News | Thursday, 17th March 2022
University lecturer Anjum Malik named one of Manchester’s first Multilingual City Poets
Manchester City of Literature initiative sees poets write new work for big public celebrations
Writer and lecturer Anjum Malik is one of Manchester’s first Multilingual City Poets - and will create new cultural work that represents the city throughout 2022.
Malik, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at the Manchester Writing School, Manchester Metropolitan University, will produce five original works for major city-wide celebrations including Manchester Day, World Poetry Day and the Festival of Libraries.
New City Poet Malik is an acclaimed multilingual scriptwriter, poet and performer, and who has written original plays for BBC, ITV and theatre, as well as teaching on the MA Scriptwriting course at Manchester Metropolitan.
She has hosted mushairas, a lively and interactive poetry performance event traditionally performed in Urdu and other South Asian languages at Manchester Metropolitan, for International Mother Language Day over recent years.
Celebrating multilingualism through poetry working across communities and being at the heart of the literary scene in the coming year is absolutely amazing and ever so representative of the incredible creative work going on in our city.
An inaugural Manchester City of Literature initiative, Malik will create work across its partnership network, acting as ambassadors for Manchester’s residents, communities, and literature organisations. She is joined by fellow poets Jova Bagioli Reyes and Ali Al-Jamri.
Malik said: “To be a City Poet for Manchester with Manchester City of Literature partnered with UNESCO is a huge honour, exciting, to be doing it in our fantastic city of Manchester. Celebrating multilingualism through poetry working across communities and being at the heart of the literary scene in the coming year is absolutely amazing and ever so representative of the incredible creative work going on in our city.”
The Launch of the Multilingual City Poets initiative took place at Manchester Metropolitan’s Manchester Poetry Library last month, and included addresses from Ivan Wadeson, Executive Director of Manchester UNESCO City of Literature and Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council. There was also readings from the three Multilingual City Poets, and music from Pringle Gulzar, a tabla player based in Oldham guided by faith and celebrating South Asian culture.
The University is part of Manchester City of Literature, a multi-partner UNESCO initiative to promote culture and literature in the city.
As well as writing new poems to mark significant cultural dates in the diary, others will respond to other public events, projects and community outreach programmes coordinated by Manchester City of Literature and its partnership network. The poets will also translate other poets’ writing.
