By Amy Leeks

Helen Mort, a Sheffield-based poet and Professor of Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University is no stranger to tackling challenging subjects. Known for her work exploring themes of landscape, embodiment and women’s experiences, Mort has consistently used her art to illuminate the personal and societal impact of gender-based violence.

Her acclaimed documentary My Blonde GF, produced with The Guardian, delves into her personal ordeal with deepfake pornography, shedding light on the insidious effects of digital gender-based violence. Now, Mort is continuing her activism by speaking at the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence Festival, a campaign she hopes will serve as a “conversation starter” for addressing workplace safety and broader societal issues.

“[I hope] we’ll be able to have more difficult conversations openly in the workplace,” Mort says, emphasising the importance of creating environments where such topics can be addressed without fear.

Mort will participate in two events during the festival. The first, a reading and discussion with Dr Derek Bousfield, explores how poetry can be a lens to examine the language of gaslighting. Their collaborative research investigates the role of linguistics in perpetuating psychological harm, particularly in cases of domestic abuse.

“We need to look at the violence that happens before physical violence,” says Mort, “and psychological harms that language is a tool in.”

As part of the project, Mort is using creative writing workshops to empower survivors of coercive control, helping them reclaim their experiences. Language has the ability to liberate survivors, says Mort. “It’s about taking control of their narratives in an empowering way.”

Mort will also join Dr Katherine Angel on Human Rights Day, marking the festival’s conclusion. Together, they’ll present readings and discussions centred on literature’s role in addressing human rights and gender-based violence.

Mort says: “I’m really delighted that I’m doing an event with Katherine Angel myself as well, because she’s somebody who’s writing on the body and desire I’ve always hugely admired.”

For Mort, poetry and literature are vital tools for raising awareness about gender-based violence. She believes the personal nature of storytelling helps readers engage more deeply with issues that might otherwise feel abstract.

“[Poetry and literature is a way of] inviting empathy and recalibration of thinking and considering different perspectives, I think it’s also a really nuanced platform,” she says.

Mort also stresses the importance of engaging a diverse audience, including men, in conversations about gender-based violence. Mort says: “If we haven’t got men in the audience then the burden of affecting change falls on people who are already very tired from dealing with it all the time.”

The 16 Days of Activism Festival, running from 25 November to 10 December 2024, seeks to create inclusive dialogue and bring about real world change. Amid rising incidents of gender-based violence globally, Mort underscores the urgency of these events:

“What we can control is our response [to gender based violence], and this festival is an amazing response to an endemic kind of systemic problem.”

Join Professor Helen Mort on Monday 2nd of December at 2pm with Dr Derek Bousfield. Book your tickets here.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Festival runs from 25th November to 10th December, 2024. For more information and tickets, visit mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events.