Page 20 - link magazine

20
Swu'i Gr wide
Strawberries, bananas and words outpour
Matt Holland looks back at the Swindon Festival of Literature 04
If you know who said the following 4 'Pain will play a part in every For me, certain events were key
in Swindon during the first fortnight true feeling that we find.' to the shape and success of the
k of May, then you are among the 5 'Time flies like an arrow and entire festival. Mark Haddon, a pre-
keenest of Festival of Literature fruit flies like a banana.' dicted highlight, talking about his
followers. And if you don't, then 6 'The role of the old is to best-selling book set in Swindon to
simply enjoy these as literary tast- encourage the young.' a packed, patient, and enthralled
ers and titbits, to lure you to next audience in the Main Hall at Swin-
7 'Women create the quiet and
I{{UITI w NUiKl, DRIED BRUIT, TEA H tUifEE, year's festival frolics. don College, lived up to his billing
bloodless revolutions.'
tNUTNEII, IPI(EI, IAtIBI AND MORE, in the programme. Maths profes-
1 'If you want strawberries, don't
8 'I do most of my work on
sow radishes.' sor Marcus du Sautoy. waxing lyri-
CONTACT. the inside track.'
PHONE: 01193323015 MARKET HA IL cal about prime numbers, and
, NDREW AND JOHN MARKET STREET 2 'Art is like love. It has no point 9 'Loving one person does not
ESMONDE•WHTt MOBILE: 0183815E!^' but enchantment.' former nun Karen Armstrong, ask-
I RE mean that we love another less. ing all the right questions about
OPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAY 3 'They say that children say the 10 'Quick! I need a banana!'
9am to 5.30pm love, life, and meaning, were other
funniest things. No they don't.
Twats do!'

Story Sacks inventor Neil Griffiths, right, was sponsored at the Litera-
ture Festival Family Day by The Link to get children involved in his
stories. Matt Holland took the role of Itchy Bear who just cannot find what
is causing him to keep scratching
Fomcy sow^ewlneYe Of course, quirky and memora- gems. And then there was Mat-
ble as they may be, these few
words cannot capture the full ex- thew Collings, a standing festival
dish, at ease, at home, and in love
d perience of the 53 events that made with and eloquent about art, espe-
cially the Swindon Collection, in
up this year's festival. With record
attendances and a real sense of the perfect setting of the Old Town
Art Gallery. And not forgetting those
Sday ^mck? excitement, it was a truly remark- two memorably-named long-haired
able fortnight.
From the dawn drizzle, which lads and rebels with a cause.
failed to dampen anyone's spirits, Benjamin Zepahaniah and Bob
at sunrise in Lawn Woods on May Flowerdew, both of whom brilliantly
Day, to the final night Poetry Slam, talked a great deal more sense
I won, for the first time, by a Swin- than many of their detractors give
don man, the festival buzzed. For them credit for. And Joan Bakewell
fifteen days. between 200 and 500 wasn't bad either!
people a day, in Swindon, were From the point of view of festival
enjoying everything that literature organiser, the real highlight has
has to offer: good talk, good been the sight of so many people
thought, fine readings, funny sto- over so many days absorbed in the
ri es and serious ones, discussion pleasure of listening and talking,
and debate, exploration and enter- with others and one another, about
tainment. the joys and trickiness of life,
And in the same way that one through literature.
Traditional Sunday Roast book offers a different reading ex- My feelings of gratitude are like
Carvery 12.15pm - 5.00pm perience to each new reader, so that of a chef who has cooked a
too there were many and various meal that people have really en-
Yi SCI ways of experiencing this year's joyed. And now I'm doing the wash-
BS & festival. Each person had their own ing up, before setting off in search
2
highlights. It could have been sto- of ingredients for next year's festi-
Blunsdon House Hotel rytelling with family and friends val feast!
round the campfire at Lower Shaw Quotes: 1 Bob Flowerdew: 2 Anne Fine;
Tel: 01793 721701 Farm, words of wisdom in the 3 Sean Hughes: 5 Barry Cryer: 6 Karen
Blunsdon House Hotel, Blunsdon, Swindon SN26 7AS Wyvern, or philosophy in the Gal- Armstrong: 7 Pauline Perry: 8 Jonathon
lery on a Friday night. Porritt: 9 Joan Bakewell: 10 Matt Holland