BOOKS, poetry, literature as a whole have always been used to promote discussion and the sharing of differing viewpoints.

Has Stroud’s new book festival managed to balance political thought, controversy and popular culture?

With its radical history and reputation as a nest of creative anarchy it’s natural that Stroud’s inaugural Book Festival should have a strong core involvement of those who believe that literature and storytelling is a driving force to reflect on, and inspire, social change.

In a world which appears to be becoming more sanitised and yet more violent by the day, where connections are made predominantly through social media or the arguably restricted view of global politics that the media affords us, it could be suggested that the spoken and written word plays an even more vital role in creating a dialogue for discussion – to counter the instant gratification of memes and uncorroborated online “fact”.

So it’s reassuring that aside from the recognised and hugely respected fictional authors, the festival has stayed true to Stroud’s core community values by providing a platform for wordsmiths to discuss alternative values and viewpoints.

Indeed, the first weekend of the festival features two such influential figures; Hassan Akkad and Percy Bysshe Shelly. Hassan Akkad is a remarkable storyteller, a political refugee from Syria and an honorary “Son of Stroud”.

Many will be familiar with Hassan from the BBC Two documentary ‘Exodus: Our Journey to Europe’.

He will be returning to Stroud having just visited “The Jungle” in Calais, a not so temporary home to thousands of migrants and refugees who have sought safety and a better future on Europe’s soil.

Prior to the demolition Hassan was at the camp filming for another documentary.

Has Hassan’s ability to communicate the devastating reality of the current refugee crisis had an impact on the refugee debate?

Undoubtedly so. Hassan’s story, and innate gift for powerful storytelling is testament to the power of the spoken word and he will be sharing his experiences and answering questions during this near sold-out event.

Hassan’s talk will be followed by Dennis Gould, a testament to the sensitive curation of the festival, who will be providing an insight into “The Revolutionary Shelley”.

Dennis, Stroud’s much loved anarchist, pacifist, typographer, print-maker and cycling poet, will be discussing the unconventional life and passionate idealism of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

While many of us may be more familiar with Shelley’s less controversial work, such as ‘Ozymandias’, it’s recognised that Henry David Thoreau’s civil disobedience and Mahatma Gandhi’s passive resistance were influenced and inspired by Shelley’s strong advocation of non-violent protest and political action.

Does this make Shelley the “Grandfather of Stroud”?

Stroud News and Journal:

The following weekend Michael Horovitz, will appear ‘After Dark’ with his collaborator Vanessa Vie. For the purpose of the article as well as his relation to much-loved local resident Adam Horovitz, perhaps I might be permitted to refer to Michael as “The father” of radical poetry, anti-capitalist counter culture and performance protest.

When Horovitz organised poetry happening ‘The International Poetry Incarnation’ at the Royal Albert Hall in 1965 alongside Alain Ginsberg, Joe Strummer described it as “the night where you can mark the beginning of the British underground scene”.

Michael’s work has continued to be as important and timely across the last six decades. He published the protest poem ‘A New Waste Land’ a decade ago – an “epic tirade” against Warmongers everywhere, and founded the Poetry Olympics in 1980 as a reaction against Thatcher’s political interference in the Russian Olympics.

And so an idealised “snap shot” of the alternative Stroud Book Festival family is complete, there will of course be many other family members appearing to discuss literature, poetry and politics, and perhaps Michael Horovitz’s recent quote to Dazed magazine sums up just how important that is: “The trouble with the political world is you have all these fat-arsed careerists just concerned to hang on to their ill-gotten gains and the philosophies of spin, hype, profiteering and violence which protect them.,” says Horovitz.

“I see very little hope in politics. I put my faith in the arts – in music, poetry, painting, in these things coming together and in the communities that surround them.”

Stroud Book Festival, a 10-day literary feast for book lovers with some of the top names in literature, takes place from November 11-20.

  • Tickets from the Sub Rooms (01453 760900) or via subscriptionrooms.org.uk