Writing the Family

I *think* there might be a few more spaces open for this online workshop on Saturday 27th June 10.30 – 12.30…we’ll be looking at different strategies for writing about family, ancestry and heritage. Link below:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/writing-the-family-online-poetry-workshop-with-hannah-lowe-sat-27-june-tickets-95564328479

Paperwork: Memories of a Chinese-Jamaican father

When the Home Office announced they’d ‘lost’ the landing cards of Caribbean people arriving to Britain, I started to think about the importance of other documentary evidence of arrival and more importantly, decades of settlement – from the passenger lists held at the National Archives, to personal archives – letters, photographs, diaries. My essay ‘Paperwork’ reproduced here is from ‘Mother Country’, edited by Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff.

Windrush Day: Memories of a Chinese-Jamaican father

Windrush Day 2020

I’ll be on BBC London News tonight, talking a bit about my dad, as a member of the Windrush Generation. I always think his story pluraslises the dominant story of the Windrush, because he sailed on the SS Ormonde, in 1947 – a year before the actual Windrush – and he was mixed heritage: Chinese / Black Jamaican, reminding us that the Caribbean diaspora included many different Caribbean ethnicities – Chinese, Indian, Syrian, Lebanese and more.

Here he is on the right of this photo, walking down a London street, sometime in the late 40s I’m guessing. This photo reminds me of John Agard’s poem ‘Uncle Mo Steps Out’, about the style this generation brought to post-war London:

‘Remember a time
in dem old England days
when I certain black gent
followed a satirical bent
to step out rootwise cute
in a Windrush zoot…’

(John Agard, 1998)

Cholmondeley Awards

I’m so happy to have won a 2020 Cholmondeley Award from the Society of Authors, along with Linda France, Alec Finlay, Rod Mengham and Bhanu Kapil. A shame we couldn’t celebrate in person, but my six year old, Rory, and I had fun attending an ‘awards ceremony’ in our kitchen one morning. Many many thanks to the Society of Authors and the judges.

“Caribbean Nights”

I’m delighted to be a part of this online exhibition, responding to the 1986 Caribbean Nights documentary featuring Linton Kwesi Johnson, Fred D’Aguiar and Derek Walcott. They debate all manner of things regarding Caribbean/Black British poetry, and four female writers, including myself, respond. They honestly don’t make TV like this anymore – you can watch the whole film plus our responses and read new commissioned poems from Jay Bernard and Anthony Joseph.

June Arvon course

Just a quick update to mention some tutoring I’m leading with Andrew McMillan for Arvon as part of their – Arvon at Home series. The course is full but you can be added to the waiting list just in case a place becomes free.

Mining Personal Histories
Monday June 15th – Friday June 19th 2020 (Online)

Welcome to my new website

Hi, Hannah here. Just christening my new website with a first blog post! I hope you’ve found what you’ve come her for! Check-in from time to time for news and blog updates.