Burning the Books project

In March 2015 MPK took part in the Brixton leg (produced by Barby Asante) of Alina Azadeh’s Burning the Books project, in which Brixtonians were invited to contribute debt stories – financial emotional, social, political, ecological or metaphysical – to be written into a Book of Debts. We ran a writing workshop and participated in the finale in St Matthew’s Peace Gardens, at which the Book, full of stories, comments, reflections, was recited aloud and burned in an imaginary writing off of everything owed.

The project started in Liverpool back in 2011, after Alinah was inspired to make art out her personal experience of debt. She was struck by the lack of study of debt in the wider world, but soon after the first burning, Alinah discovered texts like David Graeber’s Debt: the first 5000 years, and Charles Eisenstein’s Sacred Economics. Burning the BooksBrixton is produced by Barby Asante – get in touch if you are interested in becoming a co-reciter. @burningthebooks