13524491_284794848539908_5124179568861228251_n

This is Subrina. She cuts my hair .The afro has gone. But it went the day before a BBC broadcast 'Portrait of.." (click pic)In which I have an Afro. The portrait is in The Foundling MuseumThis came though. These things inspire me. It's the reason I'm Chancellor: to inspire.The next day I delivered a keynote at the launch of Teach First Summer Institute. Teachers are under pressure. They need support. Teach first puts them first.I popped in to my university to see the award winning communications teamThen to see On Corporation St at HOME and hang with friend & actor Yusra Warsama.That evening I met Sally Lyndsay. Sally kindly helped The Christmas Dinner. And I had a special meeting with World Champion Geoff Thompson Kate Tempest told me about a special poet from Manchester. So I go see him at Band on The Wall in manchester. I speak at The Ramadan Tent Project on the university of Manchester campus.I am proud to be part of a university that looks like this. I REALLY am.The next day I meet The Education people to record script for an online resourceIn my role as Chancellor I chair the General Assembly of The University of Manchester.Later in the evening a speech by John McGrath the artistic director of MIF.Back to London for a day and then straight to France to a bilingual literature festival Here are three different generations each involved in a different way with my reading.I loved this french excursion. The reading was a blast. The referendum was not.And then straight back to Manchester where baggage handlers managed to ruin my bagsI spoke at The Heads Leadership conference in Cheshire. I felt inspired by them. Then straight back to London. (Flybe have telephoned and organised to pick my bag.) I gave the Keynote for Artsworks at Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre. Thanks to Murray Freestone for the photo. Then I legged it back to Manchester on the Pendellino train. This poster was on a wall.the proofs for my new and selected poems are waiting at The Malmaison HotelThe next day I wake at 5am. I'm on Breakfast TV at 8.30am in Media City.In the evening I read Listening Post at Heaton Park. You can see the gig by clicking here. On the same day TED NPR (my favourite podcast) decided to repeat my interviewI spent the weekend in Manchester writing script. On Sunday JUly 3rd BBC RadioOn July 4th I read poems at Macclesfield Academy to young people in transition week..On Tuesday July 5th I visit Sheffield and spend the day with my friend Julie Stewartat The Childrens Media Conference then I gave the keynote address: It is the UK's premier meeting place for the children's content industries.It was an audience at the top of their game at the top of their industry. Then I was taxi'd to the station and onwards:I wake the next day in a different country.July 6th is an historic day for Wales: At ten in the morning I 'm sat with fifteen young people. They suffer anxiety. I show them how to make poems. And they do.On the way home back to England I receive this. It's a limited edition. It'll be on sale soon at University of Manchester. Look out on Facebook for the link.On 7th July I am in Brighton at 10am to judge the creative future literary awards. This is a unique prize and I love it. It is for the marginalized and unheard.Then back to London to BBC to interview Linton Kwesi Johnson about Bob Marley for a BBC radio programe I am presenting.By the time I get home the insurance company make an offer and say I can use their offer to buy particular luggage. But I don't want to buy their luggage. I want mine.Each day between 5am and 10am I try to write an original morning tweet. Here are two. The one above is about Brexit and the one below is about The Somme.I know these posts are uninspiring. They are lists of what I do. I'll stop them when it's reached a year since my instalation as Chancellor at The University. Nearly there. Then I'll get back to writing blogs. Thanks. But finally.... finally honest....just a couple of days ago I received these two photographs from my childhood from a guy called Mark English - his mum actually. I am grateful. They are immediately precious to me.

22 days of my life. Hair cuts & Baggage.