New audio from Tony Harrison session posted today (see Writers category). Click on title of required post and refresh if audio players fail to appear

Almost three months after the superb, life changing experience of the Cambridge seminar have passed, but memories and memoirs of the event still ignite.

Look forward to meet all the wonderful group once again.

Hope this could be a possibility!

Eman Al Attar

Whoa! Got e-mail an e-mail an hour ago from Al that this is still working till December. Thank you Al!You’re still very much instouch with everyone (even on facebook). I just submitted my proposal to Julia and look forward that for the 2nd time (the first time was being chosen as one of the delagates) British Council UK will favor my bid. Definitely, attending the 31st Cambridge Seminar is a life changing experience, though I have been training teachers for years, its the first time I will be presenting with respected literary writers in our country - I have been personally invited by the conference committee of the National Conference in Literature (in the Philippines) to present. The conference will be held at the University of Sto. Tomas (its Philippines oldest academic institution almost 400 years old!) this coming November. Got time to go on-line because classes are suspended here in Manila because of typhoon Ondoy… I don’t have the heart to force my students to go on-line class now (as I have been doing every night during the Cambridge Conference in Downing) since many of them have volunteered in the relief operations. I hope everyone is doing well!

New audio excerpts posted for Francesca Beard, John Burnside, and Kamila Shamsie, in Writers category.

update August 24: New audio added for Jonathan Douglas

Hello from Thailand,
The seminar is such a very impressive and memorable experience for me. I had a good opportunity to learn what is , i would say, behind the literary works. I learn that the contemporary writers, be it novelists or poets, are the fruits of globalization. The features of contemporary keeps changing. The lives of writers, their experiences and inspiration result in many good works that readers from other continents don’t feel too far to share. when i met my students after the trip, i told them about the seminar and a new trend in literary works. I’m amazed with performance poetry which i find a very smart way to put poetry into live, where sadness and joy can be heard and seen. I will show them some of the performance poetry if TJ don’t mind.
In Thailand, they gather among literary and interested people and listen to the poets read their poems, but i haven’t heard one perform yet. I also told my American colleague about this.
I would like to mention here again to all participants, that i thank you all for the questions you asked. i am enlightened!
And most of all to British Council people, I’m really grateful for your generous grant to me. I sure improve my teaching materials and will develop it into textbook. Thanks you all!

The 31st Cambridge Seminar on Contemporary Literature
What is good about literature is that it directly discusses life – and it is really a life learning experience to be one of the 46 participants in the recently held 31st Cambridge Seminar on Contemporary Literature.
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Jonathan, thanks for saying that about us as a group, and thanks for doing what you did: I feel as if you were our teacher coach mentor godfather. And it was wonderful to see how poets trust you and care for you and are grateful to you for what you have done.

Cam09 was a unique chance for us not only to make friends all over the world and start working for literature exchange all over the world, but also to see how BC does its thing. And it does it. WOW.
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Dear All! I am back into the heat of Istanbul. The humid summer here is almost unbearable after the mild weather at Cambridge. I am still in the lure of the seminar. My mind is full of new ideas, new faces and new networks to be developed. I am writing this blog to share with you how this seminar has triggered new ideas and fostered new relations in my life.
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In the last session of the 31st Cambridge Seminar we were treated to Benjamin Zephaniah’s ideas on multiculturalism, the Indian holy man and his mobile phone, learning the bible off by heart, and meeting the man who wrote the multi million-pound grossing dance track with only three words - “There’s No Limit”.

audio for this session was not recorded, at the writer’s request

Marina Warner led us on a magical journey through her research into the Arabian Nights, and in the Q&A that followed her presentation, showed us that there is magic in everything (even trainers…)

Audio excerpts

1) on the Arabian Nights

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more to follow…