Shanghati Oral History project looking at poets from East London 1960 – 1980
The project primarily focuses on the poets from the Bengali community but will also be collecting memories of poets from other backgrounds.
‘Poetry – the inseparable part of Bengali life 1960 to 1980’ is an oral history project by Shanghati Literary Society which was established in 1989 to enhance and promote Bengali literature amongst the Bengali community in London.
The oral history project aims to help reveal the rich heritage of poetry in East London between 1960 – 1980, with a particular focus on the East End Bengali community. The period represents a decade before and a decade after the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, and this period was partly selected to help understand the impacts of the tumultuous birth of a new country on community poetry.
The project also aims to collect the memories of non-Bengali poets from East London. East London experienced major changes and disruption during that period, caused by various social and political factors such as post was immigration, visible rise in racist attacks, decline of local industries, closure of docks, and rising unemployment. The inclusion of poetry by non-Bengali poets will help develop an understanding of the shared and different worlds lived and experienced by the diverse communities of East London.
The project will document the memories of forty community poets through oral history and collect 100 Bengali and English poems. These will be included in a printed publication and exhibited in arts and cultural venues across East London in 2017.
We are also looking for volunteers for other roles:
- Events and Publicity Volunteers
We are seeking two volunteers to assist the project manager in organising the launch of the publication and touring exhibition.
- Transcribers and Proof Readers/Editors
We are seeking volunteers to transcribe interviews carried out in English and proofread and edit transcribed materials.
- Bengali speaking interpreters
We are seeking volunteers who will be able to assist non – Bengali Speaking Oral History volunteers to interview Bengali speaking participants with language barriers.
- Online Exhibition Assistant Producer
We are going to be producing an online exhibition showcasing snippets from the collection. We are seeking volunteers with website management experience.
Application Deadline for Oral History Volunteers and Events & Publicity Volunteers:
28 February 2016
Please view the Volunteer pack for further information.
To find out more information about the organisation please visit our website www.shanghatioralhistory.com
