International Alternative Press Festival
The International Alternative Press Festival is back for its third year, and appears to be growing leaps and bounds. Individually and independently produced comics, ‘zines and books will overflow rickety folding card tables and cupcakes will be baked in quantities suggesting an imminent frosted invasion. Resonance 104.4 FM will feature its own orchestra at the opening party on 27 May, each musician presumably playing their own notes on previously-unimaginable instruments handmade in small, secluded woodsheds using handcrafted tools and sharp rocks. Also this year, Stripburger: a taste of the premier Slovine Comics Zine at Orbital Comics and a slumber party readathon in the New Gallery at 92 Peckham Road.
Despite certain doomsayers predicting the death of paper-based communications, folks still love actually holding art, stories, news pieces and cartoons in their hands, and the rampant growth of home publishing and friendly distribution networks allows artists and writers to build their own following. This is a chance to wander row after row of ranting geniuses and perhaps buy artworks direct from their creator.
If you have dreams of writing, drawing, and publishing your own funnies, or just of overthrowing the global corporate hegemony of fat, rich old men and their dad’s media empire, check out this nascent festival and say Hey to chief organiser, bushy-headed Jimi Gherkin. Buy comics and cupcakes. Read and eat as appropriate. Blow your harmonigongulele.
International Alternative Press Festival 2011, 27 May – June 13, alternativepress.org.co.uk
21 Mar 2011
Is Route Irish the first honest film about Iraq?
Ken Loach’s take on Iraq was always going to be one to look out for. After In Our Name, Green Zone, The Hurt Locker and a slurry of others sent hot and steaming down the pipe of supposedly cantankerous cinema, Route Irish is a welcome return to veracity that has undoubtedly been amiss in previous war-film efforts. This isn’t to say that those other films aren’t sincere. Surely their respective producers think and believe the things they project up onto the screen, supposed wisdom in a blindfold, it’s just that no one as qualified or well-informed as Loach has bothered to make a mystery/thrillerama like this, until now.
21 Mar 2011
Lembit Öpik "left out in the cold"
Lembit Öpik admitted that his campaign to be Mayor had been “left out in the cold” as it emerged that not a single London Lib Dem had endorsed his candidacy.
The BBC Politics Show contacted every Lib Dem Council leader, Assembly Member and MP in London asking if they would back Lembit for Mayor. None said they would.
Lembit responded to his many critics in the party saying that “I’m not going to shadow box with people who may brief behind my back but aren’t willing to say so in public.”
He also denied any knowledge of a “Stop Lembit” campaign against him.
Lembit used his interview yesterday to pitch himself to the left of his party saying that the Lib Dems had failed to differentiate themselves from the Conservatives nationally:
“The Conservatives even in the coalition, still look like Conservatives. One of the concerns I had at the party conference was that we look too much like Conservatives as well.”
He also made his first and only policy announcement so far stating that if elected he would hold a referendum on whether there should be a 24 hour tube.
He admitted that in order to finance this, fare payers would need to pay “probably quite a lot more.”
With yesterday’s announcement from the Greens, The Lib Dems are now the only major political party not to have selected their candidate for the Mayoralty.
Their selection process was abandoned last year after only Lembit made it through the first round.
Watch Lembit’s “minor online hit” campaign video here
21 Mar 2011
London agenda for Monday 21 March
1. Visit a material boy at the Yohji Yamamoto retrospective [Le Cool]
2. See a play at the Noël Coward Theatre [Tired of London]
3. See the first retrospective exhibition of the work of Jean-Antoine Watteau in the UK [Flavorpill]
4. Celebrate World Poetry Day at Spitalfields Market [Time Out]
21 Mar 2011
Greens pick Jenny to challenge Boris and Ken
London’s Green Party members have chosen Assembly member Jenny Jones as their candidate for next year’s mayoral election.
Jones, whose tetchy exchanges with Boris Johnson have become a feature of his mayoralty, beat challengers Shahrar Ali and Farid Bakht to the position.
While their chances of victory are remote, Green voters can expect to be wooed by Ken Livingstone in a tight mayoral fight where every voter gets two choices.
In 2008, Green candidate Sian Berry ran on a Sian 1, Ken 2 platform, with the Labour candidate advising his voters to give her their second choices. Berry picked up 3.1% of first choice votes, but 13.5% of second choice votes.
Another tie-up is a possibility this time around – Jones, who was Livingstone’s deputy for his final year as an independent mayor, praised him as a ‘visionary leader’ in an interview last year.
Jones and fellow Assembly member Darren Johnson are also hoping to get Green members’ backing for the assembly election. The party’s list of 10 candidates will be unveiled in the next few days.
Nationally, Greens are buoyant after Caroline Lucas became their first MP last year. But in London, members are still feeling bruised after losing 10 of their 12 seats in last May’s council elections.
They will be expecting a strong performance in the mayoral poll to lift their spirits, as well as hanging on to their two Assembly seats.
So it’s Boris versus Ken versus Jenny – with sometime MP and TV personality Citizen Lembit chomping at the bit to be named the Lib Dems’ candidate later this year.
Green Party mayoral selection result: Jenny Jones 458 votes, Shahrar Ali 133, Farid Bakht 90.
19 Mar 2011
First Sight: Sylwia van der Wonderland
A slice of warm, tactile “melancholic techno” here from the mysterious Sylwia van der Wonderland. It’s rather like The Knife having a dream about being Glass Candy. High praise indeed; you’ll know more when we do.
TRS & Sylwia van der Wonderland – Snowflakes (I don’t know if I want the secrets) by sylwiavanderwonderland
18 Mar 2011
Get ready for the London Word Festival
For those of you who are after a true celebration of the humble word, events which find a fresh and exciting approach to those little sounds that spill out of our mouths, look no further than London Word Festival. Now in its fourth year, this East London literary festival is as far removed from those stale, celebrity ridden festivals as an aardvark from a zyxt (Kentish second singular indicative present form of the verb see) and boasts a host of exhilarating poets, writers, musicians and comedians.
18 Mar 2011
Community Pays Tribute to Smiley Culture
The South London MC, whose death continues to seem improbable, was honored by friends and family at a press conference.
(via transpontine)
18 Mar 2011
EU Set to Impose Common Sense Standards on Facebook
But how much common sense does Facebook owe its users? After all, it is a free service.
18 Mar 2011
People With Least Significant Job in City Surprisingly Willing to Have Picture in Paper
Marvel at the seriousness with which nightclub door-pickers take themselves and their meaningless jobs.
18 Mar 2011
Snipe Highlights
Some popular articles from past years
- The best church names in London, and where they come from
- 9 poems about London: one for each of your moods
- The five best places in London to have an epiphany
- Summer Camp: Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days
- Nice map of London's fruit trees shows you where to pick free food
- Margaret Thatcher statue rejected by public
- An interview with Desiree Akhavan
- Diary of the shy Londoner
- London has chosen its mayor, but why can’t it choose its own media?
- Could red kites be London's next big nature success story?
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