Thursday 24 January 2013

To Iraq and a Podcast Interview on Hungary




Tomorrow I fly to Erbil in Northern Iraq for a literary festival. It is my first time in that part of the world. We - I mean the group of British Council writers including myself -  will fly via Vienna, spending the night there before flying on.

My literary travels have taken me to the USA, to Canada, to Australia, India and China and a number of places in Europe, though never Scandinavia, nor to Russia. I have missed South America and Africa entirely. Malaysia may be on the menu in September. Fly-by-night affairs in some ways but proper unforgettable experiences too with friends made and sometimes retained for a long time.

There is not much money to be made by writing and still less in poetry, but a modicum of success will take you travelling, and I am very grateful.

Especially now. The last few weeks have been mind-breaking work. Reviewing (more to do) pieces for The Times, The Independent, for the South Bank, reports to write, the T S Eliot reading and prize giving, other readings, at UEA and elsewhere, and yesterday to London to record an interview for CBC about Hungary.

The interview is now a podcast and you can listen to it here. I am trying to describe the situation as I understand it. I try not to dramatise or overstate, as I think that can alienate possibly sympathetic people.



6 comments:

havantaclu said...

Good luck on your journey, George - it's an area I'd love to visit. so much history - so many fascinating places!

Looking forward to your narrative on your return.

Love and peace
Jeni

Gwil W said...

Have a good trip George. I know you're not a roving reporter but I hope maybe you'll be able to glean some insight from someone maybe at the BC about the people especially the babies and children living in the depleted uranium zones.

Anonymous said...

Have a fantastic trip. Iam a Iraqi born British and currently studying at the University of Greenwich for Master degree. I grew up in Erbil. I admire your work and love to be part of similar trips. Enjoy it while you there...

George S said...

Thank you all three. Having got as far as Vienna, I am now looking forward to it. It will be a learning experience, as they say.

Gwil W said...

A pity you are not longer in Vienna. We could have had one in the Seven Stars (Siebenstern Brauerei).

George S said...

That would have been lovely Gwilym, but arrived at 11pm and left at 8:15am...