Naming Your Place: Thursday June 1st, London

The Ledbury Poetry Festival in association with the Poetry Society, present Naming Your Place at the London Review Bookshop on 1 June at 7pm.

Ruth Padel will discuss with Jo Shapcott and Sean O’Brien how and why poets use place names in poems, a tradition that goes back centuries to ancient Welsh poetry and Homer, from Wenlock Edge to Adlestrop.

The poets will illustrate their ideas by reading from their own work and that of other poets, and turn to the audience to hear their views.

Tickets: £8/£5 concessions, PS members and LRB subscribers

Box office: 020 7420 9895 or email marketing@poetrysociety.org.uk

You can catch this event again at the Ledbury Poetry Festival on 8 July 2006. To find out more please visit Poetry Festival.

'Bohemian Words', Reading: Friday June 2nd

A F HARROLD SAYS:

– Bohemian Words at the Rising Sun Arts Centre, Reading.

"My brand new, exciting, action-packed open-mic spoken word night returns after a month off to bristle with the finest talking people this fair town and outlying regions can entice in. Anything goes – poetry, comedy, hustings, non sequiturs, chanting… whatever you want to do that just involves using your mouth we’re happy to accommodate. Just come down on the night – doors open at 8 for an 8.30pm kick-off – and sign up to read/speak/perform on the night or just turn up with open ears to hear what’s going down, man. It’s £4 on the door, and £3 for performers and concessions, and there’s a bar stocking a range of drinks, including organic ales and ciders and stuff, so come and support, a) your local artists, b) your local Independent Arts Centre and c) um… your friends?"

Friday June 2nd
Rising Sun Arts Centre
Reading
8pm doors open
£4

Mic-Check 1, 2 : Friday 2nd June, Deptford

On Friday 2 June, all lyrical lines lead to one place ... 'The Albany' in Deptford, where Apples and Snakes will be hosting their one off Hip Hop night: Mic-Check 1,2.

This show will be featuring Malarchi, Lyric L, Lianhart, Pace and J B Sparks and as they say in the Hip Hop world ... it's gonna be off the chain!

The Albany
Douglas Way, Deptford, SE8 4AG
£7 / £5

You can check out the Apples and Snakes website for details of this and many more exciting live poetry events in London and all around the UK, plus resouces, educational matter and information on some of the world's top performance artistes.

West Midlands Youth Poetry Slam Final

West Midlands Youth Poetry Slam Final

Friday June 02nd
Library Theatre Birmingham.
Start time somewhere around 6.45 - 7pmish

*** Free tickets for the Poetry Slam with Dreadlockalien are available from Central Library Box Office. Tel: 0121 303 2323. Or book online at: www.birminghamboxoffice.com tickets going fast.

This poetry slam is a competition between young poets judged by three pre selected people. Audience reaction makes up part of the mark so come along and cheer for your poet. Poems, performance, prizes, people and pure poetry.

There will also be a special reading by Birminghams first Young Poet Laureate Helen Monks.

Maggie O'Sullivan in Plymouth, Saturday 3rd June

Saturday 3rd June, 7.30 pm

Maggie O'Sullivan


Plymouth Language Club 'Rain Under the Sea' series
Plymouth Arts Centre
Looe Street
The Barbican
01752 206114

+ Open Mike

£4 (£3 concessions)

CAFÉ FRUG in Penzance, June 1st & fortnightly

Fortnightly on Thursdays - next date June 1st

'CAFÉ FRUG' Music-Jazz, Folk, Blues. Cabaret, Poetry, theatre with Bob Devereux and special guests

8.00pm

Members £2
Temp. members £4

Cornish-based poet and artist Bob Devereux ALSO runs another CAFÉ FRUG at the St. Ives Arts Club on alternate Thursday evenings.

No email for Bob but you can contact the Penzance Arts Club for details of how to find them etc. by emailing pacartsclub@supanet.com

Monster Poetry Night: Launch Thursday 25th May, Dublin

Fortnightly - Thursdays From 8.30 pm.

Monster Poetry Night at the Monster Truck Art Gallery, corner of Francis Street and the Coombe - Dublin 8, opposite St Patrick's Cathedral, City Centre.

Launch - Thursday May 25 2006

Please bring your own booze and a few euro for the entertainment/entrance collection. Off Licence 30 seconds away. Online Broadcast of this event is downloadable in Mp3 from May 30: Scalljah.

Guest Poet: Raven

A mesmeric live poet at the very top of his game who has shared the stage with the very best, including American poet Saul Williams, the world's premier live literature and spoken word artist. Raven is a native Californian and perfected his skill at the seminal Sacred Grounds Poetry, San Francisco immediately prior to relocating to Dublin in May 2005.

Improvised Background sound by Jazz Duo - Gavin and Sarah - BA (Hons) Jazz students at Blackrock Music College.

There is an open floor for anyone wishing to read or perform and all are welcome. The best of page and stage under one roof in the HQ of poetry.

~ E-mail: desmondswords@hotmail.com

New Blood at the Poetry Cafe: TONIGHT!

On Wednesday 24th May at 7pm, for £5/3 concessions, you should be able to see and hear some new poetry talent downstairs at the Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London. The event is called New Blood and showcases up and coming poets from all over the UK.

The main readers will be Annie Freud, Inua Ellams and Adam O'Riordan, plus others, unspecified so far. If anyone gets a chance to go along and catch this event, do please comment below.

Open Mic at Over the Edge, Galway: Thursday 25th May

After the success of the Over The Edge showcase reading at the Cuirt Festival in April, the May Over The Edge: Open Reading will take place on Thursday, May 25th, 6.30-8pm in Galway City Library. This month’s Featured Readers – Mike McCormack, Jan Schlegel & Mags Treanor - are all fiction writers.

There will be an open-mic when the Featured Readers have finished. This is open to anyone who has a POEM or story to share. New readers are always welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars.

For further details contact 087-6431748.

An Endangered Species: Saturday May 27th

Saturday 27 May 2006

This is part of the Guardian Hay Festival

13:00 The Poetry Society Platform £7.00
The Elmley Foundation Theatre

Mark Haddon, Ruth Padel and Jo Shapcott
Nature Poetry: An Endangered Species?

Shapcott (Tender Taxes, Her Book), Padel (The Soho Leopard, Tigers in Red Weather) and Haddon (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea) read their own and other people’s nature poems, and discuss nature poetry in a threatened world.

For more details/tickets, visit Hay Festival.

Breaking' Out @ the Masque Bar, Wednesday 24th May

CHANGE OF DATE: June 7th 2006
8:00p-11:00p
"Breakin' Out @ Masque Bar"
Poetry, prose readings, comedy, and music all welcome. With floor spots available on the night for five-minute performances.

Breakin' Out
Masque Barbican at 1 Long Acre Road, London EC1A 9HA.

Door: £3

Info: Denise - 07946 830 082.

Oxford Arts Festival - Live Poetry Galore this weekend!

Following on from the success of "Rhyme and Reason" at the Oxford Live Literature Arena in April, George Roberts and Alan Buckley will be performing a new version of their hour-long show at the QI Club, Turl Street, Oxford, on Tuesday 20th June.

Roberts & Buckley on stage at the Oxford Live Literature Arena April 2006


As a warm-up to this they will be performing a half-hour show this coming Saturday (May 27th), 8.15 - 8.45pm upstairs at the Jericho Tavern, Walton Street, as part of the Oxford Arts Festival (26 - 27th May).

Other performances during the Oxford Arts Festival

Jenyth Worsley - Friday 26th - 8.45 - 9.15pm - the Market Tavern, Market Street.
Mark Leech - Saturday 27th - 3.30 - 4.00pm - The Cellar, Frewin Court
Steve Larkin - Friday 26th - 8.30pm onwards - The Corner Room, The Plain
Merryn Williams - Saturday 27th - 8.45 - 9.15pm - The Market Tavern, Market St
Laura King - Saturday 27th - 8.45 - 9.15pm - The Wheatsheaf, Wheatsheaf Yard
P.Viktor - Saturday 27th - 8.45 - 9.15pm - The Bullingdon Arms, Cowley Road

Admission to all events is £4 on the door. Festival wristbands for multi-event attendance available. Full listings at Oxford Arts Festival - not to be confused with the rather similar-sounding Oxford Darts Festival.

Paul Rafferty talks about 'Six of the Best' on June 7th

Six of the Best at the Birmingham Library Theatre

Wednesday June 7th. Featuring the following Birmingham-based performers: Spoz, Big Bren, Louis Poet, Jimmy Fantastic, Heather Bryson, Paul Rafferty.

The evening of Wednesday 7th June sees Six of the Best being given over to the Underground, The Underwriters to be exact, members of the Wrote Under Publishing Co Operative, regular performers and co-organisers of the Sunday X Press, last Sunday of every month at the Market Tavern Digbeth. Performers who don’t mince words, talk in plain English and are not what anyone would term “easy listening”! As far as the rest of the poetry scene is concerned we are the underdogs, the under rated and the under exposed but due to our constant gigging and profile raising activities we just can’t be ignored, hence our appearance at the library theatre on the 7th.

Giovanni “Spoz” Esposito, the man who met our lord Jesus himself, in the Sea Queen fish and chip shop, Spearmint Rhino and even at our most holy of holies the very Blues ground itself. Reading his poems from the 1967 Diana Annual Spoz is a member of the New October Poets has performed at Glastonbury Festival as well as our very own Artsfest and there is even a CD called “Poetry In Motions” currently available. “No flowery language here, I laughed out loud and so did my eleven year old daughter” – Ryan’s Gig Guide

“Big” Brendan Higgins, the bard of Yardley, also has his own CD release, “Flowers Up Your Arse ”and a promotional T-shirt advocating the practice of “Shopping!” one of his hit crowd pleasers. Big Bren’s Caberet has been running for some years now, Bren is a regular at Artsfest and any open mics going, including the Sunday X Press, which he co organises with most of the rest of us, favourite support act and promoter for local bands and one of the Lex Icons and occasional guest vocalist with The Yampy Werewolves. Like all of us on the 7th Bren writes and performers using the language we all hear every day, no punches are pulled you’ll find no faux politeness in his verses. Look out for the three Wrote Under collection of poets with Jimmy Fantastik and Scissorman.

Louis Poet, real name Campbell, is also a Lex Icon, and an Artsfest regular as well as performing at open mic events such as the Sunday X Press, which he is also one of the organisors of. He has supported, among others, The Beat, and works well with all audiences, there are even stories of workshops all over the West Midlands area as well as a whole range of promotional films and yes a self titled CD as well.

LOUIS CAMPBELL



Jimmy Fantastik, real name Kennedy used to be the Page 3 Experience, purveyer of Punk Poetry. He knows Madonna’s darkest secrets and he does kiss and tell. There’s a selection of four, count them four, self published books of his work along with a forthcoming shared collection with Big Bren and Scissorman on the way from Wrote Under. Jim also is the brains behind Frinky and Up you Alley as well as being a fellow organiser of the Sunday X Press.

JIMMY FANTASTIK



Heather Bryson, AKA Lolita Lovett, “What she did, I can’t even tell you” - said Rachel New of her act, Kerrang Radio. Heather is an experienced performer and can charm any audience with her stylish compositions. Another co-organiser of the Sunday X Press in Digbeth, Birmingham, she has a strong open mic background and a self published collection entitled “4.00 am”.

HEATHER BRYSON



Paul “Scissorman” Rafferty “Hard edged Performance poetry” – The Independent on Sunday, yet another Organiser of The Sunday X Press, veteran of both Artsfest and Glastonbury as well as all the open mics he can get to. Yes there’s also a CD “I Spit on your Grav!y” and so far three self published collections, look out for the upcoming threesome with Big Bren and Jimmy Fantastik from Wrote Under later this year. Paul has supported John Cooper Clarke on a number of occasions and has a history of organising and promoting gigs in both Luton and Birmingham “Nice one, Kid!”- JCC

BY PAUL RAFFERTY


So there you have it. 'Six of the Best' at Birmingham Library Theatre on Wednesday June 7th, £5 entry, 7.30pm start, another great line-up of the best in live poetry and stand-up from the Midlands -- and this month it's not for the faint-hearted! Ed.

'Poetry as Male Display': Greer at the Hay Festival 27th May

I don't usually include events on this listings site that are not LIVE poetry events, but this 'annual poetry masterclass' topic by Germaine Greer just excites and tickles me and gets so many people going, it seems, that I decided to post it here anyway. And I'm the boss, so there's no one to argue with me.

Unlike on the Poem Forum where we argued so much about this male versus female poets issue so much they actually closed the thread! So much for civilised conversations about poetry ...

Here's the link to that now closed thread, which should hopefully work okay:
Poem Forum/gender in UK poetry

I can't personally make this event, as I have other commitments, but if anyone does go and can tell me all about it, please do email me with your comments at janeholland (at) poetrycornwall.demon.co.uk and if anyone knows if there will be a transcript of this masterclass available, do also let me know.

Hay Festival 2006 Saturday 27 May 2006

17:30 36 - Germaine Greer £8.00 The Eos Marquee

Poetry as Male Display

In her annual poetry masterclass, Greer explores the idea that ‘Literature is a masculinist invention; poetry in particular is a spectacular form of male display. Women have to adapt a language which objectifies them absolutely to become the speakers, the verbal aggressors.’

Open Mic in Leamington Spa, 22nd May

On Monday 22nd May Sean Kelly be hosting the second "PUREandGOODandRIGHT" Open Mic night in Leamington Spa.

ADMISSION: FREE!

VENUE: Toyk Restaurant & Bar, 102a Warwick Street CV32 4QP
How to find TOYK

TIME: from 7.30pm

FORMAT: Light, informal, open mic, guest poets

POETRY IDOL: entries close 25th May

What is SHORTFUSE?

Based in Islington, London, SHORTFUSE is a spokenword night that has been presenting a weekly fusion of stand-up poetry, performance comedy and music since April 2000. We actively promote up and coming writers and performers alongside established acts such as John Hegley, Rob Newman, Stewart Lee, and Simon Munnery to only name a few, and we have gained a reputation for giving space to performers to stretch the boundaries of what they do.

We have also been giving the oportunity for new poets and spokenword performers to present their work to an audience, and to help make the transition from open mic nights to wider exposure and paid performances, with a night we have named:

"I went to a poetry reading at a local pub where over a hundred people, all young, were crammed into a smoky upstairs room, cheering and booing and seemingly enjoying themselves, which is not the norm for poetry readings. The enthusiasm was unnerving..." Hugo Williams, TLS.

What is Poetry Idol?

The SHORTFUSE POETRY IDOL CONTESTS are held two to three times a year and feature poets, writers and performers new to SHORTFUSE.

We make the initial selection of six performers that meet our criteria from all submissions recieved before the closing date for the current contest.

The six performers are then invited to perform at SHORTFUSE for 10 minutes each, and then the audience will vote for their favourite. The winning two acts are both given a full length paid set later in the year, and automatically entered into the POETRY IDOL RIVAL IDOL contest.

Since winning the previous POETRY IDOL CONTESTS, Liz Bently, Rhian Edwards, Sarah Kobrinsky, Project Adorno, SP Howarth, Gareth Jones, Ritchie Scurvey, Richard Johnson, Suzanne Andrade, Paul Marshall, Kate Fox and Wayne Smith have had full length sets in various other spokenword venues including Express Excess and Apples & Snakes, plus 5 star Edinburgh Fringe shows.

'Poetry idols give five-star performance', a review of POETRY IDOL 4 in the Ham & High (10/12/2004) said:

"Each gave blazing performances in their 10 minutes in the limelight and all six were different in style and tone, sometimes weird and wonderful but never boring. The SHORTFUSE event lived up to its branding 'Putting the spark back into the spokenword', and the paying punters were treated to a creative fireworks display of talent".

How are the winners decided?

Although SHORTFUSE make the initial selection of six performers, based on a variety of criteria - POETRY IDOL is not a Poetry Slam!

Each POETRY IDOL night is run as a contest with the winners are decided by a democratic vote by the audience - each audience member is given a ballot paper to vote for their top three acts of the night.

The two acts with the highest amount of points are declared the winners and are booked to perform a full length 20 minute set later in the year. In previous contests the standard of performances have been so high that runner-ups have also been booked to perform at regular SHORTFUSE events.

CURRENT CONTEST:

We are now accepting submissions for SHORTFUSE POETRY IDOL 8. The closing date for submissions is Thursday 25th May 2006.

SHORTFUSE POETRY IDOL 8 will be held on Thursday 13th July 2006.

I want to be the next POETRY IDOL! How do I submit my work?

The closing date for submissions is Thursday 25th May 2006. We are currently receiving submissions from poets, performers and writers for POETRY IDOL 8*.

Please send a short recorded sample of your work (10 to 15 minutes is ideal) in either tape, video, cd, DVD or minidisc format. We are not concerned with the quality of the recording, but we do need to hear the style of your performance, if you think it would help us to judge your work fairly please also include printed copies of your work. We recomend that before submitting your work to us you try and attend a regular SHORTFUSE night, to see the diverse range and styles of poetry that we feature.

Then just send your envelope clearly marked to: SHORTFUSE, c/o The Camden Head, 2 Camden Walk, Islington, London, N1.

Please ensure you include full contact details, telephone number and email address. And include an SAE if you require your recording returned to you. If you require more information just contact us by email: poetryidol@shortfuse.co.uk

*all performers must be over 18.

Bards in Their Eyes, Thursday May 25th

Islington's Shortfuse venue presents Bards in Their Eyes

SHORTFUSE - London's only weekly fusion of stand-up poetry, performance comedy and spokenword - presents a poetry night with a difference as another TV show is turned on its head and a select handful of the best London based poets, performers and comedians take to the stage as another poet, dead or alive...

The real life poets and performers appearing are JOHN HEGLEY, LOGAN MURRAY, NIALL O'SULLIVAN, RHIAN EDWARDS, PAUL MACJOYCE and JON STONE. And as for who exactly they are going to be, well, there is only one way to find out...

Full listings, special offers and further information available on-line at Shortfuse or Shortfuse on MySpace.

Hegley & Friends at the Poetry Cafe, 22nd May

22nd May at 7pm
£5/2

Words After Work with John Hegley and friends at the Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, London (nearest tube = Covent Garden).

The Best of The Rialto at The Troubadour, London, 22nd May

"What news on the Rialto?"

The much-awaited return of a top-quality, highly popular poetry magazine
that consistently features the best in established and up-and-coming poets
from across the country...

WHEN?
Monday 22nd May: 8 pm

WHERE?
The Troubadour, 265 Old Brompton Road, London, SW5 (Nearest tube: Earl's Court)

WHAT?
What news on the rialto?: a celebration of “the rialto” poetry magazine (founded 1984) makes a welcome return to the Troubadour where editors Michael Mackmin and Dean
Parkin will host an evening of the best of Rialto poetry.

- Julia Casterton (b. Nottingham, 1952), 2005 Poetry Trust
(Aldeburgh) Writer-in-Residence, won the Jerwood Aldeburgh Prize for The
Doves of Finisterre (2004);
- John Siddique (b. Rochdale, 1964) worked for 3 yrs as
Writer-in-Residence at Wetherby Prison—his first collection is The Prize
(2005);
- Lorraine Mariner (b. Essex, 1974, see poem below) is a librarian
at Tate Britain—her first pamphlet is Bye for Now (2005). All three are
published by Rialto publications and are joined by four regular magazine
contributors,
- Lizzie Thistlethwayte, Carrie Etter, Joanna Guthrie and Sam
Riviere.

Tickets £5.50 concessions £4.50,
season tickets 40% off…
cheques payable to Coffee-House Poetry, no credit cards

phone 020-8354 0660,
write to Anne-Marie Fyfe
at Coffee-House Poetry, PO Box 16210, LONDON, W4 1ZP
or e-mail: CoffPoetry@aol.com

Gael Turnbull 'Collected': Edinburgh launch, Tuesday 3rd

If you're in Edinburgh on Tuesday 23 May, get yourself along to the Scottish Poetry Library where Shearsman Books and Mariscat press will be launching

There are words: Collected Poems of Gael Turnbull

I'm afraid there was no time given for this, but contact details are below, so give them a bell to find out.

The SPL (not the Scottish Premier League) is at 5 Crichton's Close, Canongate.
Telephone 0131-557-2876 for (free) tickets.

Stubbersfield and Latham in Abergavenny, Tuesday 23rd May

'The Collective' Poetry Readings are on again next week, with poets Alicia Stubbersfield and John Latham.

8.00 pm, at Hen and Chicks, Abergavenny. Supported by Writers On Tour.

Tuesday 23rd May 2006

Gareth Calway tour: Cwmbran, Saturday 20th May

Saturday 20th May 2006

Bluechrome: Book Tour: Gareth Calway is touring with his new poetry collection Exile In His Own Country. Saturday's venue is the Congress Theatre, Cwmbran.

For more details contact 01485 571828.

Nathan Penlington and New Zealand's Penny Ashton in the Cellar, Saturday 20th May

The Cellar is on again on Saturday 20th May, hosted by Niall O'Sullivan. Start time is 8pm. Entrance costs £5/£3 concessions. Held downstairs at the Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden (nearest tube), London. And I have it on good authority that Nathan Penlington (of Islington's Shortfuse fame) and New Zealand poet Penny Ashton will be reading/performing down in the Cellar this time round. So it could be rather an interesting Saturday night down under the stairs at the Po Soc ...

Free Verse, a special report launch: Tuesday 16th May

Free Verse: Publishing Black and Asian Poets

Tuesday 16 May 2006, 7:45 pm
Purcell Room

"Why have so few black and Asian poets been published in the UK in the past ten years? And does the responsibility lie with the publishing industry or the poets themselves?

To launch Free Verse, a report on publishing opportunities for UK black and Asian poets, a panel of leading publishers, poets and critics discuss why British poetry is still very much a closed (book)shop to black and Asian writers.

Writer and critic Bernardine Evaristo is joined by poet Moniza Alvi; Neil Astley, founder-publisher of Bloodaxe Books; Fiona Sampson, Editor of Poetry Review and Michael Schmidt, publisher of Carcanet Press and Professor of Poetry at Glasgow University, to discuss these issues.

The evening includes readings from Karen McCarthy, Daljit Nagra, Roger Robinson and Saradha Soobrayen."

Tickets: £5.00
Booking Fee: £1.50 Members: 75p
Concessions: 50% off (limited availability)

Philip Wells, the Fire Poet: Tuesday 16th May

The man who inspired the name of this site, Philip Wells, the Fire Poet, plus Aidan Dun and others (including Sirishkumar on tabla and some Tibetan bowls!) will be performing at St James's Church Piccadilly (100 yards down Piccadilly from Eros; where William Blake was christened) on Tuesday May 16th at 7.45pm.

Be there and get scorched!

The Word Boat in Bristol, 17th May

The Word Boat is 'performance poetry and prose afloat on Bristol's harbour, with bar and live music too!'

In connection with Bristol Water PLC, the Bristol Ferry Boat Company and Float My Boat Productions, The Word Boat is an unique opportunity to listen to poetry and spoken word aboard a boat, no less.

Tickets are £6.50 each, the start time is 7.15pm, and you can book tickets from the Bristol Ferry Boat Company by emailing trips@bristolferryboat.co.uk or calling them on 0117 927 3416.

Pre-booking is essential and these are the dates:

Wednesday 17th May
Wednesday 21st June
Wednesday 19th July

Liquid Poetry in Coventry, 16th May

The following details were received from Joel:

"There is a regular poetry open mic at Liquid Cafe Wine Bar in the City Arcade, central Coventry every third Tuesday in the month - why is Tuesday so popular? - I am not sure we are poets on fire but when pressed we do smoulder a bit even though it's a non smoking venue - hosts are genial - beer is not bad and seating comfy if you manage to get the sofa. If you want a gentle introduction to performing this is the place - a sort of nursery slopes for aspiring poets - Ah the image that brings - last month the highlight was Dylan Thomas and R S Thomas read in Welsh by someone with a voice to rival Richard Burton - Anyone welcome."

POETRY OPEN MIC NIGHT
Third Tuesday of every month (16th May)
Liquid Cafe Bar, Coventry
Start time unknown - bar closes 11pm


Coventry's first completely smoke-free continental style cafe-wine bar, based in the city centre. At night a great place to meet after work and as the evening progresses, we turn down the lights and turn up the atmosphere as our resident DJ gets 'into the groove' and plays a really great repoertoire of music with an emphasis on soul, jazz or R&B.

Bar Opening Times
Mon - Sat: 10.00am -11.00pm

Contact Details

Liquid Cafe Wine Bar
11 City Arcade, Coventry

Tel 024 7623 0089

New American Poets, Cardiff Bay, Thursday 18th May

On Thursday 18th May, the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay presents View from Across the Pond. Poet, editor and critic Dr Richard Jackson presents an evening of readings by new American poets, including William Rasmovicz and Suzanne Sheyd. Part of the Academi’s series of literature events in the Glanfa, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay.

Free entry!

This exciting event begins at 7pm sharp. For more information contact Academi 029 2047 2266 or post@academi.org

Katrina Porteous & Keith Armstrong in Berwick

Katrina Porteous and Keith Armstrong: Poems & Songs upon Tweed

Venue: The Maltings, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Organiser: The Maltings Theatre and Arts Centre
Start time: 19:30 Friday 19 May 2006
Website: Maltings Berwick

Poetry reading by Keith Armstrong and Katrina Porteous with The Maltsingers Community Choir.

The event coincides with Spittal, an exhibition of photos by Tony Whittle with poems and text by Keith Armstrong, which runs from Monday 15th May to Friday 30th June.

For more information, tel Helen James on 01289 330999.

The Maltings Theatre and Arts Centre
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Northumberland
TD15 1AJ

Andrew Motion in Cardiff, Wednesday 17th May

The Sherman Theatre presents An Evening With The Poet Laureate

Andrew Motion is, of course, the current Poet Laureate, and he will be delighting the audience with his work at 7.30 pm, at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, on Wednesday 17th May.
Tickets priced £12.00 / £10.00.
For full details of the event contact 029 20646900.

Polly Clark at the Poet's Cafe, Reading, 19th May

Friday 19th May sees Polly Clark making yet another appearance at the infamous Poets’ Café in Reading. Polly Clark, author of Kiss (Bloodaxe, 2000) and Take Me With You (Bloodaxe, 2005) is making a welcome return as the monthly special guest at PC.

You can visit Polly Clark's website and don't forget to rustle up some of your very own poems if attending, because there's the usual Open Mic alongside and around about dear Polly.

South Street Arts Centre, South St., Reading.
Doors 8pm for 8.30pm poetry.
£5/£3.

The First Annual Alley Slam, Nottingham, 17th May

Complex Trout Productions and The Alley Cafe present
THE FIRST ANNUAL ALLEY SLAM
at The Alley Cafe , 1a Cannon Court, Nottingham
Wednesday 17th May, 2006
8pm onwards
FREE

1st prize £50 and a bottle of organic champagne
More prizes available

Limited spaces, so sign up!

Speakeasy is Nottingham's longest running open mic night and has had a whole host of top performers over the last four years. Now, as a birthday treat, we're running the Alley's first slam, with the chance for someone to walk away as the Alley champ. Are you poet enough? Are you audience enough?

info@complextrout.com

Hammer and Tongue back at the QI Club, Tuesday 16th May

Quiet - It's Hammer and Tongue
Thursday 16th May
QI Club, Turl Street (Broad Street end), Oxford
5:30/8pm

QI's monthly fixture of performance poetry hosted by the magnificent and energetic Steve Larkin continues with a workshop at 5:30 and performance at 8pm. There will be the requisite guest poet and usual workshop followed by the open mic session. Steve and the evening will showcase some of the best of a rich vein of contemporary performance poets. A fantastic evening in a superbly sophisticated venue - I've been there myself - and well worth attending, just for the kick of it!

Some get a kick from champagne,
Flying too high
With some gal in the sky,
But I
Get a kick from QI!

For more information go to Hammer and Tongue

£5 for non members. Free to QI members.

Hydrogen Jukebox: Tuesday 16th May

Venue: Darlington Arts Centre
Organiser: Hydrogen Jukebox

Hydrogen Jukebox: a special experimental commission

Start time: 8pm Tuesday 16 May 2006
Website: Hydrogen Jukebox

Special experimental commission for voices with the HJ team from one of the North East's greatest poets and poetry activists, SJ Litherland.

Support from Jennifer Peardon and Mike Edwards.

Plus Alternative Cabaret from the HJ team and live band. Open mic for poets and songwriters.

Admission: £3/£2

Darlington Arts Centre
Vane Terrace
Darlington
DL3 7AX

SHORTFUSE are looking for a new Poetry Idol!

Shortfuse says:

We are now accepting submissions for SHORTFUSE POETRY IDOL 8. The closing date for submissions is Thursday 25th May 2006.

SHORTFUSE POETRY IDOL 8 will be held on Thursday 13th July 2006.


We are currently receiving submissions from poets, performers and writers for POETRY IDOL 8*. Please send a short recorded sample of your work (10 to 15 minutes is ideal) in either tape, video, cd, DVD or minidisc format. We are not concerned with the quality of the recording, but we do need to hear the style of your performance, if you think it would help us to judge your work fairly please also include printed copies of your work. We recomend that before submitting your work to us you try and attend a regular SHORTFUSE night, to see the diverse range and styles of poetry that we feature.

Check out Shortfuse or Shortfuse on MySpace for current listings

Then just send your envelope clearly marked to:
SHORTFUSE, c/o The Camden Head, 2 Camden Walk, Islington, London, N1.

Please ensure you include full contact details, telephone number and email address. And include an SAE if you require your recording returned to you. If you require more information just contact us by email: poetryidol@shortfuse.co.uk

*all performers must be over 18.

Spring Greens at the Poetry Cafe

Another Poetry Cafe event (22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London) is “Spring Greens” , which is 'new word shoots & fresh rhyming buds in love, life, food, nature etc' hosted by Stephanie Gerra & Wendy Shutler and featuring some open mic slots if you'd like to take part yourself.

Wednesday 17th May at 8pm £5/4

Poetry Unplugged, Tuesday 16th

Tuesday at the Poetry Cafe in London is Open Mic night. This Tuesday the 16th May is no different. The readings kick off at 7.30pm and you'll have to hand over £3.50 or £2.50 concessions to listen or take part. It's called Poetry Unplugged , an Open Mic event hosted by Niall O’Sullivan, of the Cellar fame.

Arrive between 6-7 pm if you want to read & sign up.

The Poetry Cafe is at 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London.

SWINDON SLAM! 8pm Saturday 13th May

Swindon Slam! and Quick Quip Quiz
Town Hall, Regent Circus
Tel 01793 463210

8.00pm • 13 May • £6 (£5)

SWINDON SLAM! and QUICK QUIP QUIZ . . . and Festival Finale, hosted with charm and good cheer by Marcus Moore and Sara-Jane Arbury and played, applauded, and enjoyed by you. Welcome to the tenth Swindon Slam! combined with the fourth Quick Quip Quiz, back by popular and prize-hungry demand. There will be poems to please, questions to tease, and prizes aplenty.

The Swindon Slam! is an opportunity for poets of any age, experience, or pedigree to take their gaze off the page and do it on stage; to share their verve and verse with a supportive and appreciative audience; to seize their moment to stanza and deliver.

This is what happens. Poets who want to have a go, apply to enter as soon as possible. Numbers of competitors is limited - numbers of applaudience is not! On the night, competing poets are called up on stage to perform for three minutes each. From then on, it’s a knockout! Kindly judges, chosen from the kindly audience, decide who inspires and who expires. But whatever their fate, all competitors can expect a rush of adrenalin, roars of applause, and showers of flowers. Everyone is a winner and gets a prize, even if it’s only a choccy haiku. But only one poet becomes the tenth Swindon Slam! champion and carries off the bubbly-filled trophy.

If you want to compete, ring the referee on 01285 640470 or e-mail marcus@spiel.wannadoo.co.uk

Hosting proceedings, ensuring that we have a fantastic festival finale frolic, juggling judgements, crunching numbers, and presiding with wit, wisdom, and whistle, will be that Spiel-slick partnership, master mischief-maker Marcus Moore, and deceptively-deft and delightful Sara-Jane Arbury.

Live Poetry Evening in Abergavenny

The Collective: Poetry Evening

With Ketaki Kushari Dyson and Jean Florence. Hen & Chicks Abergavenny. Supported by Writers On Tour.

Tuesday 16th May
7.30PM
Hens & Chicks
Abergavenny

Shearsman launch, Thursday 18th May

On Thursday 18 May, 7:30pm, Shearsman Books will be holding a London launch for 2 of their new titles:

Myne: New & Selected Poems & Prose 1976-2005 by Frances Presley

and

Burning the Heartwood by Janet Sutherland

Admission free.

Venue: The Poetry Café
The Poetry Society
22 Betterton Street
Covent Garden
London WC2H 9BX

The Champions of Slam! Poetry

Friday 19th May 2006 at Battersea Arts Centre
BAC, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
£4.75 / £3.50

Shane Koyczan, Tony Walsh, Rebecca Smart, Deborah Ayekpa

Start time unknown. I guess you'll have to ring up to check or try scouring the BAC website for more details.

"A poetry slam is like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re going to get. Tonight we showcase the work of four very different slam-stars. Shane Koyczan, former winner of the American Slam championship, makes a rare visit to these shores. He shares the bill with Tony Walsh(colossus of the Manchester slam scene), the thought-provoking Rebecca Smart (reigning UK All-Stars’ Slam champ) and freestyle queen Deborah Ayekpa (co-holder of the Rise Slam title). Compere Charlie Darkwill ensure smooth running.

Remember – at this show everyone’s a winner. Including you."

Bookings: 020 7223 2223 / www.bac.org.uk

'Text Festival' in Exeter - TONIGHT!

Matt Harvey and Zena Edwards in performance!

Wednesday, 10th May 2006
at Exeter Phoenix - Bradninch Place, Gandy Street, Exeter, EX4 3LS
£8.00/£6.00 concessions, start time not specified


Apples & Snakes says of this special performance event:

"Matt Harvey and Zena Edwards (both finalists for the UK’s first ever performance poetry Arts Foundation Award) open this year’s tEXt Festival with two stunning sets - one very funny, the other just plain mesmerising on the 2006 theme of ‘travel’. Matt travels mostly internally, (and locally…) around the U-bends and flower-strewn pathways of the subconscious, whilst Zena crosses the Namibian desert (a piece she wrote recently for BBC Radio 3’s Bloodlines).

Most of you are probably familiar with Totnes’s own poet-philosopher, who can make even tea-bags endearing and funny, but if you haven’t seen Zena before, then you’re in for a special treat!"

Bookings: 01392 667080

Philip Gross' Egg of Zero in Cardiff Bay

Philip Gross at the Wales Millennium Centre, reading from: The Egg of Zero.

TONIGHT!
Wednesday 10th May 2006

Poet and author Philip Gross launches his first collection since joining Glamorgan University as Professor of Creative Writing. Published by Bloodaxe, The Egg of Zero is a subtle, searching, sometimes playful meditation on a zero which isn’t nothing, but the not-quite-definable factor in the equations of language and life. Poetry for the heart and mind.

Part of Academi’s series of literature events in Glanfa, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay.

7.00 pm start.
Free entry!

For more information contact Academi 029 2047 2266 or post@academi.org

'Great Women Poets' reach Manchester: May 14th

Great Women Poets: Sujata Bhatt, Vicki Feaver, Catherine Fisher and Jackie Kay will read from their work, past and present.

WHERE? Library Theatre, Central Library, St Peters Square, Manchester, M2 5PD

WHEN? Sunday 14 May, 7.30pm

HOW MUCH? £10 (£8) Students £6

PHONE Box office 0161 236 7110

WEBSITE Library Theatre

Iron Press poetry anthology, 11th May in Newcastle

Venue: Lit & Phil (see full address below)
Organiser: Iron Press
Start time: 7.30pm Thursday 11th May 2006
Website: Iron Press

A range of poets from the major new anthology forthcoming from Iron Press, North by North-East, will be reading at venues across the region over the next few months. Reading at the Lit & Phil are Peter Armstrong, Liz Atkin, WN Herbert, Jackie Hardy, Valerie Laws, Sean O'Brien, Graeme Rigby and Subhadassi.

For more information, contact Iron Press on 0191 253 1901.

The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne
23 Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 1SE
www.litandphil.org.uk
Tel: 0191 232 0192

Poetry in Cardiff with Gillian Clarke and friends

Poetry Readings: Celebrate Cardiff with Capital Poet Gillian Clarke

Celebrity Restaurant, St David's Hall, Cardiff; 6.30pm; an event to celebrate the culmination of the Capital Project with Gillian Clarke, Kathryn Gray, Imtiaz Dharker and Maura Dooley.

11th May 2006 6.30pm

More information 029 2047 2266 or www.academi.org

Tickets are on sale now from the St. David's Hall box office: 029 2087 8444
Price £6 (£4.50 Concessions)

The publicity material for this event says:

"An event celebrating Cardiff will be held on 11th May 2006 in the Celebrity Restaurant at St David's Hall. The evening is the culmination of the Capital Poet project which has been developed in co-ordination with Cardiff Council and Academi. Gillian Clarke was appointed as Cardiff's first Capital Poet in 2005 to celebrate the cities hundredth anniversary as a city and fiftieth anniversary as the Capital of Wales. Gillian will be reading some of her Cardiff inspired poems on the evening, written during her time as Capital Poet.

Some of Gillian's favourite poets, Kathryn Gray, Imtiaz Dharker, and Maura Dooley, will also be reading on the evening.

An important part of the Capital Poet event will be to announce the winners of the 2006 Cardiff International Poetry Competition judged by Hilary Llewellyn-Williams and Adrian Mitchell. The three top winning poets and 5 runners up will have the honour of reading their poems on the evening and will be presented with their prize money by Gillian Clarke. The competition has had interest from all over Wales and Europe with entrants even coming from as far as St Lucia."

Tickets will be charged at £6 with concessions at £4.50.

Fourcast in London, Friday May 12th

As I've just been commenting over on the Poets on Fire Discussion Forum, which you are all free to join, I thought Fourcast was held on a Thursday evening, traditionally. I'm sure when I did Fourcast it was on a Thursday. But what the hell, the Poetry Cafe has it listed as taking place on the 12th May, which is a Friday according to this and my own calendar, so Friday it is.

On Friday 12th of May,, then, at 8pm sharp, for the usual cost of £5/4 concessions, you can hear the monthly FourCast reading downstairs at the Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, London.

Poets reading that night will be Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Tim Cumming, Malgorzata Kitowski and Valeria Melchioretto. Hosted as always by the Scottish poet, raconteur and quiz-meister supreme Roddy Lumsden.

Covent Garden tube.

North Beach Nights in Galway, Thursday 18th May

DAVE LORDAN takes the Guest Performer Spot at North Beach Nights in
BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway on Thursday May 18th at 9pm.

Dave Lordan was born in Derby in the English Midlands in 1975. His first full collection The Boy in The Ring was awarded the 2005 Patrick Kavanagh Award, Ireland's top poetry prize. The manuscript will shortly be published by Salmon Poetry. He is currently poet in residence at Integrate Ireland Language and Technology (IILT).

The North Beach Nights Slam follows the usual format:

Readers/performers/poets wishing to participate are asked to bring along two 3 min original pieces. Five judges will be selected on the night from the audience. The prize is the honour and a bottle of wine generously donated by BK's.

North Beach Nights takes place monthly on the second Thursday of the month.

Guest Performers:
June 22 The New and Exciting Emer O'Toole
July 13 "Top of the List" Keith Armstrong

Admission: 4 Euro

North Beach Nights gratefully acknowledges the support of Galway City Council.

For info: John Walsh 091-593290

'Great Women Poets' reading in Newcastle, May 11th

Great Women Poets: Jackie Kay, Vicki Feaver, Catherine Fisher and Sujata Bhatt
Venue: Hatton Gallery, Newcastle (full address below)
Start time: 7:30pm Thursday 11th May 2006

The Contemporary Poetry Tour celebrates the work of outstanding poets from this country and abroad, offering audiences an exhilarating way to enjoy live poetry.

This year the tour features Vicki Feaver reading from her long-awaited third collection The Book of Blood (Jonathan Cape). An emotionally frank and powerful writer, her poems celebrate extremes of femininity. She is joined by the Welsh poet, Catherine Fisher, whose exquisite poetry explores myth, history and legend, and Sujata Bhatt, the award winning Indian poet whose poems are erotic, powerful reflections on the experience of women. Joining them one of Britain's best loved poets, Jackie Kay, will read from her latest collection, Life Mask, described by Fleur Adcock in the Sunday Times as `warm, tough, painful and often very funny poems'.

This event will involve readings and Q&A.

Admission: £6/£4 (concs)

Hatton Gallery
The Quadrangle
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU

Booking: 020 8960 0602
Email: sianwilliams1@gmail.com

North by North-East, anthology readings, May 11th

North by North-East
Venue: The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne
Organiser: Iron Press
Start time: 7.30pm Thursday 11th May 2006
Website: Iron Press

A range of poets from the major new anthology forthcoming from Iron Press, North by North-East, will be reading at venues across the region over the next few months.

Reading at the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne on Thursday 11th May are Peter Armstrong, Liz Atkin, WN Herbert, Jackie Hardy, Valerie Laws, Sean O'Brien, Graeme Rigby and Subhadassi.

For more information, contact Iron Press on 0191 253 1901.

The Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne
23 Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 1SE
Tel: 0191 232 0192

White House Poetry Revival, Limerick

White House Poetry Revival

Wednesday 10th May 2006 at 9.00pm.

"They said it wouldn't last" were the words of local personality Barney Sheehan and the man responsible for the revival of poetry readings at the famous old world White House Bar on O'Connell Street, Limerick. Single handedly he has done what the doubters said could not be done and that is provide a platform and outlet for poets in Limerick to perform their work. Now over two years down the road the event has gone from strength to strength and is now the focal point for poetry in Limerick.
Taken from the White House Poets webpage.


This week's guest at the White House, O'Connell Street, Limerick, Ireland is Karyna McGlynn from the United states.

KARYNA McGLYNN is originally from Austin, Texas. Her poems have appeared in Connecticut Review, Rosebud, The Pedestal Magazine, Cimarron Review, Midwest Quarterly, Hotel Amerika, Good Foot, Wisconsin Review, Blackbird and Verse. Karyna is a former member and coach of five National Poetry Slam teams from Austin and Seattle.

"As usual the reading is preceded by an open mic session in which anyone who wishes to read is invited to do so. Complementary finger food is provided and proceeding commences at 9.00 pm."

For further information contact Barney Sheehan at 086 8657494 or Dominic Taylor at 087 2996409. Email whitehousepoets@eircom.net and Podcast: http://druidpaddy.blogmatrix.com/

Spoken Word Antics, 9th May, Sheffield

On Tuesday 9th May, Spoken Word Antics, an avant-garde adventure, takes place at 8.30pm, upstairs at the Red Deer on Pitt St, off Mappin St, Sheffield (map: ). £1 donations.

This month Spoken Word Antics celebrates the avant-garde and discovers it's not just for 'funny continentals'. Live performances by writers whose work has a bearing on the avant-garde will be interspersed with archive recordings of avant-garde practitioners such as Maiakovskii, Schwitters, Dada, and Ginsberg. From serious to absurd, minimalist to prophetic, expect a lively and provocative evening.

There will be readings from Liverpool's Scott Thurston, Bradford's Bruce Barnes, and performance art from Sheffield's Roland Miller. Also appearing will be Matt Black, Andy Hirst, Chris Brownsword, Jonathan Baxter, and Tom Stafford with his latest 'historical vignette about moments of revolution'.

For more about the performers visit: Spoken Word Antics. Enquiries to antics@lowtech.org.

Please note, this will not be an open mic event.

Big Word Poetry Cabaret in Edinburgh, May 11th

This coming Thursday, May 11th, from 8.30 - 11pm, you can enjoy the

Big Word Poetry Cabaret

in Edinburgh, featuring performers Robin Cairns, Richard Medrington, Hazel Morrison and Sean McBride. Hosted by Jem Rolls and Jenny Lindsay. And all this sparkling entertainment for only £3 (£2 concessions).

Edinburgh: The Tron Bar, 9 Hunter’s Square.


Jem Rolls performing at the Oxford Live Literature Arena 2006:

Claire Williamson & John Hegley: two festival poets

Ride On
Being held at the Arts Centre, Devizes Road, Swindon (Tel 01793 614837)
7.00pm • 9 May • £5 (£4)

Claire Williamson

RIDE ON – a poem, a film, and a live musical experience, with poet CLAIRE WILLIAMSON, film-maker Cluna Donnelly, and flamenco guitarist Mark Dennett.

‘And now I ride on, and if you want to, you can come too.’

A ‘tender, breath-taking, gripping, moving, and ultimately hopeful’ multi-media show inspired by Claire Williamson’s remarkable narrative poetry collection.



FOLLOWED BY: JOHN HEGLEY in 'Uncut Confetti!'
at 9pm, same day, same venue, £7

Dogs, glasses, and Luton are themes few other poets can do as much with, creatively and comically, as comedy’s poet laureate John Hegley. He is one of Britain’s best-loved poets, also tackling childhood, love, and family relationships, in his eight best-selling collections, each with the author’s inimitable line drawings and observations on everyday life. And now, here comes Uncut Confetti, funny, poignant, and appropriately colourful in almost every imaginable way!

DOUBLE TICKET £10 for two events:
Ride On 7.00pm and John Hegley 9.00pm

Poems & Pints at the Swindon Festival TONIGHT!

Poems and Pints
Town Hall, Regent Circus, Swindon
Tel 01793 463210

Being held at 8pm TONIGHT Saturday 6 May • £6 (£5)

POEMS & PINTS – rhyme, rhythm, and refreshment,
in a relaxed cabaret setting!

Pulsating performance poetry, featuring four fabulous versifiers and hosted with customary caprice by the ever-mischievous Marcus Moore. This quick-witted quartet bring quality, quills, and versatile voices to the Festival for an effervescent evening of the very best in performance poetry.

Emphatically persuasive Emma Purshouse is a lively and original comedienne whose poetic pen has won her many admirers among audiences – and tram travellers! Dry, wry humour and deceptively perceptive observations.

Byron Vincent’s biro vindicates his being hailed as one of the country’s brightest versifiers. Last year’s Swindon Slam winner takes a poignant, pointed look at the language and laughter of urban subculture. Barking doggerel and bad ass badinage.

Lucidly engaging Lucy English has been there, done that, worn the T-shirt, washed it, ironed it and put it away in a drawer. . . but the nib of the original ‘Slam Sex Goddess’ continues to nip with irony and charm, with elegant and fragrant smut. Class, clarity and close-quarter clout.

And one of nature’s finest, Nathan Filer, brings us more memorable examples of his stylish stylus, with characteristic invention, linguistic ingenuity and grin-inducing asides. Pieces plucked from a proud plumage.

Come and be served, for bitter or verse!

Swindon Slam! 13th May - advance warning of this prestigious event!

Swindon Slam! and Quick Quip Quiz
Town Hall, Regent Circus
Tel 01793 463210

8.00pm • 13 May • £6 (£5)

SWINDON SLAM! and QUICK QUIP QUIZ . . . and Festival Finale, hosted with charm and good cheer by Marcus Moore and Sara-Jane Arbury and played, applauded, and enjoyed by you. Welcome to the tenth Swindon Slam! combined with the fourth Quick Quip Quiz, back by popular and prize-hungry demand. There will be poems to please, questions to tease, and prizes aplenty.

The Swindon Slam! is an opportunity for poets of any age, experience, or pedigree to take their gaze off the page and do it on stage; to share their verve and verse with a supportive and appreciative audience; to seize their moment to stanza and deliver.

This is what happens. Poets who want to have a go, apply to enter as soon as possible. Numbers of competitors is limited - numbers of applaudience is not! On the night, competing poets are called up on stage to perform for three minutes each. From then on, it’s a knockout! Kindly judges, chosen from the kindly audience, decide who inspires and who expires. But whatever their fate, all competitors can expect a rush of adrenalin, roars of applause, and showers of flowers. Everyone is a winner and gets a prize, even if it’s only a choccy haiku. But only one poet becomes the tenth Swindon Slam! champion and carries off the bubbly-filled trophy.

If you want to compete, ring the referee on 01285 640470 or e-mail marcus@spiel.wannadoo.co.uk

Hosting proceedings, ensuring that we have a fantastic festival finale frolic, juggling judgements, crunching numbers, and presiding with wit, wisdom, and whistle, will be that Spiel-slick partnership, master mischief-maker Marcus Moore, and deceptively-deft and delightful Sara-Jane Arbury.

About Poets On Fire

What is Poets On Fire?

We're a database for all live poetry, spoken word events, and poetry in performance coming up in the next 14 days. We do our best to let you know how you can get your fix of live poetry, and we're not restricted to the big cities - we try to cover everywhere in the UK if we possibly can. It gets pretty busy around here, as you can imagine, so check back often!

Who's behind it?

Poet, novelist and critic Jane Holland started stoking the furnaces of Poets on Fire in 2006. In May 2008, Jane became editor of Horizon literary review, and, to ease her increasing work load, called in re-enforcements to ensure the blog keeps burning brightly. Nina Davies, Matt Merritt, and Charlotte Runcie share Jane's fiery passion for live poetry (whether in pubs, clubs, bookshops or theatres, whether it's Slam!, open mic or formal reading) and are hell-bent on bringing you up-to-the-minute news about all the live poetry events in the UK.

Jane Holland

Jane's latest poetry collection, Boudicca & Co, is available from Salt Publishing. She has a personal blog at Raw Light, and details her adventures as Warwick Poet Laureate at Warwick Laureate. You can hear her read her work at Jane Holland Live. 

Praise for Boudicca & Co:

'Extremely powerful and varied ... Holland has both the clarity for the reader and the mastery of language to say what she means in a way that makes the brain tingle with both shock and pleasure ... This collection is outstanding.'
Angela Topping, Stride Magazine, April 2007

Charlotte Runcie

Charlotte is a poet and co-editor of Pomegranate, the poetry ezine for writers under 30. She is 18 years old and has won several awards for young writers, including the Foyle Young Poets of the Year award in 2006, and first prize in the Christopher Tower Poetry Competition 2007. Her first pamphlet of poems is due to be published by tall-lighthouse in summer 2009, and in the meantime she is attending poetry events left right and centre, splitting her time between London and Edinburgh.

Nina Davies

Matt Merritt

Matt is a poet and journalist, whose debut collection, Troy Town, was published by Arrowhead Press in March 2008. A chapbook, Making The Most Of The Light, was published in 2005 by HappenStance Press. He is 38 years old, and was the winner of the 2004 Plough Poetry Prize. He lives near Leicester, and blogs on poetry at Polyolbion. 

How do I send you details of upcoming events?

Just email all event details to poetsonfire at hotmail dot co dot uk and we'll put it up on the site. You can also use that email address to let us know about any questions or comments you might have about the blog. 

That's enough reading! Now shut down the computer and go hear some poetry!

John Siddique (plus Open Mic) in Chapel Allerton, Leeds

Wicked Words @ The Old Police Station

passion . performance . poetry

Tuesday 9th May 8pm
£3/2 concessions

John Siddique:
John Siddique's poetry has at its heart the themes of communication, storytelling and what it means to be human at this point in time. He is a British poet who gently draws on his Irish and Indian heritage to straddle the complications of today's society. 'Siddique is good on the gaps between things, the accumulated eloquence of silences and isolated incidents...out of which we make poetry.' Andy Croft - The Morning Star


Plus Open Mike!

Wicked Words is a lively event of words and occasional music held on the second Tuesday of each month at 8pm at
The Old Police Station,
108 Harrogate Road,
Chapel Allerton,
Leeds, LS7 3HZ.

It is part of Chapel Allerton Arts Festival's commitment to developing arts activity in LS7. For Chapel Allerton Arts Festival visit www.chapelallerton.org.uk

For more info about 'Wicked Words' contact Brendan McPartlan - 07771888395 or b_mcpartlan@yahoo.co.uk

Exiled Writer INK at the Poetry Cafe, London

On Monday 8th May, at 7.30pm, visit the Poetry Cafe at 22 Betterton Street, London (Covent Garden tube is nearest) and for only £3 or £2 concessions, you can enjoy Exiled Writer INK presenting Waste Of Space with Ghias Al Jundi, Abdul Mitaal Gershab & Sawsun writers. Plus, violin music from Amanda Sadler! An evening of delights not to be missed ...

7pm, Thursday, 4 May: Parasol Unit, London N1

Linh Dinh and Simon Smith

Linh Dinh is the author of two collections of stories, Fake House (Seven
Stories Press, 2000) and Blood and Soap (Seven Stories Press, 2004) as well
as three books of poems, All Around What Empties Out (Tinfish, 2003),
American Tatts (Chax, 2005), and Borderless Bodies (Factory School, 2005).
His work has been anthologized in Best American Poetry 2000, Best American
Poetry 2004, and Great American Prose Poems from Poe to the Present, among
others. He is currently living in Norwich as David T.K. Wong Fellow at the
University of East Anglia.

Simon Smith’s new publication is Mercury (Salt Publications), published in
March, 2006. His two previous full-length books are Reverdy Road (Salt
Publications, 2003) and Fifteen Exits (Waterloo Press, 2001). He was a
judge of the National Poetry Competition in 2004.

The readings are organized and introduced by Barry Schwabsky and are free
to the public. Previous readers include Tim Atkins, Guy Bennett, Kelvin
Corcoroan, Mark Ford, Lee Harwood, Vincent Katz, Redell Olsen, Anthony
Rudolf, and John Seed. The next reading will take place on Tuesday, 23 May
with Barry Schwabsky and Carol Szymanski.

Parasol Unit is located at 14 Wharf Road, London N1, near the Old Street
and Angel tube stations.

Buzzwords in Cheltenham, Sunday 7th May

Buzzwords in Cheltenham

Next Sunday, 7th May and every first Sunday of the month, a regular poetry event for the West of England. Upstairs at The Beehive, Montpellier Villas, Cheltenham

Writing time from 7pm
Open mic and guest poet from 8pm
Guest poet - Jane Kinninmont

Map and other details available on the website: Come to Buzzwords