Student writers from the University of Manchester's Centre for New Writing, including Sarah Corbett, Simon Hawarth, Nicholas Murgatroyd, Reshma Ruia and Veronica Turiano, present poetry and stories responding to art works in the permanent collections at Manchester Art Gallery. Encounter them amidst their inspirations throughout the day.

 

John Siddique has been jointly commissioned by Manchester Literature Festival and Manchester Art Gallery to respond to the Pilkington’s Lancastrian Pottery: Art and Industry in Greater Manchester exhibition. At this unique event he will read from his latest work against the backdrop of his inspirations. John Siddique has published several collections of poetry including Recital – An Almanac and Poems from a Northern Soul, as well as memoir and poetry for children. He has held several writer in residence posts including California State University and the Lowry.

 

Acclaimed poet Pascale Petit will give an illustrated reading from her new collection What the Water Gave Me – Poems after Frida Kahlo. The poems are written in the voice of the iconic Mexican painter and draw on Kahlo’s life and work for inspiration. More than just a verse biography, this collection explores how Kahlo transformed trauma and disability into extraordinary art. Pascale Petit has published four previous collections including The Treekeeper’s Tale. She has twice been shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize and was named as one of the Next Generation Poets in 2004. She teaches creative writing courses at Tate Modern, trained as an artist at the Royal College of Art and was a sculptor for the first part of her life.

 

This two-day course will enable participants to use the Pilkington’s Lancastrian Pottery: Art and Industry in Greater Manchester exhibition as a source of inspiration for their own writing, as well as providing them with guidance for developing their craft. Participants will spend time looking at the exhibition and, through discussion and practical exercises, will develop their own poetic responses to the work. This course is designed for people with some prior experience of writing poetry and will be led by our specially commissioned poet John Siddique, whose collections include Recital – An Almanac and Poems from a Northern Soul.

 

This two-day course will enable participants to use the Pilkington’s Lancastrian Pottery: Art and Industry in Greater Manchester exhibition as a source of inspiration for their own writing, as well as providing them with guidance for developing their craft. Participants will spend time looking at the exhibition and, through discussion and practical exercises, will develop their own poetic responses to the work. This course is designed for people with some prior experience of writing poetry and will be led by our specially commissioned poet John Siddique, whose collections include Recital – An Almanac and Poems from a Northern Soul.