October —December, 2019
Quarterly
Events, Exhibitions & Treasures from the Collection Features
4 Note from the Librarian
The Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society 5 Library News The Society of Readers and Writers Booking Now Open For Autumn 2019 Quarterly October—December, 2019 6 Library News HH Judge D A Stockdale Resilient Heritage Project update Thursday 24th October, 7.00 pm - RNCM 7 Exhibition Crime & Punishment - Why Do We Punish Offenders? Second Nature: What is the purpose of punishment by the State? Why do we punish offenders at all? These issues have been discussed by political and moral philosophers for centuries - perhaps most notably by What does ‘nature’ mean anyway? Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. David Stockdale, Senior Circuit Judge, the Resident Judge at Manchester Crown Court and the Honorary Recorder of Manchester, will revisit the thinking of the early proponents of Utilitarianism and Retributivism and measures their principles against 7 Event Listings the framework, laid down by Parliament, which underpins the sentencing of offenders today. 10 Library Review Professor Callum Roberts Nicole Peeters Wednesday 30th October 2019, 7.00 pm - RNCM Coral Reefs And The Future Of The World 11 What’s on the Shelves? We have transformed from inhabitants of this world to architects of its Steve Smith future. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the realm of coral reefs. Callum Roberts, author of ‘Ocean of Life’ and ‘Reef Life’, will describe how the coral reefs’ struggle for survival tells us some- 12 Library Treasures thing urgent and important – we need to change course now Walter Fung if we are to leave a world fit for generations yet to come. Dr Alan Crosby 14 Adopt-a-Book Wednesday 6th November, 7.00 pm - RNCM Richard Ogden Place-Names And The Medieval Landscape In The Manchester Area 15 Volunteer Story Alan Crosby, author of more than thirty books and numerous articles, specialises in the social and landscape history of North West England. Place-names are a key source of information about past Kirsten Drew landscapes, their settlement and their exploitation. This lecture will focus on Greater Manchester and the adjacent area, looking at the elements or linguistic building blocks which make up the names themselves, and showing how they may be mapped, plotted and interpreted. Place names are defining markers of modern society – and they have much to tell us about how the society developed. Professor Trevor Cox Wednesday 13th November 2019, 7.00 pm - MCC Now You’re Talking Your voice is integral to your personal identity. We judge others not just by their words, but also by the way they talk: their intonation, their pitch, their accent. Mixing scientific analysis with musical interludes, Trevor Cox will explore the workings of the voice and how it adapts to different styles, drawing on his latest popular science book, ‘Now You’re Talking’.
Cover Image All written material, unless otherwise stated, The Manchester ‘Lit & Phil’ was founded in 1781 by two medical doctors, Thomas Percival and Charles White, and Nature Printed British Seaweeds: is the copyright of The Portico Library. continues to this day as a focus for 30 fascinating lectures and discussions annually from distinguished experts on a A History, William Grosart Johnstone wide variety of topics. Events are held in convenient locations in and near the centre of Manchester and will appeal to and Alexander Croall, 1859. Designed by Birthday people of all ages who have an enquiring mind! Please visit our website for further information on becoming a member. Printed by Jump North Above An Attack of Owls in the Choir of the If you would like to place an advertisement Church at Sarayacu, Travels in South in our next edition, please contact www.manlitphil.ac.uk America, Paul Marcoy, 1875. [email protected] 5th Floor, Church House, 90 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2GP 0161 833 4187 3 NOTE FROM THE LIBRARIAN LIBRARY NEWS
‘With the disappearance of the forest,’ Fung looks at the Library’s beautiful The Society of Skyliner, an online magazine focusing scholar George Perkins Marsh wrote in collection of travel writing on 19th-century Readers and Writers on lesser-seen parts of cities; Emily his classic text Man and Nature, ‘all is China. While Steve Smith reviews the Graham, winner, of the 2017 Portico changed […] the climate becomes newest edition to the Anthony Burgess For the first time, The Portico Library is Sadie Massie Awards and prospective excessive and the soil is alternatively Irwell Works, ABBA ABBA, on page 11. introducing The Society of Readers and BA student at The University of parched by the fervors of summer and Burgess won the Portico Prize in 1989 for Writers, an appointed group of fifteen Manchester; Elmi Ali, performance seared by the vigors of winter.’ Written Any Old Iron and we will be joining forces literary enthusiasts who will collectively poet, director and facilitator; Mo Ray, in 1864, Marsh’s prophetic judgements with The International Anthony Burgess draw up a longlist for The Portico Prize arts reviewer and writer at Within my seem more relevant than ever and serve Foundation to celebrate the release of the 2019, awarded ‘to the book that best Locket, a blog about storytelling across as a timely reminder of the enduring Portico Prize Longlist on 22nd October. evokes the spirit of the North of England’. different mediums; Emma Marigliano, struggle between humanity’s demands Compiled by the newly formed Society Submissions to the Prize will be divided Chairwoman of the Independent Libraries and the natural environment. This theme of Readers and Writers (see page 5) the between the Society, who will each Association and former Librarian of The is explored in more depth in our upcoming event will bring together the best books receive honourary membership to The Portico Library; Robert Nieri, solicitor Winter programme, which begins 4th written about the North of England for an Portico Library between July 2019 and and author of debut novel The Lord of October with the Library’s Second Nature evening of sharp conversation and debate. December 2020. Milan; Stella Halkyard, former Joint exhibition (see page 7). Sponsored by the If you enjoy reading northern literature, The Society members are Rachael Head of Special Collections at the John Zochonis Charitable Trust, the programme like the idea of learning more about Allen, poet and poetry editor for Granta Rylands Library and an Honorary Fellow also includes several events where ideas 19th-century travel through China or early magazine and Granta books; David of the University of Manchester Library; about nature and our troubling detachment environmental ideas, then why not join Coates, Sales and Events manager at Lucy Burns, editorial assistant at from it will be explored (see pages 7–9). The Portico as a member or reader? Here Blackwell’s Bookshop in Manchester; Manchester University Press and The environmental theme extends to you can find Burgess next to the likes of Kamal Kaan, actor and award winning co-organiser of experimental writing the launch of our Endangered Books Alexander von Humboldt and many more screenwriter whose work includes event series Murmur; and Simon Nichol, Fund (see Kirsten Drew’s volunteer story literary treasures. Breaking up with Bradford (BBC Radio 4); retired English teacher and criminal lawyer. on page 15). The Fund gives you the Finally, tickets for our renowned Qaisra Shahraz, novelist, scriptwriter and The Portico Prize Longlist will be opportunity to support the restoration Christmas Feast are now available. founder of MACFEST, Muslim Arts and announced on the 30th September of some of the Library’s most precious Make sure you book quickly as space Culture Festival; Louisa Yates, writer, 2019. Turn to page 8 for details of our and rare books so that they can be used is limited. academic and Festival Director of upcoming Portico Prize Longlist Event. for future generations. Gladfest; Arthur Bostrom, TV and theatre Our Winter Quarterly also features Dr. Thom Keep actor and radio broadcaster; Hayley Sarah Hill two fascinating articles from Portico Librarian Flynn, writer and tour guide who runs Portico Prize administrator members. On pages 12 and 13, Walter
Right Paradisea rubra, male, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, Charles Darwin, Right 1871. Clockwise from top left: Elmi Ali, Rachael Allen, Hayley Flynn, Kamal Kaan.
4 | The Portico Library | Oct—Dec, 2019 5 LIBRARY NEWS EXHIBITION
Resilient Heritage Project update dedicated Library staff. The project was challenging and Second Nature: what Our Resilient Heritage Project has now absorbing (collating all the necessary does ‘nature’ mean been completed, marking the end of an property documents from over two exciting journey and the beginning of hundred years’ worth of material took anyway? another. There has already been a time and perseverance). It was, as a 4 October, 2019–6 January, 2020 transformative effect on the Library, colleague at the National Lottery Heritage enabling us to create a new governance Fund observed, a project with many parts Free public preview: structure; identify what needs to be and keeping them all on track was an 3 October, 6–8pm done to make the building fully accessible; exciting process. It was fascinating work, develop a condition survey and cost up especially the opportunity to collaborate Recent studies show that two thirds of repairs and improvements; build a long with our consultant team who have now UK adults feel they have ‘lost touch with -term, sustainable business plan and a produced an integrated set of reports to nature’ and our vocabulary to describe it long-term fundraising plan; develop the help guide our future. is diminishing. How might new ideas and skills of our staff; and cultivate new At its conclusion we are, as a Library, definitions of nature affect our priorities, partnerships across Manchester and in a quite different place from a year ago: and can reconnecting with the living beyond. In short, it has enabled us to much more firmly grounded, more united world help us find solutions to current successfully begin the process of securing and more ambitious. While there is a environmental emergencies and broader the Library’s future by improving its sense of satisfaction this project is over, social divisions? infrastructure. there is undeniable excitement about Second Nature brings together historic The project permeated most areas bringing our plans into effect and literature and artefacts, up-to-date EVENTS LISTINGS of the Library’s life and work at a time focusing on areas, such as our book research and new works by contemporary when the demands of starting out as a collection and audience development, artists and schoolchildren to ask what charity were considerable. It was a big that have not yet been addressed. we mean by ‘natural’ and ‘unnatural’ ask and would not have been possible today and how these terms have been without the enthusiastic support of Tony Donajgrodzki used throughout the modern age. the Chair, the Board, the Strategic Chair of the Strategic Development Committee, The Portico Development Committee Trust, our talented project team and Exhibition Tours
Right British Sign Language with Local historian Steve Little Jennifer Little (no spoken English) leads a tour of Manchester for 7 December 2019, 11:30am–1pm Who’s afraid of contemporary art? staff and board members of The Free, Drop-in 5, 19 October, 2, 16 November, 2019 Portico Library, July 2019. 10am–12pm Audio-described with Tickets: £13 per session Ann Hornsby of Mind’s In the 20th-century, the form and function Eye Description Services of art was revolutionised, but was this 16 December 2019, 5:30–7pm for better or worse? This Art Across series, run by art historian Sara Riccardi, Free, Drop-in asks the fundamental questions and puts contemporary art in context. All welcome.
6 | The Portico Library | Oct—Dec, 2019 7 EVENTS LISTINGS
Daisy Chain Reaction The Portico Prize: Longlist Event Nature Revolts Christmas Feast (with Journeys Festival) 22 October 2019, 6:30–9:30pm with Bad Language 12 December 2019, 6:30–9:30pm 9 October 2019, 2–4pm Venue: International Anthony 14 November 2019, 6:30–9:30pm Tickets: £40 Free, Drop-in Burgess Foundation Tickets: £10 The Portico Library’s annual Christmas Daisies are the most common and This year The Portico Prize established Asking the question of what the human dinner is becoming a calendar highlight. arguably the most liked weed in England. the Society of Readers and Writers. As race does when nature fights back after This evening of good food and festive Does finding out that they are not native well as determining the longlist, the being attacked, this night will challenge entertainment in a relaxed and jovial to the UK change your opinion of them? founding members are ambassadors for and entertain as writers ponder the atmosphere is the ideal way to celebrate Join Jessica El Mal and Juliet Davis- the North’s great literary life. Join the relationship between humans and the the season of good cheer with friends Dufayard to explore this and other discussion about this year’s longlist and world around them. Brought to you by and family. themes from The Portico Library’s writing in and of the North. Supported by Bad Language and The Portico Library. exhibition Second Nature. Manchester Metropolitan University.
WILD LANDS Rewriting the North: Wed 18 December 2019, 7:30–9:30pm Rewriting the North: Nature, A bookbinding workshop Poetry, Fact and Fiction Pay as you can Identity and the City with a difference! 28 November 2019, 6:30–8:30pm WILD LANDS is a project by Amy 31 October 2019, 6:30–8:30pm 16 October 2019, 10am–4pm Free Lawrence in collaboration with Joe Free Whitmore about moving through urban Tickets: £55 Authors Blake Morrison and Helen Mort woodland at night, culminating in an This is an opportunity to get creative and Authors Paul Evans & Anita Sethi discuss join us in our final event of a series of interactive video performance in The make a variety of ingenious, fun and nature, identity and the city in number 5 place writing events. The Portico Prize Portico Library. The work assumes the useful items with tutor Barry Clark. All in a series of events exploring the many will award a book that “best evokes the perspective of women and non-binary materials and tools will be provided. Fee facets of place writing with a focus on spirit of the North of England” in January people with experience of displacement includes the cost of materials, tea/coffee the North of England. Supported by 2020. Supported by Manchester and vulnerability in public spaces. on arrival and a light lunch. Manchester Metropolitan University. Metropolitan University.
8 | The Portico Library | Oct—Dec, 2019 9 LIBRARY REVIEW WHAT’S ON THE SHELVES?
An extract from Rewriting the the stories of people marginalised by ABBA ABBA by Anthony Burgess Keats in 1820 while the latter was dying North, Review No. 2 – Livi Michael class, gender and sexuality. Set against in a house on the Spanish Steps. These and Rosie Garland: Manchester, the backdrop of an emerging suffragette As part of the Irwell Works of Anthony poems are, one should note, blasphemous, movement, the story follows Edie, her Burgess, ABBA ABBA is the fifth in the vulgar and a rough dialect of the gutter- Fiction & Rewriting the Past ‘night brother’ Gnome and characters series and one which has not been speak in the Roman streets. Our collective memory of the North of from Manchester’s gritty pubs and available for some years. For some of The book has forty-or-so pages of England is informed by stereotypes that underground gay scene. Little Wilson’s (John Anthony Burgess introductory notes by Paul Howard and have circulated since the Industrial Age, Why do so many Northern writers use Wilson) fans this will delight; sometimes includes six appendices with Burgess’s often constructed by outside perspectives. historical fiction as their genre of choice rude, sometimes crude and maybe thoughts on Rome and translation. These With that, ‘northernness’ has often in speaking about the North? Michael cocking a snook at religion, but it’s are at times funny, certainly nostalgic, involved a sense of otherness and and Garland agree that the historical all good fun. with references to Italian and Mancunian marginalisation. Yet there is a tendency novel allows writers to covertly address This, I believe is the first time the locations and roots. The book ends with in more current writing about the North difficult topics of the present, such as book has surfaced since 1977 and a section comprising notes on the novel, to reclaim a sense of regional identity poverty. Garland also adds that whereas is a worthwhile addition to the Irwell adding insight into the author’s work. from a southern elite, and to uncover its some see historical fiction as an collection. The title stems from the use The Irwell Works of Anthony Burgess hidden histories. Livi Michael and Rosie oxymoron – neither fact nor fiction – of the Petrarchan sonnet, with its rhyme are edited versions by renowned authors Garland, speakers at the second in The she personally likes the tension this pattern conforming to the lines of and scholars and contain many a Portico Library’s Rewriting the North creates, describing the genre as reaching A-B-B-A, A-B-B-A. Beginning with a footnote to help the reader along. The event series, both deploy historical fiction through a curtain and taking the hand shortish tale of ten chapters, Burgess growing collection is neatly presented as a means of challenging existing of another person, giving them the imagines a meeting between two great and would make a lovely addition to any narratives about the North. agency to speak. Both writers brilliantly minds: English poet John Keats and bibliophile’s shelf. Livi Michael is perhaps best known deploy historical fiction to challenge our Italian poet Giuseppe Gioachino Belli. And what if they had met? I’ll leave for her young adult novel The Whispering pre-existing ideas about Victorian Burgess’s translations of Belli occupy you to draw your own conclusions. Road, a story inspired by the deaths Manchester and offer a fresh perspective, the second half of the book, whose Buona Sera of workhouse children in 19th-century amplifying the voices of those previously sonnet-styled poems are published for Manchester. Her current project is a forgotten throughout history. the first time in English. Little known Steve Smith half-factual, half-fictionalised novel outside Rome, Belli supposedly met Member of The Portico Library about writer Elizabeth Gaskell that is Read the full article on our website: Right also concerned with the living conditions www.theportico.org.uk/portico-prize-news Anthony Burgess of the poor, particularly working-class lecturing in New York, early 1970s. Photograph women. Rosie Garland’s latest novel Nicole Peeters by Liana Burgess The Night Brother similarly aims to tell Volunteer © Courtesy of the International Anthony Right Burgess Foundation. Rosie Garland and Livi Michael in conversation with Linnie Blake at Rewriting the North: Manchester, Fiction and Rewriting the Past, The Portico Library, 27th June, 2019.
10 | The Portico Library | Oct—Dec, 2019 11 LIBRARY TREASURES
The Portico itself is a treasure, but for and order and their calm and peaceful me the real treasure is the collection of nature. Broader, more complicated travel books on Asia. Most were written statements also appear. Explorer Thomas in the 19th century and include detailed Blakiston, for example, commented in accounts of China. They were written 1862 that ‘the Chinese are a people by western missionaries and explorers easily governed’ for the reason that if 300 who saw a culture very different from million people tried to go their own way, their own. They observed what they the country would be ungovernable. perceived to be incomprehensible Évariste Régis Huc, a French missionary customs and beliefs, and a language who visited China during the mid-19th written without any recognisable century, argued there was impressive alphabet. They reported widespread freedom of the press but the Chinese poverty in a land that once seemed people did not interfere much in public highly advanced but now seemed affairs for fear the Empire would not everywhere to be falling into decay. operate effectively otherwise. Huc, along The travelling missionaries often found with explorer A. D. Carlisle, believed that Chinese religion confusing. It seemed the most successful portion of Chinese a mixture of Taoism, Confucianism and history was still to be written. Buddhism, which merged and overlapped. The books also recorded civil disorders In addition there was ancestor worship. in China, notably the Taiping Rebellion, All aspects of Chinese life were governed Chinese traditional medicine, science, by customs, rituals, traditions and music, arts and literature, the theft of superstitions, resulting in a way of life Chinese tea technology and the ravages unchanged for hundreds of years. Even caused by opium. Each book is a now in the 21st-century, superstition treasure trove. plays some part in daily life in Chinese There are almost fifty titles to choose communities all over the world. For from, but why not start by reading Huc’s example, the number four is avoided beautifully illustrated Travels in Tartary, at all costs because in both Cantonese Thibet, and China, during the years and Mandarin the number is a homophone 1844–6? for ‘death.’ An extended version of this article will Several descriptions of Chinese culture be made available as a Portico Pamphlet recur in The Portico’s books: the Chinese towards the end of 2019. capacity for hard work, their intelligence, capability of withstanding hardship, Walter Fung respect for parents and authority, law Member of The Portico Library
Left Right Entrance of Lu-Kan Fishing Party, Travels Gorge, Upper Yang- in Tartary, Thibet, Tze, Five Months on and China, during the Yang-Tsze, T. W. the years 1844–6, Blakiston and A. E. R. Huc, 1852 Barton (ill), 1862.
13 ADOPT-A-BOOK VOLUNTEER’S STORY
Visible Speech by Alexander articulators make speech sounds, and I came to Manchester to study for to donate a sum of their choice, enabling Melville Bell (1867) Bell intended it as an aid to help the my Master’s degree in International the Library to repair and rebind a greater illiterate to read, and to help Deaf people Development at the University of number of books that are endangered in I was born and brought up in Manchester. to speak. Bell’s father had been an Manchester. Having always had a their collection. Through the development Although I live in York, I still think of elocutionist, and his son, Alexander passion for the non-profit sector and of the Endangered Books Fund I have Manchester as my home city. My interest Graham, promoted Visible Speech cultural heritage, I came across The been able to see the historical records in Visible Speech is that I’m a professor among the Deaf community in the USA. Portico in my search to gain experience of The Portico Library from the early and of linguistics (phonetics more precisely) Oralism – which promotes spoken in a historical institution and fell in love mid-1800s, as well as some of the Library’s and Visible Speech is an important book language among Deaf people at the with its atmosphere and 19th-century treasures in need of urgent repair such as in the history of my discipline. Alexander expense of sign language – has been collection. I signed up to volunteer Goethe’s Theory of Colours and Ruskin’s Melville Bell was one of a number of devastating to Deaf communities. immediately after my first visit. The Political Economy of Art. Victorian pioneers who explored ways We have used some parts of Visible I began volunteering in April 2019 There are so many incredible books in of analysing speech systematically and Speech at The University of York in and only wish I had known about The The Portico Library’s collection that need writing it down using techniques based getting our students to think about Portico Library earlier! I have shelved your help! You can donate to the on phonetic principles – Isaac Pitman is how to represent speech sounds books spanning all topics and introduced Endangered Books Fund on our Adopt- another (still just about known for his systematically. I’ve also been learning visitors to this hidden gem of Manchester. a-Book webpage: shorthand) and Henry Sweet (of whom British Sign Language for years. My favourite project however has www.theportico.org.uk/adoptabook there are hints in Shaw’s play Pygmalion) Sponsoring the book brings these been launching The Portico Library’s I am grateful to have had the opportunity is another. The letters of Visible Speech different parts of my life together, Endangered Books Fund. to volunteer at The Portico and will treasure are a set of instructions about what to do acknowledging both Bell’s brilliance The Endangered Books Fund is an the memories I have made here. with your articulators. It is able to capture and creativity, while not forgetting expansion of The Portico Library’s sounds that you can make but which the consequences of his work for Adopt-a-Book programme, which Kirsten Drew don’t form words, like snoring or grunting Deaf people. enables a donor to pay for the entire Volunteer or clicking sounds. repair of a book. The Fund allows anyone Visible Speech attempts to represent Richard Ogden Right speech in a way that reflects how the Member The Portico Library Kirsten Drew Right Diagram showing the relation of the primary organic symbols to the organs, Visible Speech, Alexander Melville Bell, 1867. p.38.
14 | The Portico Library | Oct—Dec, 2019 15 The Portico Library 57 Mosley Street Market Street Manchester N
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