London’s tradition of dissent
(photo taken by me on a march last year)
One of my favourite words, Dissent is a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea (e.g. a government’s policies). I am very much looking forward to reading some London-based poems of dissent as part of the exciting Worm Wood project: a rich collaboration between artists Tereza Stehlikova and S J Fowler, which has produced multiple events, an exhibition, a film and publications in response to Kensal Green Cemetery and its disappearing London context. For more info, see http://www.stevenjfowler.com/wormwood
The event I am privileged to be joining is on Thursday 24th August 7pm at Kensal Green Dissenters’ Chapel, free entry. It is part of the Worm Wood project and features a number of exciting London writers and poets responding to their city. http://www.theenemiesproject.com/wormwoodview
For many years I lived in London and taught in north-west London, not far from Kensal Green. I am therefore excited to have the opportunity to join this event and to read some poems based on working conditions in early 20th century London. Using material from the suffragette-inspired Women’s Industrial Council, and from recent reports into poverty and gender, the poems attempt to voice a tradition of dissent, although a political dissent rather than the religious dissent of the Chapel. (These poems were included in The Frock Enquiry, published by Annexe and available here for free download, if any reader is interested http://buff.ly/2eDNm5s
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