Festival of Ideas: Whose Stories Matter?

Memoir writing has often been the playground of the privileged elite, with readers only able to access the worlds of the rich and famous. At best, we are invited to hear about the ‘success stories’ of those who have risen out of poverty or challenging home lives to achieve greatness in spite of their ‘meagre beginnings’. But is this finally changing?

Natasha Carthew is an author, poet, campaigner and the artistic director of the Working-Class Writers Festival, which first took place in Bristol in 2021. She’ll be hosting a panel of fellow writers to discuss the act of setting one’s life on the page – and which groups are excluded from this practice. How do we widen opportunities to allow for more lives and stories to ‘matter’ to the publishing industry and the wider reading public?

Natasha Carthew grew up in rural poverty in Cornwall, facing limited opportunities and a community confronting the dramatic impact of socioeconomic inequality. While her experience of Cornwall was one of isolation and poverty, she was just streets away from the holidaymakers enjoying the picture postcard version of Cornwall. This caused the rise in property prices and squeezing out of locals from their hometowns. It’s a pattern that decades ago but is now rifer than ever.

Joining her on the panel is Michael Handrick, the author of Difference is Born on the Lips, a memoir that outlines his experiences, the pressures and stigmas of being gay and working class. His book is a call to action for us to come together and confront the systemic inequalities the queer community continues to live with, and which have played a significant role in the mental health epidemic they face. Also featured in the line-up is working-class novelist and short story writer Mahsuda Snaith, whose second novel How to Find Home looks at homelessness and rough sleeping around the country. Author and TV presenter Mehreen Baig will complete the panel. In 2021 she released Hidden Lessons: Growing Up on the Frontline of Teaching, a heart-rending account of the challenges in our education system. Baig joined the teaching profession at 21 at an inner London high school, and her book outlines the intersections between education, social mobility and racial justice.

This event is part of our new ticket pricing structure where we ask people to pay what they feel they can afford in accordance with their means. Read about more about it . Read on for the ticket prices for this event.

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Pay It Forward £10

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Recommended £8

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Supported £5

This option is lower than the standard price. It is subsidised by Bristol Ideas and fellow audience members who have booked at the Pay It Forward rate. This price is aimed at people who could do with support to get by.

• Is this for me? – My access to income is low and unstable and I worry about meeting my basic needs. I would select a concession rate due to my personal circumstances.

Accessibility

• There are Blue Badge parking spaces on Union Street.
• There is level access to the event space.
• Events are amplified but there is no loop system.
• There are toilets for public use.
• Guide and assistance dogs are welcome.

More information about Waterstones Bristol – Galleries can be found .

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Waterstones Bristol Galleries, use Union Street entrance, 11A Union Street, Bristol, United Kingdom