Birmingham Rotunda to Speak with 21 Voices

The 'Bard of Birmingham', author Danny Bernardi, is to be interviewed for Nic Gaunt's exciting new multi media project about Birmingham's iconic Rotunda building.

The project,'Rotunda-21 Stories', partly funded by The Arts Council, will use photography and film to capture Bernardi's individual response the tower. The project aims to create a unique picture of both the Rotunda and of Bernardi, a native Brummie, whose 2006 novel, 'Under the Rotunda' is set in and around the UK's second city, Birmingham.

Bernardi explains, 'The Rotunda has been a constant part of my life. I am as old as the building itself. It has stood and watched over both sad and happy times, including the IRA bomb at two city centre pubs in 1974 which left 21 people dead and scores more injured. I am thrilled to be involved in this project and look forward to articulating the affection I have for such an iconic structure.'

Bernardi's 2006 novel, 'Under the Rotunda', which was critically well received tells the story of four native Brummies as they struggle to come to terms with a tragic event and their changing lives. Such personal changes are reflected in Birmingham’s recent dramatic transformation with the city itself providing a contemporary backdrop as well as a unique sense of place.

The redevelopment of Birmingham's city centre and of the Rotunda by Urban Splash has turned an industrial backwater into a truly world class destination which Bernardi seems consistently proud to namecheck in his book.

'This project will provide the world with a window on a fantastic city full of wonderful people,' Bernardi added from his North Birmingham home.

A free extract of 'Under the Rotunda' is available at:
www.dannybernardi.zoomshare.com

Rotunda - 21 Stories is to be created at:-
www.newrotunda.co.uk