Virginia Betts is a tutor, writer poet and actor from Suffolk. An eternal optimist and mid-life-creative advocate, she’d like to point out that it’s never too late to live the dream. And with this month’s Penspiration blog, some ink to inspire and ignite your creative fire.
November is a funny old month. Not quite Christmas; not quite Autumn; not quite Winter. October now has a massive dedication to Halloween: like never before are the kids taking to the streets with their tricks or treats as if we were in the USA. Cards, decorations, costumes all litter the shops; people either cower in darkened homes and avoid the front door, or happily put out a pumpkin to invite all and sundry to knock – and all for one day. But hot on its heels is another tradition not getting quite so much attention – Guy Fawkes’ night, Bonfire night; Fireworks night, or what you will. Yes, it often sounds like a war zone on November 5th, but what I have discovered from tutoring is that people have actually forgotten the meaning of our old traditions. Halloween, or All Hallows’ Eve, is an ancient tradition in the Christian calendar, thought to have Pagan roots influenced by the Celtic harvest. It remembers and celebrates the dead on the eve of All Saints’ Day. It is not really meant to be a time of horror or commercialism, although that can be fun. November 5th , in brief summary, remembers the night in 1605 when a treasonous plot almost succeeded in blowing up King James and the Houses of Parliament. Whether or not you slightly sympathise with Fawkes is not something I’m going into here but do read about the political and religious background in the link! However, I have had two students this week who did not know about the Gunpowder Plot, and who the plotters were, or why we set off fireworks to commemorate the King’s lucky escape. And it occurred to me that not only is this a real shame, but also it is very important to know this if only for understanding Shakespeare’s plays, especially, of course, Macbeth! So many young people are studying Macbeth – why aren’t the schools teaching this in more detail? I remember when we used to pop (ok, it’s somewhat macabre!) a stuffed ‘Guy’ on the top of a HUGE bonfire – but that’s all gone. And what happened to the Harvest Festival? They don’t seem to do that anymore. My conclusion is things were more fun when we observed these traditions, and we didn’t lurch from one commercialised event to another. I always teach my students as much wider knowledge as possible, and this wider reading and contextual knowledge not only secures them the top grades, it also enriches their knowledge and curiosity for the rest of their lives. For all you authors out there, you know that if we read more – we write better. But life goes so fast - so, let’s just slow down, and remember, remember to make the most of it shall we?
At the end of October, I received a review copy of a new book I’d like to spotlight:
“Warriors & Saints” published by Dizzy Press, is an anthology of disabled and survivors’ poetry
The poet, editor, critic and publisher, Joe Bidder, launched this anthology of poetry on Tuesday 29th October, to share some of the UK’s most outstanding voices from the world of the Survivors’ Poetry movement since the 1990’s.
Warriors & Saints, published by Dizzy Press in Hackney, was edited by Joe Bidder and Dave Russell. They selected work from British artists who are survivors of mental distress, and their allies, many of whom have helped to change society. The anthology pays tribute to 24 poets, artists and activists whose legacy continues in the struggle to improve mental health support and human rights.
Contributors include John Agard, Patience Agbabi, Frank Bangay, Billy Childish, Lavinia Greenlaw, Michael Horovitz, Mimi Khalvati (recipient of The King’s Gold medal for Poetry, 2023), and Julie McNamara. It features illustrations by Colin Hambrook, Hilary Porter, David Russell, Ifigenija Simonovic, and Vanessa Vie.
Survivors’ Poetry started as a self-help group, became a charity in 1991, and evolved into the popular UK and global movement of the same name (which still exists). It gave voice to people who suffered, largely hidden from the public gaze and in silence, from the devastating effects of the old mental health system and its psychiatry. It provided, and remains, a literary platform to read and perform, with creative writing workshops to support creative development.
Some of the poems were instantly recognisable to me, and some I had never read before, but I will definitely be getting a physical copy to treasure, and I thoroughly recommend it. Readers can dip in and out of it or happily read it in one sitting. Poems such as ‘Checking out me History’ by John Agard will be familiar to kids sitting English Literature, and celebrates cultural identity, and the (at the time he wrote it) lesser known figures in black history, like ‘Nanny de Maroon’ and ‘Mary Seacole’. There are so many beautiful poems here, full of imagery and championing the warrior spirit – far too many to go into detail about here. But one poem which stayed with me was ‘Gangsters’, by Patience Agabi. It’s about the emergence of Two-Tone music, beginning: ‘GANGSTERS shot straight into the top 10 and school uniform was dead.’ I think it has resonated so much because I genuinely live my life with music as an inner soundtrack, inspiring every occasion and creative endeavour. My book, which is launching at Dial Lane Books on December 20th around 7pm, is a chaotic ‘adventure’ through the lives of four punk friends through four decades, and I have attached a playlist and uploaded it on Spotify for readers to enjoy. Just search ‘Burnt Lungs and Bitter Sweets.’ I’d love to see as many people there to support me at this Christmas launch – no pressure to purchase, just enjoy the party! The book has been cited by Britop Legend, Jane Savidge, as ‘Gutsy, seedy, and at times, psychotic. If you love Martin Millar’s, Lux the Poet, you’ll love this!’ So, I am thrilled (and more than a little scared!) to be able to finally present this to the world thanks to the support of Urban Pigs Press.
Finally – coming up fast is a great spooky and comical Christmas show, Christmas Ghosts and other stories, by Suzanne Hawkes, at the Two Sisters Arts Centre for 6 shows in December. Tickets on Ticket Source. I’d better get on and learn some lines!
If you want to hear more thoughts from me, you can also find me blogging on Authors’ Electric or on my website.
See you in December to tell you all about my adventures in Amsterdam!
Virginia has written numerous articles and fiction, written for stage and radio, and published three books, The Camera Obscure, Tourist to the Sun and That Little Voice. Her fourth books is a Punk Novel, Burnt Lungs and Bitter Sweets, launching on December 20th at Dial Lane Books in Ipswich and published by Local Publisher, Urban Pigs Press.