I make this blog for my
memory.   In not having family most of my
life and very little contact in the remainder I realised a primary function of
family, context,   is something missing.  Context is relative and relativity a factor of
memory:  ever heard the memory trick in
how to recall your pin number by unconnected images.     I am often advised by the well meaning not to
assume that families are great when in fact I don’t.  I just value memory is all.  

But why make  it public?   Imagine never having a private life.  Imagine your entire childhood being a matter
of public record and most of your adult life being an exercise in proving what
happened to you in your childhood by making public record of your existence through
documentary.  To say that I make public
my private life is to assume that I ever had a private life in the first place.
I didn’t.  I am honoured that anyone should read it.

2009 began with a run of Why I Don’t Hate White People at
Hammersmith Lyric, written while artist in resident at Southbank centre.  It was the last play directed by John
McGrath before he became Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Wales.
 

Then a week  in
Vancouver in February of four poets  of  four continents  for The Cultural Olympiad  with live music by the  Ferreras orchestra. The audience broke into spontaneous
applause on hearing I was artist in residence at Southbank centre.  Shortly afterwards I visited  New York to interview Gil Scott Heron for a
BBC radio documentary called  Pieces of a Man.  It broadcast 
to the nation the news that The Heron was back.   

Then a short hop  over
to Sweden  for a reading where I met  Janine Van Rooy,  known as Blaq Pearl, the sister of South
Africa’s Mr Devious.    In May I read in Cape Town, at The  Badalisha Poetry festival who put together  the best surprise birthday celebration  I’ve ever had.  It was at an Ethiopian restaurant called Addis in Cape:   I
visited Janine’s home in Mitchells Plain to hear her incredible story from her
own lips.

Also broadcast to the nation on BBC five documentaries on
The Watford Gap Service Station in recognition of its fiftieth anniversary.  In the documentary  is proof that great stories are in everyday
people going places.   I  am
the subject of an half hour documentary by  Babycow productions which remains unfinished.  Bernadine Evaristo’s blonde roots is released
to acclaim in America and Kwame Dawes wins a Pulitzer prize. Meanwhile kind
hearted Jonathan Barker leaves the British Council.