The Centre for Studies in Literature at the University of Portsmouth will be hosting an evening of ‘Pictures, Voices & Memories‘, featuring a mix of artwork, storytelling and song on Thursday 16th June from 5:30pm to 8pm at The Square Tower in Old Portsmouth. On the night you’ll be able to see artwork by Josie Beszant, hear traditional storytelling by Drut’syla Shonaleigh, and listen to music by Isle of Wight based singer-songwriter Paul Armfield and the Nightwatchmen. Yorkshire artist Josie Beszant is a self-confessed “collector of stories, poems, fragments of things“, based up in North Yorkshire town of Masham. Image shown is one of Josie Beszant’s works.

The event has been organised to tie in with a two-day international conference taking place at the University on Thursday and Friday, Modernity and the European Mind: Writing the Past, Creating Identities.

Dr Christine Berberich, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, said: “This promises to be a wonderful evening of traditional entertainment in an atmospheric setting, and the perfect showcase for local creative practitioners. Memory and identity are at the heart of this week’s conference. One of the main ways we create identities is through the stories we tell ourselves, using musical, artistic and oral traditions. This accessible event will be a powerful celebration of that.”

All are welcome and entry is free, book a space using EventBrite.

Refreshments will be available for purchase. Any queries please contact Dr Christine Berberich via email at: christine.berberich@port.ac.uk.