Self Help Taking Care of Ourselves
Channel: British Library
Date: 2022-04-25

Have you ever encountered a person claiming to be able to ‘unshackle your true charismatic self’? Have you ever asked yourself, why are there so many do-it-yourself help books but so few that actually relate to me? Maybe the subject is as simple as, what would you tell your younger self about self-help and self-care?

Featuring writers and raconteurs working actively in the arenas of comedy, literature and performance, our panel will be broaching these very questions.

Poet, novelist and Forward Prize recipient Mona Arshi, multi-award winning comedian and virologist Ria Lina and radical mischief maker and acclaimed writer, actor and producer Candy Bowers will appear alongside event curator and host Melanie Abrahams, for an evening of conversation, provocation and comedy, as they hone in on the value, and the pitfalls, of self-help publications and practises.

Mona Arshi was born in West London to Punjabi parents. She worked as a Human rights lawyer at Liberty before turning to poetry. She is the author of two poetry collections, Small Hands which won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, and Dear Big Gods. Her poems, interviews and essays have been published widely including in The Times, Guardian, The Yale Review and the London Underground. She regularly appears on Radio 4 and has recently been appointed Honorary Professor at the University of Liverpool. Her debut novel, Somebody Loves You, was  published in 2021.

Ria Lina is the only Filipina comedian currently performing on the UK circuit and can be seen performing on Live at The Apollo (BBC), Have I Got News For You (BBC) and Mock The Week (BBC). She is also educated with a BSc in Experimental Pathology, an MSc in Forensic Science and a PhD in viral bioinformatics, and she previously worked as an IT forensic investigator for the Serious Fraud Office. Ria has Aspergers and lives in Covent Garden with her family.

Candy Bowers is a radical mischief-maker, writer/creator, actor, director and lyricist. Born of South African political refugees and currently based in Australia, she is the original producer and co-creator of global phenomenon Hot Brown Honey Burlesque. On screen Candy has worked as a contributor, actor and sketch writer for the Comedy Channel and ABC (Australia). She is turning her Audible/ AWG On Air 2020-winning scripted comedy pitch Bottlo2560 into a comedy series for TV and developing her first feature film for young adults. 

Melanie Abrahams is a curator and producer who has channeled a love of words and books into gatherings, festivals and initiatives. She’s founder of independent organisation Renaissance One which makes regular use of tours and commissions to highlight the diverse voices in British and international literature.  She's collaborated widely, from projects with Miami Book Fair, Chris Ofili and the BBC, to partnerships with universities, nurseries and care homes. Her contributions have been recognised through curatorships, a ‘Women To Watch’ Award and fellowships with the Royal Society of Arts and Royal Society of Literature.

In association with Renaissance One as part of THIS IS WHO WE ARE within the British Council's UK-Australia Season.