LitFest 2022

Words Suzy Holland Images: DManx LitFest, authors’ own. Photo of Catriona Ward by Robert Hollingworth Simon Maddrell

The 10th anniversary of the first Manx LitFest is here! And first, a word from the organisers:

‘All of us at Manx LitFest are beyond thrilled that we’ve reached this 10 year anniversary. When we started in 2012 we had no idea that we would be still be going a decade later, and we are so grateful to those who have supported and sponsored us over the last ten years and to everyone who has been to our events.’

So what’s on offer? After two years of Covid disruptions and cancellations, Manx LitFest 2022 is back, shorter than in earlier years but with the usual mix of author discussions, book signings, educational visits and the popular Poetry and Short Story Slams and the highly competitive, but always fun, Book Fanatics Quiz Night.

As always there is an eclectic blend of visiting and local authors: the headline ‘act’ is acclaimed horror writer Michelle Paver who will be talking about her books include Wakenhyrst (‘spooky, twisted and unforgettable’) and the recent Dark Matter (’a tale of terror and beauty and wonder’). More horror comes from Catriona Ward, talking about her latest book Sundial, described as ‘authentically terrifying’ by master of terror himself, Stephen King. Not technically ‘horror’ but there’s also Kings of a Dead World, Jamie Mollart’s dystopian vision of a – you guessed it – a dying world. Or you can discover local witches and witchcraft with historian John Callow.

If horror isn’t your thing, how about poetry? LitFest kicks off on Wednesday 21st September with the Poetry Slam compered by Simon Maddrell, whose own poetry has been published widely. His debut Throatbone was published in 2020 and weaves his love of his native Isle of Man with his experiences growing up here as a gay teenager, poems which have been described variously as tender, hopeful, deeply personal, often painful and both beautiful and disconcerting.

Simon is all over LitFest with two workshops and then on the final day (Sunday 25th September) with ‘a conversation with Simon Maddrell’ – which also features local actress/performer Lisa Smith - and promises to be not only an exploration of his life as a queer Manx man but his love for the Isle of Man, its landscapes, nature, history and folklore.

Martin Impey a workshop on ‘when fact meets fiction: writing a story around a historical event.’ Her debut novel The Ragged Valley was published earlier this year and is the first in a three part historical fiction series called the Sheffield Sagas, set in her home town in the 1880s. The second, The Girl at Change Alley, follows in November. And on the same day, 25th September, local marine biologist Dr Fiona Gell, author of Spring Tides: Exploring Marine Life on the Isle of Man will be hosting a non-fiction workshop on ‘creativity in a crisis: writing for the ecological and climate emergency.’

Another local author Steve Wright (no, not that one!) is launching his Wild Enthusiasm: A very British Safari at Erin Arts Centre on Sunday 25th. Described as an inspiring and engaging diary of encounters with eagles, otters, dolphins, puffins and, of course, wallabies, Wild Enthusiasm… is very readable and Steve himself is, as you’d expect, very enthusiastic and will be signing copies at this event. Which is as good at a time as any to mention that the Bridge Bookshop in Port Erin and Ramsey is the place to go for copies of books by all the LitFest authors: “We are proudly the festival bookstore again,” says owner Angela Pickard, “and are looking forward to celebrating the 10th festival in this, our own 50th anniversary year.”

And LitFest wouldn’t be LitFest without children’s books. At the Family Library in Douglas on Saturday 24th, Candy Courlay will be discussing her ‘Is it a Mermaid?’ (aimed at 3 to 6 year olds) and the same day multi-award winning illustrator Martin Impey returns to LitFest to lead an illustration workshop for children. And then on Sunday, Impey and Chris Riley will talk about their collaboration on the Teen/Young Adult (10+) book about the moon landings ‘Where Once We Stood.’ But both artist/illustrator Martin and author Chris are also holding talks for adults at the Erin Arts Centre on Saturday. Martin will discuss his journey researching and 'finding' Wilfred Owen - the man, the soldier and the poet - which led to him illustrating the book of one of Owen's most renowned poems Dulce et Decorum Est. Chris’s talk will cover his wide ranging career as film producer, director and writer of more than forty articles and books on astronomy and planetary science – including the NASA Apollo 11: ‘Owners' Workshop Manual.’

Just enough room here to mention the regular ‘Writers Day’ with panel talks, agent pitch slots, interviews and master classes for aspiring authors which has helped launch the careers of many writers on the Island. And for younger aspiring writers Friday 23rd September sees the popular Schools Day when visiting and local authors call into primary and secondary schools around the Island to encourage creativity at all levels. You never know, you could have a future Booker/Costa/Whitbread or Greenaway prize winner in your house!

Joanne Clague Catriona Ward

Manx LitFest 2022 is on from 21st – 25th September and details of all the events, how to book and more information about each author/poet can be found on www.facebook.com/ManxLitFest.

And if you’d like to get involved with LitFest 2023, now’s the time to volunteer. You can message the team via Facebook, email manxlitfest@gmail.com or just talk to them at your chosen event. Your local literary festival needs you!

For the fourth successive year, Douglas has been awarded nine prestigious green flags.

‘It is also testament to the continued hard work and dedication of the Parks Services team that creates consistently magnificent green spaces that everyone can enjoy.

‘Good quality, open green spaces contribute significantly to community quality of life and it is impressive that their efforts have been publicly recognised again by such a respected independent body.’

Not only are the Green Flags the international quality mark for parks and green spaces, the scheme operates a rigorous assessment process with judging involving more than 700 experts.

In addition, the sites are not automatically renewed, meaning the Council has to continually come up with new schemes and maintain high standards to retain their status.

Council Leader Claire Wells says the awards demonstrate the Council’s commitment to investing in green spaces in the capital.

‘To have been awarded nine Green Flags again underlines the commitment to make Douglas a desirable place to live, work and visit,’ she added.

‘Yet it’s not just about well-tended parks and gardens but it’s about investing in community spaces that add value to people’s lives and contribute to creating a positive image.

‘Many congratulations to the Parks Services team for all their work and vision. It is another fitting honour in the year we have been awarded city status’.

Commenting on the news that Noble’s Park has met the Green Flag Award standard, Keep Britain Tidy’s Accreditation Manager Paul Todd said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making Noble’s Park worthy of a Green Flag Award.

“The park is a vital green space for the community in Douglas and testament to all the hard work of staff and volunteers who do so much to ensure that it maintains the high standards demanded by the Green Flag Award.”

The accolade, managed by the UK environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, is considered the benchmark standard for recreational outdoor spaces and sites across the British Isles.

Noble’s Park has been officially recognised as one of the best parks by being awarded the coveted Green Flag.

In addition, eight other parks and green spaces managed by Douglas Borough Council’s Parks Services have been recognised: Douglas Golf Course, Douglas Head, the Kaye Memorial Garden, Summerhill Glen, Derby Square, Douglas Borough Cemetery, Hutchinson Square and the Marine Gardens.

Since entering the scheme for the first time in 2013 (when it was awarded two flags), the local authority has been consistently successful and seen its tally regularly increase.

However, during a year which saw untold damage caused by Storm Barra last December, Regeneration and Community Committee Chair, Councillor Andrew Bentley, believes retaining all nine flags is a particularly impressive achievement.

‘After two years that have seen our parks and green spaces play a vital role for people through lockdowns as a place to relax, exercise and meet friends and family safely, this is truly wonderful.

‘Yet in many ways to receive this news in 2022 is an even finer accolade given it has been far from business as usual with the fallout of Storm Barra, as well as the position where we have experienced and continue to experience a number of staff shortages.

Words Suzy Holland Images: David Fletcher. Portrait of David, Eileen Schaer.

Island art lovers are in for a treat: David Fletcher ‘Paintings’ is a retrospective of work by this much loved and revered artist opening at the House of Manannan at the end of September.

David, who trained at Liverpool College of Art and the Royal College of Art, moved to the Isle of Man in 1975 to take up a teaching post at the Isle of Man College. There he became course leader for the Art & Design Foundation Course, working alongside the Head of Art, Norman Sayle and teaching many of the Island’s current artists. As well as teaching and inspiring other artists, David had considerable recognition for his own work and exhibited widely both on the Island and further afield. In 1983 he was a prize winner of the National Portrait Awards at the National Portrait Gallery and his ‘Sacred Isle’ won the prestigious Singer and Friedlander prize. In addition, Sir John Moores purchased a large figurative work, ‘Man Resting with his Prejudice’ which had been included in the 1980 John Moores Biennale at the Walker Art Gallery. were helping to establish the Island’s first permanent contemporary art galleries, The Courtyard Gallery and its successor The Sayle Gallery which unfortunately no longer exist, and also initiating the Arts Council Loan Collection which includes prints, paintings and photographs from artists such as Anthony Gormley, Damien Hirst, Picasso, Hockney, Frink and more, as well as Manx artists Bryan Kneale, Chris Killip and Michael Sandle. The works in this collection are out on rotation to schools, hospitals, libraries, the prison and other public buildings.

own work, then Hannah Murphy of Manx National Heritage provides some background: “David is represented in the National Art Collection by three of his works: ‘The Old Chapel’, ‘Man with Worm’ and ‘Sycamore’, and these paintings will be showcased in the exhibition, alongside a selection of other works curated by David’s widow, Eileen Schaer and colleague Carola Rush. The earlier figurative paintings on loan for this exhibition are oils on board painted in the early 1980s and the framed acrylic on paper paintings are from the 1990s and later when his style became more abstract – and, if you like what you see, there is a rare opportunity to buy those of the paintings not on loan during this exhibition.”

David’s work is described as having a spiritual and transcendental quality reflecting his life-long interest in Eastern philosophy, meditation, poetry and art. Friend and fellow artist Norman Sayle once said that David’s approach to his art, “is absolutely uncompromising… I can’t readily think of any label which could describe David Fletcher’s work. The nearest I can manage is psychological and mystical.” (Exhibition notes from a joint Sayle/Fletcher exhibition, ‘The Space Between’ 2004).

David suffered from a rare medical condition which affects connective tissue, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, which goes some way to explaining his physical frailty, and which contributed to his early death in 2008, aged just 60. But this frailty is completely belied by the strength of purpose in all his paintings from the early semi-abstract portrait and landscape paintings to the later more metaphysical forms. And shortly before his death, he embarked on a collaboration with the contemporary dance school Ballet Rambert which performed on the Island a number of times in the early 2000s. These paintings show a physicality of form and range of movement David could only imagine, interpreting the strength of the dancers and the forceful choreography in colour and line. Or as David said himself at the time, “As a visual artist I am in awe of the freeflowing, often visceral, movements of the dancers which often appear to defy the realms of human anatomy.” These Ballet Rambert paintings were exhibited on the Island in 2007 and many were sold into private collections, but fortunately for those of us who weren’t there, or weren’t amongst the buyers, one is included in this exhibition - ‘The Evocation of Isadora Duncan’ on loan from the IOM Arts Council Loan Collection.

David’s widow, Eileen Schaer says that being creative was always at the forefront of his mind, whether it was through his paintings, teaching, discussing and sharing ideas, and how important it was to have a permanent gallery:

“I am so pleased that in this exhibition of David’s work MNH is recognising his contribution to contemporary art on the Island,” she says of ‘Paintings’, “and I am sure he would be both proud and humbled by this retrospective.”

Manx National Heritage is honoured to be exhibiting David Fletcher’s work at the House of Manannan:

“David was a well-respected and well-known member of the Manx art community from the 1970s to 2000s,” says Hannah Murphy. “His achievements are numerous, both as teacher and practitioner. David exhibited at the Manx Museum in 1990 with his show ‘Internal Landscapes’ and we are excited to be revisiting his work now with ‘Paintings’. David’s work is timeless; decades later the paintings remain bold, fresh and captivating.”

David Fletcher ‘Paintings’ is at the House of Manannan, Peel from 25 September 2022 until 26 February 2023. Entry is free and some paintings are available for sale.