The project invited cafe regulars, passers-by and budding artists and authors of all ages a chance to add their creative content to the 4 books. A site specific project for a snapshot of life to evolve in. The project culminated in readings and performance as part of the Stoke Newington Literary Festival.
“The Curious Cafe Books have been devised by Nicola Godlieb, artist and associate director of the Society for Curious Thought. The most seductive part of the book is its offer of the experience of writing – the sense of nostalgia and excitement as the pen glides across the page leaving a trail of wet ink. The ability to express oneself in longhand is something rare these days. It offers a reflective dimension to what is being written, while it is being written. Our hope is that the book will be enjoyed and enriched by as many people as possible during the months it is in situ in Lemon Monkey.” Press release: The Society for Curious Thought. 2011.
I worked with the teenage reading group from Stoke Newington library. We began ‘exquisite corpse’ style stories which developed into impossibly complex and beguiling tales. This idea caught on and soon stories in the book began to lead their own lives, each contributor taking and twisting the plots and characters. At some point several children ran through the pages with an obsessive enjoyment of toilet-based humour. It was a chance to express the alter-ego, the voice of the surreal.
In the books one comes across runaway silky greyhounds, unrequited love for piano tuners and a toast-master rabbit called Laurence who lives in the book shelves at Stoke Newington library. Many local myths and legends spring to existence. Amongst the doodles and studied portraits you might discover mysterious disappearing banana picnics, a ten year olds’ stark and wise poem on love, and evidence of a torn page upon which we can only imagine what was revealed and then ripped away.
Curious Café Book Contents
Book 4 (back room table)
- Please sign after contributing
- “First in Book”
- Bear. drawing.
- Poem & drawing.
- ‘Dickhead van Ponce’ alter-ego + poo’
- Baby in tummy drawing.
- Personal political rant on ‘nonsense’
- Two brides drawing.
- Couple – pretty/ugly drawing.
- Personal reflection on new start
- Face drawing.
- Spirals drawing by Maia
- ‘Jersey Shore’- Thumbs Up drawing
- A plea for cake& drawing.
- Squirrel & Robot drawing.
- Stamford Hill Literary Festival next….
- Personal reflection on destiny in a cereal packet
- 23 blue salt packets with drawing.
- How do turtles breathe? drawing
- Ugly Fairy drawing
- Thought on a Beam of Light
- Personal thoughts on Procrastination
- Empty Postcard drawing
- ‘Jobby’ drawing
- Scribble drawing
- Monkey drawing
- ‘Swagger’
- Printed story Man visits wife
- Personal “My life went wrong..”
- ‘Poo’ and teddy face drawing
- Stick Man with moustache
- Printed story ‘Weds is my night out’
- Ashes history
- Personal/general facts
- Lines drawing.
- Hearts drawing.
- LOL Boys
- Lemon Monkey poem
- Story ‘The mysterious Disappearance of nana’s favourite fruit…’
- Personal thoughts on creativity and mistakes
- Lemon Monkey reference x 2
- Noughts & crosses
- Maths homework
- Printed short story on Flirting
- A list of authors
- Printed text on the universe
- Printed text ‘I have not..’
- List of authors
- ‘T.O.P’ Thoughts on Pages by Molly Foster and Emily Armen:
- Poems, society, change, self acceptance…
- Poem, Sophie Mayers
- ‘Angels are around us’. Poppy
- List of scientists
- General knowledge quiz
- Keats quote
- “Education is ….”
- Poem on the Rose
- Cafe Book as a refuge from city
- Story ‘The case of the missing Terraapin’ by Josef Pyecroft
- Squires communal drawing
- Personal “living here after love. . ”
- Circles drawing
- Spirals
- Pirate drawing
- Poo drawing.
- Teenage Reading Group: Collective Stories by Kelly Morter, Molly and Lauren Foster, Beth Jackson-Kempster, Carmela Docherty.
- Part finished drawing
- ‘Found notes, lists, letters’
nicola godlieb 