Uncommonly sunny weather today so thought I’d share some brief snaps I took in and around my beloved hometown of Manchester (and Salford) in north-west England. Starting with the unusual emblem you see above. It’s the Worker Bee. Since the Industrial Revolution it has become one of the city’s most enduring emblems; created to commemorate… Continue reading Love Your Streets
Author: Micah Yongo
Author. Thinker. Speaker. Dreamer. Ever curious. Always growing.
‘When We Write Well, We Bear Witness to the Times’: An Interview With Poet & Author, Peter Kalu
So I recently had the good fortune to meet and then later interview playwright, poet and novelist, Peter Kalu. As well as publishing multiple short stories and several novels, Kalu has worked with the BBC and also been involved in a variety of initiatives to support young writers through his work at Commonword; a community project to promote and… Continue reading ‘When We Write Well, We Bear Witness to the Times’: An Interview With Poet & Author, Peter Kalu
Why Media Diversity Matters
I remember the vague and brief puzzlement when my mother told me there were no words, in our mother tongue (which is Tiv, a Nigerian language, of which, incidentally, there are several hundred), for ‘he’ or ‘she’. It was hard for me then – kind of still is – to get that to sit right. I mean,… Continue reading Why Media Diversity Matters
Who Cares About IdeasTap?
Is art just not a big deal to people these days? This is the question I found myself asking last week after opening an email from one of my favourite charities, IdeasTap. I’ll explain… IdeasTap was founded nearly seven years ago by Peter De Haan with the aim of helping creatives build careers in the arts.… Continue reading Who Cares About IdeasTap?
Why is Good News No News?
So here’s the thing. Charlie Beckett is a former news editor with more than 20 years’ experience of international journalism. He’s worked in established mainstream outlets including the BBC and ITN’s Channel 4 News. He is also a professor at the London School of Economics and the founding director of POLIS; a think-tank for researching the… Continue reading Why is Good News No News?
Why You Need to Join the Society of Authors Pronto
So I recently registered to join the Society of Authors and today received my information pack, replete with stylish journal, pamphlets and helpful bits of info on all things authorly, including;- How to register with the ALCS (Author’s Licensing and Collecting Society), who by the looks of it are a ridiculously useful organisation to sign… Continue reading Why You Need to Join the Society of Authors Pronto
The Good, the Great & the Ugly: The Top 10 Films of 2014
Films, eh – two hours of sitting still with strangers, often in dark eerie spaces, locked in silence by the shared commitment to stare at eighty square feet of lit canvas. Seems we’ve come a long way from tales told around the campfire. Still, what remains the same is how those tales can be good,… Continue reading The Good, the Great & the Ugly: The Top 10 Films of 2014
‘Finding new ways to find new ideas’: An Interview with Songwriter & Recording Artist, Josephine Oniyama
Josephine Oniyama’s debut album, Portrait, is described by The Daily Mirror as ‘musically abundant’ and by The Times as ‘stunning’ whilst she herself has been described by none other than Elbow’s Guy Garvey as ‘an old soul singer in a beautiful young girl.’ She’s been featured in The Guardian, she’s performed on Later With Jools Holland, and alongside being… Continue reading ‘Finding new ways to find new ideas’: An Interview with Songwriter & Recording Artist, Josephine Oniyama
Festivals and the Future
There’s nothing quite like hearing a full brass band play Daft Punk’s Get Lucky is there. Just one of many strange thoughts I found idling through my mind as I sat in Manchester’s Albert Square, or should I say Thwaites Festival Square. That’s one of the fun quirks of Manchester’s Jazz Festival, not only do popular songs get… Continue reading Festivals and the Future
Are Faith Schools Damaging Society?
Interesting pic, huh? I guess I should explain. I recently had the pleasure of being published at The Voice Online, which is Britain’s favourite and most popular black publication. The Voice conducted a series of opinion pieces titled The Big Debate in which writers were asked to argue for or against on a current hot topic.… Continue reading Are Faith Schools Damaging Society?
Micah Yongo 