Pioneering literature and cultural calligraphy in the North of England. Razwan Ul-Haq's Phobiastan.

 Is it possible to create experimental literature and art that engages with the general public?  

CHARLIE MILLER and MO ABDI interview Razwan Ul-Haq                                          


Razwan Ul-Haq offers a taste of the East in the North
picture John Sargent

Mo Abdi:

We are pleased to interview Razwan Ul-Haq about his new book Phobiastan.   Could you take us right back to the birth of this project?

Razwan:

 Certainly. Bradford Council Arts team commissioned me to do an intervention, and the idea to write the Art Novel Phobiastan was born.  I wanted to give a voice to the voiceless but do it in a new way. It did not seem likely to happen as in times of austerity, funders tend to be less experimental.  But  support from the Arts Council and Bluemoose Books made this project possible.   

Charlie Miller:

 When I received my review copy, the thing that struck me most (apart from the title) is the unusual format.  Having read the whole book, there is an almost non-linear narrative. Was it difficult to stitch all of this together?   By this I mean the various elements of  Art, poetry, and fiction?

Razwan: 

 I actually really enjoy putting all of these discrete elements in one united whole as each part seems to engage with a different part of the self and each commentates on another.  My chosen genre of minimalism, means that I try to make the reader create meaning out of my work.  Looking at an idea from different angles gives an interesting perspective. 

Mo Abdi: 

 From some of your social media posts it appears you have been working in the community.  Could you tell us a bit more about that?  


Razwan speaking on BCB Radio about Phobiastan


Razwan: 

 The vast majority of my time was of course spent in the traditional way with crafting my writing and my artwork.   I wanted a new conceptual approach to this book and so the process of writing meant constant drafting, editing and redrafting.  The drawings were also a departure from earlier work and so I needed a lot of studio time to produce them.  But yes, I was working with three schools and also with the public.  The Bradford Mela was a key factor in getting the opinion of the public through workshops.  When working away from the studio in different locations I wondered how different audience groups would react - especially fans of my older work who associate me with a certain style, and this is something that all writers and artists have to grapple with constantly.  


School workshops engaging with Phobiastan


Charlie Miller:

 Tell us a bit more about the reaction of the audience to your style of writing - especially for those for whom English is not their mother tongue.  I also noticed that this book has much more writing as opposed to Art.  

Razwan: 

 Yes, that is a clear intention of mine to give the writing more space to breathe.  The Art, whilst important is secondary to the written narrative of Phobiastan.  Literary Minimalism is a style that makes it much more accessible for speakers of English as a second language to engage, yet at the same time does not dilute deeper aspects for fluent speakers.   The reaction has been positive.  I learnt early on that I would really need to create a book that would not be heavy on superfluous text.  At the same time, there had to be enough on each page to provoke an emotional response. 

Mo Abdi:

 Is it OK if we focus on the Literature aspect of the book in a separate interview next month?  My colleague teaches creative undergraduate writing and she is interested in conducting an interview with you focussing solely on the literary features of Phobiastan.  (I will put a link here when it is complete).

Razwan:

 Yes of course that's fine.  But as your blog is mostly read by educators could you please link a teaching resource connected to Phobiastan  I have created that teachers of English Literature can use?

Mo Abdi:

 Yes the teacher's resource is downloadable here.

Charlie Miller: 

 I have noticed that Phobiastan does not have any religious text - this is a departure from your earlier work.  Is that correct? 

Razwan: 

 Well observed!  I felt that by doing so, Phobiastan would be accessible for everyone. 

Mo Abdi: 

 There are three different covers of the book Phobiastan, why is that and when is the final version coming out?

Razwan: 

 The review copies have different covers.  The final version is the one without the helicopter! I chose that one as it is a complete break from my former calligraphy art.  I wanted Phobiastan to have a completely new ambiance.

(Mo Abdi's note: For those who haven't seen the three different covers I have reproduced them above with the third one being the final one) 

Charlie Miller: 

 Yes the calligraphy is very different to your other work.  Even for someone who doesn't understand Arabic like me I can see the different direction your Art is going in this book.  Could you talk us through my favourite, which is Salts Mill at Dawn:


Salts Mill at Dawn

© Razwan Ul-Haq 2018

Razwan: 

 Why do you like this particular one?

Charlie Miller:  

 You've done something I haven't seen done with Arabic Calligraphy. The Salts Mill one stands out for me as, I suppose, it captures the gritty nature of the North of England and the Arabic calligraphy adds an Eastern or Arabic touch. 

Razwan:

 Interesting observation!  This is exactly how I believe experimental art can be accessible.  The picture very simply gets a message across.  The calligraphy device I used is from Nastaliq Calligraphy.  The method I use is known as Siyah Mashq.  It's not normally used like this but rather as exercise practice for Calligraphers!  

Mo Abdi:

 Gritty North plus the elegant Nastaliq of the East!  When you say Mashq do you mean practice?

Razwan:

 Yes...

Mo Abdi:  

 You mean all the calligraphy is hand done?

Razwan: 

 Yes.  The calligraphy is done by hand using traditional bamboo pen (qalam) that I have cut myself.  To add an extra dimension, the ink has been created with Bradford rainwater.

Charlie Miller:

 That takes me to the concept of rain.  Rain features highly in your book.  I notice you have divided the sections into Howling Rain and Healing Rain.  

 Mo Abdi: 

I am particularly intrigued with the calligraphy characters that blend in so well with iconography from the North of England.  It's almost as if you are challenging those people who want to divide us . You are healing conflict through Art.


Entering Bradford's Wool Exchange 

© Razwan Ul-Haq 2018

Razwan:

 I am glad you have seen another dimension to the work. I have been overwhelmed by people wanting me to come and give a talk about Phobiastan.  It touches society in a way I hadn't anticipated in terms of interest in artistic responses to conflict in contemporary society.  

Charlie Miller:

 So, in a way your work deals with themes that people want to know more about.  So is it something that is immediately sellable to the general public?  But do you think that by taking too many risks sometimes authors and artists can lose the message? 

Razwan: 

 Actually I think it's the opposite.  When you approach things from different angles and different points of view you actually get more interest and more engagement in the long run.  I do take your point though, we do need to keep thinking of the audience and we need to keep asking ourselves how interesting is this really going to be for the public.  

Charlie Miller:  

 Especially in today's financial climate where there is not much to go around?

Razwan:

 I was recently at an Arts Council Consultation (Shaping the Next Ten Years) and we have to support them in their bid for funding in these times of austerity.  If we can show how society benefits and engages in the Arts then it would help the Arts Council make the case for public funding.  In fact, anyone can have their say at  Arts Council - Shaping the Next Ten Years.   I have been asked to speak at so may different venues and I think there is a real role that the Arts can play in engaging the public.  So I don't think there is a problem with engaging the public with experimental Art.  I think the main issue lies with making the case for it.  

Mo Abdi:

 So what's next?

Razwan:

 I am hoping to do a nationwide tour in 2019.  I am also hoping to take Phobiastan abroad too. 

 Phobiastan with young adults in York.

 Phobiastan at Holmfirth Library

Mo Abdi:

 Wow that sounds really exciting.  It was a delight to conduct this interview. I want to do a separate article next month to focus more on the Literature aspect of the book as I think that is really quite intriguing.  Is there anything more you would like to say?

Razwan:

 Yes, I just wanted to thank all partners, including Bradford Council, Ilkley Literature Festival and Bluemoose Books.  I would also like to thank Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust, Ansar's Interiors of Bradford and of course if you could do a special shout out to the Arts Council for their support I would really appreciate it.

Phobiastan is an Arts Council supported Project.


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