Blogger's Blag: Ackley Bridge, Northern Noir and me

 

Ackley Bridge is a Channel 4 Drama about a diverse town just outside Bradford. The action centres around a school which has been specifically created to cater for Ackley Bridge’s diverse communities. For me the strength of this drama lies in its diverse cast of strong actors and its willingness to explore key issues that are relevant to the diverse society we live in today. It is particularly relevant today, with increased calls for inclusion in the creative industries.

 I have lived in Bradford for over thirty years and, those of you who know me, will know that I often describe my adoptive city as ‘Warm and Rich and Fearless’ – in my opinion Ackley Bridge is the same.

Its warmth spawns from its Northern heart- that closeness that I experienced in my Scottish upbringing and now enjoy hear in Bradford, that resilience in the face of adversity and that down to earth attitude that underpins all of the above.

Its richness lies in its ability to celebrate difference and diversity, whilst exploring key issues – its richness and inclusivity makes it vibrant – resonating with hope and courage.

Its Fearlessness is its willingness to showcase mainstream Northern inner cities with humour, grit and relentless honesty. The way it tackles current issues, spotlighting them and offering alternatives and perception is refreshing.  Themes of homosexuality, arranged marriages, warped perceptions of each other, teen mental health, drugs, homelessness and more are brought to the forefront. 

You can catch up on Ackley Bridge here

So, I hear you ask, what links a drama about a diverse school in the North of England to crime fiction. My answer is this.  Crime fiction reacts to real life experiences and spotlights some of the issues faced by society. It allows readers access to experiences that they may not personally have encountered and insight into how issues such as homelessness or drug abuse or racism (and more) may affect people. Sometimes crime fiction offers alternative scenarios. Often it provides a different viewpoint. However, the reason I write crime fiction is to gain some understanding of things myself.  This genre opens dialogue, challenges perceptions, broadens our experiences – and all from the safety of our sofa – Sound familiar? #Ackley Bridge.

On a more personal level, my own writing is all about representing diversity. I am married to an Indian, I have three children of dual heritage and I taught in inner city Bradford schools for over twenty years. When I first started teaching inner city schools in the district were often more culturally diverse – this is something that has slowly changed over the years and I consider it one of the greatest flaws in Bradford Education system.  Our workplaces are diverse; therefore, it doesn’t seem like rocket science to also ensure our schools are diverse.

My books deal with issues I see around Bradford and the district. I explore the human issues resulting from poverty, lack of education, ghettoisation and more. My characters represent the diversity of our society from the working class to the different ethnic communities, to class, disability and more.  

It’s beyond time that our creative industries took their role in shaping the sort of society we want to live in. It is beyond time we demanded inclusion in all areas. 

I know I’ve banged on about this before but, here’s Idris Elba’s 2016 speech to parliament about this very issue.