Harriet Martineau in the 1980s

I am in the middle of writing an extended poem (100+ lines) at the moment, which will be the final piece in my latest book of poems. It is about my experiences of Liverpool in the late 70s and early 80s. As I write it, many memories are being evoked. The motivation behind the writing was an exhibition of photographs by Francesco Mellina which appeared at Liverpool’s National Conservation Centre recently. These pictures captured the scene which I was part of at that time. I have also reconnected with some of my old school friends over recent months.

Many of these memories are opening up experiences from that time. I am reminded of writers, musicians and artists that I was following then. Amongst these is the work of Harriet Martineau. She lived from 1802 to 1876 and was a writer, philosopher and the first female journalist in the UK. She was also considered to be an early feminist and probably the first female sociologist. She was a prolific writer whose work I dipped into. I was particularly taken with the breadth of her work and her interests. I was fascinated by the idea that it is the intersections between topics, genres and disciplines that brings really rich content. I have continued to develop this passion over the years. It is very much an obsession for me today. As I write this I am dipping into ‘Biographical Sketches’ by Martineau and remembering the immense learning which I acquired from reading her nearly 30 years ago.