19 October 2004
Caribbean event in Dundee
Photo opportunities: 5.40pm, Friday 22 October, meeting room, Dundee Contemporary Arts 152 Nethergate,
Dundee, 9.45am, Saturday 23 October, meeting room, Dundee Contemporary Arts,152 Nethergate, Dundee
To arrange interview please contact Press Office on 01382 344768
A flavour of the Caribbean will come to Dundee when renowned poet E A Markham and the crime writer and
broadcaster Mike Philips give readings from their works in two days of seminars about the Caribbean,
black culture and history. Hosted by the University of Dundee's Department of English, the events form
part of Black History Month, celebrated annually in October throughout Britain.
'The Caribbean Research Seminar in the North' to be held on Friday 22 October will focus on Caribbean
migration into Britain in the post-war period with discussion on the creation of a 'racialised ghetto' in
British cities and a look at the sound system cultures from Jamaica to the United Kingdom. E A Markham
who has published numerous volumes of poetry will give a public poetry reading from his more recent
published collection of verse. The Seminar takes place in the training complex, Tower Conference Suite
on Friday 22nd October from 1.30pm.
The Department of English will hold a second seminar on Saturday 23 October where crime writer, critic
and broadcaster, Mike Phillips will give a reading from his latest novel and present a paper on migration,
modernity, multiculturalism and transculturality. The one day seminar 'Black British: Interrogations
and Interventions, Canons and Critiques' will investigate aspects of black British culture and writing
and what it is meant by the term 'black British'. This seminar will take place in the DCA Meeting room on
Saturday 23rd October from 9.45am.
E A Markham and Mike Phillips give the readings on 22 and 23 October at 6pm at Dundee Contemporary Arts
meeting room respectively.
Both events are free and open to the public. For further information please contact Dr Gail Low on 01382
344445 or email g.low@dundee.ac.uk.
Notes to editors
E A Markham has published numerous volumes of poetry including Human Rites: Selected Poems 1970-1982
(1984), Towards the End of a Century (1989), Misapprehensions (1995), A Rough Climate (2002), which was
shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize, and John Lewis & Co (2003). He has also published a novel, Marking
Time (1999), three collections of short stories, Something Unusual (1986), Ten Stories (1994) and Taking
the Drawing Room Through Customs: Selected Stories 1970-2000 (2002), and a memoir, A Papua New Guinea
Sojourn: More Pleasures of Exile (1998). He is the editor of Hinterland (1989) and The Penguin Book of
Caribbean Short Stories (1996).
Mike Phillips is a writer, broadcaster and journalist, critic and crime writer. He won the Crime Writers'
Association Macallan Silver Dagger for Fiction in 1991. He is well known for Blood Rights (1989), The
Late Candidate (1990), Point of Darkness (1994), An Image to Die For (1995), The Dancing Face (1997) and
A Shadow of Myself (2000). He has also co-produced, scripted and co-written the television series and
book, Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-Racial Britain (1998). His 'biography' of black Britain,
London Crossings (2001), is his most recent published work.
Funding for speakers has been provided by the Scottish Arts Council.
By Angela Durcan, Press Officer 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, a.durcan@dundee.ac.uk |
