Spoonfed interview by Tom Jeffreys , April 2011
Libraries are something of a hot topic right now. It's often the case that when something's under threat, people rally round and remember just what it is they fell in love with in the first place. And certainly that seems to be the case with libraries: libraries, that many people haven't visited since they were children, are now being enthusiastically feted by organisations as diverse as the London Word Festival and UK Uncut.
Having said that, the Saison Poetry Library is a little bit different. Housed in the Southbank Centre and funded by the Arts Council, it's dedicated to poetry from 1912 onwards, it's free to join, and is an invaluable resource to lovers of poetry throughout the UK. There's no danger of neglect here.
And, from April to September, as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Festival of Britain, things are getting even better. Kaleid Editions – the completely brilliant artists' books gallery formerly located on Redchurch Street – are enlisting a host of contemporary artists for four months' worth of exhibitions, interventions, residencies, and other assorted (and wicked-sounding) events.
Anyone who knows Spoonfed will know how much I love Kaleid Editions and therefore how excited I am by this. But I'm not the only one; the people who work at the Saison Poetry Library are pretty thrilled too. As Miriam Valencia, one of the Joint Librarians at Saison Poetry Library, tells me, “There will definitely be a big new audience for the library from Kaleid devotees!” – and if I'm anything to go by, they're adarned devoted bunch.
One great thing about this collaboration is how natural it feels. Chris McCabe, the other Joint Librarian, explains: “As regular visitors know, and any new visitors this summer will discover, Southbank Centre is a place where people can easily come to experience one art form and be seduced by another. We know that a lot of people who use the library are interested in visual art as well as poetry, so we have an ongoing programme of exhibitions where artists develop work around the library’s collection. When Victoria talked to us about Kaleid’s work it seemed like a perfect fit.”
And part of that perfect fit comes through the way in which many of the artists selected by Kaleid Editions – the likes of Hellicar & Lewis, Godfried Donkor, Oona Grimes and Martin Sexton – have worked so closely with the Library and its unparalleled collection. Chris points out that “a lot of the artists who'll be exhibiting here seem really open to a genuine exploration of poetry, and the library as part of the work they'll be showing.” She's particularly looking forward to some of the workshops taking place, whilst I'm rather excited about the interactive installation by Hellicar & Lewis that kicks off the whole season.
Miriam has worked at Saison Poetry Library for seven years now, and is clearly genuinely passionate about the place: “to be working with a subject you're passionate about – poetry – is extremely lucky!” But there's also the range of users that the library attracts: “researchers, students, people compiling anthologies, families with young children, people who love poetry, people who have just discovered poetry, and lots and lots of poets.”
And one thing stands out: “the people who use the library,” Miriam says. “They're really appreciative and supportive of what we do, because the library is providing something that’s really special to them.” That same sense of uniqueness applies, I think, to Kaleid Editions, and the wonderful work they do with artists' books. Basically the next four months look like a perfect match, and a dream come true for little old me.
Art on Poetry is at the Saison Poetry Library on the 5th floor of the Southbank Centre from 10th April to 25th September 2011.
