LeftLion April 2023 Issue 158

Lady Chatt-Aly’s Lover Alan Gilby (alan.gilby@leftlion.co.uk)

Editor-in-Chief Jared Wilson (jared.wilson@leftlion.co.uk)

Editor George White (george.white@leftlion.co.uk)

Supporters

Assistant Editor Lizzy O’Riordan (lizzy.oriordan@leftlion.co.uk)

Head Designer Natalie Owen (natalie.owen@leftlion.co.uk)

Head of Video and Photography Curtis Powell (curtis.powell@leftlion.co.uk)

Partnerships Manager Adam Pickering (adam.pickering@leftlion. co.uk)

Web Developer Tom Errington (tom.errington@leftlion.co.uk)

Fashion Editor

Addie Kenogbon (addie.kenogbon@leftlion. co.uk)

Stage Co-Editor Ian C. Douglas (ian@leftlion.co.uk)

Stage Co-Editor Dom Henry (dom.henry@leftlion.co.uk)

Screen Co-Editor Jamie Morris (jamie.morris@leftlion.co.uk)

Screen Co-Editor Oliver Parker (oliver.parker@leftlion.co.uk)

Music Co-Editor Gemma Cockrell (gemma.cockrell@leftlion.co.uk)

Music Co-Editor Amrit Virdi (amrit.virdi@leftlion.co.uk)

Al Draper, Alison Gove-Humphries, Alison Harrison, Alison Hedley, Anamenti, Andrene Alejandro, Anne Jennings, Ant Haywood, Barbara Morgan, Ben Lester, Caroline Le Sueur, Catriona, Chloe Langley, Chris Jarvis, Chris Mead, Chris Underwood, Claire Foss, Claire Henson, Claire Warren, Clare Foyle, Colin, D Lawson, Dan Lyons, Dan Hemmings, Darren Harvey, David Knight, Dick Watson, Donna Rowe-Merriman, Eddie, Eden PR, Ellen O’Hara, Emma Lipinski, Erika Diaz Petersen, Felicity Whittle, Foxy Painter, Fred Glenister, Freddy Angell, Graye Wilde, Hannah Foskett, Hayley Howard, Heather Hodkinson, Heather Oliver, Helena Tyce, Ian Storey, Ian Yanson, In memory of Anna Novak (Bradford and Scoraig), In memory of Jenny Smith, James Place, James Wright, Janine Lees, Jayne Paul William & Pirate Jack, Jed Southgate, Jem Woolley, Jenni Harding, Joanna Furniss, John Haslam, John Hess, John Holmes, Jon Blyth, Jonathan Fenn, Jos Potts, Joshua Heathcote, Judy Gray, Julian Bower, Justyn Roberts, Kathryn Hewitt, Kathleen Dunham, Kay Gilby, Kiki Dee the Cat, Koprowskit, Lawrence Poole, Les Hayes, Livi & Jacob Nieri, Liz Knott, Lizzy and Margot, Lizzy Colyer, Louise Duffield, Marc Weaver, Mark Barratt, Mark Gasson, Matt Cliffe, Matt Turpin, Matthew Riches, Mighty Lightweights, MinorOak Coworking, Miri Debah, Moira Scothern, Monica White, Nick Donovan, Nick Waine, Nigel Cooke, Nigel Hudson, Nigel King, Nina Faresin, NottingJam Orchestra, Paul Boast, Paul Woodall, Pete Barker, Peter Coghill, Philip Miller, Rachel Ayrton, Rachel Hancorn, Rachel Morton, Raphael Achache, Rich Fisher, Richard Barclay, Richard Goodwin, Rob Arthur, Roger Hughes, Ron Mure, Ross Balzaretti, Roy Manterfield, Russell Brown, Sam Hudson, Sam Nahirny, Sam Rose, Samantha CulshawRobinson, Sarah Manton, Sarah Moore, Sarah Scriver, Simon Evans, Siobhan, Spicer, Steve Lyon, Steve Riordan, Steve Silver, Steve Stickley Storyteller, Steve Wallace, Stewart Berry, Stuart Wilson, Sue Barsby, Sue Reader, Tim Foster Hair, Tom Justice, Tom Patterson, Tracey Newton, Will

Fancy

Food Co-Editor Daniela Loffreda (daniela.loffreda@leftlion. co.uk)

Food Co-Editor Julia Head (julia.head@leftlion.co.uk)

Photography Co-Editor Fabrice Gagos (fabrice.gagos@leftlion.co.uk)

Featured Contributor

Photography Co-Editor Nathan Langman (nathan.langman@leftlion.co.uk)

Cover Charlotte Thomson-Morley

Naternity Cover Raphael Achache

Editorial Interns

Lottie Murray

Josephine Ruffles

Writers

Dani Bacon

Francesca Beaumont

Jade Bramley

Maddie Dinnage

Art Co-Editor George Dunbar (george.dunbar@leftlion.co.uk)

Lewis Keech

Love CeCe

Freya Saulsbury Martin

Yasmin Turner

Nadia Whittome

Photographers

Dani Bacon

Jade Bramley

Charlie Catmur

Richard Chung

Nige Hall

Abigail Hughes-Wilkie

Cal McNab

John Smalley

Art Co-Editor Marta Tavares (marta.tavares@leftlion.co.uk)

Chris Spencer

Paul Swift

Frazer Varney

Illustrators

Ciaran Burrows

Emily Catherine

Bryony Loveridge

Emmy Lupin

Aamina Mahmood

Zarina Teli

Editorial Illustrations

Emily Catherine

Originally from Nottingham, Lewis is currently studying languages in London. He’d interacted with LeftLion as a reader a few times over the years, either seeing it in pubs, libraries, or picking up a copy from the supermarket. Interested in a career in journalism, Lewis first saw an ad on social media calling for contributors to Leftlion and went for it! Since then, he has been able to write articles and even interview some talented authors for LeftLion. Working on the magazine helps him feel a little closer to home.

Read Lewis’s article about Verbal Burlesque on page 20

@lewiskeech1

Down the Rabbit Hole

A World for Us All

Changing the Game

Cast your mind back to the early 1970s and you might remember the opening of Mushroom, a radical bookshop just outside of the city centre

A Library Worker in Notts

We hear all about Global Wordsmiths - a community interest company established in 2012, which seeks to help writers realise their dreams

31

Library workers. They just shush people and put books on shelves, right? Wrong. They do a whole lot more than that

Talking Dirty

A night of poetry and storytelling, SMUT! Verbal Burlesque is Nottingham’s only open mic night dedicated to the exploration of human sexuality

Easy Listening

We chat to the UNESCO City of Literature youth board’s Connor Brown and Abi Hutchison about their new event, Speak Easy

Page Against the Machine

Meet Stephen L. Holland, the owner of Page 45 who’s changing perceptions about what comics can be

32

The Lost Boy

Ahead of his appearance at Five Leaves Bookshop, we chat with Matthew Green to hear more about his new book, Shadowlands

Cool. Calm. Composed. The LeftLion team were none of these things when Bella Ramsey, star of The Last of Us, swung by the office recently 20

Top of the Chocs

Head a couple of avenues up from us in Sneinton Market and you’ll find Luisa’s, the chocolatiers putting heart into every batch

WRAP City

Inspiring students to express themselves through writing, Rebecca Cullen set up WRAP, shorthand for Writing, Reading and Pleasure

43

Out of Time: Susannah Wright

We learn more about Susannah Wright, the staunch defender of freedom of expression who went to jail for her beliefs

Editorial Leftlion in the wild

Hi all, Happy April.

I know, normally around this time you’d be reading the inspiring words of our Editor, George White. But, since this month’s theme is all things literature, and my main personality trait is, well, all things literature, I’m in the very fortunate position of guest editing this edition. And, even luckier for me, it’s a pretty great one.

Our city has a rich history of literature, and a bustling contemporary scene too. Slam poets, indie publishers, thriving authors - we have it all. So, if that’s up your alley, carry on reading.

If you’re looking to learn more about Nottingham’s packed heritage, then look no further than our retrospective on the anti-war establishment Mushroom Bookshop (p16), and our research into Susannah Wright (p43), the nineteenthcentury radical publisher born in Nottingham. Or, if you’re wanting to dive into the present day, then we’ve got plenty of stories, including a library worker in Notts (p15), a look into queer activism in

publishing (p18), a spoken word group celebrating sex (p20), and a collective created to inspire young creatives (p22). Plus, keep your eyes peeled for a very special four-page interview with none other than The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey (p24), whom George and I had the great pleasure of chatting to about one of the best-written TV shows around.

So, with all that said and done, I really do hope you enjoy April’s edition, and the upcoming month too. A big thank you to my fellow LeftLion team members for trusting me with this edition, and a massive thank you to Charlotte ThomsonMorley for actualising my dream cover. You smashed it, as did all the writers and illustrators involved.

It’s been a true delight to work on this edition and I hope it brings you some joy.

Much love Nottingham,

Lizzy O’Riordan lizzy.oriordan@leftlion.co.uk

Olly and Emma

The Lion, The Collie and The LeftLion Magazine

@thewildcollieflower

Tag us on Instagram @leftlionmagazine to feature in a future issue

LeftLion Ltd is a carbon neutral company, having reduced our direct emissions by 99% since 2018. We offset the rest via direct air capture from Climeworks. LeftLion Magazine is fully recyclable and compostable, made from recycled or FSC® certified (C015932) sources, and printed using renewable energy. The emissions of this paper are offset via the World Land Trust.

No Fox Given

Going Underground

You’d think spending the majority of your time underground would offer some peace and quiet, but lately those bloody land-dwellers keep kicking up a ruckus - and it’s so loud that it’s affecting my beauty sleep. That’s right, I’m talking about the badgers and foxes that are going toe-to-toe over scraps of food. You know, the ones that were caught on camera, squaring up right above my house, throwing fisticuffs over some garden grub. Keep it civil, lads - we’re not humans.

Lapping It Up

Look, football is great, but we can all admit some footy supporters aren’t the cutest. Head to Swedish Lapland, though, and you’ll find a litter of adorable Nottingham Forest fans running around in the snow. That’s thanks to Hucknall’s Ben Wagstaff, the Reds-head who moved to a frostier part of the world, and named a whole gang of sled dogs after Forest folk when they won promotion. I just hope none of them are called Samba, because I’m still not over him leaving…

Absolute Gold

St Mary’s Church is a proper beaut, tucked away in the quiet part of the city with nice grounds and stunning architecture. Yet even the classiest of establishments can indulge in a little va va voom every once in a while, and that’s exactly what’s happened at the Lace Market spot. You see, a gilding project has polished up a chorus of shiny angels around the roof of the church, lining the inside of the building with flashes of gold. Your move, St Paul’s.

The Poet

Hannah Norris

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Sure! I’m a Nottingham gal and moved back here at the start of this year after living away for twelve years, mostly in Liverpool. Poetry is my ‘side hustle’ (I hate that term…) and I came to it after the death of my grandma. It was a horrific time but I’m grateful that I got through it by writing poems instead of more hedonistic/dangerous pursuits. Weirdly, my grandma’s mum and grandad both wrote poetry, so I like to think it’s in my genes.

What’s this poem all about?

I think many poets probably come away from doing a poetry night with no idea how long their words will stick in someone’s mind afterwards and the impact they have had. At the first open mic I went to, someone read a beautiful poem about grieving for their mum and I actually ended up missing a bit of their set as I was crying in the loos! I wanted to celebrate the vulnerability of poets and acknowledge the difficulty of finding the headspace to write.

@hannahnozza

illustrations: Kate Wand

"On a serious note, I haven't been able to cop more goth gear cos it's so expensive."

"Ooh, I'm gonna get the fried buttermilk chicken burger… What is fried buttermilk chicken?"

"I love picking my scabby scalp." "Have you guys heard about those… [leans in] Shrek raves?"

"I’ve never fed anyone a carrot in a sexy way before."

"That girl is asking to shit the bed."

"I think killing the government is quite ambitious."

"I love a really soggy muffin." "He's lost a leg and a cousin… That's bad."

"Why’s it snowing in March, bro? I swear if it settles someone’s gonna get licked by a snowball."

"I’m telling you this and you’re going to think I’m lying: but I’m the king of Minecraft parody karaoke. The king."

"The kid literally thinks he's Spider- Man, it's dangerous."

For the open mic poets

"The problem is I get really badbutterfingers in the morning."

Stitchers of song, givers of goosebumps and adrenaline-shots-to-the-tear-ducts, do you have any idea how many times I’ll think of your words after this evening ends?

Do you know that when someone doesn’t give you the quiet attention you deserve, I feel as protective as when my sisters were still in primary school plays?

I wish all of us could quit our day jobs and afford to live like flâneurs, observing and writing from romantic cafes. I think we’d be very good at this.

But it’s hard isn’t it.

I’m sorry that there are days, weeks, months where you are too tired to write, keeping all those plates spinning, spinning, like Kylie in gold hotpants, like a Lazy Susan in a late-night Chinese restaurant, pissed-up friends spin for the last rib.

You labour and toil to find that perfect word, maybe you’re unsure if you ever found it. You did.

We listen and melt in our pub seats like little marshmallows in hot chocolate, going home softer than we came.

Thank god for you, open mic poets.

Our mole on the ground isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to bring you the Notts stories you might have missed...

"Ihatecleaning; lovehavingcleant."

words: Dani Bacon

Pick Six

Nottingham’s most opinionated grocers on...

Fiction

We don’t read story books, that’s for clever people and not for us. We can’t actually read or write particularly well. We’ve never read any of those seedy books by D. H. Lawrence, or any of that angry young man kitchen sink drama nonsense by Alan Sillitoe, although we did like the films. We think the arts are fantastic and we believe everyone should have access to books, galleries, music and theatre. But fiction isn’t for us; we’re more likely to go to the theatre or see a live band.

Non-Fiction

A few years back, we went to Waterstones at Christmas and decided to get our family books as presents. We sat there and thought, ‘My goodness, all these letters make words and look at all these words in all these books.’ It was absolutely fascinating! We came out with a book about the making of Spectre (the James Bond film), a Bradshaw’s railway guide, a guide to great cities of the world for our sister, and a book on the Lancaster Bomber aircraft.

New Central Library in Town

We’re not interested. We think they should have kept the old one. Not the one that closed a few years back on Angel Row, but the one before that, in Arkwright Building on the corner of Burton Street and Shakespeare Street, about fifty years ago. There was no need for the old poly to nick that building. It was a beautiful grand library with floors and floors of books and seemed to us as kids like they had every book in the world there. Our libraries have been downsizing ever since.

Since it’s our literature edition, we thought there was no better person for our Pick Six section than Cara Thompson - previous Slamovision winner…

Book

Zami by Audre Lorde is a harrowing but beautiful exploration of black history, womanhood and queer love. Funnily enough, when I first read this book, I didn’t get it. Audre Lorde invented a whole new genre (biomythography) for this story, so you’re constantly moving between the realms of history, biography, and myth as you read, which felt really strange!

Song Freedom by Jay Sandhu, Jayahadadream and Omari Marsalis is a collaboration between some amazing artists and creatives who are killing it here in Nottingham and beyond. The track gives an intersectional look at how injustice impacts our communities, as the artists share their individual commitments to resistance and freedom.

Film

I wouldn’t call myself a huge film buff, but I went to see the documentary Summer of Soul at Broadway in 2022 and it’s stuck with me ever since. The film provides a glimpse into the forgotten Harlem Cultural Festival, which saw legends like Nina Simone and Sly and the Family Stone descend on Harlem for a six-day-long music celebration. A great watch for music lovers!

Holiday Destination

I was lucky enough to study in Montreal for a semester in 2018, and couldn’t recommend it enough. It really has something for everyone. My top recommendation would be to grab a French vanilla latte at Tim Hortons, a yummy beaver tail (not a real one, I promise! It’s pastry) and take the climb up Mont Royale for stunning 360-degree views of the city.

Meal

Growing up in a Jamaican household, curry goat’s always been my favourite Jamaican dish. The best curry goats are seasoned and marinated overnight, pressure-cooked in the morning until super tender, and served with all the classic Jamaican sides (rice and peas, fried dumplings, homemade coleslaw, plus yam and green banana, if you’re feeling greedy).

Notts Spot

I almost don’t want to share this one since it's such a favourite of mine, but Yolk (right next to 31K in Hockley) is an underrated gem. Aside from being cosy and friendly, they serve the best breakfasts and usually have a great playlist going all day. In the evening, you can even hire out the space and come up with your own custom cocktail menu for super affordable prices.

Reading a book under a tree seems nice to us, but to a tree we're just taunting them with the shredded flesh of their family.

Flickr: Alpha

Nadia on... Libraries

Like, I’m sure, many LeftLion readers, I have many childhood memories associated with Nottingham’s libraries: whether that’s being taken to West Bridgford library as a young kid, revising at the Meadows library as a teenager, or volunteering at the Language Café at the old Central Library on Angel Row.

Growing up, I took these spaces for granted. But when the idea of public libraries was first proposed, it was met with resistance. The 1850 Public Libraries Act, which gave boroughs the powers to open free libraries, provoked a great deal of controversy among some MPs. The thought of opening up knowledge to the masses sparked fears that it would give people dangerous political ideas. Concerns were raised that it was a waste of money, and why would working class people need all those books anyway?

Despite these objections, the legislation passed and local libraries sprung up in cities and towns. In the decades that followed, they became an obvious part of our landscape, providing information, inspiration, and entertainment to millions. Unfortunately, now their future is under threat once again.

Between 2010 and 2020, nearly 800 public libraries - around one in five - closed their doors for good. Years of central government cuts have forced local councils to save on non-essential services, and libraries have suffered as a result, with their funding falling by a quarter. In Nottingham, thanks to a successful campaign, Basford, Aspley and Radford-Lenton libraries have luckily been saved from closure.

Some people argue that there’s no point investing in libraries, given the number of visits has been steadily declining, and is now more than a third lower than in 2005. But as well as reflecting wider changes, most notably the rise of the internet, these figures also point to a vicious circle. You’re less likely to go to a library if there isn’t one in your area anymore, if it closes early, or is underfunded and unattractive.

Even in the digital era, libraries still play an important and enriching role in many people’s lives. The internet can’t replace the joy of turning the pages of a novel, or discovering a forgotten book from decades ago. For many children and adult students, they’re vital learning spaces, widening access to knowledge and fuelling curiosity.

Although promoting education remains libraries’ core mission, they’re so much more than just places to store books. They’re among the few indoor public spaces where people can spend time - work, study or simply hang out - without the need to pay.

Around 1.5 million people in the UK live in overcrowded homes, and 1.5 million households don’t have internet access. As working from home has become normalised, and some companies are getting rid of physical offices altogether, spaces to work from become particularly necessary. Thousands of people also use public libraries to apply for jobs and benefits, with support from staff if needed. In the summer, air-conditioned libraries provided refuge from the heat, and as energy bills skyrocketed, they offered some much-needed warmth in the winter.

But even if those problems were fixed - by mass investment in affordable housing, a programme of insulating homes, and tackling digital exclusion - I still firmly believe in the need for community spaces that bring people together. The pandemic reminded us that screens can never replace the benefits of in-person interaction. Creating “public living rooms” where people can work and read together, host events, and make friends is one way of tackling the loneliness epidemic, which is affecting younger and older people alike.

In February, during Parliamentary recess, I went on a trip to Finland to learn more about solutions that have worked there. In Helsinki, I visited the beautiful Oodi Central Library, which was inaugurated in 2018. Over 3,000 citizens had taken part in a participatory planning process, voted on its design, and collectively decided how to spend a portion of its €100m budget.

The result is astonishing: a stunning three-storey building featuring a cinema, recording studios with instruments for hire, spaces for exhibitions and events, workshops for creatives, and play areas for kids - alongside a collection of 100,000 books, and a top-floor reading room called “book heaven”. In its first year, the library attracted over three million visits.

The Finnish public library system is among the best-funded in Europe, with 50% of Finns visiting a library at least once a month and a fifth using one weekly. This is likely one of the reasons why Finland has been named the most literate nation on Earth.

I hope the UK can learn from its example, and reverse the trend of defunding libraries. But while a British equivalent of Oodi might be some way off, I can’t wait for the opening of Nottingham’s new Central Library this summer. With an immersive story-telling room for kids, a learning lab for school activities, and a performance area, I hope that it can help put to bed the myth that public libraries are just a relic of a bygone era.

Meanwhile, I want to give a shout out to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which works with the City Council to provide free books to Nottingham children under five. If you can, please support the wonderful initiative by donating at gofundme.com/f/ bigreadingchallenge2023. nadiawhittome.org

Creating “public living rooms” where people can work and read together, host events, and make friends is one way of tackling the loneliness epidemic

words: Nadia Whittome photo: Fabrice Gagos

Notts Shots

Road to emissions Dani Bacon - @danijuliette_

Lettuce have a look Frazer Varney - @imjustfrazer

Made in the trA.M. Cal McNab - @calmanalogue

Tunnel vision Nige Hall - @inkmonkey48

Piping up Charlie Catmur - @charliecatmurphotos

Want to have your work featured? Send your high-res photos from around the city, including your full name and best web link, to photography@leftlion.co.uk

Blade sitter Frazer Varney - @imjustfrazer

Blocking the view Abigail Hughes-Wilkie - @ah.w_art

Misters Blue Sky Abigail Hughes-Wilkie - @ah.w_art

Testing the waters Charlie Catmur - @charliecatmurphotos

Snow place like it Paul Swift

A Library Worker in Notts

illustration: Emmy Lupin

Libraries. They’re just for people who want to sit in silence and read books, right? Wrong. They offer a whole lot more than that, as we find out from our Library Worker in Notts

I’m not a librarian myself, but I work with a lot of librarians. I’m a Libraries and Culture Officer. I’d studied my degree in Journalism with Literature, so I was always interested in writing, and I’ve always loved books. In my role at the minute, I focus a lot on the adult reading side of things, so I get to work with writers all the time, and it’s all about getting people into reading - it’s perfect for me.

I don’t like to tell people what they should be reading, but one of my favourite books right now is Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. It’s not an easy read, but the main character is just fantastically drawn. It’s a heartbreaking story, but it’s one of those books that really connects you to a character; you feel like you know them, and you almost miss them when the book ends. Another book I really, really love, just for how different it is, is Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. It’s set in a cemetery where Abraham Lincoln mourns for his son, and let’s just say there are a few ghosts there! It’s really creatively written, and I couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards.

Working for libraries is very different from what people expect. In fact, that was one of my aims when I first came into this job: to start changing perceptions of libraries and the people involved in them. There’s not really a typical day. We plan loads of events, we do a whole range of projects.

At the minute, I’m starting to plan for our poetry festival later in the year. This involves looking at different poets, seeing who would be a good fit for our libraries. Last week, I was in Birmingham presenting at an Innovation Gathering event for libraries, where I talked about a big Arts Council-funded project we’re doing called I Am A Reader, which is all about celebrating and exploring the creativity of reading and readers. It’s really nice to be able to go out and share that with other people across the libraries sector.

I Am A Reader has its own physical touring exhibition in libraries, which is beautiful. It’s 22 illustrations done by a very talented artist, Carol Adlam, using real comments from real readers. It’s super inspiring.

What I enjoy most about the job is the variety and the people. We’ve got creatives working on visual arts programmes, family theatre, film screenings, and we all try to work together to make sure everything is linked. We’re doing a screening of Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, for example, and that will link to our work around the book. It’s really nice when everything goes together.

It’s amazing working with the public and seeing the response you get to what we’re doing, too. Some people say things like, ‘I didn’t really think of myself as creative before, but now I realise that I am!’ That’s huge, seeing that you’ve helped people to realise new things about themselves.

The biggest challenge - but an enjoyable challenge - is fitting all of these pieces together, working with our communications team to make sure all our events are publicised, keeping in touch with our libraries to make sure everything runs smoothly. It can be very busy, there are a lot of deadlines to keep to - but that keeps the pace going!

Throughout my career, I’ve got to see the programme of our libraries’ cultural offerings really grow, and to see people’s perceptions of libraries really change. One of my first projects was with the new Worksop Library, which is this big, beautiful space. It’s been really rewarding to introduce everything from theatre shows to activity workshops there.

All of this emphasises and expands the value of libraries as a welcoming, accessible face of culture. Using family theatre as an example, people might come into libraries thinking theatre isn’t for them, but they feel safe in the library, and they give it a go. It helps so many people to take their first steps into something new.

We always try to steer clear of being about ‘just books’. Of course, they’re the core of what we do, and we’re proud of that. But we’re about books and more. I think it’s a bit outdated now, that idea of libraries being a place where you’ll be shushed and it’s all about being quiet. Obviously, they do still offer those quiet spaces, but they also deliver these great, lively events. They are truly places for everyone.

If I could change anything about my job, it would just be to have more time. Can we get someone to invent more time? We’re really good at what we deliver, but I just wish we could do more of it. It’s so beneficial to so many people, so there would always be an appetite for more.

It’s amazing working with the public and seeing the response you get to what we’re doing. Some people say, ‘I didn’t really think of myself as creative before, but now I realise that I am!’

words: Lizzy O’Riordan

illustration: Aamina Mahmood

Cast your mind back to the early 1970s and you might remember the opening of a certain radical bookshop just outside of Nottingham city centre. Named Mushroom, in reference to the Jefferson Airplane song White Rabbit, it was a staple to the city’s anarchists up until its closure in 2000. But what made it so significant? And why do so many people still have fond memories to this day? We catch up with co-founder Chris Cook Cann, alongside former worker Ross Bradshaw, to learn more about the Mushroom’s history, including the times they were raided by a group of fifty fascists and had stock confiscated by the police…

It’s 1972. Swedish supergroup ABBA have just formed, the novel Watership Down has recently been published, and you find yourself flicking through a stack of paperbacks in Nottingham’s newly opened Mushroom Bookshop. Located on 261 Arkwright Street, couple Chris Cook Cann and Keith Leonard have rented the building off of the City Council for £5 a week and taken residence above the shop. Previously operating as a jeweller, it’s the tail end of the Vietnam War overseas (which will be over in 1975), and this is Nottingham’s first ever anti-war bookstore.

Created with the intention of “love and peace”, Chris tells me as I sit in her living room, surrounded by bookshelves, “we thought we could create an alternative society if we ignored the mainstream and did enough of our own thing. We picked Nottingham because somebody I knew from university said it had cheap property and lots of students. So we hitchhiked up and I have lived here ever since.

“Perhaps we were naive, but there was hope,” Chris continues. “There were plenty of other bookshops in those days that gave us advice, like Compendium in London and Orwell in Ipswich.”

Describing an atmosphere of change, Chris remembers meeting other radical bookshop owners and being inspired by the exchanging of ideas. So, despite the fact that, as Chris writes in her memoir Face Blind, “it would be a considerable time before we could make a living at this,” and, “I babysat and cleaned houses, although I hated it,” the couple carried on with the bookshop as a passion project, printing leaflets and distributing them across the city for customers.

An important decade, the Mushroom couldn’t have opened at a better time, with a rising sense of discontent at the establishment brewing - manifesting in anti-war protests in the US and the ‘Decade of Strikes’ as it was dubbed in the UK, in which postal workers, miners and dustmen are among the first to demand better conditions. A time slap bang between the Aldermaston anti-nuclear marches of the 1960s and the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp of the 1980s, there’s a feeling of change, crisis and public action. And, as usual, Nottingham, with its rebellious reputation, finds itself in the middle of things - with a radical bookstore where anarchists share ideas.

But what did they actually stock? Well, obviously books, which lived in the front of the store, alongside “joss sticks, clothes, crafts and other paraphernalia in the back”, according to local literary historian John Baird. All of which had a special focus on anti-war, anti-nuke and anarchist sentiments. A member of the Federation of Alternative Booksellers, the titles ranged from books on vegetarianism, gay writing, drugs and feminism, all the way to banned books, including the illegal autobiography Spycatcher, written by former M15 officer Peter Wright, alongside Salman Rushdie's notorious novel The Satanic Verses

We picked Nottingham because somebody I knew from university said it had cheap property and lots of students. So we hitchhiked up and I have lived here ever since

Operating in a time before the internet, Chris describes it as a place where customers could buy books (of course), but also pass on information, saying that “people would come in with a pile of their leaflets and put them on a big noticeboard. And we knew who was interested in what based on what they were buying, so we would recommend groups to our customers,” making the shop a natural hotspot for radicals to meet - as well as a natural target for those who didn’t agree with leftist philosophies.

Moving to Heathcoat Street in the mid-seventies, it was in this more central location that some of the more striking events occurred, as described by ex-worker (and current owner of Five Leaves Bookshop) Ross Bradshaw in the Radical Bookselling History Newsletter. “Most of my seventeen years at Nottingham’s Mushroom were spent unpacking parcels, serving customers, seeing trade reps… from time to time things got a bit more dramatic,” he comments. This was largely due to the controversial books sold, and Bradshaw recalls having “another batch of death threats to add to the file” after the shop stocked The Satanic Verses. Plus a run-in with the police, in which they confiscated the shop's entire drug literature section under the Obscene Publications Act - only to later give the books back when Mushroom contested the charge.

Though it wasn’t until January 1994, by which time Mushroom had been running for 22 years, that the most noteworthy protest against the shop occurred, in which “fifty fascists attacked” the store after travelling to Nottingham to see white supremacist band Skrewdriver. Then, once at the Mushroom, they smashed up the shop monitors, broke glass and threw over the bookshelves, as the staff quickly tried to escort customers from the building. During this time, Ross was “beaten, but not badly” while trying to hold the

door against the perpetrators - the whole event resulting in some minor injuries and 32 of the attackers being arrested, many of whom tried to escape by jumping on the bus to Derby.

After this, the Mushroom Bookshop lived on in relative peace, with Ross leaving in 1995, and it remained open until 2000, at which time it had to shut due to financial struggles. Even now, though, its impact can still be felt in the city, with many folk from that era remembering it as a place where they discovered new ideas for the first time and got involved in political action. And, of course, it acted as inspiration for the current radical bookshop in Nottingham, Five Leaves, which looks back on Mushroom as an ancestor. So, when I ask Chris if the bookshop made a difference and she replies “I would like to hope so”, I feel confident in saying that it definitely did.

An important decade, the Mushroom couldn’t have opened at a better timewith a rising sense of discontent at the establishment

AWorld for UsAll

Meet Victoria Villasenor and Nicci Robinson. In 2014, the couple first met at a literature event at Waterstones on Bridlesmith Gate. The two ended up connecting and went on to work on community projects together; they had a passion for mentoring authors in the beginning stages of their careers. They took these values and focused them on Global Wordsmiths - a community interest company Victoria established in 2012 that seeks to help writers realise their dreams. Our own writer (and creative behind Queer Notts) Jade Bramley sits down with Victoria and Nicci at the very same Waterstones where they met almost a decade prior, to discuss the work they do in the literature world and how they incorporate queer activism into it…

What is Global Wordsmiths all about?

Nicci: We want to build a community of writers who can lean on each other. Writing can be a very solitary pursuit most of the time. We offer up help with all the elements of book publishing from start to launch, as well as hosting writing retreats, community group chats and drop-in Zoom writing rooms. These community-based activities are essential because I think a lot of writers have mental health issues, so we are very much about helping and supporting people who tend to be the most creative but don't believe in themselves.

What value does queer literature bring to the community?

Nicci: We’ve learnt through doing our stalls at Pride that people don’t know about these kinds of books. We always tell them to imagine all the genres - crime, horror, science fiction, romance - now put queer people as those main characters and they get their happily ever after. The girl getting the girl, the guy getting the guy, the person getting their person, everything that is in our spectrum happens in these books.

Victoria: We once had a couple get in touch who told us they had walked past our Pride booth three years in a row but never had the courage to stop. One day they finally did and talked to us about our books and bought a whole bunch of stuff. She got in touch later to say, “You don’t understand what it means to be in this world now. I didn’t know queer books existed, and they’ve quite literally saved my life.” She went on to start the Queer Literary Loft and got into reviewing books, which has given her a sense of purpose and a place in the world, and she and her wife have become good friends of ours.

Why do you value mentorship so much in your work?

Victoria: Well, we have a mentorship going on right now with a girl who came on one of our writing retreats to support her mum who wanted to do it. It wasn't really even her thing but it turned out she had this amazing voice. She doesn't have great self-esteem and doesn’t believe she can do it, so being a mentor for her means that every month she knows she has to give us words. There’s structure and somebody in her corner saying, “Yeah, this is fabulous.” That little bit of support can make all the difference in the world. For us, Global Wordsmiths is all about community and building writers both in their craft and also in their self-belief.

I’ve read a lot about your LGBTQ+ publishing house, Butterworth Books. Can you tell us more about that?

Nicci: Butterworth Books is not your traditional publishing house as we don’t get any money from it. Every author that is with Butterworth Books is still an independent author, they have full control over their work and promo, and they get all their own earnings - but we make sure the product is done to a high level of production. It’s copy edited, development edited, it’s proofread, the cover design is quality and everything looks beautifully packaged. You get to retain your creative control and stay independent but have all the support of being with a publishing house.

What are the benefits of joining an indie publishing house, as opposed to mainstream?

Victoria: The route you take depends on what you want. If you just want to write, and you’re happy to hand it over for someone else to handle your marketing and all that stuff, it basically takes all the pressure off of you. But you have no control and they’re going to take royalties. If you’re good with that, then maybe traditional publishing is for you. However, if you want more control, don’t want to pay those royalties, and if you have some money to invest in your editing, cover design and marketing, then indie or self-publishing is a great way to go.

Do you have any future projects that you want readers to know about?

Victoria: We are hosting the Queer the Shelves Festival here at Waterstones in late May or early June. We bring in queer authors from all over the place - it’s a big thing for us and we would love for more queer people to come to experience that community. We also have our ‘Do It’ writing retreat at the end of March.

Nicci: We have four books coming out between us in 2023 too! Plus a full slate of books coming out for Butterworth this year.

Do you have any final words for novice writers?

Victoria: You have to believe in yourself and believe that your voice matters. It really does. Your experiences, your story, your generation matters. You have no idea who your book’s going to touch.

Nicci: If you want to write or have any questions, we’d love to hear them. Don't be afraid to reach out because we are happy to talk to you and help you take your next step. Look to the community to help get you where you want to go.

globalwords.co.uk @robyn_nyx @breywillows

Global Wordsmiths is all about community and building writers both in their craft and also in their self-belief

Every author that is with Butterworth Books is still an independent author. They have full control over their work

interview: Lewis Keech

illustration: Bryony Loveridge

A night of poetry and storytelling, SMUT! Verbal Burlesque is Nottingham’s only open mic night dedicated to the exploration of human sexuality. A safe space (for those over eighteen), it’s a celebration of love, sex and everything in between. We catch up with organiser Ben Macpherson to find out more…

To begin, what led you into doing what you’re doing now?

There were two factors that really got me into the weird career I have today. First, I had grown up loving myths and legends that come from the ancient world, and I studied Classics at the University of Nottingham. We see so much of ourselves in the characters from those stories, and that echo of similarity doesn’t change. We all want stories about love, sex, vengeance, and triumph, and there’s everything in ancient literature, from the deeply erotic texts of Ovid to the profane, incredibly human moments that we can all connect with. Then, the second factor that got me into this career was an interest in comedy.

How did your comedy career begin then?

I started by doing stand-up. But, at the time I started it, I wasn’t confident enough in articulating my sexuality, and felt I had nothing much more interesting to say that other privileged, white, middle-class guys hadn’t already said. For me, my stand-up wasn’t very interesting. So, I stopped doing that, and instead got into sketch and improv, writing plays and one-man shows that led to me finding an interesting set of things to talk about again. Through all that, poetry came up too, along with many other interests. It’s all for the best, though, because if I went through my life restricting myself to comedy or poetry, then events such as SMUT! would not come about.

What improv events do you do around Nottingham today?

In Nottingham, I am one of the directors of a group called MissImp, who are one of the UK’s longest-running open access improv theatres. The easiest way to get involved with this improv is to come to the sessions we hold every Thursday at Malt Cross. There’s a core group of people who regularly participate, but there’s no threshold to joining and you don’t have to audition, so come along. There are certain genres and stories we like to work in: musical improv, improv inspired by video games. We have a show, for example, where we tell the lost stories of the Star Wars universe. It’s mad and brilliant.

Why do you think improv, theatre and performance have so much appeal?

There is a fascinating statistic about the difference in play time between children and adults. Children usually spend about 30-40% of their day in play. When you become an adult, that goes down to 3%. Upping that a little bit does so much for your mental health and confidence. Playing imaginative games, telling stories, allowing yourself to fail is so vital, and I think improv plays a role in that.

Could you tell me a bit more about SMUT! How did the event come about?

SMUT! Verbal Burlesque is a spoken-word poetry burlesque event. It started off as a kind of antidote to poetry nights. I love the Nottingham spoken-word scene, it’s where I got my grounding, and there are so many talented writers - but a lot of that scene is aimed at the poets rather than the audience. I wanted to create a night instead that focused on its audience, and which had a freedom to share poetry which doesn’t normally get shared. I wanted to make a space where you didn’t have to worry about traumatic things. Still, everything there is aimed at celebrating love, sex, and identity.

What attracted you (no pun intended) to the themes of sex and sexuality in poetry?

Well, sex is fun, which speaks obviously to the ‘SMUT!’ part of the event, and it’s playful, which reflects the ‘Burlesque’ part. Sex is also quite a universal experience as well; no matter the setups or preferences, it's something that we all have a basic connection with. One of the interesting things, however, is balancing sex and sexuality, because I think in a lot of queer spaces, it’s seen as quite a promiscuous thing. But actually, just because we’re talking about sex, does not mean that’s happening. It’s rather about finding connection through expression and experience.

How does this event add to Nottingham’s queer scene?

Queer spaces in Nottingham are excellent, but the city is also lacking sober queer spaces. At SMUT!, even though drinking is welcome, it’s not at all obligatory. Also, so often, queer spaces like this become highly stylised and fit into the same categories, such as drag performances. This is not to say that drag is not valid and artistic in its own right, but SMUT! is all about opening queer performance into other forms. It’s about celebrating the fact that we don’t need to even define what these performances of ‘sexpression’ are. Anything goes.

Finally, how are SMUT! events usually structured?

So, we start the event and have half an hour for people to get settled and sign up if they want to perform. Then, we have an invocation poem to set the mood for the event; essentially a poem telling the ethos of the night through poetry. After, we will go through our spoken-word performances. As opposed to many other poetry nights, we go through people’s first pieces very quickly, and then anyone who wants to do a second or a third piece (time permitting) can do so. That keeps things turning over quickly. We also have a community poem that we start off in the interval, so before the event I come up with a first line, and then people carry on, and I perform the poem at the end of the night. They are excellent - in the worst way possible!

SMUT! Verbal Burlesque will next take place on Wednesday 10 May at The Playwright

theplaywright38.co.uk

Sex is fun, which speaks obviously to the ‘SMUT!’ part of the event, and it’s playful, which reflects the ‘Burlesque’ part. Sex is quite a universal experience as well; it's something most of us have a basic connection with

Members of the UNESCO City of Literature Youth Board, Connor Brown and Abi Hutchison, have created an event called Speak Easy in collaboration with Nottingham Playhouse. We chat to the duo about breaking into the creative industry as a young person and what the event means to them…

Moving into the creative industry isn’t always encouraged. There’s a lot of negative language used when discussing a career in the arts. Which is why one of the main aims of the UNESCO City of Literature is to push young people to connect with their creativity. And, likewise, this is why Connor Brown and Abi Hutchison decided to set up Speak Easy. Inspired by lockdown, which “gave the time and freedom for so many people to turn to an artistic outlet”, the pair quickly realised that there was real desire for creative spaces.

literary skills help them to create their lyrics. And, as Abbie points out, there’s an exceptionally strong relationship between the forms of poetry and rap music, illustrating that creative forms are all on a spectrum with each other.

Described by Connor as “one of his go-to genres to listen to”, the connection between rap and poetry is especially prevalent in Connor’s life because he draws a lot of his inspiration from musicians. “When we have meetings, Abi mentions a lot about different writers that have inspired her, and I feel like a fraud sometimes because I don’t know half of the names mentioned as a lot of my inspiration comes from the rap scene, and specifically a lot of American artists such as Witt Lowry.” As Connor notes, it shows that “even though we operate in different art forms, they are so closely connected”.

Hence, Abi and Connor co-led and curated Speak Easy, the spoken word collective which is a testament to the incredible work they’re doing to encourage young people to showcase their own poetry. Held at one of the most established creative venues in the city, Nottingham Playhouse, it’s an accessible and inclusive space to hold open mic evenings and welcome “the best young poets Nottingham has to offer” to perform across various dates during the year.

But how did it all begin? Abi outlines that she is “lucky in the respect that I’ve been connected to the Playhouse since I was sixteen. I was part of the homegrown performers programme, which is about developing as a creative in the theatre scene, so I did a lot of writing and directing, and then I became part of the UNESCO Youth Board too.”

From the very get-go, the Head of Participation at the Playhouse, Martin Berry, was very keen to provide the space for the open mics to go ahead, even though the event is free. Therefore, following the go-ahead from Martin, Connor and Abi held their first meeting on 30 December 2021, where they welcomed a “much bigger turn-out than was expected”.

The spoken word, which the Speak Easy event centres around, comes in many different forms. From poetry and music to stand-up comedy, there is a distinct connection between them all, and they all influence each other in various ways. Many incredibly influential musicians regularly speak about how their love for literature has contributed to the success of their careers, and how their

Equality, diversity, and inclusion are also huge issues in the creative industry, and one of the main aims of an organisation such as UNESCO is to break down these barriers. Abi outlines that a fundamental issue of the creative scene is that institutions such as schools tend to just sit back and primarily allow only one voice to be heard: “It [the GCSE syllabus] gives people this preconceived idea of what success is and what you need to look like to be successful.”

Accordingly, one of Abi’s big achievements so far on the Youth Board is being responsible for writing the foreword for the Youth Manifesto for UNESCO City of Literature, which she says is a “promise to change for generations to come”. Finally, Abi rightfully recognises that while the creative scene showcases an “expansive array of voices”, and aims to tackle a tokenistic mindset, this is an issue in any industry and certainly does not exclude creative spaces. “There is a huge challenge of people seeking to look like they're being equal, rather than actually improving inclusivity,” she asserts.

Finishing up our interview, Connor says, “It’s just such a special place, and a place where everyone can belong,” speaking incredibly highly of the creative scene and how much it provides a sense of belonging and inclusion. He outlines that to “fit in the creative scene, the only requirements are, ‘Are you, you?’” With this in mind, he has such gratitude for the connections he has made; connections that “I never would have imagined that I would have made”.

Speak Easy’s next event will take place on Friday 19 May nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk

words: Lottie Murray photo: Nathan Langman

The GCSE syllabus gives people this preconceived idea of what success is and what you need to look like to be successful

Poet, daughter, friend and ‘goon’ (as she put it), Cleo Asabre-Holt was a beautiful soul with a wicked sense of humour. A talented writer and editor, she worked with us at LeftLion as an Editorial Assistant before going on to work at Penguin Books. We were incredibly sad to hear of Cleo’s passing late last year, and take this opportunity in her birthday month to celebrate her work and life by sharing this unpublished piece of hers, Butterflies, Canal Banks and Bikes…

Butterflies, Canal Banks and Bikes

I wish I were a child still so I could ride on your shoulders investigating tree branches feeling the safest of safe exploring all kinds of places. Because, my god, growing up is a ball ache. I rarely ever feel truly safe: didn’t think I’d be facing unemployment at the age of 28. Time’s come and gone so quickly –from learning to ride a bike with stabilisers, parents on either side, to managing dysfunctional workplaces –it’s clocked up so hastily –just as we’re all picking up our paces we’re bracing ourselves for lockdown. Leaving us jobless without basic income without a clue with only confusion knowing where to go next.

So can I just ride on your shoulders? Exploring with no risk of harm. Only for a short moment. Trailing fingers below oak trees calmed by their gentle breeze.

Like anyone, I’m trying all the time to be something –even some thing considered only half-all-right would do: 18 grand a year so I can afford my food but it fails.

Putting me in the 400,000+ queue for Universal Credit. So I’m wondering, as life flutters by, how am I going to feed myself and two cat lives?

A butterfly landed on my head last night: maybe things will be alright.

I’m told it’s a good luck charm.

Dusk had set in and my old friend the moon was hanging high

a toothful laugh in cornflower skies. But I’m alone while trying to figure all this out. Powerless to it all. Everybody is. So I let my anxiety go find joy

in the alloy wheels of my bike taking me places I wouldn’t have time to explore otherwise: canal boats bobbing into each other while kids smoke spliffs, flouting. I beam at cherry blossoms and buds sprouting in springtime and the sun coaxing my freckles out.

The season of growth while we’ve been paused – furloughed. I want to scream at this new freedom.

A warm breeze simmering me down found on these two wheels reminding me that I’m still so childlike.

So could I just ride on your shoulders to see what’s really going on? Like before you had your arthritis and before I ever felt alone. Or should I let those times go?

Because now we hide our tears as we speak through phone screens. You tell me, too, about time, with its wings; the jet plane that took it all away, is how you always phrase it but we’re here now, I say and I’m going to make this situation work. Even if that means fruit picking till autumn. I won’t sink to the bottom of that canal –I’ll keep riding along its banks, Hold on to the butterfly that landed on my head last night and that maybe Maybe things will be alright.

Cleo Asabre-Holt

1 April 1992 –23 December 2022

illustration: Emily Catherine

When you’re held by the writing, I think that sense of character never goes away

Cool. Calm. Composed. The LeftLion team were none of these things when Bella Ramsey, the Nottingham-born star of global HBO sensation The Last of Us, swung by the office recently. Yet all three of these words perfectly describe the nineteen-year-old, who chats openly about fame versus celebrity, taking on beloved characters, and choosing the right projects. Here’s what the super-talented Television Workshopper had to say during an hour-long interview in Sneinton Market…

THE PLATFORM

It feels like joining us at LeftLion, in a little office that we just vacuumed for the first time in about a year, is a bit different to chatting to the likes of GQ and Jimmy Kimmel… So, first of all, thank you for taking the time to visit us. But secondly, how have you found that process? Has it been difficult to adjust to the media frenzy?

First off, thank you for having me! But yeah, it’s been weird. I largely managed to avoid press right up until about September, when Catherine Called Birdy came out, and then The Last of Us arrived pretty much straight after that. But up until that point, I hadn’t experienced it much, because with Game of Thrones, I was too young to be involved. You know, it’s actually been okay. I enjoy the longer interviews more than the shorter ones. I feel like they’re almost free therapy sessions. I just get to talk!

You’ve been travelling a lot as part of that process. How does it feel to be back home? Has your relationship with your hometown changed because of it?

In a way, yeah. I was born in Nottingham and I live in Leicestershire, and I think coming home is a mixed bag. It’s a relief, in a way, because it’s familiar. But in another way, I feel more anonymous in the big cities, because there are so many people and nobody cares about you. When I'm back home, I definitely lose that a little bit. You have to get used to being in a cafe eating soup and having someone come up to you and go, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re Bella!’ But it can be really nice to have those interactions, and I love getting back to my family - and also my football team!

You said that these interviews feel like therapy, and I know you’ve spoken openly about your mental health within them. Now that you have this bigger platform, is that something you want to use it for - to speak openly about issues like these, and break down stigma?

Yeah, definitely. I want to make things visible and I want to use my platform for good reasons. For me, it’s all about being authentic, because I want people to know me as a person - not just some fabricated version of myself. The important balance there is being authentic while maintaining a certain level of privacy, which I’ve thankfully managed to do so far.

Is it scary being open in front of a bigger audience?

It is scary, but I’d be so uncomfortable being a version of myself that isn’t me. I’d feel like a fraud and I wouldn’t be happy. I don’t think I can pretend. It’s weird, because I acknowledge and I’m learning that maybe I'm ‘famous’, but I don’t like that kind of celebrity status. To me, being famous and being a celebrity are two different things. ‘Celebrity’ feels like when being famous is your job, but being famous comes as a byproduct of your job; that’s how I think about it. So, I don’t want to fall into that celebrity realm. I’d rather just keep doing my job, and if that means people know who I am, then that’s just something I have to deal with. I think if you either hate fame or you love fame, both of those are dangerous. I’m trying to maintain a neutral standpoint.

You use your platform for promoting a wide range of local charity initiatives, like the Young People's Forest and previously SkillForce. Will charity work always remain a priority for you?

Definitely. I’m a young patron of a charity called Bamboozle, who are based in Leicester. They provide theatre for children with profound learning difficulties, which is awesome. I actually just got to see one of their shows and I’m hoping to get even more involved. When I commit to a cause, I don’t just want my name attached, I actually want to do something. I’ve recently signed with an American agent, CAA, and they have a whole foundation sector, which is cool - so I’m going to be trying to make the most of that.

As part of our recent screen issue, we did a bunch of interviews with people from The Television Workshop. Why do you think that place creates such special actors?

TV Workshop is the best. I still go whenever I can, which has thankfully been a lot at the moment. It’s like nowhere else. You do have to audition to get in, but everyone who is interested gets an audition. It’s a kind process, and there are bursary schemes for those who can’t afford the termly fees. It’s very accessible and so not like any other ‘drama school’. When I think of the Workshop, I think mainly of all the improv they do, which I really miss when I can’t do it. It’s such an opportunity to practise life. When else will you be in a room and see thirty people break up with someone, in so many different ways? It's experience in itself. Then, in terms of acting, I think it's all about the realism. Workshop don’t teach you, they just allow you to be

Who were the Workshoppers you looked up to when you were learning your craft?

When I first auditioned, I was inspired by Kia Pegg, who played Jodie in The Dumping Ground. I was so starstruck by her, and I joined the Saturday group precisely because Jodie from The Dumping Ground was there! I looked up to Kia massively. In the under-eleven session, she came in as an older helper and would do improvisations with us, and I just thought she was the coolest ever. We’re friends now and I told her all of this - and thankfully she didn’t file a restraining order! Then, as I got into the eleven-to-sixteen category, there were the older, cool people who were in the group. There were so many who just took the younger ones under their wing, and so many I was mesmerised by. Even now I still go and I learn every time I visit, because the people there are so good.

We recently spoke to Alison Rashley, the Executive Artistic Director at The Television Workshop, and she said Nottingham partly produces such strong actors because of the absence of ego in the city. Do you agree with that? Totally. And if there is any ego going into the Workshop, it’s quickly gone. You have to be open to making a fool out of yourself and taking risks. Any ego holding you back just isn’t a thing because you have to fully throw yourself into every role and every task.

interview: Lizzy O’Riordan and George White photos: Curtis Powell

THE Big OnE

You’ve touched on something we’ve heard from a lot of other Workshoppers, which is around not ‘acting’, but instead becoming the character. How easy is that in something like The Last of Us, which is such a heightened setting - and requires a completely different accent?

To be honest, I think the accent actually helped, because I learned it through Ellie’s dialoguewhich does mean that, if I ever talk in an American accent, I now swear a lot... I think that was really helpful in terms of shifting into that character, and it works because the script is so good.

Craig Mazin’s writing is genius, even though he hates when I say that word. But I’ve never read a script so good, and when you’re held by the writing, I think that sense of character never goes away. I really loved being Ellie. When I came home after a year of being her, it really was a mini grieving process, even though I knew there might be a season two.

Speaking of Craig Mazin, this interview is going to be in our literature issue, so talking about the writing seems like a perfect way to crowbar in that theme... Why do you think the adaptation of a video game worked so well here, when so often others haven’t?

I think it’s because of the great script, but I also think it’s because the narrative in The Last of Us game itself is so rich. It always had the potential to translate well onto screen, though in the wrong hands it could have been a disaster. So I think it’s the perfect combination of having, for me, the best writer in the industry, along with really rich source material, and the creator of the game, Neil Druckmann, being properly involved too.

It’s such a popular game, and Ellie’s such a cherished character. Some actors might feel a bit nervous to take on such a beloved name and risk becoming known as that character - like James Bond actors lamenting being known solely as ‘Bond’, for example. Did that ever concern you, being known as one particular character?

I didn’t really mind. I love the character so much that right now I don’t even care if people know me as Ellie, because I think she’s so great. That might change, but it’s not something I’ve thought about too much. What did cross my mind was that I was potentially signing on for several seasons, which was terrifying, just in case I got stuck in the wrong project for years. Thankfully, shooting The Last of Us really was the best year of my life, and I can’t wait to do it again.

It’s such a great show. The dialogue between Ellie and Joel, in particular, is really effective. In places, it’s quite sparse and gruff, but there are also such heavy emotional layers. How was it to play these contrasting parts?

That was one of the things that made me so excited about doing the show - the contrast between the gruff harshness and the vulnerability. I think there’s such an unspoken love between Ellie and Joel that develops, and there’s so much weight in their silences and behind the things they say. Even if they’re not explicitly trauma-dumping on each other, there is the implication that there is more trauma that’s left silent. That almost makes it heavier.

On the flip side, Ellie seems like such a fun character and provides so much comedic relief, especially in episode seven - which is dedicated to her backstory. That episode almost comes across as a rom-com, in a lot of ways. How fun was it to get into that side of the character?

It was a lot of fun, actually, and it was a relief too. It was nice not to leave every day feeling emotionally torn apart. It’s interesting that you said it reads like a rom-com because I think that’s true, and that episode shows the awkwardness of teenage crushes, which is so cool within this big apocalypse show. But also, the backstory really helps you understand why Ellie is how she is. Some people saw that as a standalone episode, but I don’t think it is.

It’s one of our favourite episodes so far. Do you think you’d like to move more into that kind of genre in the future? Trying out romance or comedy? Are you trying to craft any particular career, or do you just evaluate each product individually?

I’m taking it project by project, which is nice. I’d like to just do a whole range of things. I’ve got some pretty depressing stuff coming up, which I’m really looking forward to, but really I just want to do interesting projects. I have to be picky now about what I sign on to, because people are going to watch it, which is kind of scary! But it’s a privilege to be able to have that choice so early on in my career. There are some moments where you get that instinctual ‘I have to do this’ feeling, though, and that’s when I instantly sign up.

You mentioned earlier that you were sad to leave Ellie behind. Did you see any of yourself in Ellie, and what were your feelings towards the character, who is actually quite a lot younger than you?

While we were filming, I didn't once think about the fact that Ellie was fourteen, so I never consciously played down or played younger. I think because she’s so smart and mature, she’s wise beyond her years anyway, it sort of worked. And I look frigging twelve anyway. My version of Ellie is familiar to people who loved the video game, actually, because Ashley Johnson was older and playing a younger person. But in terms of how much I can leave Ellie behind, I’m terrible at that. People ask how I decompress and wind down and I just don’t. I don’t know how to. Every character I play, I become very enmeshed, by accident. I wouldn’t say that I’m a method actor, but it just happens.

It seems like everyone on The Last of Us has such a good relationship with each other. Did your team make an intense filming process easier?

Definitely. I don’t even want to imagine what filming would have been like without Craig and without Pedro [Pascal, who plays Joel in the show… We’re putting it in brackets like you didn’t know that already]. They were there pretty much every day and I can’t imagine what it would have been like without them. Craig and I always say we share a brain. We’re very similar in terms of our anxieties and feelings, so we could just look at each other and see each other. Then I was always giggling my ass off with Pedro. I loved it so much.

Do you miss seeing them all day-to-day?

I miss them a lot. Craig and I call probably too often. Pedro and I are probably a bit worse at replying to each other, but we Facetimed the other day. You spend a year with these people, and I know it’s cliche but they become a weird kind of family. So, to then not be with them is so hard. I really was in denial when I got back. The denial was real

From a more technical standpoint, one of the things we love about the show, even though it’s in a heightened world, is the commitment to physical sets and shooting on location. How fun was it to play in this physical sandbox? Especially in the age of greenscreen and a lack of practical sets…

It was amazing. It was really immersive. I can probably count on my hand the days I acted with greenscreen. I think the crew cared so deeply about the project that it really felt like we were all experiencing the story there together, which was lovely. The lack of greenscreen did mean that it was ridiculously cold when we were shooting in -17 degree weather in Canada, though, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d rather that than being in a stuffy studio!

I learned the accent through Ellie’s dialogue. Which means that, if I ever talk in an American accent, I now swear a lot...

We’ve talked a lot about The Last of Us, but you’ve also been involved in quite a lot of smaller-budget projects. Do you think you’ll carry on taking part in more independent films?

Definitely. I think that’s one of the things I was so keen about when deciding on an American agent: I wanted to make sure that they were into that too. Because I don’t want to only do big-budget Hollywood movies. Most of the time, they aren’t the scripts I’m into anyway. I’d much rather do something small and gritty and independent than super big and commercialised, unless it’s something special like The Last of Us. So, I will keep doing smaller-budget things, because they’re some of the projects I connect to most.

One particular project that stuck out was 3 Minutes of Silence, which is an incredible short film. You could almost see precursors to Ellie in your character, Jane, particularly through her awkward energy. Would you say that was the case for you? Do you think playing that character helped with Ellie? It probably did. It’s not until people point something out that I see the parallels and similarities. But that was one of those projects where I became so enmeshed with the character that it became a bit of a problem... It was like three days of intense emotion and self-loathing for the character, and I remember just being on the drive home with my mum and really feeling all my feelings. There’s also a film out now called Requiem, by Em Gilbertson, which I’m really excited for people to see.

T HE FUTURE

Like you say, you don’t want to do big projects for big projects' sake, but you have starred in two of the biggest TV shows of all time… Are there any other major projects in the pipeline? The Mandolorian series four, perhaps? This is our attempt at the big scoop…

I mean, if they’re ever looking for a live-action Grogu, then I’d be down for that... But it all just depends on what comes in. Like you say, I’ll never do a big project for a big project’s sake, so it really depends on the characters and the script and the people involved. One thing I can actually talk about is Chicken Run Two: The Dawn of the Nugget, which was a lot of fun to do, and which I hope lives up to the original Chicken Run.

Final question, and finishing on an easy one - what does the future have in store for you?

I would like to keep working. That’s number one: keep doing interesting projects. And I want to write more. I’ve written a film and I’m hoping to make that after the second season of The Last of Us. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to direct that, and generally just do more industry stuff. Then, outside of acting, I’ve always had this dream to set up a charity, sort of similar to Bamboozle; a performing arts centre for kids with learning difficulties. That’s a dream I’d like to make happen. In truth, though, I have no idea what’s going to happen in the future and I’m fine with that. It’s exciting! For now, I’m just looking forward to hopefully being Ellie for many more years...

You can now watch the entirety of The Last of Us on NOW TV or Sky Atlantic @bellaramsey

Being famous and being a celebrity are two different things. ‘Celebrity’ feels like when being famous is your job, but being famous comes as a byproduct of your job; I don’t like that kind of celebrity status

Meet Stephen L. Holland, the owner of Page 45 who’s changing perceptions about what comics can be…

Tell us about the origins of Page 45. How long have you been here? Is it true you started out thirty-ish years ago running a comic store in Virgin Megastore with a lovely fella called Mark?

What a luverly fella! The silly boy gave me a job.

Working together for someone else we quickly agreed on what we loved about the medium of comics – all the diverse visions and voices radiating through contemporary fiction, autobiography, history, politics, comedy, crime, fantasy – and what we despised about the industry, culpably in thrall to American corporations which crush diversity, blind visions and silence dissenting voices.

I’m rubbish at keeping my gob shut, and Mark was a man with a plan to promote the most personal, powerful and poignant comics which would speak directly to readers. We called it Page 45 and we opened on 17 October 1994. It’s won a few awards, you know!

The shop has recently had an impressive makeover, designed by co-owner Jonathan Rigby. When did the two of you decide it was time to switch things up?

When the shelves began collapsing, the lights blinked out, and we bought the building. There was no point spending £100,000 until we bought the building. The building cost even more. Thanks to Jonathan’s thrillingly open, clean classical design we now have swisher shelves, brighter light and an enormous window through which the gorgeous graphic novels can shine.

What are your criteria for choosing Comic Book of the Month, and the books that end up in the shop window? Brilliance and beauty! We treasure creators with something to say, and the skill with which to say it.

I curate this shop. That’s the joy of being independent: you choose what to stock and how to promote it. Publishers pay big bucks to big chains to shelve their books in prime positions, whereas we are beholden to no one. Instead of corporate compliance and sullied signals, our customers deserve the best and most diverse visions to choose from, with personal recommendations whenever they ask. Honesty and integrity engender trust; with trust come requests for more. Quality customer service is the best fun ever! To give, as well as receive.

You've had numerous famous faces visit the shop over the years, for signings or even just to purchase some comics themselves. Who have been some of the highlights?

Sandman’s Neil Gaiman signed as soon as we opened. He broke off filming in London to come to Page 45 because he cares. He signed for far longer than scheduled without once complaining, then when we closed the doors Neil said, “Pop the kettle on, and I’ll sign everything else with my name on it”.

Bryan Lee O’Malley’s been similarly loyal. He’s signed more times than I can recall, even when the UK publisher of Scott Pilgrim attempted to thwart it. The queues stretched way down the street and right round the corner.

More times than you can recall...?

One year, I was drunk by midday. It’s all a bit hazy, that one. My cat had just died.

My fav signing was for Philippa Rice’s Soppy, about her loving relationship with Hilda’s Luke Pearson. We asked them to cosign it on Valentine’s Day 2015. It was so deliriously cute that I

had a bag behind the counter full of mewling kittens, and every ten minutes I’d wring another neck just to even the karmic balance.

using devices unique to this medium to illuminate what was for some but a wall of words.

This October, you'll be wrapping up your tenure as the UK’s Comics Laureate, a position you've held since 2021. What does this role entail, and how big of an impact do you feel you've left on the public perception of comics during this time?

So much to do before I am done! I chose to do things a little differently by heading directly into schools and libraries while creating The Comics Laureate Recommended Reading List for everyone! It’s a permanent online resource with illustrated reviews which you can show any newcomer. Google it and see! Plus there’s another larger resource aimed specifically at schools and librarians coming shortly because, honestly, there’s so little information out there, and the information out there is well wonky.

What's the best 'gateway' comic book you'd recommend to people who wouldn't normally read them?

In an age where we have an endless stream of on-demand content available at our fingertips, why should people be visiting shops such as Page 45? For cultural enrichment, community and fun - yes, fun! You can now talk to your computer, but it’s not a conversation: it won’t care who you are or how you are. If you stop interacting with people who care then you will swiftly cease caring for others –which explains social media.

Comic book to TV & film adaptations – are there any/many you like?

The greatest creators make conscious decisions about every aspect of their storytelling, including which medium suits that specific story best. Any adaptation is therefore a dilution of original intent, so give me the original source any day. But flipping the question, the comics incarnation of Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens – the most enthralling and important nonfiction prose I’ve ever read – is a truly wit-ridden elaboration,

Everyone’s different, so we ask newcomers about their individual tastes first, and why The Comics Laureate Recommended Reading List caters for everyone.

But from that list The Nao of Brown, Nelson and The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, The Sculptor and In will speak to almost every adult, and Hilda by Nottingham’s Luke Pearson is the very best intro for your young ones. All reviewed on The Comics Laureate Recommended Reading List. Or come in and ask!

Any other comments you'd like to add?

Yes, please do come in and ask! Your cell phone doesn’t love you; it just wants all your attention. We, on the other hand, are absolutely lovelies in a safe space where everyone is cherished for who they are. And we will show you majesty!

interview: Jamie Morris photo: Richard Chung

That’s the joy of being independent: you choose what to stock and how to promote it. Publishers pay big bucks to big chains to shelve their books in prime positions, whereas we are beholden to no one

The Lost Boy

Matthew Green is a historian and writer who has published historical features for The Guardian and the Financial Times, as well as appeared in documentaries for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. Following his first book London: A Travel Guide Through Time, last year he released another with the title Shadowlands: A Journey Through Britain's Lost Cities and Vanished Villages.

Ahead of the launch of the paperback version - and his appearance at Five Leaves Bookshop here in Nottingham on Thursday 6 April - we chat with Matthew to hear more about the inspiration and writing process of Shadowlands, and what we can expect from the event in April…

Your most recent publication, Shadowlands, has been highly regarded. Can you tell us how the idea behind this came about? Why do you think lost history is important? Often, with things like this, there is a pressure to find this moment that inspired it or some sort of epiphany. But in this case, it's actually true.

I was called to have a very tiny part in someone else’s history documentary, and we were just having a coffee with the producer. I’d jusvvt written a book about lost London, London: A Travel Guide Through Time, and I honestly didn’t have a clue what to do next.

The producer found it interesting that I had just released a book about the topic as they were making a film about a lost city, the drowned medieval city off the coast of Suffolk called Dunwich. This immediately piqued my curiosity because I didn't really realise there were lost cities in Britain.

So I went to this cliff and just stared out at where the city used to be, and felt this overwhelming sense of emptiness. It got me wondering whether there was more than one and whether that might be an interesting concept for a book.

The subtext was everything that was going on in the world around me. There was a sense of everything melting down and changing form. We had Brexit, Trump and the Coronavirus. All the certainties seemed to be shaken up and I began to think that, in time, the land mass in which we live might just be riddled with ghost towns and lost cities. It was that moment on the cliff, but also the wider context of what was going on in the world, that sparked the idea.

How did you decide on which locations in the UK to focus on?

There are literally thousands out there, but I wanted each one to be something different. There’s one about the drowned medieval city of Old Winchelsea, and that’s very much a dramatic story of the waves taking entire streets off cliffs and into the sea. Then there’s another one about Dunwich, but that’s more about how this lost city was reimagined and remembered, centuries after it had vanished. Other ones fell to different, what I call, mediums of oblivion. Sometimes it’s plague, sometimes it’s economic shifts or politics. Each one added something different, and I wanted it to be almost equal between England, Scotland and Wales. I wanted to do Ireland too, but I didn't quite get there.

It actually starts with Skara Brae, on Orkney, which is a 5000-year-old village that was buried in the sand. I also look at St. Kilda, which is the remotest part of Scotland, and there’s an amazing tale about a lost Welsh metropolis that was dug up by moles in the Forest of Dean.

I just did the ones that I found interesting to write about, and which haven't really been written about that much before. I also wanted to look at places that had collapsed inwards or entirely vanished, places that had failed and slipped through the fingers of history.

Was there any particular location that made the most lasting impression?

In terms of the spookiest, it was Capel Celyn, a Welsh-speaking village in North Wales that got drowned in many billions of tonnes of water because Liverpool wanted a new reservoir. I hopelessly misjudged how long it was going to take to walk there - I thought it would take about three hours, but it ended up taking around eight! I got stranded in the midst of this very serious thunderstorm, so there were sheets of lightning across this drowned village. I had to hitchhike back, and I didn’t forget that one in a hurry.

Generally, in the news and media, there is more of a focus on larger international history and events. Are you hoping for a revival in interest towards local history? What do you want people to take away from the book?

Yes, to pay more attention to forgotten histories or untold histories is a trend which is really important. Black and British came out about ten years ago now, but it revealed the untold story of what it meant to be black and British from Roman times to the present day. My next project is queer history in Britain from the Stone Age to the present day. Again, this is a suppressed story.

You also write historical features for The Guardian and the Financial Times. How does the process of writing for this longer publication differ from that of writing shorter pieces?

You definitely get more invested - and it takes an awful lot longer. Shadowlands was meant to be written in a year but, in the end, it took about three years because there was so much research. If you flick through the footnotes, you can see that everything is meticulously referenced. A lot of these places also don’t exist any more, so it was harder than usual. You do become obsessed with it, it almost devours you. You’re completely absorbed in it for three years. You become very protective of your work.

What can people expect from the event at Five Leaves Bookshop?

It’s a chance to reveal more of the personal side of the book, and for the audience to reflect on things that they know. It’s also a visual feast - there’ll be plenty of glossy highdefinition images. Hopefully it’ll be transportive, as well as immersive.

A Journey Through Lost Britain with Matthew Green is taking place at Five Leaves Bookshop on Thursday 6 April

I went to this cliff and just stared out at where the city used to be, and felt this overwhelming sense of emptiness

TOP OF THE CHOCS

Head a couple of avenues up from us in Sneinton Market and you’ll find Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates, the beloved bean-to-bar chocolatiers putting real heart - and ethics - into every batch they make. We stop by to catch up with Luisa Vicinanza-Bedi, the brains behind it all…

For those who don’t know, what makes Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates so special?

Our chocolate is single origin, which means we work with farmers directly to bring cocoa from all around the world. We know exactly where our beans come from, and make sure we’re following the right protocols, using natural farming processes, and producing the best quality products we can. It’s very much like a fine coffee; the flavour is coming from the quality of these beans. It’s super premium cocoa - very different to what you usually find in shops.

Why is being a bean-to-bar company important?

Mass-produced cacao is problematic. Land is regularly destroyed in the process, there are often children involved in the labour. I could talk for ages about the political and environmental challenges involved in that - but we make sure our chocolate is free from all of them. We’ve grown up on just having chocolate available in shops, but a lot of people don’t know about the whole journey from seed to flower to bean to chocolate, so when people stop by our shop or visit our website, they can learn about the entire process.

Have you visited any of the farms yourself?

I went over to Colombia just before the pandemic, which I absolutely loved. That was part of a female empowerment project with the University of Nottingham - Cocoa Against Cocaine - which helped to ensure farmers got the right price for cocoa, and could take ownership of their land to produce a better-quality crop. We featured in BBC News as part of that, and I’m hopefully going back over there again soon.

You’re based right around the corner from us in Sneinton Avenues. Why did you want to set up a physical store here?

I couldn’t work in a soulless environment; I want to meet customers. That’s the key to this whole thing, for me. It’s quite special that people can come and see how passionate we are about what we do, learn a little bit about the process, and try new flavours. We can name every farm where our chocolate is from, and the farmers that made the beans. Each bar has its own story - and we love telling customers about them.

It’s coming up to Easter, and you have a special range to celebrate. Tell us a bit about that… We have Luigi the Bunny, who’s really lovely, and our Easter egg has been named as one of the best by The Guardian. I have an art and textiles background, so I love to bring those elements into my work with intricate and unique designs. I had lots of people ask if we could do bits for Easter in the past, so we started doing some just before COVID, and it’s been really fun to offer something different. They’re really popularwe’ve sent some as far as Seattle!

I’ll finish with the big question - what’s your favourite chocolate?

Lots of customers ask me that, and I’d say it’s my 92%, which we won the Gold Academy of Chocolate Award for. I had to go to Claridge’s in London to accept it, and I had such imposter syndrome. I gave the most horrendous speech ever. I think I just went up and shouted, “Farmers! Farmers! Farmers!” It was awful. But the chocolate is really good!

You’ve just opened a new second unit. Why was now the right time to expand?

We opened that to help separate the process of stocking and roasting the beans to actually making the chocolate. The new spot is where we roast Thursday to Sunday, and customers can come and see the process for themselves. It’s always lovely when people walk by and watch the beans churning away, and stop to find out more.

Find Luisa’s Vegan Chocolates on Avenue A of Sneinton Market, or check out their full selection online luisasveganchocolates.co.uk

To Visit Beam - Art, Books & Coffee

There are loads of great places to grab a drink and dive into a book in Nottingham, but Beam’s coffee shop is one of the best - offering nice surroundings, speciality brews and a ton of top reads.

@beam.art.books.coffee

To Nosh Any Burger - Junkyard

There are plenty of top burger joints in Nottingham too, but Junkyard’s selection is top of the top. Whether you eat meat or keep it veggie, there’s a great option for you.

@jydpoho

To Sup Any Drink - Punch Coffee

If you find yourself on Mansfield Road, why not pop into this little place? Serving up fresh coffee of the highest quality, they’re another brilliant addition to the city’s ever-growing cafe society.

@punchcoffeenottingham

To Follow Treat Kitchen Bakery

Make a note of this one: Sugarberry Cake Studio is now Treat Kitchen Bakery, and they’re a source of cracking cakes, well good workshops and a delightful dash of colour for your Instagram feed.

@treatkitchenbakery

I couldn’t work in a soulless environment; I want to meet customers. That’s the key to this whole thing for me

interview: George White photos: Chris Spencer

F OOd RE viE w: F LETCHERS RESTAURA n T

It’s about time that I paid a long overdue visit to Fletchers Restaurant to show my support to the students at Nottingham College - and what a talented bunch they are!

For those who don’t know, Fletchers is Nottingham’s training venue for hospitality students, which is staffed by students and supervised by industry professionals. Dubbed as a hidden gem by many due to its affordable prices, the former Adams Restaurant has trained hundreds of budding chefs, such as Nottingham’s own Hira Thakur, who was a contestant on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2020 - and who now works as Head Chef at Cleaver & Wake, a fine dining restaurant in the heart of The Island Quarter.

F OOd RE viE w: Six RiCHMOnd HOUSE

One of Nottingham’s many secret alleyways, Hurts Yard is quickly becoming a vibrant spot for both food and drinks. Home to 400 Rabbits tequila bar, Japanese joint Yokocho, Cucamaras cocktail bar and, most recently, Six Richmond House - it’s one of the city's most up-and-coming microcommunities. So, naturally, I was pretty stoked to receive an invite to try the Six Richmond House brunch menu.

Arriving just after eleven and ready to eat, there was plenty to choose from, with the menu including the likes of steak and eggs benedict, smoked salmon and eggs, and the ambitious sweet beetroot waffles. But it was the confit duck hash that caught my eye straight away, which I ordered alongside a hot cup of coffee.

BOOK YOURSELF in

words: Josephine Ruffles

This one’s for all you bookworms - those of you who want to disappear into a cafe corner and get lost between the pages. Sound like you? Then check out our favourite places to enjoy a cosy coffee and some quiet contemplation

200 Degrees

We love 200 Degrees; some might even say we’re obsessed. They have several joints in Nottingham, yet the cosiest for book lovers sits just off the canal - offering a perfect, warm ambience for reading classic literature. Make sure to take tips on latte art while you’re there too. 200degs.com

Biscuit and Brew Tea House

FOO d A nd d R in K

With regular themed evenings during term-time, we visited to try out one of the regular takeover events: The Middle Eastern Takeover Evening presented by Level 4 FdA Hospitality Business Management students.

Now, to be upfront, I wasn’t sure what to expect from dishes prepared by students. With all previous dining out experiences consisting of food being cooked by more experienced chefs, I had some reservations! However, these were unfounded as soon as we walked through the door, and we were greeted with such professionalism and spotted many happy faces around us tucking into their plates.

For only £26.95 for five beautiful courses of Middle Eastern cuisine, we were treated to a mezze platter (my favourite kind of platter) for our first course with hummus, baba ghanoush, and a beetroot dip served with Lavash bread.

The second course was Turkish Baked Sea Bass with tomatoes, olives, garlic, and lemon, or a vegetarian option of Sumac Roasted Cauliflower – both were really good dishes with tons of flavour!

This was followed by Braised Lamb Shank: Dakoos sauce, honey-roasted carrots and chilli-pistachio. For the veggies, we were delighted with baked aubergine filled with akkawi cheese.

Next up was a palette cleanser of Rose Water and Lemon Sorbet before dessert:

Egyptian-Style Bread Pudding served with pistachio ice-cream which was worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake. These rising stars will no doubt go very far, and I’m excited to see where they end up - whether that’s on the telly, working at a high-end restaurant, or in the catering biz!

Julia Head

@fletchersrestaurantnottm

111 Canal St, Nottingham NG1 7HB

Absolutely perfect, the duck hash was everything I expected and more. A base of duck and sweet potato hash, topped with a fried egg, crispy kale, spring onions and chilli jam, it was the ideal combination of umami flavours. The crispy kale, in particular, served as a very fine, almost crumb-like topping that really elevated the dish, and the whole meal was texturally very interesting.

Able to try two dishes (by stealing off my friend's plate), the wild mushroom brioche was also a delicious brunch choice. Creamy wild mushroom served on a miso brioche, the flavour of the mushroom was pungent in the best way, and a great option for any vegetarian diners hoping to visit Six Richmond.

Handcrafted by Head Chef and MasterChef: The Professionals 2020 star Reece Elliott, all of the dishes looked worth trying. Likewise, the ambience, made up of dim lights and moody paint colours, felt really luxurious. Also a cocktail bar and fine dining spot in the evening, Six Richmond House is a really exciting venue for Nottingham’s food lovers - whether for brunch or dinner.

Lizzy O’Riordan

@sixrichmondhouse

6 Hurts Yard, Nottingham, NG1 6JD

A quintessentially British café, with a quaint village feel to it, this offers the perfect vibe for a quiet read, accompanied by a speciality tea and some cake. Or, if you’re feeling something a bit more substantial, their selection of brunch and bites is unmatched. biscuitandbrewteahouse.com

Blend Sneinton

Have a lighter book? Maybe Dolly Alderton? Or something more summery? This is the place to go. The bright, busy vibe mixed with comfy sofas and modern seats creates the perfect scene for a day of reading. Their vegan rolls are incredible, and coupled with an iced latte? Oof. We couldn’t ask for more. blendnottingham.co.uk

Tough Mary’s Bakehouse

Midway through an exciting novel? Read it here. Imagine, it’s a nice April day, you’re sitting out with a fresh pastry, coffee in hand, when a warm breeze hits you. Spring has finally sprung, and this was the place to be for it. Side note: we especially love their exceptional filled doughnuts. toughmarysbakehouse.co.uk

Yolk

If you fancy some brunch with your book, you’re not alone. This is a popular hub for those types of readers who want some avo on toast or a poached egg before devouring the rest of their read. And if you want something different from a coffee, their smoothies are always perfect. yolknotts.com

Nottingham-born

Your new album is out! Do you feel like it has crept up on you quickly?

It has crept up, in a sense - just because we've been steadily unveiling the music to it. We released it in a series of EPs and chapters. It's been a long time in the making. It's both exciting and scary, because it’s pretty vulnerable to put music out into the world. So I do slightly dread release weeks, not for any other reason than you lose ownership of something

What have been the influences behind this particular record?

None of us live in a bubble. The pandemic and lockdown does make you stop and engage. I wouldn't say that we overtly went out of our way to be inspired by that, but I think any artists would be lying if they said it didn't inform how they went about making music. More often than not, we really like being in the studio as much as we like being out on the road, so we wanted to spend more time doing that. Rather than getting together a collection of songs and going in for a month to make a record, we wanted to do more of a ‘one week here, one week there’ approach, just so that we could record and release the songs in the moment they were conceived. It was a new challenge for us on our fourth record. If I'm being ruthless, as well, it was just out of necessity, because I've become a father - and my time is 1,000 times more precious to me than it has ever been before. So, to be able to write, and then record, when we know exactly what's going on within each individual track, also meant that using our time felt a lot more fruitful and a lot more forgiving.

The tracks seem to have a more upbeat feel – was this a conscious decision?

The concept of the record was this midlife moment where you feel like you've learned a lot about how to just be yourself, but you're not old enough to quite lean into all those things, and you haven't learned everything yet. Amber Run has the tendency to fall on the more sombre side of things, but that's not the entirety of our character as people, and so we wanted to get that across.

What was it like seeing your older, more sombre track, I Found, blow up on TikTok while you were releasing this new music?

I Found has a life of its own, it's crazy. I don't think any of us are angry about it. We're really proud of that song, and our back catalogue. We’re pleased that it's still able to find a home and people feel like they see a bit of themselves in it.

You’re off on tour, visiting Nottingham and playing Rock City again. Do you have any memorable gigs you went to while studying in Nottingham?

Coming back to Nottingham always feels great. We haven't run away from it because we think it's an amazing city filled with some people that are unbelievably talented, and are really passionate about music and being part of a collective, and I think that's incredible. It's a desperately underrated city. We've played Rock City now at least five times and they’re some of my favourite shows that we've done. We’ve seen the Maccabees at Rock City, we saw Bombay Bicycle Club. We've seen some incredible shows… and also some terrible ones!

RUn OF THE gREEn

interview: Amrit Virdi

recent

of their latest album,

music and their loyalty to our

Are there any up-and-coming artists from Nottingham that you've got your eye on?

Jerub is incredible. There's a guy called Mark Smith that went to university there, as well, who I think is quality.

Have you got any plans for this tour which may be different from your previous tours?

Yeah, we're going to start with all interpretive dance! No, I wouldn't say there's anything massive that we're doing. We're going to come and play the songs properly and just really enjoy it, especially after COVID and the lockdowns. It's going to be all about just being back in the room with people - they're the ones paying to come and we're going to give absolutely everything. That collective group mentality of when you come into a room and you love the music, or you love particular songs, and there’s an energy in the conversation between band and crowd that takes over, that’s when you know you’ve got it right. That's what we're going to try and dospeak to people properly so that they feel like they can become a part of it. I'm really excited to start that conversation.

Have you got any dream venues or festivals that you'd love to play as part of the band?

Red Rocks in America. But apart from that, we're really lucky. I looked at what our goals were when we first started the band, and we've done them all. Apart from maybe Wembley. We can just twist the knife and continue to do these amazing things.

Have you got any advice for any future budding musicians? Maybe people who are in university and are wanting to break into the music scene?

Just start. People can't like things that they don't know. People can't love music they haven't heard. Then just be prepared to just pull up your socks and enjoy the process of it, because it's not all going to be great, but it’s all about continuity. Make things that you think are amazing because you're your own worst critic, so if you think it's good, it's probably got some merit.

Amber Run are playing at Rock City on Saturday 15 April

Coming back to Nottingham always feels great. We haven't run away from it because we think it's an amazing city filled with people that are unbelievably talented

Amber Run have a big year in store for them - they’ll soon follow the

release

How To Be Human, with a country-spanning tour. Our Amrit Virdi catches up with frontman Joe to chat all things

lovely city…

R I L E Y

Life Socks! (EP)

Life Socks! is the debut EP of Nottingham-based singer-songwriter (and LeftLion contributor!) Riley Halls

MUSiC RE viE w S MUS i C

Backler, aka R I L E Y. Composed of an array of songs about diverse topics, some fictitious, some political, some about love, friendship, and Riley’s lowest days, there will be something that everyone will relate to on this ambitious debut project - which was recorded in its entirety in producer George Budd’s living room.

Gemma Cockrell

Cosmic Kat

Kicking up Stardust (Album)

In her homegrown record, Kicking up Stardust, Cosmic Kat explores the beauty of harmonicas and ukuleles as she sings to the hearts of hopeless romantics with lyrics about the magic of love. The folk-pop blend makes for a soothing, yet still upbeat, listen, and showcases the best of her musical abilities. The additions of layered vocals, tambourines, and what sounds like bird calls in Fly contribute to the record’s authenticity, and it’s great to see Cosmic Kat bring a hint of folk to the indie-driven Nottingham scene. Amrit

Virdi

Jiminil

Other Men’s Flowers (Album)

Other Men’s Flowers, the debut album from Nottingham-based folk artist Jiminil, is a carefully-crafted and sensitive collection of songs written and recorded in Nottingham - but looking outward to the wilderness. Focusing on the awkward juxtaposition of city life and rural idyll, Jiminal explores feelings of guilt comparison and the precarious city living, through the lens of pastoral-tinted folk. Delicate, transcendent and beautiful, this album is a rich tapestry of dark meandering folk, woven together with instruments and words, and textured like a hedgerow.

Freya Saulsbury Martin

Blondes

Love in the Afternoon (Single)

It’s rare for a band to enter the scene with an entirely new sound, but Blondes have managed to achieve it. The five-piece, a product of the University of Nottingham, feel fresh and inventive, yet familiar and nostalgic - and few tracks demonstrate this better than their latest, Love in the Afternoon. While it may not boast quite the same catchiness as a Coming of Age or Minimum Wage, it’s a more guitar-heavy, energetic release that’s just as easy to sing along to. Leading man Will Potter uses his unique voice to full effect, helping to create a tune that is bound to win over many an audience. George White

The Days of Tomorrow

Anywhere (Single)

Anywhere exhales all the complexity and frustration of personal and social tragedy. A turbulent, yet technically masterful, guitar solo finds resonance among layers of experimental synth beats, with a soulful baseline that functions as the unwavering heartbeat of the track. Amidst the landscape of heartbreak and confusion, it is Gareth Peel’s razor-sharp lyrics which prove that poetry is no longer the only mode of artistic expression with the agency to disrupt political order with such ferocity. Maddie

Dinnage

Celebrating fat bodies, folklore and feminism, we’ve been fans of Charlotte Thomson-Morley for a while. So when we spotted some bookish illustrations on her Instagram, we knew that she’d be the perfect artist to design our literature cover. Spotlighting some brilliant local authors, we hear more about her process…

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I’m a fine artist and illustrator based in south Notts, and I’ve been working as a full time creative for seventeen years. I grew up surrounded by books (my mum was a library manager) so my house is filled with them. I love illustrating books and I love reading to my six-year-old. So I was very excited to be asked to create this cover!

What was the inspiration behind the cover?

I love the bold, block colours and subtle textures that you get with relief print-making, and have been working to replicate that in my digital illustration. I aimed to make sure the books in the image showed a wide range of local authors and I also wanted to show how people create and interact with literature – from writing to audio-books to reading with children.

What was the biggest challenge that you faced in creating the piece? Keeping the books simple but getting the angles right. I ended up dragging an eclectic pile of books from one of my bookshelves and working from photographs I took of them.

What other projects are you working on at the moment? Or have worked on in the past?

Last year I was proud to create my first piece for LeftLion for an article on astrology. I’m currently working on two children’s book projects, plus working with some long-standing clients on oracle card and portrait projects. I’m also busy running a free after-school drawing club for Key Stage 1 pupils.

What have you got planned for the future?

I’ve just received a creative bursary to buy a printing press, so I will be developing a series of lino and intaglio prints for exhibition later in the year. I’m also planning to develop some community printing workshops.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell the LeftLion readers?

Read and create what makes you happy! Don’t let anyone stop you from reading or creating comics, poetry, short stories, YA fiction or picture books.

@charlotteart

Mind OvER MATTER

words: Francesca Beaumont

Journey of the Mind is the latest exhibition at New Art Exchange, in which artist Kanwar Singh presents a carefully curated collection of digital paintings and handmade drawings that explore the compassion of Sikh prophets in a world ruled by ego…

The display at Nottingham’s New Art Exchange explores the belief that there is a rooted cause of all mental anguish that acts as an exacerbating force in the collective, societal suffering. The purpose of the piece acts as a reminder that by cultivating control and calm, our mind can be the conduit for a healthier, peace-focused society.

The lessons of the ten different gurus of the Sikh faith purposefully harken back to a surfeit of contemporary moral dilemmas, and there is truly something for everyone to reflect on with this exhibition. The artworks have names that offer a sentence on the folly of fleeting thoughts and society's fanatical devotion to materialism. Several pieces in particular invoke this sentiment very powerfully, including…

‘To accept faith in the face of adversity with courage.’

Sri Guru Arjan Dev JI. 1563.

The digital artwork of this title details the days of torture the fifth guru endured on refusal to acquiesce under tyrannical pressure. This piece emphasises how, by transcending past ‘hollow distracts’, one can harness a deep sense of inner peace. For me, this homes in our current cultural obsession with social capital. It acts as a self-reminder to untie oneself from the bonds of the material plane. By removing yourself from the fast flow of eternal strife, you open your soul up to a higher form of learning. Our ability to constantly consume distorts this process of learning and this piece urges one toward the practice of self-limitation. The limitation to the inner world is said to be the only route to peace and salvation.

‘A Clear Mind is Peace and Strength’

Sri Guru Ramdas Ji 1534

This painting illustrates the fourth prophet’s tiresome consummation of a vast physical replica of a temple said to be representative of his inner soul. The detailed physical exertion in this piece urges one toward devotion and dedication. The artist, Kanwar Singh, believes it teaches that ‘by stopping internal chatter, inner peace can be achieved’. Just as with the previous piece, this notion remains integral to our current cultural framework. It has become entirely too easy to occupy the mind with fleeting fickle interests, but by devoting yourself to your own inner dialogue, you can essentially disengage from the unnecessary and become entirely in tune with your true purpose.

‘Seva and Accepting Faith’

Bhai Taru Siingh Ji

The latter half of the gallery exhibits traditional Sikh pencil drawings, including one of Bhai Taru, a Sikh martyr who sacrificed his life in order to uphold his moral values. This death is said to represent the complete separation of mind from physical body - and by muting external noise, Bhai Taru was able to ascend past suffering into a higher, astral realm. Again, in the context of modern society's disjuncture from virtue, this story provides a multitude of personal moral incentives to spiritually self-regulate in the quest for salvation.

The exhibition also involves an audible invitation to partake in your own self-reflection. A short film animated by Christian Wood plays in tandem with the Sikh Mantra Simran. Simran is said to still the ‘inequalities and ignorance’ of the external world and by allowing these mantras to envelop your thoughts, they are said to be ‘eliminated’ with your mind ‘completely cleansed’. This segment of the exhibition teaches the esoteric significance of quietness - with the ability to sit in the silence of your own thoughts being one of highest skills inside of current comfort reliance on social media scrolling.

Journey of the Mind combines Sikh Orthodoxy with a subversive style of storytelling that provides one with the opportunity to self-reflect and enact mindful changes in a world full of fleeting devotion and fast-paced materialism.

Journey of the Mind is on display at New Art Exchange until Saturday 22 April

nae.org.uk

To Visit If Only They Knew

A solo exhibition from Charlie Buttrum, If Only They Only Knew soon opens in conjunction with the annual studio artist show, Full Circle, in Surface’s Main Gallery.

Fri 31 Mar - Sat 8 April, Surface Gallery

To Do Somewhere Else Entirely

This multi-channel video installation from internationally-acclaimed photographer Emily Andersen explores the work and life of Ruth Fainlight – an American-born poet and writer.

Sat 25 Mar - Sat 13 May, Bonington Gallery

To Follow Emmy Lupin

Brighten up your Insta feed with the vibrant work of Emmy Lupin, the super-talented illustrator who’s come to our rescue countless times. Check out her work on page 15 of this very mag.

@emmylupinstudio

Journey of the Mind combines Sikh Orthodoxy with a subversive style of storytelling that provides one with the opportunity to selfreflect and enact mindful changes

SPiRiT gUidES

Hi April,

I hope spring has sprung for you and the renewed vibration of the Astronomical New Year has been glorious. This month is an ode to spiritual books, because reading is fundamental to broadening your knowledge. A lot of books have been written to help the spiritual journey and give a new perspective, so I thought I'd give a few recommendations with a short synopsis…

The first: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, published 1993. A novel about energy, how we use it to subconsciously manipulate others, and how we can control it to enlighten ourselves. Broken down into nine insights, the narrator takes you on an adventure of his awakening through the synchronicities he experiences. It is the first in a series of four.

Next: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, published 1997. This is a selfhelp book that guides us through the process of disconnecting from the mind and its endless, often negative, chatter. There is a focus on letting go of The Ego we all have and how to live in the present moment. Tolle does this with a conversational tone and easy exercises.

Lastly: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, published 2006. Another selfhelp book, this explains the law of attraction and how we can use our thoughts to manifest through three laws: Asking, Believing and Receiving. It was originally a documentary film and builds on the New Thought movement that has helped humans throughout history. There are thousands of spiritual books and texts, so take your time to find the ones that resonate with you. If you happen to read one of the three I've mentioned, let me know what you thought of it!

So, our affirmation:

I AM EXPANDING MY PERSPECTIVE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE

Until next time, my loves… Be Safe, No Fear & Stay Blessed.

Inspiring students to express themselves through writing, Rebecca Cullen of Nottingham Trent University set up WRAP, shorthand for Writing, Reading and Pleasure. Josephine Ruffles catches up with Rebecca about the group and how writing can improve your wellbeing…

WRAP, standing for Writing, Reading and Pleasure, is a creative programme that aims to give students at Nottingham Trent University the opportunity to think creatively, and use their left brain. Rebecca Cullen set the project up to help students find their voice and boost their confidence. Open to all pupils across the university, pieces produced vary considerably. Nonetheless, its impact on boosting students’ confidence is shared by all.

The creative writing workshops, held on a Wednesday afternoon, are drop-in sessions where students are able to bring in their work to discuss and gain feedback on. These can range from poetry, to nonfiction, to life writing. Thursday evening is centred around a theme, which stretches writers to think creatively inside one area they may not commonly touch upon. Plus, alongside weekly sessions, WRAP also hosts featured writers’ workshops, café meetups, and a Notts TV Book Club. All these events are intertwined in some way. For example, last month's featured writer, Emily Pine, was also the author of the chosen book for one week's theme on a Thursday. The idea was for students to centre a piece around her book, Notes To Self, where they would have to use prompts and involve the idea of musical notes in their writing.

Emily was a particularly inspiring writer to hear from, according to Rebecca. She is a master of life writing and gave a class on her literary inspirations. She asked participants to write about a meeting with somebody in their own lives and discuss how they felt about the meeting, challenging students to write in different tenses and formats. She stressed the importance of freedom in one’s own writing and being honest about personal experiences. To speak about feelings and experiences is an extremely brave thing to do, and Emily stresses that you shouldn’t want to do it for anyone else but you. She gave some incredible advice on being able to “read and write your way into courage”, and to create and reshape endings that you’re happy with.

Rebecca speaks on the importance of life writing as a form of expressing yourself in a way left usually unexplored. She notes very few people have ever said to students, “I believe in you to write that, if that’s what is important to you.” She also recognises the incredibly raw and tough real life stories

people are worried to share. For example, she recently had a writer come in, who gained the confidence to open up about past trauma and challenging circumstances. Instead of avoiding it, she wrote about it, and that’s what’s great about the programme - people are able to be unequivocally, authentically, themselves.

Alongside writing events, there is the reading side. WRAP hosts monthly book groups where people can bring what they’ve been reading, or choose sections of books they’ve focused on as a group. They pride themselves on being purposefully representative, meaning all workshops will always include texts written by people of colour and women. The significance of this was shown through the International Women’s Day event, where people struggled to easily find poems written by women from their home countries, to bring along and discuss. By WRAP purposefully representing these often marginalised groups in literature, they are inspiring the next generation in a more inclusive way.

Finishing our chat, Rebecca’s biggest piece of advice for aspiring writers is to just ask the questions, make the connections, and go for it. WRAP gives you the confidence to do that and to think more creatively than you might have done before. So, if you feel like you want to broaden your reading and writing, pop along to some of the workshops, or a Blend café event, and begin your creative journey.

The next public WRAP event will take place on Thursday 18 May at Blend Contemporary ntu.ac.uk/wrap

That's what’s great about the programme - people are able to be unequivocally, authentically, themselves

words: Josephine Ruffles photo: John Smalley

words: Lizzy O’Riordan illustration: Ciaran Burrows

Freedom of press is an ever important issue. What are people allowed to say? What’s being censored? What are the repercussions of it all? But did you know that an important figure when it comes to the freedom of publishing comes from Nottingham? We learn more about Susannah Wright, the Nottingham woman who went to jail for her beliefs…

Publishing has always been political. It’s through political pamphlets and passedaround papers that movements often begin, and it’s through the suppression of that material that movements often die off. Therefore, there is perhaps no action more radical than fighting for freedom of press, and there’s no better example of this than Susannah Wright. Born in Nottingham in 1792, and arrested for charges of ‘blasphemous libel’, she spent her life dedicated to radical publishing - paving the way for the freedom of the future.

Initially making her living as a lace worker, Wright (then Godber) lived in Nottingham for all of her early life before moving to London in her twenties to marry William Wright on 25 December 1815. It was here that they became involved in politics together, publishing a series of inflammatory works under his name and spending their time with a circle of radicals. Though, Wright maintained that her radical flare wasn’t born in the city of London, but rather in her hometown of Nottingham - which, according to academic Christina Parolin, “she attributed the formation of her principles to” because of the “distinguished spirit of local reformers”. Nonetheless, Susannah and William settled into their home in London and continued their somewhat dangerous life of radical publishing together. Notably fighting for freedom of press, freedom of religion and universal suffrage.

Yet, it wasn’t until 1819 that Susannah began on the journey that would soon result in her imprisonment. Friends with fellow agitator Richard Carlile, Wright agreed to take on the management of his local (and high-profile) shop, which he had recently been arrested for running. The shop, based on Fleet Street, had become infamous for printing and selling texts like Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man and The Age of Reason, alongside a parody of the Book of Common Prayer, and the banned radical weekly magazine The Black Dwarf - all of which were considered a form of blasphemy. So, Susannah Wright was also quickly arrested for her involvement, appearing in court in 1822.

A bad time to be arrested, the Government had recently reacted to a growing sense of public discontent by introducing a ‘raft of repressive legislation’ which criminalised heretical and religious expression. Therefore, despite Wright famously making a lengthy defence for religious freedom, she was thrown into Newgate Prison alongside a bevy of other political prisoners and her infant child. The local conservative press also began to publish highly critical stories of Wright, with one describing her as “wretched and shameless” while others aligned her with prostitution, noting that women who supported her would put their moral standing at risk. Dark and cold, Wright painted a picture of her prison cell in a letter to Richard Carlile, in which she describes being forced to sleep (with her baby) on an old blanket on the damp stone floor.

Thankfully, Wright wasn’t forced to sleep here for long, and she began to negotiate with the prison to upgrade her accommodation in exchange for a promise - not to radicalise the other prisoners with whom she was living. In the end, she stayed in Newgate for only ten weeks, but by no means did this mark the end of her punishment. The judge sentenced her to a further eighteen months at Coldbath

Fields Prison in Clerkenwell. By this time, and despite the warnings of the press, Susannah had gained something of a celebrity status among women in particular. Though this support was uplifting, the next year-and-a-half proved some of the most difficult of Wright’s life, and when she was eventually released in 1824, it’s believed she vanished from the radical scene for a short time to deal with a series of nervous disorders she had developed while at Coldbath.

Wright responded by drawing a pistol from the counter and calmly asking the threatening yobs if they should like it fired at them

Back on the scene by 1825, Susannah was then met by another personal tragedy: the death of her husband, William Wright, who passed away just a year-and-ahalf after her release, and only ten years into their marriage. At such an event, Susannah, who was still struggling with her emotional health and a blindness in one eye, decided to relocate back to Nottingham. Moving in with her mother, it was in our county that she spent the rest of her life. By no means was her move back to Nottingham a sign of defeat, though, and once here she continued to fight for radical press by opening a shop on Goosegate, Hockley, despite the protests of the community.

Particularly offensive to some local church members, Wright caused a lot of upset among some religious folk by opening her shop. However, an atheist herself who believed in religious freedom, she held her own - most strikingly, according to local historian John Baird, when a mob smashed their way into her bookshop. Wright responded by drawing a pistol from the counter and “calmly asking the threatening yobs if they should like it fired at them”. Likewise, Wright also defeated opposition from St Mary’s Church, then promptly moved her bookshop to a larger location to adapt to its now thriving trade.

All in all, a really important figure in this country’s fight for freedom of religious expression and freedom of press, Susanah Wright has often been wrongly remembered in the shadow of her contemporary Richard Carlile. However, as Christina Parolin notes, this does Wright’s story a grave misjustice. We should be seeing her not through the ‘radical male narrative’, but as an independent story. A Nottingham-born woman who was fighting for freedom a hundred years before women gained the right to vote in the UK. A truly extraordinary example of “how a woman negotiated various spaces of political activity”, Wright is someone to be remembered, not only for her radicalism, but also for challenging the idea that the nineteenth century radical space was an arena only for men.

SATURDAY 1 APRIL

�� After Hours: Cordelia Williams

Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall

£5, 9.45pm

�� 12.30 Talks

Nottingham Contemporary Free, 12.30pm

�� Nottingham Panthers vs Manchester Storm Motorpoint Arena Nottingham

£12.40, 5.30pm

�� Black Honey Rescue Rooms

£13, 6.30pm

�� Fat Bamboo

The Bodega

£8, 7pm

SUNDAY 2 APRIL

�� Terrarium Workshop Rough Trade £50, 1pm

�� Johnny & the Raindrops

The Poppy and Pint £5, 2.45pm - 4.15pm

�� Falstaff Verdi Broadway Cinema

£18, 12pm

�� salt house [folk]

Peggy’s Skylight £12

�� The Ghost Inside Rock City

£22.50, 7pm

�� Wunderhorse The Bodega 7pm

MONDAY 3 APRIL

�� Free Lunchtime Walkthrough: Somewhere Else Entirely and Nottingham Women’s Centre Bonington Gallery Free, 1pm

�� Mike and the Moonpies

The Bodega £15, 7pm

TUESDAY 4 APRIL

�� Talk: Pustules and Potions

Djanogly Theatre £3, 1pm

�� The Blue Stones Rescue Rooms £18, 6.30pm

�� The Damned Rock City

£32.50, 7pm

WEDNESDAY 5 APRIL

�� Carlos Cipa: Metronome Piano Sessions Metronome £12, 7pm

�� The Big Foxy Quiz Fox and Grapes £1, 8pm

�� Collage and Cocktails £3, 7pm

�� kinkajous [jazz / electronic] Peggy’s Skylight £12

�� The Orielles Rescue Rooms £15, 6.30pm

THURSDAY 6 APRIL

�� Lecture: Collectively Constructing Djanogly Art Gallery £3, 6pm

�� A Journey Through Lost Britain, with Matthew Green Five Leaves Bookshop £5, 7pm

�� Gold Baby, Remy CB, Betsey B The Old Cold Store £10, 7pm

�� Bartees Strange The Bodega £14, 7pm

�� Haters Roast Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £47.50, 8pm

FRIDAY 7 APRIL

�� Friday Night Comedy

The Glee Club £15, 7pm

�� the filthy six [soul jazz/funk] Peggy’s Skylight £12

�� Wednesday 13 Rescue Rooms £30, 5pm

�� ORBITAL Rock City £35, 6.30pm

�� Sancho Panza The Bodega £8, 7pm

SATURDAY 8 APRIL

�� Ultimate Cheese Bistro Live £32.95

�� Learn how to compost and improve your soil fertility STAA on St Ann’s Allotments £25, 1.30pm

�� chris rand’s ‘the gathering’ [groove jazz] Peggy’s Skylight £10

�� Slum Village Rescue Rooms £22.50, 6.30pm

�� Seven Drunken Nights Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £28, 7.30pm

SUNDAY 9 APRIL

�� Nasty Fishmonger + 5 Hills Out + Paul Carbuncle The Chameleon £5, 7pm

�� Jazz Jam Malt Cross Free

�� Kazabian The Southbank City £12, 7.30pm

�� The Undercover Hippy The Bodega £16.50, 7pm

MONDAY 10 APRIL

�� Rebirth of Cool The Bodega Free

�� The Big Quiz Malt Cross £1, 7.30pm

�� Horn in Hand Quiz The Horn in Hand

£0.50, 7.30pm

�� Softcult The Bodega £10, 7pm

TUESDAY 11 APRIL

�� Mary Lattimore with support from Leafcutter John Malt Cross £8, 7.30pm

�� Dermot Kennedy plus special guest Noah Kahan Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £30.75, 6.30pm

�� Billie Marten // Live & Signing Rough Trade £13.50, 6pm

WEDNESDAY 12 APRIL

�� Tequila & Tacos Binks Yard Free, 6pm - 11.45pm

�� Bug Bot Visual Arts Studio £8

�� mamas gun + mt jones Peggy’s Skylight £15

�� Hello Again: The Neil Diamond Songbook Nottingham Playhouse £27.50, 7.30pm

�� DVNE The Bodega £12, 7pm

�� Ryan Adams Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £37.50, 7.30pm

THURSDAY 13 APRIL

�� Workshop: Creepy Crawlies Puppets Lakeside Arts £8, 10am

�� Live Standup Comedy Night Fox and Grapes £2, 7.30pm

�� The Guru Guru (Belgium) The Chameleon £9, 7pm

�� Chronic Insanity ALLSORTS Open Mic Night Nonsuch Studios Free, 7.30pm

�� Johannes Radebe - Freedom Unleashed Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £33.50, 7.30pm

FRIDAY 14 APRIL

�� Jake Martin + George Gadd + Jess Silk Rough Trade £1, 7.15pm

�� MissImp Vox Pops Nonsuch Studios Free, 7.30pm - 9.15pm

�� FRESH / CHEERBLEEDERZ JT Soar £8, 5.45pm

�� Live at Lunch - Alex Bradford Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall Free, 1pm

SATURDAY 15 APRIL

�� Bossy Nonsuch Studios £8, 11am

�� Amber Run Rock City 6.30pm

�� Ist Ist The Bodega £12, 7pm

SUNDAY 16 APRIL

�� Breathe

Lakeside Arts

£9, 2pm

�� Der Rosenkavalier-Strauss

Broadway Cinema

£18, 12pm

�� djanco featuring andy aitchison [gypsy jazz]

Peggy’s Skylight

£10

�� Big Fish Little Fish

Rescue Rooms

£7, 2pm

�� Big Night Out Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall

£22.50, 7.30pm

�� Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £34, 7.30pm

MONDAY 17 APRIL

�� The Van Pelt

The Old Cold Store

£12, 8pm

�� Five Leaves Non-Fiction Book Group discusses Orientalism by Edward W. Said

Five Leaves Bookshop Free, 7pm

�� The Warriors (1979)

Savoy Cinema

£5, 8.30pm

TUESDAY 18 APRIL

�� The Rest of Our Lives Lakeside Arts

£15, 7.30pm

�� Terrarium Workshop Lush Nottingham £50, 6.30pm - 8pm

�� Judy Whittington and the Trainer of Infinite Speed Nottingham Playhouse £10

WEDNESDAY 19 APRIL

�� Billy Ocean Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall

£30, 7.30pm

�� Free Lunchtime Concert University Hall Free, 1pm

�� Collage and Cocktails

The Carousel £3, 7pm

�� ‘Beware of the Bull’ the genius of Jake Thackray, with Paul Thompson Five Leaves Bookshop

£6, 7pm - 8.30pm

�� The Trash Fic Multimedia Experience Rough Trade £6 - £6, 7pm - 11pm

�� Talk: Elixirs and Stains Djanogly Theatre £3, 1pm

THURSDAY 20 APRIL

�� Good Broadway Cinema £16, 7pm

�� SHEWOLVES Nottingham Playhouse £13, 8pm

�� Larkins Rescue Rooms £14, 6.30pm

�� Sean McGowan The Bodega £15, 7pm

FRIDAY 21 APRIL

�� STONE Metronome £11, 7pm

�� Happy Hour Live: The Round Sheep Tour Nottingham Playhouse £21.50, 7.30pm

�� Flash - A Tribute To Queen Rescue Rooms £15, 6.30pm

SATURDAY 22 APRIL

�� Notts Noise Pollution

The Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £4, 7pm - 11pm

�� Great Britain v LatviaInternational Ice Hockey Motorpoint Arena Nottingham £17.44, 7pm

�� Upfront Comedy Slam Nottingham Playhouse £22.50, 7.30pm

�� Professor Green Rock City £22.50, 6.30pm

�� LA LA AT STEALTH SATURDAYS Stealth £5, 10pm

SUNDAY 23 APRIL

�� Lottery Winners Rescue Rooms £16.50, 7.30pm

�� Cannibal Corpse Rock City £26, 7pm

�� Graphic Nature Rock City £10, 6.30pm

�� Psychology of Serial Killers Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £28, 7.30pm

MONDAY 24 APRIL

�� Vermeer: The Blockbuster Exhibition Broadway Cinema £12

�� Hockey Dad The Bodega £12.50, 7pm

�� 80s Live Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £24.50, 7.30pm

TUESDAY 25 APRIL

�� Fran Lebowitz Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall

£27.50, 7.30pm

�� Jon Pearson: Ice Breaker Canalhouse £8, 7.30pm

�� Listening Session: Seeing Through Flames: Art After Dark by Dave Haslam Nottingham Contemporary Free, 6.30pm

�� Test Match Special Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall

£22.50, 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY 26 APRIL

�� Five Leaves Open Book Group –Annie Ernaux’s A Girl’s Story Five Leaves Bookshop Free, 7pm

�� Good Habits: Metronome Folk Sessions Metronome £8, 7pm

�� David Wilson – My Life with Murderers Nottingham Playhouse £30, 7.30pm

�� Combichrist Rescue Rooms £20, 6.30pm

THURSDAY 27 APRIL

�� Tim Heidecker Rock City £27.50, 7pm

�� Robert Hamberger: Finding myself in the footsteps of John Clare Five Leaves Bookshop £3, 7pm - 8.30pm

�� Blight Town & Sleep Outside The Angel Microbrewery & The Chapel £8, 7pm

�� Men, I Can Save You Nottingham Playhouse £19, 7.30pm

FRIDAY 28 APRIL

�� Neue Grafik Ensemble Metronome £8 - £12, 7pm - 11pm

�� I Heart Michael Ball Nottingham Playhouse £13, 8.15pm

�� Wishbone Ash Rescue Rooms £25, 6.30pm

�� Nadiya and Kai - Once Upon a Time Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall £27.50, 7.30pm

SATURDAY 29 APRIL

�� Pop-Up Party x Binks Yard Binks Yard £40, 2am

�� Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift Nottingham Contemporary £25, 6pm

�� Nashville – Bad Boys of Country Music Nottingham Playhouse £24.50, 7.30pm

�� The Commoners and Troy Redfern The Bodega £15, 7pm

SUNDAY 30 APRIL

�� Bluebell Walk or Cycle Ride 2023 Rutland Water (Whitwell) £12.50, 10am

�� Champion Broadway Cinema £18, 12pm

�� Hallouminati and Friends The Old Cold Store £6.60

�� DNB ALLSTARS NOTTINGHAM: INDOOR FESTIVAL WITH A.M.C + MORE Rock City £11.20, 2pm

�� Scowl The Bodega £14, 7pm

BEST OF THE MONTH

Fashion Fictions World Tour

When: Thursday 30 MarchSaturday 22 April

Where: Creative Quarter and Sneinton Market Avenues

How much: TBC

Bringing to life the idea of parallel worlds, this exhibition sets out to explore the different ways in which fashion can evolve. This international project was founded by Nottingham’s own Dr Amy Twigger Holroyd as a means of bringing people together - now she’s set to combine imagination, exploration and alternative fashion in an unconventional way to change the industry.

Henry Rollins

When: Sunday 2 April, 7pm

Where: Albert Hall

How much: £29.50

Having been dubbed a punk rock icon, Henry will be leaning into a different form of artistry as he begins his Good to See You tour. Throughout the night, he will recount the events of his extraordinary life pre-COVID; having toured for both Rollins Band and Black Flag in countries ranging from Nepal to South Sudan, he is set to have a lot of interesting stories.

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

When: Tuesday 4 - Saturday 8 April

Where: Nottingham Playhouse

How much: £11-33

Fancy a whodunnit? This classic Olga Tokarczuk novel is brought to life through Simon McBurney’s adaptation. The mystery is set in a remote mountainside village near the Czech-Polish border. The main character, Janina Duszejko, explores the strange deaths of local hunters, and questions whether the animals this small village shares its land with are to blame.

Jokes@TheJuice

When: Wednesday 5 April, 7.30pm

Where: JuiceBar

How much: £2

Want something a bit more funny to help with the never-ending April shower blues? Or just want to laugh until you cry? This one's for you! With eight incredible comedians taking to the stage for a night full of hilarity - including Ian Whitcombe, Stevie Gray, Adam Unwin, Roger Poulter, Daniel James Blacow, Bed 32, Elliot Hughes and Ishi Khan - this is not one to miss.

Wild Clothing 40th Birthday

When: Saturday 8 April, 7pm

Where: Rough Trade

How much: Free

If you’re a vintage lover in Notts, there’s a fair chance that you’ve dedicated plenty an hour to sifting through the treasure chest that is Wild Clothing. Specialising in American vintage but dabbling in it all, Wild is a staple in the Nottingham vintage scene. In fact, this month marks their 40th birthday, which they’re celebrating with a mega party at Rough Trade. Expect DJ sets from Craig Simpson, Steve Airlie and Garry ‘Tiny’ Morley.

Amber Run

When: Wednesday 15 April, 6:30pm

Where: Rock City

How much: £20.44

Nottingham’s very own Amber Run will soon be making their way back home, performing at Rock City this April. The indie trio are set to play their new album, How To Be Human, which was our first taste of fresh music since 2021. Already boasting a US platinum single and sold-out tours, come along to join us in welcoming them back to our city, in a night that’s set to be memorable to say the least!

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

When: Tuesday 18 April, 7.30pm

Where: Royal Concert Hall

How much: £11.50

Vasily Petrenko returns to Nottingham with a programme full of classics. Starring Bomsori Kim on violin, the two bring to life key pieces from three major composers of the last century: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Jean Sibelius’s Finlandia, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. The night is set to fill the theatre with the beautiful sounding orchestra, so get a ticket now so not to miss out.

Stone

When: Friday 21 April, 7pm

Where: Metronome

How much: £11

The ultimate Gen Z rock ’n’ roll band is coming to Notts to honour their debut EP. Their music resonates with audiences around the world, as they explore the youth experience during uncertain times. After having a very successful last two years, supporting artists such as YUNGBLUD and Sam Fender, they are set to make the stage their own at the Metronome this April.