Derwent Poetry Festival 2008

Here's some advance warning of a Festival event taking this autumn. The 2008 Derwent Poetry Festival takes place over the weekend of 17th & 19th October 2008 at Masson Mills, Matlock Bath, Derbyshire.

The festival features the launch of ten new poetry titles from Templar Poetry including the presentation of the 2008 Templar Poetry Pamphlets Prizes. It is accompanied by readings from Paul Farley, Tim Liardet, Jane Weir, Pat Winslow, Rob Hindle, Dawn Wood, Siobhan Campbell, Mike Barlow, Angela Cleland, Pat Borthwick, Katrina Naomi and many others. There is a Festival Bookshop, stands from magazines and an exhibition of paintings by Artist in Residence, Karen Isherwood.

The full festival programme is listed on www.templarpoetry.co.uk.

Box Office Telephone 01629 582500

Ealing Poetry Reading

4th September at Ealing 6.30

Ruth O'Callaghan
Rosemary Norman
Agnes Meadows

Central Library, 103 Ealing Broadway Centre, The Broadway W5 5JY.
The Broadway Centre is behind a large and conspicuous Marks & Spencer.

Toothsome Poetry

UNSPEAKABLY TOOTHSOME! - Friday September 5th

Annie Freud and Roddy Lumsden co-host an evening where poets read their own and other writers' favourite poems on the subject of food.

A very tasteful line-up of readers: Isobel Dixon, Heather Phillipson, John Stammers, Angela Kirby, Simon Barraclough, Julia Bird, Cath Drake, Tim Wells, Mark Waldron, Susan Grindley, Annie Freud and Roddy Lumsden.

At The Betsey Trotwood, 56 Farringdon Road, London
Readings on and off from 8pm sharp - 10pm. Entry £5

Bluechrome Poets

Friday 19th September 2008 at 7.00 (doors open 6.30)
Ruth O'Callaghan presents
bluechrome poets
Harry Guest
Caroline Oulton
Tony Turner

Poets from the floor very welcome & there will be a few 5 minute spots.

Please bring two copies of the poem if you wish to be considered for the bluechrome anthology. There are at least 10 major poets who will also be contributing to the anthology inc. UA Fanthorpe, Fiona Sampson, Marilyn Hacker , Penelope Shuttle, Peter Porter to name but a few.

Trinity United Reform Church
1 Buck St, Camden Town.
1-2 minutes Camden Town tube..
Entry £4/£3
Wine
Proceeds to COLD WEATHER SHELTER

Buzzwords Poetry Night in Cheltenham

Buzzwords: Next Sunday, 7th September

Upstairs at The Exmouth Arms, Bath Road, Cheltenham

Guest Poet - Todd Swift
7pm Workshop led by Todd Swift
8pm - open mic and Guest poet reading

Entrance £3

Dublin: Poetry Launch

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD
@ 6.30PM
The UNITARIAN CHURCH
112 ST. STEPHEN'S GREEN WEST
DUBLIN 2

ALL WELCOME!

Poetry Ireland in association with Salmon Poetry presents the Dublin launch of 'Big Pink Umbrella' by Susan Millar DuMars 'Torching The Brown River' by Lorna Shaughnessy & 'Time Gentlemen, Please' by Kevin Higginson more about these three poetry collections see www.salmonpoetry.com.

Related Link: www.poetryireland.ie

Bristol: Ash Dickinson - The Disposable Lifestyle Show

Wednesday 3rd September 2008
8pm doors, 8.30pm show £4/£3
The Lansdown
8 Clifton Road
Bristol

Returning to Bristol, multiple slam champion Ash Dickinson weaves stand up into verse and raps on over-population, dental eroticism, the rubbishness of men's fashion and what happens when your fridge falls in love with you.
“Brilliantly surreal invention.. fabulous poems” - Edinburgh Evening News
“Impressive wordplay” - The Times
“A very cool combination of rap, rhyme, repetition and wry wit...Dickinson proves not only to be an incredibly gifted poet, but also a great comedian with a sharp eye for social commentary” - Winnipeg Free Press
“Ash Dickinson is a Performance Poet for the Lost Generation. If you haven't seen him, you haven't seen performance poetry” - Federation Of Writers (Scotland)

www.ashdickinson.com
www.myspace.com/ashdickinson

Halifax: PUZZLE HALL POETS

Monday 1st September
8:00pm onwards
at the Puzzle Hall Inn
Sowerby Bridge
Hollins Mill Lane
Sowerby Bridge
Halifax
HX6 2QG

The Puzzle Hall Poets are a friendly poetry loving group who meet the Puzzle Hall Inn, Sowerby Bridge. Our next gathering is on monday the 1st of September and then continues on the 1st Monday of every month. The Event starts at 8:00pm. We have guest readers from all over the UK & the evening finishes with a read-around. Bring a poem to read, or just come to listen.
All Welcome.

The Shuffle at the Poetry Cafe

30th August
7.30pm
Poetry Cafe
Betterton Street
Covent Garden.

Join us this Saturday night for an ace evening with feature sets from the wonderful...

Simon Barraclough
Judy Kendall
Helen Mort

And shorter sets from the fabulous...

Jon Stone
Peter Ebsworth
Vicci Bentley

Birmingham: OUTSPOKEN

29th August
doors open @ 8.30pm start time 9pm sharp
£5 entry over 18s only

SUBLOUNGE BAR
Barwick St off Colmore Row
Birmingham B3 2NT.

POETRY, SPOKEN WORD, OPEN MIC, LIVE BAND. This event falls every last Friday.

LEICESTER: D A Prince and Marilyn Ricci

Saturday, September 6th, 2008, 2.45 for 3pm, FREE
Friends’ Meeting House,
16 Queens Road (junction with Victoria Park Road),
Leicester
LE2 1WP

Two new HappenStance poetry publications by Leicestershire poets will be launched – D A Prince’s Nearly The Happy Hour, a first book-length collection for both author and publisher, and Rebuilding A Number 39, by Marilyn Ricci, the author’s first chapbook collection. Come along and listen and celebrate the launch, and talk to the poets and publisher Helena Nelson in person.

Email nell@happenstancepress.com if you plan to attend.

GLASGOW: Last Monday At Rio

Monday, August 25th, 2008, 8pm-10pm-ish, FREE
The Rio Cafe,
27 Hyndland Street,
Glasgow
G11

That was your summer! Now, as the season of mitts and welly-bootfullness draws in, it's time to jouk between the stair-rods and come show us your tan-lines at the Rio Cafe.

Headline act this month is James Oates, a poet of humour, warmth and wideybacks. No, I don`t know what they are either, but James is from Durham (the Harvard of the Geordie nation) and is coming to enlighten us. Listen and learn.

Also appearing is the man who headlined the first Rio Cafe gig, Ash Dickinson. Let's have a big turn-out and show him what he started.

Robin Cairns is your compere. First hour of the night is open mic. Anyone wishing to read, speak or perform should contact robin.cairns@btconnect.com

LONDON: PoeJazzi!

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008, doors open 5pm, start 8pm prompt, £10
Volupte Bar,
9 Norwich Street (off Furnival Street)
London
EC4A 1EJ (close to Chancery Lane tube, after McDonalds)

Hey there lovely humans of the universe! Tickets are moving briskly for uber-amazing poetry/jazz night PoeJazzi. The line-up includes:

Shane Koyczan – Canada's greatest living spoken word slam poet.

Heidi Vogel – Cinematic Orchestra's lead singer and bossa nova extraordinaire!

Jono McCleery – PoeJazzi fave: A soul-stirring, heart-warming singer songwriter, London's best kept secret (but not for long)!

Chris Hicks – Top class comic poet and member of the awesome Aisle 16!

Ticket reservations, tel: 0207 831 1622.

LEAMINGTON SPA: PureandGoodandRight

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008, £3 (OAP & NUS £2)
The Fox,
32 Clarendon Avenue,
Leamington Spa

PureandGoodandRight has a Polish flavour this month,with the extraordinarily talented Bohdan Piasecki performing in both Englishand his native tongue.

Come along if you can, and bring friends! Details at www.kellywit.com/pages/pureandgoodandright.php

LEAMINGTON SPA: PureandGoodandRight

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008, £3 (OAP & NUS £2)
The Fox,
32 Clarendon Avenue,
Leamington Spa

PureandGoodandRight has a Polish flavour this month,with the extraordinarily talented Bohdan Piasecki performing in both Englishand his native tongue.

Come along if you can, and bring friends! Details at www.kellywit.com/pages/pureandgoodandright.php

GALWAY: Roddy Lumsden, Vincent Flannery & Bernie Crawford

Thursday, August 28th, 2008, 6.30-8pm
Galway City Library,
St. Augustine Street,
Galway

The August Over The Edge: Open Reading features Vincent Flannery, Bernie Crawford and Roddy Lumsden.

Roddy Lumsden has published four books of poetry, most recently Mischief Night - New & Selected Poems (Bloodaxe). His fifth collection Third Wish Wasted is due in early 2009. Originally from St Andrew's in Scotland, Roddy lives in London where he teaches for The Poetry School. He has done editing work on several prize-winning poetry collections and is organiser and host of the reading series BroadCast in London. He is currently compiling Identity Parade, a major anthology of recent British and Irish poets.

Vincent Flannery was born in Warrington, England but grew up in Ballyglunin, Co. Galway. He works with Family Support Services with the HSE in Galway. He has participated in creative writing classes at Galway Technical Institute. In 2007 Vincent made the long list for the Over the Edge, New Writer of the Year competition with his short story, Choices. He has written several other short stories and has recently completed his first novel, Blackbird.

Bernie Crawford is originally from County Limerick, but moved to Galway in the early 80s and now lives in Maree, Oranmore. She has lived and worked extensively in southern Africa, including Lesotho, Zambia and Tanzania. Bernie has been writing poetry on and off for some time, but started writing more seriously two years ago. She was recently a participant in the Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre.

As usual 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 especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details phone 087-63431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council and The Arts Council http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com/

LONDON: The Lyrical Lift

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008, 7pm, £5 / £3 under 16 /£1 Shoreditch residents
The Lift,
Shoreditch Park,
New North Rd,
N1

Apples & Snakes & Shoreditch Audiences present ...
The Lyrical Lift
Witness a slam poetry evening in all its glory; look and listen as professional poets, including Excentral Tempest, Kayo Chingonyi and Simon
Mole, make a sport of wordplay ­ and go head-to-head for the crown of Shoreditch Festival Grand Champion.

Lyricist Kenny Baraka is your host for the evening and will be joined on stage by local young performers and a special vocally acrobatic beat-boxer,
Reeps one from East London!

Suitable for 11-year-olds and older. The Lyrical Lift is part of Shoreditch Festival produced by Shoreditch Trust
Shoreditch Festival runs from 16 to 24 August 2008.

www.shoreditchfestival.org.uk

Bookings: 020 7324 5098.

WARWICK: Shindig!

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008, from 7.30pm
Kozi Bar,
Market Place,
Warwick
Come celebrate the launch of our first issue of Under the Radar and the founding of Nine Arches Press, with a heady brew of poets, wine and song.

Special guest poets:
Jane Holland - Warwick's very own poet laureate.
Simon Turner - Leamington based new modernist poet.
Matt Nunn - Birmingham's finest poetic export.

Join us for the first ever Shindig! event in Warwickshire - a new kind of poetry event, a veritable feast of music and the spoken word.

http://ninearchespress.com/events.html

CANCELLATION

Please note, Monday August 18th's Poetry Doubles event, run by Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association, is cancelled as Roy Fisher is unwell.

LEAMINGTON SPA: PureandGoodandRight

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008, £3 (OAP & NUS £2)
The Fox,
32 Clarendon Avenue,
Leamington Spa

PureandGoodandRight has a Polish flavour this month,with the extraordinarily talented Bohdan Piasecki performing in both Englishand his native tongue.

Come along if you can, and bring friends! Details at www.kellywit.com/pages/pureandgoodandright.php

LONDON: 14 Hour @ The Poetry Cafe

Wednesday, 27th August, 2008, 7pm, FREE
The Poetry Cafe,
22 Betterton Street,
Covent Garden,
London

For one night only 14 Hour passes through the curtain of The Poetry Society's basement. Featuring Inua Ellams, Anne Brechin, Kelley Swain, Nick Potamitis, Claudia Grant and Vintage Poison.

Guest host for the evening, Inua Ellams recently took his one-person production The 14th Tale to Battersea Arts Centre. It is described as "a scratch performance of a long narrative. In his typical, free flowing, beautiful, lyrical style, it tells the hilarious exploits of a natural born mischief-maker, growing from the clay streets of Nigeria to rooftops in Dublin, finally to London."

Described by one admirer as "the fizzing starlet" of the poetry scene, Anne Brechin returns to the 14 Hour fold with her expertly delivered poems on love and city alienation.

In her many-splendored career, Claudia Grant has worked in theatre, film and TV. Teacher by day, actress by night, she is now trying her hand at showcasing new writers' work encompassing poetry, drama and prose.

Nick Potamitis has taught Film Studies at various institutions and writes on the history of Greek cinema. He is a printmaker and one of the co-editors of Perdika Press. His work was recently included in the Openned Anthology.

New to London readings, Kelley Swain recently moved to London from the States. Her book Darwin's Microscope will come out in 2009 with Flambard Press.

Representing cult underground publishers Vintage Poison, Kevin Reindhardt, Ray Diamond and Toby Davies will be causing general unrest.

Join the 14 Hour Facebook group to keep up to date with events: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6466752091

LONDON: A Slam Too Far - Poetry and Identity

Friday, August 15, 2008, 9pm, FREE
The Albany,
Douglas Way,
London
SE8 4AG

ATC with Apples & Snakes presents A Slam Too Far - Poetry and Identity

If you're a poet with stanzas to share on the theme of identity, why not
enter this special poetry slam. You could win a paid-up slot with Apples &
Snakes plus two tickets to an Albany show.

To celebrate the run of Bola Agbaje's Gone Too Far! at The Albany, we're
following Friday night's show with this verbal knockout contest.

Special guest slot from hot new poet Dean Atta. Compere Jacob Sam-La Rose
calls the shots.

Reservations 020 8692 4446
Info: www.applesandsnakes.org

LONDON: Apples & Snakes Open Mic

Thursday, August 14th, 2008, 7pm, FREE
Whitechapel Gallery,
80-82 Whitechapel High St,
London
E1 7QX

You’re in a friendly room with a bar and good acoustics, it’s chock-a-block with people who just want to hear poetry, and it was free to get in. Either you’re dreaming or you’re at an Apples & Snakes open mic. If the latter, then you’re in for a treat (and there’s no danger of waking up when it gets to a good bit). Apples open mics are where the newcomers meet the seasoned performers on equal terms, and there’s the chance of being talent-spotted by some of London’s poetry impresarios. So arrive early to claim your all-important five minutes. Tonight’s host is Dzifa Benson and there’ll be featured slots from Jahnell and Noway.

Bookings: Arrive early to sign up for open mic slot

LONDON: Utter! Youth

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008, 7.30pm, £2 before 7.30pm, £5 after inc. FREE SWEETS & PRIZE DRAW to win an Utter! bag o' books and free tickets!

Salisbury Hotel,
1 Grand Parade,
Green Lanes,
London
N4 1JX

Tube: Turnpike Lane / Manor House.

Bus: 141, 29, 41, 67. Overland: Harringey Green Lanes.

The kids are alright, innit? This month's Utter! showcases the under-21s currently ripping up the script on London's spoken word scene. We could call them stars of tomorrow, but really they're already the stars of today!

LOUIS ANTWI: Host of youth slams at the Roundhouse, he's performed from Chicago to the Houses of Parliament and been commisioned to write for Turner prize-winning artist Chris Ofili and the Commission for Racial Equality.

http://www.myspace.com/2trudeep

KAYO CHINGONYI: Intense verse as performed at Buckingham Palace, Globe, Tate Modern, The Poetry Café, Stratford Circus and Battersea Arts Centre, among other places…

www.myspace.com/requiem87

JAMAL MSEBELE: MC, poet, winner in Foyles' Young Poets of the Year Awards 2005 & '06, Rise Slam Showcase, John Betjemen Young People Poetry Competition and Word Up Slam winner 2006, as heard on Radio 3's The Verb and Newsround!

www.jamalmsebele.co.uk

ASHNA SARKAR: Ridiculously talented, dates, drugs & teenage love as published in Rising magazine...

http://www.myspace.com/sharkydarling

MELV: Not quite a youth but winner of last month's ajar mic contest, exquisite poetry on old-skool hugs, bad egg exes and the changing language of dem yoof dem (wiv whom she's definitely down, innit?)

www.myspace.com/melvpoetry

AJAR MIC CONTEST: You vote who gets a full paid slot next month – ISMAEL MABELENG, DAVID GOO or SONIA CHEUNG?

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=18887339686&success#/event.php?eid=18887339686

Access requirements/press/info? Contact 07912 539 098

or richardtyronejones@gmail.com

EDINBURGH: Ash Dickinson

Thursday, August 21st, 2008, 9pm, £6/£5
The Tron,
Hunter Square,
Edinburgh

One-off, one-hour fringe spectacular from multiple slam champion Ash, who marries stand-up, theatre and rap to form quick-fire rhymes and offbeat lines on topics ranging from over-population and dental eroticism to the rubbishness of men's fashion and having your fridge fall in love with you.

Ash Dickinson is a writer, poet and comedy performer. The 2007 Edinburgh Poetry Slam Champion, Ash also won the inaugural Museum of Scotland Slam in 2005. He had a four-star rated one man show – Electric Dandyland – at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the following year formed part of Scotland's renowned Big Word Performance Poetry during its run at the Edinburgh Comedy Rooms.

www.ashdickinson.com
www.myspace.com/ashdickinson

WARWICK: Shindig!

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008, from 7.30pm
Kozi Bar,
Market Place,
Warwick
Come celebrate the launch of our first issue of Under the Radar and the founding of Nine Arches Press, with a heady brew of poets, wine and song.

Special guest poets:
Jane Holland - Warwick's very own poet laureate.
Simon Turner - Leamington based new modernist poet.
Matt Nunn - Birmingham's finest poetic export.

Join us for the first ever Shindig! event in Warwickshire - a new kind of poetry event, a veritable feast of music and the spoken word.

http://ninearchespress.com/events.html

LONDON: Apples & Snakes Open Mic

Thursday, August 14th, 2008, 7pm, FREE
Whitechapel Gallery,
80-82 Whitechapel High St,
London
E1 7QX

You’re in a friendly room with a bar and good acoustics, it’s chock-a-block with people who just want to hear poetry, and it was free to get in. Either you’re dreaming or you’re at an Apples & Snakes open mic. If the latter, then you’re in for a treat (and there’s no danger of waking up when it gets to a good bit). Apples open mics are where the newcomers meet the seasoned performers on equal terms, and there’s the chance of being talent-spotted by some of London’s poetry impresarios. So arrive early to claim your all-important five minutes. Tonight’s host is Dzifa Benson and there’ll be featured slots from Jahnell and Noway.

Bookings: Arrive early to sign up for open mic slot

LONDON: A Slam Too Far - Poetry and Identity

Friday, August 15, 2008, 9pm, FREE
The Albany,
Douglas Way,
London
SE8 4AG

ATC with Apples & Snakes presents A Slam Too Far - Poetry and Identity

If you're a poet with stanzas to share on the theme of identity, why not
enter this special poetry slam. You could win a paid-up slot with Apples &
Snakes plus two tickets to an Albany show.

To celebrate the run of Bola Agbaje's Gone Too Far! at The Albany, we're
following Friday night's show with this verbal knockout contest.

Special guest slot from hot new poet Dean Atta. Compere Jacob Sam-La Rose
calls the shots.

Reservations 020 8692 4446
Info: www.applesandsnakes.org

LONDON: The Lyrical Lift

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008, 7pm, £5 / £3 under 16 /£1 Shoreditch residents
The Lift,
Shoreditch Park,
New North Rd,
N1
Apples & Snakes & Shoreditch Audiences present ...
The Lyrical Lift
Witness a slam poetry evening in all its glory; look and listen as professional poets, including Excentral Tempest, Kayo Chingonyi and Simon
Mole, make a sport of wordplay ­ and go head-to-head for the crown of Shoreditch Festival Grand Champion.

Lyricist Kenny Baraka is your host for the evening and will be joined on stage by local young performers and a special vocally acrobatic beat-boxer,
Reeps one from East London!

Suitable for 11-year-olds and older. The Lyrical Lift is part of Shoreditch Festival produced by Shoreditch Trust
Shoreditch Festival runs from 16 to 24 August 2008.

www.shoreditchfestival.org.uk

Bookings: 020 7324 5098.

BRISTOL: Ash Dickinson - The Disposable Lifestyle Show

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008, 8pm doors, 8.30pm show, £4/£3
The Lansdown,
8 Clifton Road,
Bristol

Returning to Bristol, multiple slam champion Ash Dickinson weaves stand-up into verse and raps on over-population, dental eroticism, the rubbishness of men's fashion and what happens when your fridge falls in love with you.

Ash Dickinson is a writer, poet and comedy performer. The 2007 Edinburgh Poetry Slam Champion, he also won the inaugural Museum of Scotland Slam in 2005. He had a four-star rated one man show – Electric Dandyland – at the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the following year formed part of Scotland's renowned Big Word Performance Poetry during its run at the Edinburgh Comedy Rooms. He has also performed in Australia, the USA, and New Zealand. He has played shows throughout the UK, including feature appearances at Express Excess, The Poetry Shack, Brixtongue, Bang Said The Gun (all London), The Stand Comedy Club, the Bristol Poetry Festival, the Glasgow Comedy Festival, Big In Falkirk, Aberdeen Wordfringe and performing pioneering one man shows.

www.ashdickinson.com
www.myspace.com/ashdickinson