THE resignation of academic and critic Edna Longley as adviser to the Hewitt Summer School in Carnlough, Co Antrim, came as the result of a "democratic" move on the part of the committee, according to committee member Hazel Armstrong. She feels that a letter calling on the committee to apologise to Professor Longley, which has been signed by a long list of literary dignitaries, including Roy Foster, Paul Muldoon, Derek Mahon and Jennifer Johnston, is misguided, in that it ignores this majority decision.
The committee's problem with Longley is based on the assertion that she was not enough in tune with the needs of the local Glens of Antrim community.
Dr Eamonn Hughes, lecturer in English at Queen's University, co ordinated the letter signing, along with Dr Bob Purdie of the History department. He says he doesn't recognise the Edna Longley he knows in these descriptions. He adds: "As well as being a summer school, the Hewitt is meant to be a place of friendship. The circumstances in which Edna was forced to resign is an affront to that spirit of tolerance and friendship."
The committee's response to the letter has been to say that matters surrounding the resignation were confidential: "Next thing", says Hughes, "they were talking to the papers."
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is reviewing its funding of the school, given the changes which have occurred in the programme since Longley's resignation. These include the decision of writer Tim Robinson not to participate, on the grounds that he was asked to do so by Longley - he didn't know about the formal letter, but has written to Longley privately. Several signatories contacted declined to comment on the particulars of the case, as they were not directly involved, but explained that their statement was one of personal solidarity with Longley.
"Edna Longley is a person of enormous intelligence and integrity, and I feel very strongly that she should not have been hurt," says the writer Jennifer Johnston. "Anyone who thinks as I do, should think twice about going."
