Earlier this month I got a glimpse into another dimension of the world of literature. A new literary journal has been launched and we sipped a glass of wine in its honour on a Wednesday evening.
The journal itself is resplendent. The volume is richly produced and the content is laden with the both the obscure and the poetic. Yet flipping through the pages I have the strange feeling that I’m not quite worthy enough to partake of what is essentially a piece of art in itself.
The mandate of the White Review is to promote the work of unsung writers and artists, a laudable aim. One must wonder if these artists, writers and indeed the editors themselves have a clear view of who they wish to promote to. The attendance at the launch (almost as much as the decadent volume) suggested the target audience to be the high literati. And if this is the objective, they seem to this outsider to have been successful in that task.
I can't help but wish that there was something similar aimed at a wider audience. Something that conveyed the power of literature without placing it in the inaccessible reaches of pomp and privilege. And, yes – just as the White Review celebrated early this month – something that brings people together to promote and celebrate new works.
If you know of anything of this kind, I will become their fan and follower without delay ;)
