Mightier than the Sword: Scottish PEN Literary Events

The worldwide association of writers host a series of free literature events which unite an outstanding selection of Commonwealth and Scottish writers along the route of the Queens Baton Relay. Our Books Editor speaks to some of the participants

Feature by Alan Bett | 02 Jun 2014

I remember strolling through Tiananmen Square some years back, a huge digital clock counting down the seconds, minutes, years until the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Standing in Glasgow’s Central Station last weekend a smaller clock performed this same task for our Commonwealth games. I doubt very much that we will stuff a young girl under a stage while her cuter accomplice lip-synchs proudly above it, but make no mistake, these games will exist in the wake of their own carefully managed propaganda; the grand narrative of the Commonwealth will be thoroughly polished.

Be thankful then that Scottish PEN – our own office of the worldwide association of writers – have cast their critical eye upon this historic occasion, previously known as The Empire Games. They have used it as a skeleton on which to hang six excellent free events, exploring many issues related to the Commonwealth and the countries contained within it. Their President, Drew Campbell, explains their aim. “We’re taking advantage of the fact the Commonwealth games are here, but it’s really very much to show the influence we [Scotland] have had and the connections historically we’ve had. Different places in Scotland have very specific connections,” he says, which is why they have built these events into a cultural and symbolic map, placing them along the route of the Queen’s Baton Relay. 

They open with Exploration of Dangerous Ideas, a night of sci-fi at Edinburgh’s Summerhall on 14 June, with authors Nnedi Okorafor and Ken Macleod. I ask Nnedi – a US citizen of Nigerian Igbo descent – whether the genre offers a safe space to explore dangerous and difficult subject matter. “When I wrote Who Fears Death, I was not thinking ‘Oh, if I write this as fantasy or science fiction or magical realism, the story will be easier for people to digest.’ I just wrote my story. When I wrote Lagoon, I was seriously imagining what would happen if aliens came to Lagos, Nigeria.”


“Story is a vaccine against war” – Philo Ikonya


But while these tales might not be metaphorical, they still provoke uncomfortable and politically dangerous thought and discussion, but in a palatable way. “In hindsight, I think the mystical aspects of Who Fears Death take the edge off the violence and give the reader a sense of hope and spiritual comfort in the midst of very harsh violent realities. And the aliens in Lagoon allow the story to boldly and aggressively take shots at real-life pressing issues in Nigeria without bogging it down with preaching.” Nnedi often writes a curious blend of sci-fi and ancient Igbo myth. “Traditionally, Igbos and Nigerians as a whole do not separate the mystical world and the mundane... therefore, when I write it is perfectly natural to have science fictional and mystical, fantastical or magical elements.” We should never forget the key purpose of these stories, and of this PEN evening itself; while dealing with a plethora of political, cultural and social issues, “the reader still has fun.”

We move to Ayrshire on 20 June for Politics of Poetry – Burns, Jamaica and the Scottish Slave Trade, with Jamaican born dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson and well known Burns fanatic Kevin Williamson performing in Rabbie's birthplace of Alloway. The man who first published Irvine Welsh sharing a stage with the writer of Inglan is a Bitch promises a night of insight, energy and, dare I suggest, controversy. While these two publish and perform fearlessly in truthful and genuine dialect, further authentic Scottish language can be heard at Celtic Commonwealth – Gaelic Poetry and Literature from Canada and Scotland (8 Jul), with three Gaelic poets performing in Stornaway's island setting. The full PEN programme of events is rich with language, from Scots and Gaelic to patois and slang, yet image will prove as powerful as word during Reinterpreting Women’s Stories using the Surreal and the Mythological, a night at the McManus Cafe in Dundee on 27 June. Writer and painter Amruta Patil and graphic novelist Karrie Fransman explain how they've used comics to tell stories from a woman's point of view. All audience members will receive a piece of artwork from the artists.

Words in Times of Conflict: if you’ve never been to Innerpeffray Library near Crieff (the first public library established in Scotland), then the 5 July is your opportunity, for an evening which explores much of what PEN stands for; the power of words and literature to combat violence and tragedy. Years back, Kenyan writer Philo Ikonya walked barefoot in her homeland with her PEN co-host for the night, the Scottish author Linda Cracknell. She was arrested soon afterwards and is now in exile. Evidence perhaps of the power of words and the fear they can instill in the establishment. Philo illustates this point: "The police and some people in the Executive back in 2009 did not like the fact that I have no secrets between me and my nation." She holds strong views on the role of writers in times of war. “During conflict, when a writer is finally able to write, I believe they should simply tell what they see, feel, hear and touch; what they dream even.” Their words can provide more insight than a factual news bulletin; poetry conjures images and emotions which encourage us to feel and understand. “It is not about writing the news of the day. Write about how you heard the chilling cries and how they left you, if they ever did," she says. “Story is a vaccine against war,” Philo believes, here quoting the writer Annette Simmons. Through discussion, stories and ideas she feels we can diffuse dangerous situations, or forewarn of them. “Writers are often prophetic. Leaders should listen up if writers begin to get agitated.”


“We have a lot to answer for” - Drew Campbell, President of Scottish PEN


The final event, Tales of the Empire Cafe is hosted on 24 July in The Briggait, the very location where slaves were once brought into Glasgow. The city’s historical wealth was based upon tobacco barons profiting from slave labour in the Caribbean, its lavishly designed buildings testament to that. James Robertson, author of the outstanding Scottish novel of slavery Joseph Knight, will be joined by British-Guyanese writer Fred D’Aguair. With Britain believing itself the master of the Commonwealth, sitting at its centre, it will be interesting to hear the opinions of those looking in rather than out. “That’s exactly what we’re trying to get at,” explains Drew. “To make people think about the history of it, what the Empire really represented to the people outside of the UK, because they have a very different view.” He shares the story of his own Glasgow primary school, named after the explorer Mungo Park. “We actually had a picture of him up on the wall. We saw him as this brave missionary who went up the Niger and brought civilisation to all these nice native people.” Yet when discussing this years later with an African colleague, “...obviously she didn’t see it this way at all.” The reverberations are still being felt today, with much of the evangelical Christianity affecting swathes of the continent born from this arrogantly misguided past. “We have a lot to answer for,” Drew suggests.

The programme PEN has commissioned is superb, and I would encourage you to book your free tickets soon. The writers speaking and attending are diverse and of the highest calibre. But they are only the beginning; audience participation is key. This excercise is not about congealing thought; it’s about stretching it, understanding the past and moving forward. These discussions link to our culture, our international influence both positive and negative. They also link intrinsically to location, providing the opportunity to travel to places within Scotland you may never have visited, engage with subjects you perhaps never considered and hear writers you might never have been aware of.

“It’s about promoting Scottish literature and Scottish culture to Scottish people, but also bringing world literature to the attention of Scottish people,” Drew believes. “There will be the Scottish audience for this, but hopefully the way we archive and record this will reach an international audience too, so it will project Scottish writers out into the world.” It’s a fluid and developing dialogue, hopefully restoring some cultural balance to what has historically been an uneven relationship. “For me there has been no cross pollination and in fact, the bees are dying!” Philo suggests of intellectual exchange within the Commonwealth. Then thankfully she offers a ray of light by repeating this entomologous metaphor more positively in relation to PEN. “Participating in this is enriching... I hope it will lead us to pushing more borders and asking questions, and yes, networking too, like bees.

Events happen across the country 14 Jun-24 Jul

To find more information on all of the events and authors mentioned here, or to book your free places, visit the Scottish PEN website

http://scottishpen.org