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Flipside – Brazilian Literature and Music – the start
Snape Maltings, in west Suffolk, is the home of Aldeburgh Music, which is renowned as an outstanding year-round performance centre. On Friday evening, the Flipside Literature and Music Festival opened with “The boys from Ipanema”, by paying tribute to the composer and essayist Vincius de Moraes and the musician Antonio Carlos Jobin. They “boys” (actually two men and a woman) sang and played their way through a fabulous and clear explanation of Bossa Nova, illustrating the entwining of Greek myths and African rhythms. Author and composer, Jose Miguel Wisnik, Arthur Nestrovski, a very talented guitarist and Paula Morelenbaum, one of Brazil’s great singers, entertained and enlightened an appreciative audience. The…
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FLIPSIDE in Suffolk
Last year we went to Brazil and one of the highlights of the trip was the Paraty FLIP book festival. This weekend some of that glamour, joy and humour of FLIP, will be in Snape Maltings in Sufflok and I am going to bask in the experience. I received the press release this week and here are some of the highlights. “Brazilian literary stars Bernardo Carvalho, Milton Hatoum and Adriana Lisboa, Ana Maria Machado, Patricia Melo and Ferréz, are just some of the headlining authors taking centre stage in Suffolk this weekend for the inaugural FLIPSIDE Festival of Brazilian literature, Music and the Arts. As they line up alongside UK…
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Iguaçu Falls, Brazil, unbelievable and breathtaking
For me, Brazil equals, music, food, smells, passion, excitement and the new. It has it all, including the spectacular waterfalls that make up the Iguaçu Falls. We flew internally from Manaus in the Amazon, via Sao Paulo, with Tam airlines to Foz de Iguaçu in June 2012. We visited for two nights, so three days in total. Cool air contrasted with moments in the day when the sun warmed the spirit. We saw double rainbows across the falls and that in itself was thrilling. The falls are easy to locate by taxi, hire car or bus. We took a mixture of taxi and bus as we spent the first night in a…
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Chris Keil and Jenny Grainer – Writers in Tavira – Follow up
Chris Keil and Jenny Grainer came to Tavira to read in the not to be missed bookshop A Lura dos Livros. Both writers have a passion for their work. Jenny writes regularly for the Algarve Resident and has written for the Portugal News. Her latest article about the recent tornado and the aftermath is here Jenny has a keen eye for what has gone on over the last 30 years as an expat and resident. What was obvious during the book reading and the workshop the following day is that Chris Keil, inhabits a world of his senses. He comes to the Algarve for the sensuality, passion, intensity of this…
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Two writers read at A Lura dos Livros
Two writers will be reading at A Lura dos Livros at 7:30pm, on Monday 3rd December 2012. I have already publicised Chris Keil, in a previous post. Chris will be reading from his third novel “Flirting at the Funeral.” The second writer is Jenny Grainer, who will be reading from her book “Portugal and the Algarve, Then and Now.” About the Author Jenny Grainer was born in Portsmouth, England. She spent much of her early life on the Island of Malta where her father, an officer in the Royal Navy was based. Jenny had a brief career in the theatre before marrying her first husband the Australian Ron Grainer who…
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C A R Hills reads in Tavira 17th September
CAR Hills has a love/hate relationship with Portugal and the Algarve in particular. Even so, we are very pleased that he is willing to read from some of his early essays and recent work on September 17th at Lura dos Livros in Tavira. Charles has been a writer all of his colourful life. He wrote a series of essays called the “Clapham Omnibus” and “The Prisoner” for Prospect magazine. In these essays, he reflects on his wanderings around London and some of his experiences of prison. They can be found online in Prospect magazine. He has also written for the Australian literary magazine Quadrant and was newsletter Editor of English Pen. Charles comes from…
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Paraty, Day 5 – final day
As I write this, it is raining in Paraty. It is still beautiful, but its cold. The weather also occupied the mind of one of the writers I saw on day 5. Hanif Kureishi, (English mother, Pakistani father), grew up in Britain in the 1970’s. He said he “started writing to stop going mad.” He shared he was racially abused daily as a child with the neighbours asking him at times “is it warm enough for you” or “where are you from.” As he pointed to the house in the street the neighbour would say “no, where are you really really from,” as though the double use of “really” would…
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Paraty, Day 4
The day started with a press conference with Ian McEwan. He was his gentle mediative self and shared his love of Brazil. He first came to Brazil with his son in 2004 and his son said at the time Paraty had been the best 15 hours in Ian`s diary. His son, Gregory met a girl and hás since learned Portuguêse. Father and son both love the sound of the Portuguese language, calling it “a rich wine sound. Paraty has a charm that the festival enhances its not like Hay. There are more people but the place is not overtaken and changed”. When asked what he would want from a Paraty…
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Day 3 Paraty
On Day 3, I attended a mix bag of sessions. The first session celebrated the poems of Drummond. In the next session Stephen Greenblatt and James Shapiro, shared their love of Shakespeare. Later in the day, Granta provided the space for two British writers to reflect on what being British means. Two Middle Eastern writers and poets talked a little about the issues for writers in Syria and Lebanon and finally Jonathan Frazen in his slow but thoughtful presentation reflected on what he makes of American culture and why he thinks we should all become bird watchers. Drummond the modern poet was explored by Alcides Viillaca and Antonio Carlos Seechin. Alcides Viillaca began…
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Paraty – Day One
Trying to work in Paraty has so far been a frustrating experience. The main event last night, which was sold out many weeks ago, was not the most compelling experience I had hoped it would be, having read such good things about the Paraty book festival (FLIP). I am hoping today will be better. The organisational issues for Paraty seem to frustrate many of the attendees and participants, which is more than a shame as its obvious a lot of effort has been put into the festival. Last night was pretty chaotic, but I guess, it’s allowed in a Latin culture. Even though it was sold out, there were plenty…
