London Writers and Poverty. How the Lit Pub Crawl started. Part One
August 15, 2014
It's me birthday! Thanks! Feel free to send cards. Or cash... :-)
Birthdays are often a time for reflection. When I first got the idea for the London Literary Pub Crawl, it was because I was taking my M.A. and I was flat broke. In spite of never having received a grant for education, for reasons known only to the Education Dept I had to fund everything myself. It was tough - not only the fees, but living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. But I don't think we'd have done this show if it hadn't been for my poverty. I found myself in the Fitzroy Tavern in Fitzrovia in Central London because a mate of mine also up in London from Birmingham, Andy Bloom, told me the beer was cheap! Which it was. Having enjoyed a fairly expansive social life up to this pint... sorry, point... I was determined not to let poverty grind me down, so clasping a saved £10 note I strode into the Tavern ready to neck four Alpine Lagers!
Instantly I was attracted by a sign that pointed to the Writers and Artists Bar. So I got Pint One and headed downstairs. And then I saw the pictures of Dylan Thomas, George Orwell and Augustus John on the wall. Over Pint Two I started to wonder why the pictures were here. If they were regulars in this pub, then there must be some stories to tell. By Pint Three I was convinced Dylan Thomas was personally trying to tell me something about being a writer in a pub and having no money. And by Pint Four I knew I must do some investigating and research about this curious little Village within a City, Fitzrovia.
So I did...
Birthdays are often a time for reflection. When I first got the idea for the London Literary Pub Crawl, it was because I was taking my M.A. and I was flat broke. In spite of never having received a grant for education, for reasons known only to the Education Dept I had to fund everything myself. It was tough - not only the fees, but living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. But I don't think we'd have done this show if it hadn't been for my poverty. I found myself in the Fitzroy Tavern in Fitzrovia in Central London because a mate of mine also up in London from Birmingham, Andy Bloom, told me the beer was cheap! Which it was. Having enjoyed a fairly expansive social life up to this pint... sorry, point... I was determined not to let poverty grind me down, so clasping a saved £10 note I strode into the Tavern ready to neck four Alpine Lagers!
Instantly I was attracted by a sign that pointed to the Writers and Artists Bar. So I got Pint One and headed downstairs. And then I saw the pictures of Dylan Thomas, George Orwell and Augustus John on the wall. Over Pint Two I started to wonder why the pictures were here. If they were regulars in this pub, then there must be some stories to tell. By Pint Three I was convinced Dylan Thomas was personally trying to tell me something about being a writer in a pub and having no money. And by Pint Four I knew I must do some investigating and research about this curious little Village within a City, Fitzrovia.
So I did...
Posted by Nick Hennegan. Posted In : Nick Hennegan
Hello. I'm Nick Hennegan and I started the London Literary Pub Crawl. Most of the blogs on here will be by me. I've always written but my first theatrical success was an adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Henry V' (www.HenryVPlay.com) I founded Maverick Theatre in 1994. (www.MaverickTheatreCompany.com) This pub crawl is really more a promenade theatre performance than a tour and I'm running it with a bunch of enthusiastic local actors and writers. I love sharing my passion for the area and the artists. I also present a weekly radio show, 'Literary London' on Resonance 104.4fm - London's Arts Station and a podcast on our site.
If you haven't visited us in London yet, I hope you'll come soon. Have a look at my new site, www.BohemianBritain.com. And feel free to leave comments or email me at nick @ LondonLiteraryPubCrawl.com - I reply to them all and I love to hear from you.