News from Inua Ellams. 09/06/08Excerpt from new work: “I am from a long line of trouble makers, of ash skinned Africans born with clenched fists and a natural thirst for battle, only quenched by breast milk, they'd suckle as if the white silk sliding between gums, were liquid peace treaties, written from mums...” Yeah :)
The formula, four news items and something good from YouTube: THE 14th TALE / SOUNDBLAST / NORTH WALSHAM / M&C SAATCHI / ONETASTE /
THE 14TH TALE - PLease Pleas Please, keep the 31st of July, 1st or 2nd of August free. For the last few months, I have been working on a show, a one person narrative called 'THE 14th TALE' loosely inspired by the book. It is easily the most challenging and personal thing I have ever done. I will be speaking of this more over the coming weeks, but the scratch performances are on those three dates.
Date: 31 July, 1 & 2 August Time: 8pm Cost £5/£3 Venue: The BAC // Lavender Hill, Battersea, London, SW11 5TN Box Office : 02072232223 http://www.bac.org.uk.
SOUNDBLAST - There are two limited edition projects under way. This is the first. Couple of month ago I read at the launch of SOUNDBLAST, the poetry books society's project to sell recordings of poetry. I selected Six of the notorious Fairy Negro Tales, spent a while in a studio perfecting the poems, creating something worthy of purchase. I sent them to and they loved them, agreed to sell it. Now, the original idea was simply to make them on demand but I got to thinking, my fingers got to itching and I opted to hand make everything. Monetary wise, it is a bit more than I budgeted and I'll just about break even, but damn it, they look beautiful! The cases are hand made of soft, recycled foliage lined paper and the poems are on gloss black Cds. I am making only 50 of these, so get 'em while they last.
You can see how they are made here : http://tinyurl.com/3jeuhh You can reserve and collect from me at a show or something or... Purchase from Soundsblast, they'll post it : http://tinyurl.com/5rpg2p
If you don't get to purchase a physical copy, but still want the poems, fear not: available (via pay pal) from my myspace page and website.
NORTH WALSHAM - On 2nd of May, I was invited back to teach creative writing at a school in Norfolk, North Walsham as part of the week of internationalism and diversity. I devised a prose writing exercise where students would have to flick through a series of photographs specific to one of eight countries, eg Cambodia, China, Nigeria, note images, sounds and smells from the country and retell an incident, something that happened specific to the student, but place it in the chosen country... I taught the whole school except year eight students, as they were studying for exams, but the results were incredible. From break dancing on a barge made of flowers in a rice field, to a skateboarding in the Sahra. A girl named Rose O'Connor pushed the boat further and created her own world, beginning, “Once upon a time in Connorsville, on a quiet street called Rose...”
The most touching though was from a student who took the day she discovered she was pregnant, placed it in India's monsoon season and wrote to her future son of her tears stolen by the rain. I love what I do.
M&C SAATCHI - Sooo.... I am a member of the Daydream Crew, a collective that put out a graphic arts magazine. Last year, the collective took over the foyer of the M&S SAATCHI (infamous art collectors) offices in Golden Square near Carnaby Street, London. They brought a host of artists into the space who graffitied the walls creating Urban art in the mist unlikely of places. They were invited back to launch the 4th issue of their magazine and I went along to see the new works being created and graffitied onto the walls. I helped a couple of the artist until I was tasked to create something... I sat in a corner for a few minutes, penned a verse and stayed till the small hours of the morning, grafting the poem to the walls! The exhibition is open to the public 12pm - 8 pm, so if you are in the area, stop by, walk in, see and READ.
Address - M&C SAATCHI // 36 Golden Square London / W1F 9E
YOUTUBE: ONETASTE COLLECTIVE 12 June // Jazz cafe - Going from strength, this is about the Oneaste Collective. Members of the collective are scattered across the entertainment industry, in all categories, fields and levels. Last year the collective played the Jazz Cafe and this year we return with a tighter more inclusive show. We have been working hard to bring something truly brilliant to the stage and on the 12 of June, we take the Jazz Cafe by storm. To add fuel to the fire, that Night I will be flying from one event to another and should get on the venue when the show is to begin as a short verse of mine set to Samba drums opens the show. Also a bristling tour of summer festivals is underway and to get the vibe and news rolling, we created a short intro to the collective. Look out for yours truly....
underway and to get the vibe and news rolling, we created a short intro to the collective. Look out for yours truly....
More soon. Inua x