Tracking Down A Missing Title

So. If you've been reading up on the previous antics of our Itinerant Librarian, via our Europe ConVerses blog, you'll know that in November last year we hopped on over to Belgium with the library for the Nacht De Powezie in Antwerp. We did a 12 hour shift working our way up and down a huge squatted former bathhouse, signing up members galore at this amazing all night poetry gig, organised splendidly by the fabulous Erwin the AntiStressPoweet. During our night meander, one of our new members took off with a book and despite legging it round the building several times, we were able to neither locate him nor the title he had borrowed. This became known as our first ever CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE NON RETURNED LIBRARY ITEM. So what's a librarian to do when your loving poetry item from travelling library selection goes missing? That's a tricky one. Especially when said item is in Antwerp, said librarian is in London slash San Francisco and said library continues to travel and expand (btw, for those in the know, we've dumped the rucksack and now have 2 suitcases as the donations are coming in thick and fast!)

We have had only one previous NEAR LIBRARY NON RETURNED ITEM MISS, which was in Vienna, when we were installed at Cafe Wuk, and a rather confused, if delighted, Viennese woman attempted to walk off, well actually, she was with a bike, so I think wheeled off is strictly nearer the truth, with our bilingual German-English edition of 'The Selected Works of English Romantics'. We had to run after her and explain that our library operated slightly different lending rules than she might be normally used to. Her response was to insist that she must surely be able to borrow 'For forty days! Forty days!" She said this phrase a lot. I actually wondered what library she had ever joined. Some biblical one in Nevada? Anyway. We did get our book back that time.

Back to Antwerp. We tried to email our new member to track down the book. We did not have his email address. Slight flaw. We did manage to find a blog he seemed to post to, so we left a comment on it, asking for the return of our book. We emailed other people from the night, whose emails we did have (phew!). We posted to our blog in the hope that someone, somewhere, knew this member and slash or had seen this book in Antwerp. Nothing doing. Until today.

We just received this email, three months after we left Antwerp:

Dear Sara Wingrate,

I only now saw a posting you made on my weblog concerning the book 'The Heart of the Ancient Balcony' by Glyn Pursglove, I borrowed from you at De nacht van de Powezie. It is true that I borrowed it, but I didn't take it with me. I left it in the building.

Maybe you should contact XXXXXX if you want to find the book back. I hope he can help you out.

Kind greetings,

Xavier


So. Well, at least Xavier got back in touch. Under Library ByeByeLaw 10c, we'd like to note that:
"10. No person who:

a) after the end of the period for which it was lent has the charge or possession of a book borrowed from the library or from any body my body all our bodies or persons acting on behalf of the Library Authority, and

b) after having been requested in writing, or verbally threatened and/or stalked by the Library Authority to deliver it up to the Authority, has failed to do so within a period of fourteen days and fourteen nights consecutively and a night cap after the date of the request, and

c) has not paid to the Library Authority in respect thereof an agreed poem by way of compensation.

shall, except with consent of the Librarian, borrow any further books from the library or be entitled to a cup of tea."

We've just emailed Xavier and requested a compensatory poem. In the meantime, he's still banned from borrowing books. He probably doesn't mind as I have a feeling he's not currently in the vicinity of the travelling library. But one day soon, he may be!
We would like to at least thank him for going to the trouble of letting us know where our book might be.

In the meantime, if anyone has a SPARE copy of 'The Heart of the Ancient Balcony' by Glyn Pursglove, we'd love to have it rejoin our collection.

Antwerp Joins Library. Librarian Joins Dots.

So. Our intrepid Itinerant One is called over to assist in the NACHT VAN DE POWEZIE in Antwerp. This consists of taking part in the all night poetry reading as well as walking around signing up members to the library with our little brown suitcase. It all took place at TNIEF BADHUIS, BURCHTGRACHT 14, which for those with inadequate belgianflemishdutchtypelanguage skills means The Bathhouse, 14 Burchtgracht, Antwerp. Which really was a former bath house, currently an awe-inspiring four storey squat. The Librarian arrived in the daylight, and so was able to help decorate the place. Which was a slightly sisphyian task at some points. Especially when helping cook Tomas try and staple gun gold brocade to the ceiling while balancing on a step ladder and the staple gun keeps breaking open and thus losing its staples every second shot. Everything finally got hung in place though and it looked beautiful. Several hours, a bowl of north african soup cooked by Tomas, a finished copy of Nicholson Baker’s ‘Double-Fold&rsquo, and a free beer later, two hundred people came to the squat to see all these poets and experimental musicians perform: H.J. Claeys, Hans Plomp, DJ Bert Lezy's experimental drawing space, Aixia, De Antistresspoweet, Chi-Trung Nguyen, Oam Boca Sista, Yasuhiro Yotsumoto, Barry Fitton, Mario Salis, Louise Landes Levi, Claude Lammens, Sara Wingate Gray, Peter Waugh, Irene, Ernest Marechal, Marleen van Joolen, Max Lerou, Pom Wolff, Freek Lomme, Xavier Roelens, Verde Ben-Kiki, Pieter Hemeryck, Richard Steegmans, Luk Paard, Cralan Kelder, Gijs Ter Haar, Manu Bruynserade, Stoffel Hendrickx, Els Dams, Stijn Vranken, Marc Tiefenthal, Artiestencollectief JA!, Sacha De Backer, Kaatje Wharton, Wosky, Waxinelichtje + Mariette, Bart Van Peer, Didi de Paris, Sven De Swerts, Frans Vlinderman, JMH Berckmans en Kris Verdonck, Bart Van Peel, Philip Van Beek, Peter Holvoet Hanssen, David Van den Bosch, de Transformateurkens, Daan Goor, Hilde Droogné, , Gunther De Wit, Sandra Verheij, Tania Jooris, De Jazzpoëtici, Pisteffo en Fronk, Bart De Wildeman, Herman van Lunen, Maarten Redstar, Joran Van Windt, Wil Fraikin, Het Venijnig Gebroed, Danny Danker, David Boulée, Nico Rubens, Mario Janssens, Emile Wouters, Enak Kortebeek. It was amazing. We will be getting pictures sent over soon, and will post them up. Highlights included the Artiestencollectief performing their brand of improvised sound and vocal compositions while projecting live images onto a screen on the back wall - this was also in the still-tiled and mosaiced former bath area with fittings still intact - (and we had a nice chat with Maarten from this group too), Peter Waugh’s sound poetry, the Pyromancer Poet we saw back in June in Ruigoord, this time dressed head to toe in English Gentleman tweed rather than covered in fire . . . and much more until the small twee wee hours. The Librarian made it to bed at 4am. We are not sure when the event actually stopped itself . . .

Important Library Note

New Antwerp Library member Xavier Roelens. You borrowed ‘The Heart of the Ancient Balcony&rsquo by Glynn Pursglove and DID NOT RETURN SAID ITEM. This is in breach of too many of our ByeByeLaws to list here without scaring you (e.g. for reference see the one about when you are liable to pay off our librarian’s student loan). Please get in touch to return our book. Best wishes. The Itinerant Poetry Librarian.

Where we performed: The Bathhouse

The front of this space. If only all houses looked similar . . .

‘Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal, the Cathedral of Our Lady’ in Antwerp

Statue of Brabo

According to folklore, the city got its name from a legend involving a mythical giant called Antigoon that lived near the river Scheldt, exacting a toll from those crossing the river. On refusal, the giant severed one of their hands and threw them into the Scheldt. Eventually, the giant was slain by a young hero named Brabo, who cut off the giant's hand and threw it into the river. Hence the name Antwerpen from Dutch hand werpen (hand-throwing). This is what my Belgian friends told me anyway. And Wikipedia says it too so it must be true. Hah.

Someone having a treasure hunt in Antwerp? We found these signs on the street. ‘Which Belgian city has a tram stop called Moscow’?

Het Steen - The Stone, Antwerp’s oldest building, built in 1200 - 1225, and previously known as Antwerp Castle

The Ship Musuem next to Antwerp Castle

The sky as we left Antwerp

What we like about Squats in Belgium: cool poster art

What we think of this particular squat

A Belgian film in directorial process at our departure lounge. What is going on?

Our Librarian gets to Trafalgar Square demos too . . .

& has friends who lose things after Halloween escapades . . .

We also did a reading at the Hopsack cafe while in Antwerp and got to hear poetry in Japanese, Dutch, English, French and probably Flemish. We’d like to say thanks to poets Louise Landes Levi and Yasuhiro Yotsumoto for donating copies of their poetry books to the library too. And finally we send librarian thanks to Frans and Nip who offered couch surfing Antwerp facilities and didn’t freak out too much when our librarian started to cough up some spots and dots of blood. Luckily, the Librarian has since been to the Doctor and does not have TB. Just a cough. We were a little worried seeing as one of our favourite poets is Keats and as ole Tennessee wrote ‘As a poet, I have a weakness for symbols’ . . . Doei!

Fully signed up Antwerp Library Members! Hurray!

Total Library Members as of today! As poet Salena Saliva Godden might say . . . She-Booooooooooom or as poet Barry Fitton might say . . . Hallelujah! Either way . . . We say, FUck yeAH!