On Wednesday evening a brand new literary journal landed in south London. The Battersea Anthology, founded and edited by writer and Battersea resident Priscilla Yeung, was launched at Battersea Bookshop inside Battersea Power Station. What more fitting venue could there be?
As well as poetry, short stories and creative non-fiction by writers with a connection to Battersea, the anthology features beautiful illustrations by Ania Kalacinska and a gorgeous cover and overall design by Ria Dastidar.
Priscilla’s idea for the anthology was one of five projects chosen by the local community for this year’s Make Art in Nine Elms commissions funded by Wandsworth Council.
I was at the decision making event in May, and Priscilla’s passion for writing, her commitment to championing the diverse voices of local writers and, importantly, ensuring that writers are paid for their work, all impressed me. She got my vote, though I have to confess a degree of self-interest. Having lived in Battersea for more than half my life, I was itching to contribute to a publication focussed on my home patch.
The launch on Wednesday was a truly joyous affair. Dozens of people attended, including quite a few members of Battersea Power Station Community Choir, to which Priscilla belongs. Priscilla proved to be a witty and skilful MC, introducing each reader in turn, with the journal’s foreword writer, stellar poet Rishi Dastidar, up first. Rishi writes in his foreword of Battersea and Nine Elms being ‘an ever-changing place, a perfect place in which to remake yourself and your life’, and how this spirit shines through in the pieces included in the journal. It certainly rings true of my experience of moving to Battersea all those years ago, and how I have changed almost as much as the area has over those years.
Most of the contributors read their poem or an extract of their prose piece, and as several mentioned, it was a pinch-me moment reading inside Battersea Power Station. Having set my heart on submitting a piece to the journal, I struggled at first to decide on a subject and approach. The theme for this year’s journal was ‘grow and flourish’, and having initially resisted the idea of writing something personal, the muse had other ideas and sowed the seed for my poem Practising Yoga in the Doddington and Rollo Community Roof Garden. Thirty years ago, I could not have conceived of myself being an active member of the local community, or gardening year round on a roof in the middle of the estate where I live, and the idea that I might take up yoga – never! Battersea changed me for the better.
I’m grateful to Priscilla for accepting my piece and accommodating such a long title! Did I perform my poem at the launch while holding a yoga pose? I briefly considered it, but as I’d had a glass of wine I thought the better of it. You can sign up for updates on the Battersea Anthology here and order a copy of this year’s anthology here. I’ll post a few more photos from the launch on Instagram.
Hilaire 