LONDON: Elvis McGonagall's Caravan of Poetry

Friday, 13th May, 2011, 8pm, FREE

Balham Bowls Club
7-9 Ramsden Road,
London
SW12 8QX

The lovably sardonic star of Radio 4's Saturday Live trundles into town with a trailerful of his poetry chums. Expect an extravaganza of well-honed words, some of them rhyming.
Featuring: John Osborne, Mab Jones and John Citizen, alongside the King himself.

Info: www.balhambowlsclub.com /020 8673 4700 / www.applesandsnakes.org

GALWAY: Over The Edge May Writers’ Gathering

Friday, May 13th, 2011, 8pm, FREE

at The Kitchen @ The Museum
Spanish Arch

Galway

The Over The Edge May Writers’ Gathering presents readings by poets from the USA and Australia plus the launch of a new collection of poetry by one of Irish poetry’s exciting new talents. Art Stringer, Ron Houchin and Jane Williams will read their work. The evening will also see the launch by Professor Adrian Frazier of Follies, the debut poetry collection by Sarah Griffin, which has just been published by Lapwing Press. All are welcome.

A. E. Stringer is the author of two collections of poems, Channel Markers (Wesleyan University Press) and Human Costume (Salmon Poetry). His work has appeared in such journals as The Nation, Antaeus, The Ohio Review, Denver Quarterly, Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, Poetry Northwest, and in Backcountry: Contemporary Writing in West Virginia. He has edited and introduced a new edition of Louise McNeill’s Paradox Hill, (West Virginia University Press, 2009).  He has read his work in a wide range of American locales and also previously in Galway.  For twenty years, he has taught writing and literature at Marshall University in West Virginia USA.

Ron Houchin lives on the banks of the Ohio River across from his hometown of Huntington, West Virginia.  For thirty years, he taught public school in the Appalachian region of southernmost Ohio. He has three books published by Salmon Publishing, Death And The River (1997), Moveable Darkness (2002), and Museum Crows (2009).   His other books Among Wordless Things (2004) and Birds In The Tops Of Winter Trees (2008) were published by Wind Publications of Nicholasville, Kentucky. His awards include Appalachian-Book-of-the-Year-in-Poetry, a National Society of Arts and Letters Prize, an Ohio Arts Council Fellowship, a poetry prize from Indiana University, a Writers’ Digest Award. 

Jane Williams was born in England in 1964 to an Irish father and Australian mother. She has lived all her adult life in Australia where her poetry has been widely published since the early 1990’s. Awards for her poetry include the Anne Elder Award for her first book outside temple boundaries, the Bruce Dawe Poetry Prize and the D.J.O'Hearn Memorial Fellowship. She is the author of four collections of poems and lives in Tasmania. Samples of her work can be found at http://www.janewilliams.wordpress.com

Sarah Maria Griffin is currently completing her MA in Writing at NUI Galway. Sarah won first prize at the 2010 Over the Edge Fiction Slam in Galway and has appeared on RTE Radio’s Arena speaking about and performing her poetry. She recently took part in a Culture Ireland sponsored showcase of the best of Irish performance poetry at the famous Nuyorican Poets’ Café in New York City. Follies, Sarah’s debut collection of poetry, has just been published by Lapwing Press and will be launched by Professor Adrian Frazier, Director of the MA in Writing at NUI Galway.

For further information contact 087 6431748.

LONDON: Michael Horowitz

Thursday, 12th May, 2011, 6.30pm, £3

Waterstone’s,
82 Gower Street,
London
WC1E 6EQ

Nearest Tube: Goodge Street (Northern Line)

We recommend arriving in good time to avoid being disappointed. For more information tel: 020 7636 1577 or email events@gowerst.waterstones.com

Visit www.waterstones.com/events for the event listings

LONDON: Wordamouth presents Open/Wide

30th April, 2011, 7.30pm-11.30pm, £5 (but VERY cheap drinks and FREE cake!) 

Alaska Studios,
Alaska Street,
London
SE1 8XE

OPEN/WIDE is not a slam event! There are no points, judges or eliminations. Simply email to book a spot or turn up early to sign up on the night. There are NO time limits (within reason!!); NO rules banning props, instruments, singing, rapping, nudity etc; and definitely NO clap-o-meters !! Just an open mic, a friendly and participative audience; an intimate venue; A great DJ; the cheapest drinks in town; free cake; and hopefully, YOU!

Following the events, selected artists will be contacted for gigs at other WORDAMOUTH events and one performer will be invited to the summer slam final to win a days recording at Alaska Studios - Easy!!

Contact: poetcurious@gmail.com

EDINBURGH: The Great Divorce! The Poetry of Radical Disconnection with Paul Kingsnorth

Friday, 29th April, 2011, 6.30pm, FREE

Word Power Books   
43-45 West Nicolson Street
Edinburgh
EH8 9DB
Scotland

The Great Divorce! The Poetry of Radical Disconnection with Paul Kingsnorth, author of Kidland , in Edinburgh, Scotland

All Welcome!

'There's a plainness of speech here, a seriousness, a raw first-handedness in intent, that insists on the conclusion that this particular gazer had to grind his crystal ball himself.' - Mario Petrucci on Kidland

Paul Kingsnorth's new book, Kidland, is a collection of poetry about ravens, pine forests, horned gods, English mythology, the end of the world, trees, rape, death, whisky and the Nevada desert.

On the day that Britain loses itself in a beatific, plastic celebration of a Royal Wedding, we offer up a poetry of radical divorce; tales from a society legally separated from nature, memory and destiny. A caustic paean to the human empire, seen from the inside, the poems in Kidland rise from ancient landscapes to confront On barrows and mountains, in yellow fields and green woods, Kidland offers up a radical, uncompromising vision of broken connections and darkening futures.

Tracing its influences back to the early Wordsworth via - among others - Robinson Jeffers, Mary Oliver, W. S. Merwin, Edward Thomas and R. S. Thomas, Kidland is Paul Kingsnorth's first collection of poetry. Paul will be reading from the collection and talking about the poetry of place, land and radical ecology.

Paul Kingsnorth is the author of two non-fiction books - One No, Many Yeses and Real England - and co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project (www.dark-mountain.net)

CAMBRIDGE: Hammer and Tongue featuring Mark Gwynne Jones and Alison Brumfitt

Wednesday, 11th May, 2011, 7.30pm-10.30pm, £5, £3.50 concessions, £2 slammers

The Emperor,
21 Hills Road,
Cambridge
CB2 1NW

Time again for another round of the Cambridge Hammer & Tongue 2010-2011 season...

This is your chance to become part of the spoken word slam brilliance that has graced this here fair city for over a year, in the warm and wonderful surroundings of fabulous venue The Emperor. Sign up as one of the eight to compete for a place in the Regional Final, or just dive in and soak up the atmosphere and talent on display. And some great beer.

Mark Gwynne Jones is a poet who works in film, on stage, in print and with music. During his travels Mark has sold poetry to the CIA, won The National Trust Poetry Competition and thrice won the Buxton Festival Fringe. He currently tours with The Psychicbread providing an unforgettable show of music and poetry. He is a poet who works in film, on stage, in print and with music. During his travels Mark has sold poetry to the CIA, won The National Trust Poetry Competition and thrice won the Buxton Festival Fringe. He currently tours with The Psychicbread providing an unforgettable show of music and poetry.

Beautiful, powerful, moving and incredibly funny - sometimes all at the same time - don’t miss this chance to see Mark Gwynne Jones solo at Hammer & Tongue.  Find out more at http://www.psychicbread.org

And he’ll be warmly supported by the elegantly funny, quirky poetical stylings of festival favourite Alison Brumfitt.

Find out more at http://www.alisonbrumfitt.co.uk/

Hosted by Alex Iamb and Fay Roberts.

A poetry slam is a live democratic poetry competition where random members of the audience are made judges giving scores to a series of 3 minute spoken word performances with an Olympic-style score system.

http://www.hammerandtongue.co.uk/

http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/site/cal_display.asp?area=775&i=366573 for event details.

LEWES: Lewes Poetry

Thursday, April 28th, 2011, 8.30pm

Lewes Arms,
Mount Place,
Lewes,
East Sussex

If you would like to read on the night, please email Olly through the address at his blog at: http://oliverspoetrygarret.blogspot.com/

LONDON: BEAT at Charlie Wright's

Monday, May 2nd, 2011, 1pm
Charlie Wrights
45 Pitfield Street,
London

N1 6DA
 
After 40 nights and a lot of hangovers, the chimes ring at midnight and the bells a toll for us. It's time, you've guessed it, for the last installment/episode of the last season of - The Final Chapter in the BEAT Saga.
 
40 nights, that's plenty of talent and even more drinks. You've all been great and we salute you for opening up your hearts and ripping your souls apart, all for a piece of poetry. The singers and players who've made us think and hear the unthinkable - thanks.
 
After 3 years and countless Glitterbeasts, Not Nights, BEATs and what have you, all over London, from Soho to Stokie, the BEAT organizer has decided to hang up the events hat and roll on. A decision easy to make, but hard to forget
 
Lets go out in flames, lets make this one, one to recall
 
See you Monday
 
Last BEAT Ever Fab Line Up Is:
 
Alexander Thanni
Elisabeth Amato
Graham Buchan
Ant The Rant
Andreas Grant
 
+ much, much more TBA and surprise appearances...

LONDON: Apples & Snakes in Soho featuring Kate Tempest

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011, 8pm, £8/£6/£6 under 26Soho Theatre,
21 Dean Street,
London
W1D 3NE

Kate Tempest is not so much a poet as an invisible force that knocks you over and leaves you thinking “Where did that come from?” Her praises are sung high and wide from the likes of Roots Manuva and Scroobius Pip (the highlight of my listening year) to the BBC and the RSC. Whether spitting solo or fronting her band (The Sound Of Rum), she’s fast, furious, and surely has something to say. Sharing the bill are poetry peeress Lady Rhymes , serio-comic storyman ZK the Poet and gritty newcomer G.R.E.Ed.S. It’s a show of four halves - all brilliant, all indisputably poetic. The Apples & Snakes in Soho series is an opportunity for audiences to see top-flight poets and writers alongside newer pioneers from the spoken-word scene.

Booking: 020 7478 0100 / www.sohotheatre.com

Info: www.applesandsnakes.org

Link: http://www.sohotheatre.com/pl2139.html

LONDON: Hammer & Tongue Open Poetry Slam

Monday, May 9th, 2011, 7.30pm, £6/£5

Green Note Cafe

106 Parkway

Camden Town

London

NW1 7AN
020 7485 9899

HAMMER AND TONGUE PRESENTS THE OPEN SLAM feat. MARK GWYNNE JONES and NIALL O'SULLIVAN

8 poets, 1 prize, 3 minutes each... c'mon down to win a place in the long-long awaited London slam final

Mark Gwynne Jones is one of Hammer and Tongue London's favourite poets - magical, witty, absurb, with the aid of fluorescent tuebs of plastic Mark tells stories of alien raves and re-imagines romantic poetry for the hallucinogenic generation.

This is Mark's website, roll around in it and laugh with joy
http://www.psychicbread.org/

Niall O'Sullivan is the left ventricle of the beating heart of London's poetry scene. Published in Wolf, London Magazine, South Bank Poetry and Rising, Niall is best known for his role as host of the Poetry Cafe's Poetry Unplugged, London's biggest poetry open mic night. He's been nominated for the Forward prize, has published 2 books and is simply marvellous. We coaxed him away from his usual haunts of Covent Garden with the prmoise of the best audience that london has ever seen... yes, that means you!
http://niallosullivan.co.uk/

BOOK TABLE - poets, if you want to offer your printed words up for sale, come on down early doors, we will have a book table.

LONDON: Jazz Verse Jukebox

Sunday, 8th May, 2011, doors open 6.30pm, show from 8pm, £7 (tickets can only be purchased on the door)

Upstairs @ Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (AKA Ronnie's Bar),

47 Frith Street,
London
W1D 4HT
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Web :www.jumokefashola.com 

Email: JazzVerseJukebox@me.com

May comes with a poetic spring  mixed with sublime lyricism, vocal dexterity and passionate verse, featuring spoken word from Polarbear; Zena Edwards; Trombone Poetry; Sh’maya Poetics with music from Ciyo Brown, plus Open Mic for poets/singers. Compered by and with music from Jumoké Fashola.

Polarbear is a writer from Birmingham who sometimes speaks stories on stage. A background in Hip-Hop and the way he was raised influences his work. His work has featured on the BBC & other radio stations and Polarbear has been lucky enough to travel to some places outside Birmingham to share his work including appearances at Wychwood Festival, Glastonbury, Ledbury Festival, Shambala festival, & poetry nights up and down the country. ‘The yarn-spinning Brummie’ – The Times www.homeofpolar.com

Zena Edwards is a London-based performance poet, writer and musician. Her vibrant poetry is inspired by her experiences of travel, particularly through Africa, as well as traditional African music and song. She often accompanies her work with mbira, kalimba and marimba (thumb pianos).

Zena has performed at WOMAD, The London Jazz Festival, Poetry International at the Royal Festival Hall, The URB Hip Hop Festival (Helsinki), Glastonbury as well as many others. She has produced two CDs, entitled Healing Pool and Mine 4 Life.

'Zena fuses the raw elements of urban experiences and expresses them through individualised rhythms of hip hop and jazz.' BBC Radio 1

http://goodnewzee.wordpress.com/ 

Paul Taylor's trombone is familiar to fans of the Robert Pla Latin Ensemble and Snowboy & The Latin Section. Now he presents a solo trombone project combining  improvised music and poetry.  World music wordplay, free verse fanfares, binge thinking, bad news blues: Paul Taylor's globe-trotting musical journeys are distilled into a trunkful of  engaging poetry, bounced along in a solo set of classic standards, original  pieces, and spontaneous compositions.

http://www.trombonepoetry.com

Sh'maya Poetics plugs the depths. His spoken word explores rhythm and jazz, the spiritual, the city, vibe vibe vibe and the great beyond. He performs lyrical pieces, tells stories, asks questions in beats and visions. A regular on the London poetry circuit, Sh'maya brings his inimitable style to the stage; one of passion and sucker-punch-to-the-gut yesses. Sh'maya is based in Brixton town and is also known for having a great beard. Yes.

www.myspace.com/shmayapoetics

With five albums to his name, Ciyo Brown’s guitar skills and smooth vocal work embrace a diverse range of styles from jazz, soul, reggae, latin grooves and inspirational themes . An in-demand musicians’ musician, Ciyo’s ongoing collaborative works cover a range of genres. His talent has enhanced iconic popular music alongside artists such as Roachford, Linda Lewis, Raghav, Shara Nelson, through progressive Jazz with Soweto Kinch, to the ‘new psychedelia’ Brit-pop/folk influenced music of Bishi. Ciyo’s jazzy guitar contributions are also present in the genres of reggae and lover’s rock and can be found in his live and recorded work with many artists including JC Lodge, Sugar Minott, Bob Andy, Earl ‘Chinna Smith’, Barry Biggs, Dennis Bovell, Pam Hall, Jimmy Lindsay, Earl 16, Lukie D, Paulette Tajah, Susan Cadogan, Lorna Bennett, Kofi, Winston Reedy, Janet Kay and Carroll Thompson.

www.ciyobrown.com

PLUS Jukebox Open Mic: come and sing with our amazing house band or perform some poetry.

LONDON: Anthology Launch

Friday, May 6th, 2011, 7pm (doors open 6.30pm), £5/£4, WINE

Trinity United Reform Church,
1 Buck Street,
Camden Town

1-2 mins. Camden Town tube

Ruth O'Callaghan presents The Anthology Launch

Poets from the floor very welcome. Please bring a copy of the poem if you wish to be considered for the new anthology which will be edited by Ruth O'Callaghan.

Please do not forget to pre-order/prepay for your copy of anthology BEFORE May 5th if you wish to take advantage of the publisher's kind offer of a £2 reduction - £7.99 instead of £9.99. Please make out cheques to John Anderson and send to my address.

LEWES: Lewes Poetry

Thursday, April 28th, 2011, 8.30pm
Lewes Arms,
Mount Place,
Lewes,
East Sussex

If you would like to read on the night, please email Olly through the address at his blog at: http://oliverspoetrygarret.blogspot.com/

BRIGHTON: Not The Royal Wedding

Thursday, April 28th, 2011, 7.30pm for 8pm start, £5/£4 concs. 

Iambic Arts Theatre

Regent Street,
Brighton

01273 572 101

WATERLOO PRESS proudly presents Not the Royal Wedding – a battle for the soul of Britain

featuring readings from a panoply of poets and the launch of :

 

Wrong Evenings - Simon Jenner 

In a thoroughly admirable way, this work is miles from the prevailing styles admired in  

this country at the moment... There's some very good poetry here.  - Peter Porter

with readings by Waterloo Poets:  

Naomi Foyle - The Night Pavilion / The World Cup

Norman Jope - The Book of Bells and Candles

Alan Morrison - A Tapestry of Absent Sitters

Philip Ruthen - Jetty View Holding

and special guests

Carole Bremson - Actor/Writer/Director

Maggie Sullivan - Tall Lighthouse 

   

Come toast the health of British poetry & get your long weekend of bunting, strikes and riots 

off to a word-flying start!

LONDON: Apples & Snakes in Soho featuring Kate Tempest

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011, 8pm, £8/£6/£6 under 26Soho Theatre,
21 Dean Street,
London
W1D 3NE

Kate Tempest is not so much a poet as an invisible force that knocks you over and leaves you thinking “Where did that come from?” Her praises are sung high and wide from the likes of Roots Manuva and Scroobius Pip (the highlight of my listening year) to the BBC and the RSC. Whether spitting solo or fronting her band (The Sound Of Rum), she’s fast, furious, and surely has something to say. Sharing the bill are poetry peeress Lady Rhymes , serio-comic storyman ZK the Poet and gritty newcomer G.R.E.Ed.S. It’s a show of four halves - all brilliant, all indisputably poetic. The Apples & Snakes in Soho series is an opportunity for audiences to see top-flight poets and writers alongside newer pioneers from the spoken-word scene.

Booking: 020 7478 0100 / www.sohotheatre.com

Info: www.applesandsnakes.org

Link: http://www.sohotheatre.com/pl2139.html

LONDON: Wordamouth presents Open/Wide

30th April, 2011, 7.30pm-11.30pm, £5 (but VERY cheap drinks and FREE cake!) 

Alaska Studios,
Alaska Street,
London
SE1 8XE

OPEN/WIDE is not a slam event! There are no points, judges or eliminations. Simply email to book a spot or turn up early to sign up on the night. There are NO time limits (within reason!!); NO rules banning props, instruments, singing, rapping, nudity etc; and definitely NO clap-o-meters !! Just an open mic, a friendly and participative audience; an intimate venue; A great DJ; the cheapest drinks in town; free cake; and hopefully, YOU!

Following the events, selected artists will be contacted for gigs at other WORDAMOUTH events and one performer will be invited to the summer slam final to win a days recording at Alaska Studios - Easy!!

Contact: poetcurious@gmail.com

LONDON: Hammer and Tongue

Monday, 2nd May, 2011, 7pm-11pm, £5/£4
The Victoria,
451 Queensbridge Road,
Dalston
E8 1AP

Live spoken word from top spoken word acts, Zena Edwards and Mark Gwynne Jones, plus open mic slam competition.
Contact: samberkson@gmail.com

LONDON: Inc Magazine Issue 3 Launch

Thursday, April 21st, 2011, 7.30pm-11pm

Railroad Cafe
120-122 Morning Lane,
Hackney,
London
E9 6LH

To celebrate the launch of the third issue of inc. magazine, we are throwing a launch party at Railroad Cafe, Hackney - with live music, live poetry, live illustration and FREE copies of inc. magazine!
Issue 3 is a particularly spectacular affair, as it is a collaboration with inc. magazine, and illustrators elbow, who have done fantastic drawings and pictures to accompany the poems.
http://www.illustratorselbow.com/

Inc. performers so far include:

Nick Murray
Glor Sanders
Benjamin Bethell
Heather Ann-Bennett
Anya Pearson
Will Coldwell

Plus special poetical guests:

Nick Lubran
Vanessa Kisuule

Live illustrators:
Barnie Page: http://http://barniepage.com/
Suzi Kemp: http://www.suzikemp.com/
Hannah Bailey: http://www.illustratorselbow.com/index.php?name=hannah
Alice Pattullo: http://www.alicepattullo.com/
Milly Freeman: http://www.millyfreeman.co.uk/

As well as the poetry, there will of course be plenty of time to have a drink, a chat and best of all, pick up a FREE COPY OF ISSUE 3! All this for the measly sum of £3. See you there!

BOURNEMOUTH: The Winchester Word Slam

Thursday, 21st April, 2011, 7.30pm, £3 on the door or from the venue in advance

The Winchester,
39 Poole Hill,
Bournemouth
BH2 5PW
Info: www.applesandsnakes.org / www.thewinchesterpub.co.uk

In April 2011, 2 teams and 12 poets will gather for battle in Bournemouth but only 1 will be crowned winner and be given the prize of a paid Apples & Snakes gig! A nail- biting, jaw dropping evening which will set your ears on fire as tongue twisters, lyric spitters, obscure odes, smoldering sonnets and more get on their glad rags and take to the stage!

On the Bournemouth team we have:
Ollie Dangermouse
Vince Sligo
Rob Hill
Steve Biddle
Kelli Anne B
Carrie Gooding
On the Southampton team we have :
Anthony Fairweather
Steve Purcell
Rob Casey
Sam Cox
Annette Wincott
Sean Douglas
A night featuring the crème de la crème of Bournemouth and Southampton's spoken word scene. Come listen and perhaps vote for your favorite poem. Plus a superb headline act, all for £3!

LEICESTER: Nine Arches Press Shindig!

Monday, April 18th, 2011, 7.30pm, FREE
The Western,
Western Road,
Leicester
LE3 0GA

Nine Arches Press & Crystal Clear Creators present special guest writers Maria Taylor, Kathleen Bell, Matthew Stewart and Matt Merritt. Sign up for the open mic on the door.

www.crystalclearcreators.org.uk

EDINBURGH: The Great Divorce! The Poetry of Radical Disconnection with Paul Kingsnorth

Friday, 29th April, 2011, 6.30pm, FREE
Word Power Books     
43-45 West Nicolson Street
Edinburgh
EH8 9DB
Scotland

The Great Divorce! The Poetry of Radical Disconnection with Paul Kingsnorth, author of Kidland , in Edinburgh, Scotland

All Welcome!

'There's a plainness of speech here, a seriousness, a raw first-handedness in intent, that insists on the conclusion that this particular gazer had to grind his crystal ball himself.' - Mario Petrucci on Kidland

Paul Kingsnorth's new book, Kidland, is a collection of poetry about ravens, pine forests, horned gods, English mythology, the end of the world, trees, rape, death, whisky and the Nevada desert.

On the day that Britain loses itself in a beatific, plastic celebration of a Royal Wedding, we offer up a poetry of radical divorce; tales from a society legally separated from nature, memory and destiny. A caustic paean to the human empire, seen from the inside, the poems in Kidland rise from ancient landscapes to confront On barrows and mountains, in yellow fields and green woods, Kidland offers up a radical, uncompromising vision of broken connections and darkening futures.

Tracing its influences back to the early Wordsworth via - among others - Robinson Jeffers, Mary Oliver, W. S. Merwin, Edward Thomas and R. S. Thomas, Kidland is Paul Kingsnorth's first collection of poetry. Paul will be reading from the collection and talking about the poetry of place, land and radical ecology.

Paul Kingsnorth is the author of two non-fiction books - One No, Many Yeses and Real England - and co-founder of the Dark Mountain Project (www.dark-mountain.net)

BRADFORD: Word Life

Friday, 15th April, 2011, 7.30pm, £6.50/£5/Students pay what you can

Theatre In The Mill

Bradford

Tickets: 01274 233200
theatre@bradford.ac.uk

Word Life - featuring Denis Jones, Polar Bear, Joe Hakim, Andy Cook and open mic. Hosted by Joe Kriss.

Denis Jones played for Word Life this time last year, and was so good we had to invite him back. Over the last four years he has developed a show-stopping live performance based around the core of his exceptional and unique guitar-playing style and rich, soulful voice. Utilising a loop station and all manner of samplers and effects, Denis creates vast, complex orchestrations of beat-box rhythms, multi-layered vocals and other-wordly sounds which veer from subtle heart-wrenching folk and blues to heavy bass-driven electronica. Denis has collaborated with many high profile artists from all over Europe, including a track with Dusseldorf artist Kemo which was included on Marcus Intelex's Fabric Live 35 compilation. He has also worked with John Ellis and Luke Flowers (Cinematic Orchestra), Jon Thorne (Lamb) and Henry Da Massa (Micah P Hinson). He released his new album called 'Red + Yellow =' in October 2010..

Polar Bear aka Steve Camden is one of the most accomplished performance poets in the UK. His poem 'Jessica' has clocked up over 50,000 views on youtube, and is widely considered to be one of the best individual examples of spoken word in the UK.  Polar Bear has toured the country, appearing at some of the most acclaimed festivals and arts venues including Latitude, Glastonbury, The Jazz Café, Southbank Centre, and has toured three one man shows, exploring the relationship of spoken word between narrative, cinema and music.

Joe Hakim is a writer, poet and spoken word performer from Hull. He was the winner of Poetry Idol 10, a spoken word competition held at Shortfuse in Islington. Since then he has been performing around the UK on a regular basis with residences at Contact in Manchester, Birmingham REP, the Battersea Arts Centre, the Shunt Vault, the Crossing Borders project in Mytholmroyd and Hyperlexic presents: Poetry Boxing. He performed his debut show 'Poetry is Dead' at the Camden Fringe Festival 2008 along with co-writer and performer Mike Watts. His short story 'Difficult People' was the runner up in BBC Radio 3 The Verb's Chekov Short Story competition in January 2010. He first book 'No Light/Might Escape' has just been published by Night publishing.

Andy Cook is a spoken word artist from Sheffield. He is to audiences what card tricks are to kids. He studies English with Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham.

BRISTOL: Spoken Word All Stars

Friday, 15th April, 2011, 7pm

Arnolfini,
16 Narrow Quay,
Bristol,
Avon
BS1 4QA
Tickets: 0117 917 2300 / www.arnolfini.org.uk
Info: www.spokenwordallstars.com

Bristol Spring Poetry Festival with Poetry CAN at the Arnolfini:
Poetry is blasting its way into the hearts and minds of a new generation with high energy and rhythmic poetry sketching out a new literary landscape for the 21st century. Spoken Word All Stars presents an all-star cast of some of the most exciting poets of the day, performing an original live show in partnership with the globally acclaimed sax player Jason Yarde!

Taking five poets and one musician, we have a stellar line-up of international award winners and critically acclaimed performers, including Kat Francois, OneNess, El Crisis and Chris Redmond.

Spoken Word All Stars’ journey began at Latitude Festival 2010, and is featured on TV as a documentary by Sky Arts. But to get the full Spoken Word All Stars experience, come to our live show at Lakeside and witness comedy, tragedy, romance and philosophy; words interwoven with live and improvised loops, beats and melodies.

LONDON: Rowan Arts Poetry Slam

Friday, April 15th, 2011, 8.30pm (doors open 8pm), £3 on door (£2 if performing)The Floirin Pub

563 Holloway Road
London
N19 4DQ

Come along to the first Rowan Arts Poetry Slam! The first 12 poets to sign up at the door compete for the prize, and all performers get a free drink. You have 3 minutes to impress the judges with your poems!

EDINBURGH: Inky Fingers Open Mic

Tuesday, 26th April, 2011, 8pm-11pm, FREE

Forest Café,
3 Bristo Place,
Edinburgh,
EH1 1EY

"To the altar! To the block!" featuring COLIN DONATI and ELIZA LANGLAND and YOU, on our famous open stage
   
On the occasion of what may be either the most momentous ceremony of modern times or a distracting hangover from an outdated despotical tradition best left ignored, Inky Fingers is bringing you a loosely-themed open mic: to the altar, or to the block? We're inviting
some of the city's top poets to contribute their words on the dread wedding, and you can join in to (or ignore the theme entirely at your discretion).

The Inky Fingers Open Mic takes place in the main room of the Forest Café every fourth Tuesday of the month, from 8-11pm. It’s free to come and free for anyone to perform, regardless of style, experience, or identity. It is big and celebratory and welcoming and fun. We want to hear from everybody. We want your poems, your rants, your ballads, your short stories, your diaries, your experimental texts, your heart, your mind, your body. We want the essay on your summer holidays you wrote when you were four, your adolescent haiku, and extracts from your
eventually-to-be-completed epic fantasy quadrilogy. We want to hear your best new work as well. And we want people to care about the way words are performed.

Our feature performers this month are Colin Donati, a writer and musician whose work ranges from the beautifully traditional to the startlingly contemporary, and Eliza Langland, whose comically profound words will shake your lungs and tickle your brain all at the same time.

Open Mic slots are five minutes long; e-mail inkyfingersedinburgh@gmail.com to sign up and be sure of a slot!

Find Inky Fingers online at http://inkyfingersedinburgh.wordpress.com,
on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=101994993200164,
and on Twitter @InkyFingersEdin.

GALWAY: 2011 Cúirt Over The Edge Showcase Reading

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011, 3.30pm
Druid Lane Theatre
Galway
All welcome

The 2011 Cúirt Over The Edge showcase reading takes place as part of this year's Cúirt International Festival of Literature at the Druid Lane Theatre, Galway. The writers showcased this year are Sarah Clancy, Nicola Griffin & Paul Casey. The reading will be introduced by regular Over The Edge host, Susan Millar DuMars.

This event has grown since its inception in 2006 to become one of Ireland's premier platforms for showcasing new poets and fiction writers. Participating writers have previously been Featured Readers at Ireland's most successful reading series, the Over The Edge: Open Readings in Galway City Library. This year the three winners of the Cúirt New Writing Prize 2011 (to be announced) will read with the Over The Edge writers. The Cúirt New Writing Prize is kindly sponsored by Tígh Neactain in memory of Lena Maguire. http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/cuirt/literature/118.html

Sarah Clancy is from Salthill. She is a participant in the Galway Arts Centre Poetry Workshops facilitated by Kevin Higgins. This year, in a display of what she describes as beginners luck, Sarah was shortlisted in the poetry section of the WOW awards, the Listowel Writers Week Collection of Poetry Competition and the Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition. Her poems feature in Behind The Masks, a publication of work by participants in the advanced poetry workshop at Galway Arts Centre. A collection of her poems, Stacy and The Mechanical Bull, was published recently by Lapwing Press. Sarah was a Featured Reader at the August 2010 Over The Edge: Open Reading. http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com/2010/08/august-over-edge-open-reading-with.html

Nicola Griffin grew up in Cheshire in the North West of England and studied Psychology and Sociology at the University of Keele in Staffordshire. She has lived in East Clare since 1997. She writes poetry, non-fiction and fiction, is a graduate of the MA in Writing at NUIG and a participant in the Advanced Poetry Workshop at Galway Arts Centre. She has a regular column in Inland Waterways News and her poetry has recently been published in Ropes Unravelled, The Sunday Tribune, The Stinging Fly, Behind The Masks, Crannóg and Nthposition.com. Nicola won the poetry section in the 2010 Over The Edge New Writer of The Year competition. She was a Featured Reader at the September 2010 Over The Edge: Open Reading. http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com/2010/09/september-over-edge-open-reading-with.html

Paul Casey was born in Cork in 1968. He has lived in a number of countries in Europe and Africa working mostly in film, multimedia and teaching. Paul taught scriptwriting at the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. He now organises the weekly Ó Bhéal poetry event in Cork city. His poetry and reviews have appeared in a number of Irish journals including THE SHOp, Revival, Cork Literary Review, Southword and Census. A chapbook of Paul’s longer poems, It’s Not All Bad, was published by Heaventree Press in May 2009. In June 2010 he completed a poetry-film, The Lammas Hireling, which has been accepted for Berlin’s biennial Zebra International Poetry-Film festival. Paul is working towards his first full collection. He was a Featured Reader at the March 2010 Over The Edge: Open Reading. http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com/2010/03/poet-and-fiction-writer-mary-odonnell.html

Over The Edge acknowledges the ongoing support of Galway City Library, Galway City Council, The Arts Council and The Cúírt Festival of International Literature.

http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com/2011/03/2011-cuirt-over-edge-showcase-reading.html

LEAMINGTON SPA: PureandGoodandRight

Monday, April 11, 2011, 7.30pm, £3 (£2 Student/OAP)

The Sozzled Sausage,
Leamington Spa
CV32 4NX

Each month we invite a fabulous guest performance poet. This month we are delighted to have the highly amusing Theo, the current Midlands Slam Champion. Although this title carries with it a small silver trophy, it has not made him rich or more attractive to women.  As an ex-radio advertising copywriter, Theo writes poems that sound eerily like carpet warehouse commercials and take exactly 30 seconds to read. He has a day job as a professional author and runs stand-up comedy courses for aspriring wags (as in 'amusing people', not 'wives and girlfriends')
 

DEFINITELY AN EVENING NOT TO BE MISSED! With open mic support from…….yes……YOU!
Come and share your poems - seasoned poets & first time performers most welcome!

If you're planning to come along, or would like to know more about the night, please email pgrpoetry@gmail.com

Remember to check out our blog at http://pgrpoetry.blogspot.com !!!

LONDON: Kid, I Wrote Back

Monday, April 11th, 2011, 7.30pm-10.30pm, £3 on door, free to perform
Bar Kick,
127 Shoreditch High Street,
London
E1 6JE
020 7739 8700

Over the last year KID, I WROTE BACK has been growing into London’s most diverse, eclectic, and most interesting poetry and spoken word nights London has to offer.

They invite both established and as yet unheard talent to the stage to perform – offering a much-needed dose of full-on liberalism and authenticity that will really agitate, challenge and tickle your minds.

It is a platform for current words from current poets of all styles and experience who are looking to share words and hear others in a friendly and lively environment.  It is the brainchild of Chimène Suleyman, a writer and poet who performs as part of the Rhymes Won’t Wait collective and Dylan Sage, a writer and emcee who has entertained with the likes of The Nextmen and Breaking Bread.

kidiwroteback@instorage.org.uk
www.facebook.com/kidiwroteback
www.myspace.com/kidiwroteback

KINGSTON: John Cooper Clarke

Sunday, 10th April, 2011, 7.30pm, £12-£19
The Rose Theatre
24–26 High Street,
Kingston
KT1 1HL

John Cooper Clarke supported by LiTTLe MACHiNe and RakerJacq

Following sell-out tours in Ireland, the UK and the Royal Festival Hall, the resurgent ‘Bard of Salford' is finding new audiences for his special brand of high octane ‘punk poetry'.
Now recognised and studied as one of England's most important poets and performers, his verse is biting, satirical, political, very funny and always delivered in his unique rapid-fire performance style. Following on from the days when he supported Joy Division, Elvis Costello and The Buzzcocks, John has plenty to comment on about modern Britain,  as his incisive follow up to ‘Beasley Street', one of his best-loved poems, aptly demonstrates. Now combining an edgy brand of stand-up with his seminal work, John Cooper Clarke delights and provokes in equal measure.
 www.johncooperclarke.com

Supported by South London band LiTTLe MACHiNe - poems classic and obscure are given a new voice in songs crafted by Walter Wray, Steve Halliwell and Chris Hardy. www.reverbnation.com/littlemachine

Plus guest appearance from RackerJacq - performance poet Racker Donnelly and musician Jacquelyn Hynes.

Organised by Rhythm & Muse in collaboration with RBK www.rhythmandmuse.org

Hosted by Nick Poole

Box Office – 0871 230 1552, book online at www.rosetheatrekingston.org, or go in person to The Rose Theatre.

BRADFORD: Word Life

Friday, 15th April, 2011, 7.30pm, £6.50/£5/Students pay what you can

Theatre In The Mill

Bradford

Tickets: 01274 233200
theatre@bradford.ac.uk

Word Life - featuring Denis Jones, Polar Bear, Joe Hakim, Andy Cook and open mic. Hosted by Joe Kriss.

Denis Jones played for Word Life this time last year, and was so good we had to invite him back. Over the last four years he has developed a show-stopping live performance based around the core of his exceptional and unique guitar-playing style and rich, soulful voice. Utilising a loop station and all manner of samplers and effects, Denis creates vast, complex orchestrations of beat-box rhythms, multi-layered vocals and other-wordly sounds which veer from subtle heart-wrenching folk and blues to heavy bass-driven electronica. Denis has collaborated with many high profile artists from all over Europe, including a track with Dusseldorf artist Kemo which was included on Marcus Intelex's Fabric Live 35 compilation. He has also worked with John Ellis and Luke Flowers (Cinematic Orchestra), Jon Thorne (Lamb) and Henry Da Massa (Micah P Hinson). He released his new album called 'Red + Yellow =' in October 2010..

Polar Bear aka Steve Camden is one of the most accomplished performance poets in the UK. His poem 'Jessica' has clocked up over 50,000 views on youtube, and is widely considered to be one of the best individual examples of spoken word in the UK.  Polar Bear has toured the country, appearing at some of the most acclaimed festivals and arts venues including Latitude, Glastonbury, The Jazz Café, Southbank Centre, and has toured three one man shows, exploring the relationship of spoken word between narrative, cinema and music.

Joe Hakim is a writer, poet and spoken word performer from Hull. He was the winner of Poetry Idol 10, a spoken word competition held at Shortfuse in Islington. Since then he has been performing around the UK on a regular basis with residences at Contact in Manchester, Birmingham REP, the Battersea Arts Centre, the Shunt Vault, the Crossing Borders project in Mytholmroyd and Hyperlexic presents: Poetry Boxing. He performed his debut show 'Poetry is Dead' at the Camden Fringe Festival 2008 along with co-writer and performer Mike Watts. His short story 'Difficult People' was the runner up in BBC Radio 3 The Verb's Chekov Short Story competition in January 2010. He first book 'No Light/Might Escape' has just been published by Night publishing.

Andy Cook is a spoken word artist from Sheffield. He is to audiences what card tricks are to kids. He studies English with Creative Writing at the University of Birmingham.

BOURNEMOUTH: The Winchester Word Slam

Thursday, 21st April, 2011, 7.30pm, £3 on the door or from the venue in advance
The Winchester,
39 Poole Hill,
Bournemouth
BH2 5PW
Info: www.applesandsnakes.org / www.thewinchesterpub.co.uk

In April 2011, 2 teams and 12 poets will gather for battle in Bournemouth but only 1 will be crowned winner and be given the prize of a paid Apples & Snakes gig! A nail- biting, jaw dropping evening which will set your ears on fire as tongue twisters, lyric spitters, obscure odes, smoldering sonnets and more get on their glad rags and take to the stage!

On the Bournemouth team we have:
Ollie Dangermouse
Vince Sligo
Rob Hill
Steve Biddle
Kelli Anne B
Carrie Gooding
On the Southampton team we have :
Anthony Fairweather
Steve Purcell
Rob Casey
Sam Cox
Annette Wincott
Sean Douglas
A night featuring the crème de la crème of Bournemouth and Southampton's spoken word scene. Come listen and perhaps vote for your favorite poem. Plus a superb headline act, all for £3!

BRISTOL: Brizzlemania 9 - April Shouters

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011, 8pm, £3
The Arts House,

Stokes Croft,

Bristol

BRIZZLEMANIA 9: APRIL SHOUTERS OPEN POETRY SLAM

featuring:

Pastoral Nihilist Entertainer Singer Clown Wonderman

JOHNNY FLUFFYPUNK

Budding Bristolian Wordweaver

REBECCA TANTONY

BM8 Slam Winner

TIM VOSNER

with new resident DJs

SAM & DIGGER

Come celebrate with us.

WORCESTER: Parole Parlate - The Spoken Word

Thursday, April 7th, 2011, 7.30pm, £3 on the door, £2 via PayPal
Little Venice,

1-3 St Nicholas Street,
Worcester

The April edition of "Parole Parlate : The Spoken Word”, Worcester’s premier platform for all spoken word lovers, promises to be extra special, as the A&S guest poet this time will be none other than Roy McFarlane, the current Birmingham poet laureate. If you haven’t heard Roy read yet, this is a great opportunity to sample his engaging and poignant verse.
 

Please visit - www.paypal-marketing.co.uk/sendmoney/index.htm to send your payment via paypal using the email address payments@worcslitfest.com to send your entry fee to us. You don't need to have a paypal account to send the entry fee

LONDON: Lumen Poetry Series

Tuesday, 19th April, 2011, doors open 6.30pm for 7pm, £5/£4, WINE

88 Tavistock Place
London
WC1 

Tubes: Russell Square , Kings Cross, St Pancras.

Ruth O'Callaghan presents poets Innua Ellams and Bernard Kops. Poets from the floor very welcome.

LEICESTER: Nine Arches Press Shindig!

Monday, April 18th, 2011, 7.30pm, FREE
The Western,
Western Road,
Leicester
LE3 0GA

Nine Arches Press & Crystal Clear Creators present special guest writers Maria Taylor, Kathleen Bell, Matthew Stewart and Matt Merritt. Sign up for the open mic on the door.

www.crystalclearcreators.org.uk

LONDON: Poetry Review launch, with Jo Shapcott

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011, arrive 6.30pm, readings begin 7pm, £8/£6 concessions, £4 for Poetry Society members.
The Gallery at Foyles,
113-119 Charing Cross Road,
London,
WC2H 0EB
Tickets: Available from: www.poetrysociety.org.uk (http://poetrysociety.org.uk/events/event/1534) or by calling 020 7420 9886

Celebrate the launch of the spring issue of Poetry Review ‘…and spirituality?’ with Costa Award winning poet Jo Shapcott, editor Fiona Sampson and the winner of the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize Kim Moore.

LONDON: BEAT

Monday, 4th April, 2011, 8.30pm-11.30pm
 Charlie Wrights
45 Pitfield Street
N1 6DA
London
Created by:          
BEAT, Andreas Grant
 
Bombs are raining over Libya, radiation clouds over Japan, there's a lot of things in the air... meanwhile in Ol Blighty we're all starting to fall in love with life again. To celebrate this joyus occation called spring we at BEAT HQ are prepping a gloriously jam packed scud missile of talent for your listening pleasure;
 
MC Curious - London MC Legend MC Curious debut on the BEAT stage!
 
Pauline Sewards - the queen of idosyncratic delivery returns
 
Alfred Lord Telecom - the king of quaint
 
Lisa Jayne, the better half of Brighton poet and BEAT favourite Ben Graham and a brilliant poet in her own right
 
Blue Ice - Swedish/Brighton based wordsmith and first timer on the BEAT stage
 
+ Live Music from LA Salami as seen in BEAT Soho
 
...and MC/WMD Andreas Grant, at your service
 
as always we charge a smile but you can keep your money

LONDON: Hammer and Tongue, Hackney

Monday, 4th April, 2011, 7.30-11pm, £5/£4

The Victoria,
451 Queensbridge Road
E8 1AP

Live spoken word and performance poetry with hip-hop/poetry duo, 'Dead Poets' and master of the surreal and the profound, Chris Parkinson. Plus open mic slam, arrive early for slam sign-up!

BRISTOL: Spoken Word All Stars

Friday, 15th April, 2011, 7pm
Arnolfini,
16 Narrow Quay,
Bristol,
Avon
BS1 4QA
Tickets: 0117 917 2300 / www.arnolfini.org.uk
Info: www.spokenwordallstars.com

Bristol Spring Poetry Festival with Poetry CAN at the Arnolfini:
Poetry is blasting its way into the hearts and minds of a new generation with high energy and rhythmic poetry sketching out a new literary landscape for the 21st century. Spoken Word All Stars presents an all-star cast of some of the most exciting poets of the day, performing an original live show in partnership with the globally acclaimed sax player Jason Yarde!

Taking five poets and one musician, we have a stellar line-up of international award winners and critically acclaimed performers, including Kat Francois, OneNess, El Crisis and Chris Redmond.

Spoken Word All Stars’ journey began at Latitude Festival 2010, and is featured on TV as a documentary by Sky Arts. But to get the full Spoken Word All Stars experience, come to our live show at Lakeside and witness comedy, tragedy, romance and philosophy; words interwoven with live and improvised loops, beats and melodies.

LONDON: Rowan Arts Poetry Slam

Friday, April 15th, 2011, 8.30pm (doors open 8pm), £3 on door (£2 if performing)The Floirin Pub
563 Holloway Road
London
N19 4DQ

Come along to the first Rowan Arts Poetry Slam! The first 12 poets to sign up at the door compete for the prize, and all performers get a free drink. You have 3 minutes to impress the judges with your poems!