a mini festival involving every group with an interest in reading and writing in the County, local writers, publishers, printers, librarians and you…

Finally, it is always dangerous to offer money, but I do have a budget to promote literature. Some of that will be used up by direct promotions, but I can use some to pump-prime activity which would not otherwise happen, or help to underwrite activity if groups want to organise literature events. I would be happy to talk to people with ideas – particularly those who realise there is no such thing as a free lunch.