It’s that Turner Prize time of year and the nominees have been announced. My vote goes to Dexter Dalwood, whose work uses contemporary cultural and historical references. The haunting Death of David Kelly (our stunning cover image) took my breath away. All negative press is bound to head in the direction of Angela De La Cruz for her Clutter pieces, which include stacked wardrobes. Sound artist Susan Philipsz will delight with her innovative works while The Otolith Group could be the first duo since Gilbert and George to take the honours. The exhibition runs until January 3 with the Announcement screened on December 6. To swot up, if you cannot get to London, Tate online has short films on each of the artists.
The English Youth Ballet performs full length productions of classical ballet in our regional theatres, giving young dancers a chance to perform within a professional setting. The organisation is running auditions for its 2011 performances of Coppelia, produced by Janet Lewis. For the first time, Geordie dancers will have their chance as the tour heads to the city’s The Journal Tyne Theatre. For audition packs you can e-mail misslewis@englishyouthballet.co.uk
Ahh! Good old Stevenage – birthplace of Lewis Hamilton and the childhood home to E.M Forster. The town has taken the author to its heart and organised a series of events in October to mark the centenary of the publication of Howards End, which was largely set at Rooks Nest, now engulfed by the town. The council chamber was engulfed itself by an all-day workshop on Forster that was led by Adrian Barlow from the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education. A special screening of the beautiful Merchant Ivory film, with an introduction by film critic Barry Norman, was also arranged. A small but beautiful acknowledgement of one of our literary greats.
We were so sorry to hear of the sudden death of Bob McKee, the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals (CILIP) – see our report at www.inkpellet.co.uk/Stagewhispers – but we are so grateful to have had the chance to speak to him about the importance of the school library. The Government announces the results of the spending review as we go to press, but I am pleased to share a recent report by The Schools Library Association. The paper, called School Libraries: A Plan for Improvement, concludes school libraries have a unique role to play in raising pupils’ literacy levels, promoting reading for pleasure and improving their access to knowledge. While the report does not make the case for making school libraries statutory – a policy supported by CILIP – it does call on the Department for Education to endorse the role of school libraries in supporting the new government’s renewed commitment to literacy. Find out how you can add your voice to the campaign at www.cilip.org
Narnia fever is set to break out with the release of the third film in the series – the cracking Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This is the fifth book in C S Lewis’s series and recounts the adventures of the Pevensie children’s visit to Narnia – which they reach through a painting on the wall in the house of their spoilt cousin Eustace, who unfortunately is dragged along with them. The film is released on December 10. There are sure to be some beautiful new editions of the novel – one for a deserving niece or nephew perhaps.
And while we’re on the subject of newfangled editions of our paper favourites (!), Naxos, the audio book people have just released their new list of treasures including Stendhal’s The Red and the Black (doesn’t sound half as good though as the original Le Rouge et le Noir) and Lorna Doone. Other new-ish titles include Jane Austen’s Sanditon and The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell.
How brilliant that a comic novel won the Man Booker Prize this time around. For our own enjoyment over Christmas, pick up a copy of the winning title by Howard Jacobson The Finkler Question. Might be time to also crack open an Evelyn Waugh…