As part of the Merseyside Writing on the Wall Festival, Professor Phil Scraton is giving a talk on Protecting Life, Interrogating Death, Seeking Truth via Facebook Live on Wednesday 27 May 2020 at 6pm.
Who Are Writing on the Wall?
Writing on the Wall (WoW) is a writing and literature organisation based in Liverpool, hosting Liverpool’s longest running and nationally acclaimed literature festival – WoWFEST. WoW promotes and supports equality, diversity and inclusion. Their exciting writing development programme nurtures new and aspiring novelists, poets and spoken word artists. They publish work by new writers and offer a range of services of support.
What is the Merseyside Writing on the Wall Festival?
In these unprecedented times WoW is proud to present their reshaped, digital programme – WoWFest20: Lockdown. They recognise the value of creative writing and literature, community, connections, conversations and engagement with one another through arts and culture and creativity.
From 7th May – 31st May, WoWFest: Lockdown brings you an inspiring and passionate collection of artists to help us all through these difficult times and galvanise us towards reshaping the new normal once lockdown can be lifted. Featuring acclaimed political theorist, activist and scholar Noam Chomsky, Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, renowned theatre-critic Lyn Gardner, multi-award-winning short story writer A L Kennedy, comedian Francesca Martinez, writer and philosopher Raoul Martinez, journalist Maya Goodfellow, Muslim Drag Queen Glamrou and Asifa Lahore, activist and psychiatrist Dr. Mona Kamal and many more to be announced. Showcasing the best of Liverpool talent as well with La Violette Società Light Night spoken word performances ft. Roy, Toria Garbutt, Will Burns, Carla Mellor, a life-writing workshop with author Tony Wailey, and a screening of The Football Men documentary with panel discussion from Lizzi Doyle from The Anfield Wrap, author Emy Onuora, and journalist Brian Reade with spoken word responses from Amina Atiq and Ash Nugent.
Protecting Life, Interrogating Death, Seeking Truth
Inquests offer the only opportunity for bereaved families to hear and cross-examine evidence concerning the context in which their loved one died. The Chief Coroner’s guidance on Covid-19 deaths advises against inquests investigating the significance of national policies and their implementation, concentrating only on the ‘facts’ of each death. In fact, there is no obligation on care homes or hospitals to report Covid deaths to the Coroner nor to hold inquests. Reflecting on the ground-breaking Hillsborough Inquests, 2014-2016 and the unprecedented jury findings at the inquest into the prison death of Joseph Rainey in Northern Ireland (2020), this talk focuses on bereaved families’ ‘right to know’, and have examined, the full circumstances and wider context in which their loved ones died.
Professor Phil Scraton
Phil Scraton is Professor Emeritus in the School of Law, Queen’s University, Belfast. Widely published, his books include: In the Arms of the Law – Coroners’ Inquests and Deaths in Custody (with Kathryn Chadwick); The Violence of Incarceration (with Jude McCulloch); Power, Conflict and Criminalisation; Hillsborough The Truth. From 2010 he led the Hillsborough Independent Panel’s research, was principal author of its 2012 Report, Hillsborough and was seconded to the families’ legal teams throughout the 2014-2016 inquests. In 2018, with Rebecca Scott Bray, he co-convened the University of Sydney’s research programme on coroners’ inquests into deaths in custody and is co-investigator for the Irish Council of Civil Liberties’ project Deaths in Contested Circumstances and Coroners’ Inquests. In 2016 he was awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool.
Facebook Live Event featuring Professor Phil Scraton
Date: 27 May 2020
Time: 6pm
Venue: Facebook – LINK HERE
Tickets: Free (Donations – See Below)
All ticket donations will go to: Fans Supporting Foodbanks, South Liverpool Domestic Abuse Services and WoW.
Listen to PROFESSOR PHIL SCRATON with A Celtic State of Mind here:
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