Leicester church refuses to host launch of 'Bollocks to Brexit' book

A church has decided not to allow the launch of a book of poems, which has an expletive in the title, to be hosted at its premises.

Civic Leicester last week booked a room at the Bishop Street Methodist Church for the launch of ‘Bollocks To Brexit: An Anthology of Poems and Short Fiction’.

On Saturday the church emailed the group to say that it could not allow the launch to go ahead.

The launch is also to include an address by Joel Baccas looking at the expletive and its uses.

Ambrose Misiyiwa, who has edited the book and runs Civic Leicester – a self-funded community channel which uses the arts to address issues, said he was surprised by the decision not to honour the booking.

He said: “I made the booking last week, but on Saturday I received an email from the Reverend Fran Rhys telling me the church was revoking the booking.

“I am surprised by this decision as we have held many such launches and events at the church and have always had a good working relationship.

“The church says it "understands the anger expressed in the title of the collection" and is revoking the booking because it wants to "strike a balance between being prophetic and a place of reconciliation"."

The Reverend Fran Rhys, minster with pastoral care at Bishop Street Methodist Church, said: “In the past, Bishop Street Methodist Church has been pleased to host poetry workshops by Ambrose Musiyiwa, and hopes that we might do so again in the future.

“However, the church may only host events that are politically balanced, or neutral, and so we are unable to host this particular event at the present time.

"The title of the collection indicates that this is not a collection which will demonstrate balanced or neutral political views."

Mr Misiyiwa said the launch will go ahead on June 29 as planned but probably at another venue.

He said: “You never know. I have not totally given up on the church changing its mind and allowing us to stage the book launch.

“All we are seeking to do is to raise the issue and have people give their views.

“Brexit has polarised this country and want an open debate on it as well as unveiling this work."

The blurb on the back cover reads: "Brexit has polarised the United Kingdom. “Will anyone be able to clean up the mess that the politicians have made? “What will the future be like for Britain? ‘ Bollocks to Brexit: an Anthology of Poems and Short Fiction’ brings together many poets from the UK and beyond and explores these and related questions."