'The Snowden Files' with Luke Harding and Brian Reade

Cast your mind back to 2012. For me it was the year of Lana Del Rey's Born To Die album, the year I passed my driving test, the year the Olympic Games were held in our capital city, the year of the Mayan Doomsday prophecy. It was also the year the name Edward Snowden became universally known and we were hit with the revelations that the Orwellian state depicted in the novel, 1984, was actually worse than we ever imagined. Now, if that sounds dramatic it's because it is.

Edward Snowden, an American computer genius and former employee of CIA deliberately leaked thousands of highly classified documents revealing the NSA had information on all phone calls, direct access to Google, Yahoo and Facebook information and the GCHQ had been siphoning off and storing all Internet transactions for a number of days. Basically. Big Brother is watching you, at all times.

So why did Edward Snowden, who describes himself as a patriot, whose roots are strongly embedded in American ideology do something so drastic and radical, hailed as the most significant leak in U.S history? 'The Snowden Files' attempts to shed light on this.

L1 Waterstones played host to the interview and book signing of 'The Snowden Files' by award winning foreign correspondent, Luke Harding. Harding was instrumental in the revelations through The Guardian newspaper of exposing what he says were 'matters of public interest' also known as the mass surveillance scandal which caused global uproar.

Luke captures Snowden’s story from the day he left his girlfriend on the island of Hawaii carrying a hard drive full of secrets, to the weeks he shared those secrets in Hong Kong, and his battle for asylum. Now unable to leave Moscow, a hunted individual, he faces US espionage charges and an possible future in exile.

The proceedings began with an introduction from Mike Morris of Writing on the Wall. Interviewing Luke was Award-winning Journalist and best-selling author, Brian Reade of the Daily Mirror and recipient of the prestigious Cudlipp Award for Journalistic Excellence  in recognition of spearheading the twenty year Daily Mirror Hillsborough campaign for justice.

Luke Harding is a relaxed well spoken figure. Which is hard to believe considering the roller coaster of events he has been on over the last two years. He's a fascinating man, talking about his experiences with a laid back ease. I felt decidedly unnerved throughout the event when faced with the sheer magnitude of the surveillance, lies and deceit.

The men were at ease with each other and the interview presented itself as more of a conversation, Brian guided the topics with grace and experience and there was some much needed light relief and banter in their exchanges.

Luke started at the beginning with his involvement in reviewing some 55'000 documents in a dingy room of offline computers and the feeling of the monumental implications of the discovery.

He discussed the negotiations with the British government, their underestimation of the amount of documents 'we know you have 30,40' when the total was 55'000 and their complete unwillingness to compromise including threats of indictment. The Guardian eventually destroyed the computers holding the information because of the increased pressure but as Harding pointed out, other individuals in different parts of the world had copies of the highly classified documentation so it was 'Half violation of press freedom and half pantomime'.

When queried about the lack of coverage by other British newspapers of what was truly a ground breaking and enormous story he referenced a couple of things. Firstly, the other press agencies did not have copies of the original documentation which would make it difficult to write a credible story but he also made reference to the request via memo by those in power to ignore the it.

What was quite poignant was his offering on Snowden's motives. Harding believes the elusive ex spy was not 'anti secret but anti accountability' this was the reason he did not give the information to WikiLeaks but carefully selected who he entered into dialogue with. He says his sole motive for leaking the documents was ‘to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them.’

The general consensus from the audience was that the book captured the horror of the 21st century. Concerns were raised about the failure of oversight measures to scrutinise the UK and the importance of them in issues of public security. Harding stated that without them you cannot make sensible decisions.

 A discussion was had on the increasing use of smart phones and the dangers of them in matters of public security. Luke's response to an audience members of what we should do was comforting, 'Stay cheerful and positive and love thy neighbour' on the other hand his stories of how your phone can have its microphone turned on unbeknownst to you and record conversations and track your whereabouts did make me want to put mine in a blender. Keeping it in a cocktail shaker was recommended as an anti-spy device.

A question was asked on how decisions were made about which out of those 55'000 documents should be published. Harding responded that they had to see what was in the public interest and what could cause possible harm. For example information on the war or terrorism would not be legitimate information but things like spying on human rights groups would be.

Luke spoke about his time in Russia likening it to a 'badly written spy thriller' in reference to the way he was surveyed.  He spoke about his computer being hacked and deleting passage when he was writing the book, so much so he wrote notes for whoever was doing it to find. He mentioned it to a German Newspaper and the deleting ceased. He also stated he didn't find any evidence that Snowden was a Russian spy and the profile he thinks most fits is the one of 'principled exile'.

An audience member asked if Luke thought anything would change and if the Guardian have done what they set out to do. Luke talked about the minor reforms that Obama unveiled in relation to storing information but he sensed that it was 'business as usual'. I struggled with this response and I could see others did to. If a government isn't accountable even when the evidence is irrefutable how can we have faith in the structures that serve us? Which prompted the next question. What do they want with all this information. Luke was sceptical about the reasons they gave and the needle and haystack analogy was used. Harding stated they have so much data they don't can't decipher it, so much so, they missed the invasion on Crimea! Surely that is a piece of information you want on your radar. He stated which I whole heatedly agree with, that it is 'profoundly Un-British that we were all under suspicion.'

The questions turned to Snowden's future. Harding gave his thoughts, stating that Putin loves irritating America so will probably keep Snowden for as long as he can.

This story made The Guardian a global brand. The newspaper had already tried to 'crack' America three times previously but this was the story that finally did it.

The interview closed with a question on Snowden's return to America. Harding believe that public opinion is changing and sometime in the future he may be able to return to his home.

Luke Harding thanked the attentive audience and signed copies of his book. It was an unsettling and riveting evening in equal measure. Another brilliant event from Writing on the Wall.

Buy 'The Snowden Files' from News from Nowhere NOW

By Natalie Denny

The Great Poetry Bake Off

This weekend we were treated to two very different events as part of Writing on the Wall Shellshock writing festival.

The first was held at the community bakery, Homebaked Anfield which played host to The Great Poetry Bake Off. This event celebrated the release of a collection of poetry entitled Sweet Tongues by writing group Commonword including contributions from over fifty poets drawing on local and international cuisines to create a diverse menu of poetry. The anthology includes established and new writers and reflects the global influences that are evident in the UK’s popular cuisine.

Our poets were a mixture of young people, their mentors and members of the Stroke Association who were previously involved in the What's Your Story? project.

The proceedings started with an introduction by Madeline from Writing on the Wall and was hosted by Reece from Commonword.

The stroke survivors poetry was simple yet moving, short but effective and really conveyed the struggle but most importantly strength and spirit of the poets. Through their pieces we were given access to their thoughts, feelings and experiences, detailing an incredible journey to rebuild their lives. The poems dealt with the small things like relearning to tie shoe laces to serious issues of depression, living with paralysis and adapting to the limitations of their bodies. What struck me is the charm, humour and wit used to convey these stories, giving us a glimpse of the poets wonderful personalities.

The Sweet Tongues poets used food as a tool to explore issues such as divorce, health, culture and heritage and families evoking strong imagery and a sense of nostalgia in their pieces. The poems complimented each other well and the positive energy in the cafe was almost tangible.

Since the morning of the event both teams of poets had been cooking together to get to know each other and create a varied culinary spread for the show. I had the honour of chatting to some of the poets before and after the performance who thoroughly enjoyed the Great Poetry Bake Off experience as did I. This was an event that I probably wouldn't have attended usually but I'm glad I did. It was a beautiful way to spend an afternoon. Projects like this are really important for fostering community cohesion and allowing people from a whole range of backgrounds the space time and support to be creative.

Find out more about Commonword
Find out more about the What's Your Story? Project

By Natalie Denny 

Malcolm X Speaks!

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Malcolm X’s famous Ballot of the Bullet speech. To commemorate this Writing on the Wall hosted Malcolm X Speaks in the bustling Ropewalks Square, enlisting the theatrical talents of Elliot Barnes-Worrell to reenact sections of Malcom's most iconic speeches.

Malcolm X is a controversial character. His call to Black Americans to to fight for civil rights by whatever means necessary and indictment of White Capitalist America in the harshest terms meant he was accused of preaching violence and racism. Despite this he has been hailed as one of the most influential African Americans in history.

Elliot Barnes-Worrell struck a dominant figure and performed effortlessly giving the speeches unmitigated conviction. He is currently touring with the Royal Shakespeare Company performing in Richard II, a rising star possessing a talent to inspire and entertain a crowd. It was hard not to feel emotional and Elliot captured the power and presence of Malcolm X's words, transporting us briefly back to 1964, enabling us to imagine the pain and anger of those times.

The sections performed chartered development of Malcolm X's political ideologies throughout his career and were accompanied by ABUVV (Jaylyn), an innovative recording artist, songwriter and audio engineer from New York playing poignant music inspired by Malcolm X and the civil rights movement. The audience was treated to a mixture of Jazz, Hip Hop, Blues and Soul from the likes of Sam Cooke 'A Change Is Gonna Come', 'Mavis Staples 'We Shall Not Be Moved', Public Enemy 'Fight The Power', KRS One 'Sound Of The Police', and James Brown 'I'm Black And I'm Proud' providing the perfect soundtrack for the event.

By Natalie Denny 

Owen Jones: Rebel Rant

Sat alongside Liverpool’s impressive Chinatown Gate is the looming figure of the Black-E, a former Congregational chapel besmirched with over a century’s inner-city smoke and grime, giving the building its blackened façade and its playful name. Now serving as a cultural arts community centre, the venue played the perfect host to an evening of socio-political discussion sprung from Owen Jones’ ‘Rebel Rant’, a headline act of Liverpool’s Writing on the Wall Festival. The rant meandered through an array of themes and concerns, and the discussion which ensued demonstrated the extent to which Jones engaged his audience in his appeal for solidarity amongst the working classes for the hope of social change.

Jones, a self-proclaimed socialist and columnist for the Guardian, rose to prominence after the 2011 publication of Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class, described as ‘a work of passion, sympathy and moral grace’ by the New York Times who considered the book one of the top ten non-fiction publications of 2011. He has since featured in numerous televised political debates on programmes such as the BBC’s Newsnight or Daily Politics as a spokesperson for the political left. Jones set his ‘Rebel Rant’ in motion by evoking the rich British heritage of a working class who fought for social change, beginning with examples from as far back as the 14th century and stretching through to modern Britain with examples of working class heroes who in some cases went as far as to die in their struggle for positive social change in Britain, such as the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. Reminding his audience of such examples, Jones laid down his theme that positive social change—whether it be improved working conditions, increasing the minimum wage, female emancipation, the abolition of slavery—is never gifted by a generous elite of officials at the top, but rather it is something which is battled for, through protest, the voicing of discontent and sometimes through blood, but it is always something which comes from below, from the working classes. A message which doubtlessly coursed through the minds of his audience as he proceeded to discuss the problems which afflict our contemporary society.

Over quarter of a million people relying on food banks to feed their families, while energy companies hold millions to ransom over ever-inflating energy prices, their bosses stuffing their pockets with profits while families count pennies deciding whether they can afford to heat their home or feed their children. Incessant job cutbacks leaving 27 million Europeans without work and economic growth at a standstill while monstrous corporations such as Google, Amazon and Starbucks exploit tax havens to avoid contributing to the economies of countries whose people which put billions of pounds in their pockets every year. The institution that Brits are most proud of, the NHS, being threatened by privatization and thus the potential that another set of already-wealthy businessmen might stick their fingers in our pockets and clear us of our hard-earned wages on the back of something as indispensable and essential as healthcare. Relying on politicians for social change, the same politicians who themselves avoid tax and use the taxpayers money to fund unnecessary second homes and extravagant expenses. Governments tapping into the phones of political leaders to watch over their every move yet people such as Edward Snowden and Julian Assange being condemned as criminals for exposing the corruption taking place in the dark recesses of the political world. Five million Brits on housing waiting lists while house prices continue to rocket up 10% a year. A national media which targets minority, often immigrant, communities and uses them as scapegoats to every problem that the United Kingdom faces and leaving the working classes fighting amongst themselves and believing that if we got out of the EU, put a cap on immigration all our problems would magically evaporate, and amidst all this fighting the people on top sit contentedly licking their cream. The same national media which also demonizes users of social benefits, a system established to support those put out of and unable to find work, but despite huge job losses, mass unemployment, the UK in billions of pounds of debt, the people who use this system are nonetheless branded as ‘lazy’ ‘scroungers’ who ‘sponge’ off tax-payer’s money, draining the country of its supposed unbounding riches. And it cannot be a coincidence that this demonization takes place during a time when job centre employees, who Jones claims to have interviewed himself, are pushed to cut individual’s benefits for the slightest and most inane reasons (turning up 2 minutes late, not being able to go to the job centre because you are out job-hunting) as each job centre battles against each other to save the most money and earn its branch a presumably minor reward. Rule, Britannia! These are all things we are aware of on some level, that we have read about in newspapers and been repudiated by. But Jones was able to frame all these different elements to give a startling and rather nauseating image of a Britain on its knees, and when juxtaposed with his evocation of a truly Great Britain whose working classes fought for social change, this image become suddenly deeply saddening.

But Jones stressed to the packed Black-E crowd that this wasn't simply an event organised for people to come together, vent their frustrations and become nostalgic about a distant, ‘lost’ Britain. Together, as it always has been and always will be, the working classes can achieve change, because that change never does come from the top, but always comes from a battle-cry from the bottom. His was a message of solidarity, of organisation and being active in the face of the crises faced by Brits today. But not only Brits. Recalling a time when he visited Portugal in 2011, Jones pointed out that riots in that country took place within a week or two of the London anti-cuts protests of that year and that the demonstrations in both countries were calling for virtually the same things. Many of the issues we face today are international and must be addressed on that scale. How? Jones referred to the power of social media to engage and communicate, reminding his audience that social networks have the power to make revolution possible as shown by the example of Egypt and other African countries during the Arab Spring. Indeed Jones himself followed this event by jetting off to Barcelona and Madrid where the Spanish translation of his book has took off and clearly sympathises with the millions of unemployed Spanish struggling make a living and even survive in a country suffering from economic disaster.

Jones’ almost-listing of the multitude of problems faced by Europeans and indeed people all over the work may be deemed by his detractors as simply a means of inciting anger and his rather basic, idealistic response of solidarity and protest might be deemed inane and futile. After all, only four years ago thousands of students reacted to governmental intentions of hiking up prices in further education by demonstrating in London. The reaction of the government? To turn a blind eye, gleefully imagine the extra-revenue and increase Universities fees threefold. Is it then any wonder that there seems to be a generation of apathetic voters (or non-voters) who feel futile to creating significant change, who distrust politicians and have little or no optimism for their future? But Jones demonstrated that change can be provoked by the working classes, by the people who fight for their rights and what they believe in. And so if change is to happen, it will only be achieved through solidarity, organisation and demonstration. In a democracy, this is our right and it is this right that gives us optimism and hope for the future. Plus, as Jones puts it, the British working classes ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’—an empowering image and message which certainly resonated deeply with his applauding audience.

The WoW Volunteers with Owen Jones 

The Writing on the Wall Festival continues tonight (21/05) with Spy in the Camp at the Bluecoat with Phil Scraton, Rob Evans and Janet Alder discussing deceit and betrayal by the police, unmasking espionage, phone-hacking and privacy violation.

It will then continue until the end of May. For the full listings of events, please click here.

Owen Jones will release his second book, The Establishment and How They Get Away With It comes out in September. To pre-order, please click here.

And finally thanks for reading!


By Liam Roberts

Kelly + Victor screening with special guest Niall Griffiths

The bustling Frederiks bar on Hope street hosted the screening of the British romantic drama, Kelly + Victor presented by Wow FEST with special guest Niall Griffiths. Niall is best known for his novels Grits, Sheepshagger and his 2003 publication Stump which won the Wales Book of the Year Award. Kelly and Victor is his third novel.

I first read Kelly+Victor as a teenager and was completely overwhelmed by the story. I'm a scouser and even now still get uncool kicks out of stories that are linked to my home town, that coupled with a transgressive love intrigued and baffled my younger self. It was only when I reread the tale some years later I truly appreciated the depth, darkness and skill of Griffiths writing and fully understood the novels themes. You can imagine my delight when I heard it was being adapted to screen.

The proceedings opened with an introduction from Mike Morris, giving us a background of Niall Griffiths life and works and preparing the floor for the man himself. 

Niall is a funny and likeable character and spoke in a brutally honest manner. He gave us a brief history of how the film came to fruition, detailing his first meeting with the director of the movie, Kieran Evans and how they bonded over their backgrounds and love of Liverpool Football Club. He stated he could see Kieran had a vision and this cemented his faith that he'd do the story justice. They adapted parts of the screenplay together in a hotel room.

Niall offered us his thoughts on casting process, stating that Julian Morris was 'too pretty' for the character of Victor but on further observation of him in action he could see he brought a vulnerability and sense of a tortured soul that made him perfect for the film.

'Victor is baffled by himself and Julian captured this well' (Griffiths)

Both the main characters, Julian Morris and Antonia Campbell-Hughes, were not first choices but worked in glorious harmony with each other, the chemistry on screen, perfect.

The film, from first-time feature director Kieran Evans, follows the pair as they become romantically involved and find pleasure and darkness inextricably entwined in each other. It is an adaptation directed with artistic flair and a naturalistic performance from its protagonists. It took some ten years to be realised and it was worth the wait. A critically acclaimed film with a BAFTA award for best director has encouraged people to pay more attention to Niall's work and he has more screenplays in the pipe line as a result.

Kelly + Victor is intensely and beautifully shot. The sex scenes which are so integral to the story are mesmerising and disturbing, passionately brutal but beautiful. If you're looking for a feel good film, this isn't it. This is a haunting modern day love story full of twisted darkness and capturing the awkward yet magical beginning of new love.

In the question and answer session Niall spoke about his frustration and boredom with the long process of the film's creation and his own characters so much so that after the initial screen adapting and casting he left creative licence in the hands of the director and continued with other work.  He said his only condition for the adaptation was that it had to be filmed in Liverpool, stating the vibrancy and colour of the city made it important to the story and to him.

Niall spoke about some of the cinematic devices and changes that had to be made for the improvement of the script which he believed were a necessary sacrifice. Niall was asked about the fear of handing over his story and the worry around losing the inner dialogue in translation to screenplay. It was something he gave plenty of thought to but stated he is happy with the result and think Kieran captured it adequately.

One of the audience members questioned Niall about why Victor likes Kelly, having not read the book she struggled with the attraction on screen. Niall responded that the story in its essence is about wanting more than the daily life, wanting vividness and vibrancy. The search beyond the mundane and craving something more than the grind. He also spoke abut the fear we have as humans of dying without leaving a mark on the world, the terror of insignificance and the characters find the antidote for that in each other, a chemistry beyond words.

Overall it was an interesting and thought provoking evening. I highly recommend the film and Niall's other novels for their realism, darkness and character depth.

Find further WOW FEST events here

http://www.writingonthewall.org.uk/festival.html

by Natalie Denny 

Irvine Welsh at Oh Me Oh My

Sat in the impressive West Africa Room of Liverpool’s Oh Me Oh My and taking in the décor—‘vintage’, paint-splashed doors draped with fairy lights leaning against white walls, white wicker chairs, stately wooden tables decked with vases of flowers and simple candles—I was intrigued to imagine Welsh’s first impressions of the place. Known for his gritty, visceral, brutally honest novels, notably Trainspotting, Filth and Marabou Stork Nightmares, perhaps I was expecting a rock-god-esque, taciturn but exuberant sort of character to burst through the door gushing with the virile masculinity of many of his characters. Yet when he did arrive, strangely on-time, weirdly genuine, warm and humane, he was instead a man at ease, very laid back and approachable. Welsh seemed genuinely pleased to be in Liverpool and greeted all with a large smile. A smile only interrupted by a mildly excited rounding of the lips at the proposal of a sandwich and snacks-accompanied rest. As he headed off for some good scran and a moment’s pause, I was left to rue my misled preconceptions, but I could only be taken in by the man’s genuine and friendly demeanour.

And the venue too surprised, providing a peculiarly fitting background to what was a relaxed yet intriguing affair. Kevin Sampson (Awaydays, Stars are Stars, Powder) led the event and was instrumental to the fluidity and engaging nature of Welsh’s performance. Both men were slung back in armchairs below dimmed lights, legs stretched out intertwined, completely at home sipping their drinks. You would have thought they were just two guys having a chat down the boozer if it wasn’t for Sampson’s incisive questions which allowed Welsh to meander freely and openly through the evening’s many subjects. The chat ranged from his early influences to writerly routine (or lack of), Saturday Night Fever to the politicization of the word ‘c**t’ in the English Language and the power language has over individuals who fear such words. Sampson and Welsh’s openness was engrossing and loaded the gig with a personal, intimate feel. As too did Welsh’s humour, with the spurts of comedy filling in the gaps of the discussion as they do his novels, and laughter was the only sound uttered by a fixated audience during Welsh’s performance. Talking of Saturday Night Fever, Welsh declared that ‘if you don’t like that opening scene, then you haven’t got a pulse’, and when discussing books that had influenced him, he spoke frankly of being influenced by ‘bad books’; ‘If I read a good book, I’d think “Bastard!”, but when I found a bad book’, his face lit up, a beaming smile forming, ‘I’d think, “here we go! What a load of crap! I’m gonna take yer down!”’

The crowd loved this honesty and so did I. There were many moments like this that made me think “Yes! That’s exactly how I feel! That’s exactly how it is!”, a feeling Sampson claimed Trainspotting gave him the first time it was thrust into his hands by a friend in the early 90s and influenced the way he thought about literature. Often when an author is questioned about his or her influences, you get a standardised list of ‘classic’, ‘acceptable’ authors reeled off—Joyce, Dickens, Wodehouse, Woolf, Eliot, etc. But Welsh’s claim that it is also the badly-written novels that inspire, that make you think ‘d’ya know what? I could do better than this crap!’ is spot on and it’s refreshing to hear an author speak with such genuine openness. And it is this openness which is on-show in his works. Many critics claim that Welsh has an ‘impulse to shock’ and be, as Anthony Cummings recently called him, ‘full-throatedly yucky’ (I think what he means here is more gritty, gory and in-your-face explicit) but Welsh didn’t seem to be some sort of sadist who took a gruesome pleasure from creating brutal characters, but instead he struck me as a man who simply saw and accepted the world for what it was, in all its colours and glory. He suggested this himself when discussing his characters, explaining what he enjoyed about creating them was their absolute unpredictability. So demonstrating the benevolent qualities of his most grotesque characters by having them do something positive, or inversely having an inherently good character lower himself to get mixed up in some nasty business. Why? He didn’t explicitly say. But again, Welsh seems to have a desire to take in the whole spectrum of the human condition in his characters, to portray the complex nature of mankind and the real experiences of the working class man.

A Q&A followed, and continued in the relaxed tone set by Sampson. Lots of interesting questions were posed from the floor and the session was wrapped up by a former docker who thanked Welsh for giving coverage to and supporting the docker’s strikes in the late 1990s. A respectful round of applause sounded and Welsh went on to sign books for fans, with copies of his latest novel The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins (released last Thursday 1st May) on sale from Liverpool booksellers News From Nowhere and Peter Hooton of The Farm took to the decks to fill the air with British nostalgia of the 80s and 90s. Welsh’s amicable personality never wavered and he appeared tireless in greeting fans with hearty handshakes, personalised signatures and posing for photographs. After fulfilling his duties, he unwound chatting to Hooton and co and enjoying the feel-good music which gave an apt ending to a great evening enjoyed by all. Including Mr Welsh himself, it seems…

Thanks to all at Liverpool Writing on the Wall Festival for organising the event, to the staff at Oh Me Oh My, to Kevin Sampson and to Irvine Welsh for a superb evening!

The WoW festival continues throughout May, for more details click here. 

For a full brochure, click here.

Kevin Sampson’s latest novel, The Killing Pool, is on sale here.
Irvine Welsh’s latest novel The Sex Lives of Siamese Twins is on sale here.

By Liam Roberts 

Make Doves Not War! WoW Festival Launch

Writing on the Wall's festival launch event was a huge success on Thursday 1st May at The Bluecoat. Seventy children from five schools across Merseyside as well as various councillors and special guests took part in our 'Make Doves Not War' event to explore the theme of peace in the centenary year of the First World War. The schools arrived and Festival Director Madeline Heneghan introduced talks and readings by children's authors Cathy Cassidy and Jon Mayhew, and poet Sean Street, who all reflected on the themes of conflict both during wartime and in everyday life, and talked about their own families involvement in the First World War.

The children were given cut-outs of doves on white card and asked to write something in response to the phrase 'I want to live in a world of peace because...' The children decorated their doves and our WoW volunteers helped to thread them all together onto a white ribbon. The The event moved to the gardens of The Bluecoat where the children formed a semi-circle holding their connected doves and listened to talks from Councillor for Education Jane Corbett and Liverpool's Lord Mayor Gary Miller, before the Lord Mayor and the Young Lord Mayor released ten doves into the sky as a statement of peace to close the event and launch the festival.

The 'Make Doves Not War' writing competition has now launched and is an exciting opportunity for a young writer aged 8-16 to have a piece of flash fiction or poetry published. The competition aims to promote peace through creativity during the centenary year of the First World War and is a way to get people thinking about the tremendous losses on both sides of the conflict. Closing date for the competition is Friday 24th October 2014. Get in touch with us at info@writingonthewall.org.uk for more information.


By Alex Price