‘A Poem Is Never Finished, Only Abandoned’. True North: Literature and The Region

Last night at NCLA there was undoubtedly the sense of a special event occurring. The Curtis Auditorium was packed. With painter Emma Halliday busily capturing the vibrant atmosphere onto fresh canvas there was a true sense of occasion.

Linda Anderson introduced the 15 minute film ‘Proof’. Proof, by Anna Woodford, chronicles how Tara Bergin and Kate Sweeney unearthed the treasures of Bloodaxe Poetry’s archive. Neil Astley’s Bloodaxe Poetry imprint is indisputably a jewel in the North’s literary crown, having released work by poets such as Simon Armitage and Benjamin Zephaniah. The film captured not just the illuminating process of communication between poet and editor, but also the texture of a poetry archive. The film is full of crisp, turned pages. It captures the heaving, physical presence of a rich archive. Sprinkled with insights from poets about what their work means to them, the film also offered a true sense of the landscape that shapes Northern literature- the wild moors and hills. As Val McDermid later commented, these open spaces offer fertile ground for the artistic imagination.

Afterwards Sean O’Brien chaired a wide-reaching discussion along with ‘Wire In The Blood’ writer Val McDermid and Lee Hall of Billy Elliot fame. The topic of Northern sensibility was discussed; how the North has defined itself in contrast to The South, and how Northern writers support one another in the face of adversity. The subject of recent arts cuts was raised, with Hall and McDermid exchanging impassioned views. McDermid raised the point that without libraries, the next generation cannot learn about the world, or even gain access to much needed services. Thereby showing that these issues do not just concern literature, but also the wellbeing of the community.  

But most of all the event was about celebrating the North in literature. This is a subject which- judging from the audiences questions- is keenly felt. It was an event which touched upon many subjects. But the message which remained clear was how literature, in its many forms, is part of a tradition intrinsic to the region.