Author of the month: Frances Marnie
Frances Marnie, author of our ESOL series Absolute Beginners, tells us about her romance with the French capital, the rich melting pot of cultures she discovered in a small town in Scotland and why helping her students negotiate their daily lives is endlessly fulfilling. Tell us a little about yourself Like many of my colleagues, I fell into the world of TEFL due to a combination of circumstances. It really all began with my love affair with Paris … I was born and grew up in Dundee, Scotland. Within a couple of weeks I had enough sessional work to be able to survive independently. In 2002, I returned to Scotland and discovered the world of ESOL. How would you describe yourself in five words? Always worrying intensely about something. How did you start your writing career? There were two stages. Firstly, I’ve counted writing as one of my hobbies for many years but never thought of approaching publishers until urged to do so by a friend in the EFL publishing business. A few spring to mind!
We felt so lucky to foster a young refugee. Don’t let Parsons Green tarnish a proud tradition | Anonymous | Opinion
A year ago my husband and I were reading about child refugees arriving in the UK. On the spur of the moment, we decided to become foster parents. After all, we had enough space, the resources to offer support and felt a responsibility to do something. Trusting and caring for strangers who need it is a British tradition that we felt proud to become part of. Within just a few days, Ibrahim (not his real name) arrived. He was a teenager from Aleppo whose journey to the UK had been long and dangerous. My heart sank when I heard about the attempted bombing at Parsons Green station in London. We have been supported by the local authority and excellent social workers. However, we haven’t needed to. Of course, there have been many cultural differences to overcome and behaviours that have needed explaining. Ibrahim has a kind heart and is in some ways naive. As his English has improved, it has been easier to understand each other and appreciate our similarities as well as our differences.
Books That Explore the Refugee Experience
A recent UNICEF report says that 28 million children worldwide are refugees. Horrifying images of young people fleeing war-torn regions circulate online, and it can be overwhelming for students to see other young people suffering. But literature and art have long been vehicles to help us make sense of tragedy, and in the hands of gifted storytellers and illustrators, humanitarian crises in Syria, Sudan, and elsewhere can not only deepen student empathy but inspire action. There are many books that can help give kids this deeper perspective—these are a few memorable reads recommended by educators. The Journey Told from the perspective of a young child, this 2016 book set in an unspecified region uses lush illustrations and few words to present a family’s migration as an allegory. Stepping Stones When civil war reaches their Syrian village, Rama and her family must flee with only the things they can carry to join the “river of people” searching for a better life.
Picture books
The following is an extract from an article written for Viewpoint Magazine, describing some of the ideas and process behind this book. Looking over much of my previous work as an illustrator and writer, such as The Rabbits (about colonisation), The Lost Thing (about a creature lost in a strange city) or The Red Tree (a girl wandering through shifting dreamscapes), I realise that I have a recurring interest in notions of ‘belonging’, particularly the finding or losing of it. Whether this has anything to do with my own life, I’m not sure, it seems to be more of a subconscious than conscious concern. One contributing experience may have been that of growing up in Perth, one of the most isolated cities in the world, sandwiched between a vast desert and a vaster ocean. More specifically, my parents pegged a spot in a freshly minted northern suburb that was quite devoid of any clear cultural identity or history.
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World Stories | A Collection Of Stories From Around The World
Poems for…one world – Poems for…the wall
Our new title - Poems for...the wall. It makes clearer the fact that we supply poems for public space. It doesn't affect the titles of our collections. This new website - It is almost finished now. It is striking to look at ; it is technically up to the mark ; it is simple to use. Thanks Joe. The "Poems for..." project is proud to display four poems written by people President Trump would wish to ban. The two collections were launched in Bristol in the Autumn of 2015. "Poems for...Bridges to Anatolia" is based largely - though not entirely - on the translation work over the years of the Turkish poet Mevlut Ceylan.
Guardian articles
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