"Shangwe" at the Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden: TONIGHT!

Open Mic Poetry at the Poetry Cafe

Thursday 25th January
8pm
£5/3

Shangwe is a vibrant performance poetry space which promotes emerging artists’ talent in a supportive atmosphere. Featuring Nicola Greenwood & Janet Plummer hosted by Nicole Moore.

Open mic from 7.30 with Nicole Moore

The Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London

Two Northern Events: Thursday 25 & Friday 26th January

Northern Voices Annual Poetry Party & Awards

Bridge Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne
Thursday 25th January 2007
Burns Night special in association with Tyneside Irish Cultural Society,
featuring the launch of Northern Voices publication The Hive of Liberty,
on Newcastle radical Thomas Spence (1750-1814), with guest speakers and
readings. Plus the Newcastle launch of the new anthology from Selkirk
Lapwing Press, Both Sides of Hadrian's Wall, with poets from North East
England & Scotland and Ann Sessoms & Paul Knox on Northumbrian pipes.
Plus special guests from Galway: performance poet Trish Casey and
novelist and short story writer and raconteur Ré Ó Laighléis, and from
Teesside, Smokestack poet Gordon Hodgeon with performance poet Trev
Teasdel and top lady vocalist Izzy Isgate. Plus the presentation of
Northern Voices Poetry Awards.

Poets Liz Lochhead and Cynthia Fuller

Alington House, Durham
Friday 26 January 2007
Scottish poet and playwright Liz Lochhead's first collection of poems,
Memo for Spring, was published in 1972 and won a Scottish Arts Council
Book Award. Her poetry has been published in a number of collections
including Penguin Modern Poets 4 (1995). She translated and adapted
Molière's Tartuffe (1985) into Scots, premiered at the Edinburgh Royal
Lyceum in 1987, and the script of her adaptation of Euripides' Medea
(2000) for Theatre Babel in 2000 won the Saltire Society Scottish Book
of the Year Award. Her latest work is a new collection of poetry, The
Colour of Black and White: Poems 1984-2003 (2003). Cynthia Fuller was
born in Kent in 1948, but has lived in the North East since the 1970s,
working as a teacher of literature and creative writing in adult and
higher education. A co-editor of the magazine Writing Women, her
collections Moving Towards Light (1992), Instructions for the Desert
(1996) and Only a Small Boat (2001) were published by Flambard, and her
poetry has appeared in such anthologies as the Bloodaxe New Women Poets.

For more details of venue and time on both these events, please visit http://www.literaturenortheast.co.uk/events.

Over the Edge in Galway: Thursday January 25th

Over the Edge: Galway

The first Over The Edge: Open Reading of 2007 takes place in Galway City Library, St. Augustine Street, Galway on Thursday, January 25th, 6.30-8pm. The Featured Readers are Elaine Feeney, Mary Mullen & Todd Swift. The reading is a special occasion for co-organisers, Susan Millar DuMars and Kevin Higgins, as it is the fourth anniversary of the series, which began in January 2003.

Elaine Feeney was born in Galway in 1979. She teaches English at St. Patrick’s College, Tuam. She has performed and read her poetry at various readings and festivals, including the Cuirt Festival Poetry Slam. Elaine has poems forthcoming in both The Shop and Nthposition.com. According to 2005 Patrick Kavanagh Award Winner, Dave Lordan: “Her performances are notable for their fearless confrontation with the controversial truth of women’s lives in the new Ireland.”

Mary Mullen is an Alaskan-born writer who has lived in County Galway for the last decade. Her work has been published in We Alaskans, Sunday Miscellany 2003-2004, The Stinging Fly, the Cork Literary Review, Galway Now, West47online, the Anchorage Daily News, and a chapbook ‘The Whole Building Could Be On Fire’. She is working on a collection of personal history essays and short stories. Mary is a graduate of NUIG’s MA in Writing.

Todd Swift is the Canadian-born author of three poetry collections, Budavox, Café Alibi and Rue du Regard. He currently lives in London. Todd is an editor of many poetry anthologies, including 100 Poets Against The War. He also compiled the recent audio CD Life Lines: Poets for Oxfam. His latest publication is Natural Curve, a pamphlet of poems from Rubicon Press, Alberta. He has co-edited a major collection of essays on Anglo-Quebec Poetry, Language Acts, to be launched spring 2007 in Montreal. His New and Selected Poems, 1987-2007, edited with an Introduction by Kevin Higgins, is forthcoming from Salmon Publishing in 2008.

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 especially welcome. The MC for the evening will be Susan Millar DuMars. For further details contact 087-6431748.

Over The Edge acknowledges the financial support of Galway City Council and The Arts Council

overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com

POEJAZZI in London: Tuesday February 6th

POEJAZZI

Tuesday February 6th
8pm doors for a 9pm start
Volupte Bar, No 9 Norwich street, off Furnival Street, EC4A 1EJ (Close to Chancery lane Station, after Mcdonalds)

Here's how to book tickets:

Price: £10 entry, reserve via tel 0207-8311677, or 02078311622

Or you may email lordgokal@hotmail.com, stating your name, phone number and how many guests you want to bring along.

Jane Holland & Emma Purshouse in Leamington Spa: TOMORROW!

PUREandGOODandRIGHT

PUREandGOODandRIGHT is an Open Mic poetry event taking place in Leamington Spa. Their next event is on SUNDAY 21st JANUARY (starting at 7.30pm prompt) at the FOX, Clarendon Avenue, Leamington Spa CV32 4RZ.

"As special guests, two of the most audacious, vivacious and salacious ladies in poetry: Jane Holland and Emma Purshouse!"



Jane Holland is a poet and novelist living in Warwickshire. Her second poetry collection BOUDICCA & CO. was recently published by Salt.

She also runs POETS ON FIRE, a daily poetry blog that was featured in the Guardian's 'Best of the Literary Blogosphere': www.poetsonfire.blogspot.com (the site you're reading, by the way). For more about Jane see www.janeholland.co.uk and you can buy her latest book BOUDICCA & CO at: Salt.

*

Emma Purshouse is a lively, original performance poet and stand up comedienne. She is the 4th Annual Solihull Slam Winner, and one of her poems was published on a tram!



She won first prize at the Wolverhampton City Arts Festival Poetry Competition in 2002, and came second in the 2006 Cheltenham Festival “All-Comers” slam. She has an MA in Creative Writing and is a founder member of the artists and writers collective imagetextimage (www.imagetextimage.com).

Plus Open Mic - AN UNMISSABLE NIGHT !

Admission £3 (£2 Student/OAP)

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

Poetry Launch in Newcastle: Monday 22nd January

Venue: Lit & Phil
Organiser: Dogeater Books
Start time: 19:30 Mon 22 Jan 2007
Website: www.dogeater.co.uk

The Deadheading Diaries, a new book of poetry by Lisa Matthews, was published by Dogeater in late December 2006. The book is Lisa's much anticipated first full-length collection and will be officially launched this month at Newcastle's Lit & Phil. Everyone is welcome to this free event so please tell your friends and come along.


For more details about the book and to read extracts and early reviews, see Lisa's new website at www.stoneandsea.co.uk.

Admission free, but donations welcome.

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

"Re: Versing the Damage" in Oxford TONIGHT

RE: "Versing the damage"

Thursday January 18th
'The Vaults': St Mary's University Church
Oxford
7 - 9 pm

Scroll down to earlier post on Re:Versing the Damage for more details!

Poets' Cafe in Reading: Friday 19th January

Poets’ Café – South Street Arts Centre, Reading.

Friday 19th January

This month, the first of 2007 (obviously), is more of the same Poets’ Café magic – the longest running poetry open mic in Berkshire, open to newcomers, old hands, regulars, irregulars, professionals and first-timers, topped of with a reading from a big name – this month our special guest is John Stammers.



His first collection (2001) was awarded the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and shortlisted for the Whitbread Poetry Award; his second is a Poetry Book Society Choice. A creative writing tutor and freelance writer, he lives in Islington, London, where he was born. Also see John Stammers' website.

Poets’ Café is warm, welcoming and a good place to come and get involved with poetry, whether you want to read it out or just listen to it, or even, heaven forfend, meet poets (or whatever reason). Jolly good, says AF HARROLD.

South Street Arts Centre, South Street, Reading. Doors 8pm, poetry 8.30pm. Entrance fee: £6/£4.

NEW BLOOD: TONIGHT in Covent Garden

The first New Blood of the year will be on Wednesday 17th January at the Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London. It'll all kick off about 7.30pm and the amazing lineup is as follows:



Mark Waldron - One of the winners of the New Writing Ventures '06

Alex Wiley - a young talented poet coming all the way over from Belfast

Richard Osmond - a prodigious 18 year old that has already read at Broadcast.

+ floorspots

Door Charge: £5/£3

For more info: email newbloodpoetry@gmail.com or checkout MySpace.

Jebb, Hilson & McCabe: Poetry & Music in Waterloo: Wednesday 17th January

Poetry & Music in Waterloo TONIGHT!

Keith Jebb, Jeff Hilson and Chris McCabe will be reading their poetry on Wednesday 17th January, at St Andrew's, Short Street, Waterloo, London SE1. There will also be music from The Mind Shop (Armorel Weston, John Gibbens, David Miller). Doors open at 7.15; performances will begin from 7.30.

Admissions: £5 /£3 (concessions).

Short Street is off The Cut, and directly across the road from The Young Vic Theatre. Nearest tubes: Waterloo; Southwark.

PUREandGOODandRIGHT in Leamington Spa this SUNDAY 21st January

PUREandGOODandRIGHT

PUREandGOODandRIGHT is an Open Mic poetry event taking place in Leamington Spa.

We meet once a month, and our next event is on
SUNDAY 21st JANUARY (starting at 7.30pm prompt, get there early!) at the FOX, Clarendon Avenue, Leamington Spa CV32 4RZ.

How to get to the Fox

We're delighted to welcome as special guests, two of the most audacious, vivacious and salacious ladies in poetry:



Jane Holland is a poet and novelist living in Warwickshire. Her second poetry collection BOUDICCA & CO. was recently published by Salt.

She also runs POETS ON FIRE, a daily poetry blog that was featured in the Guardian's 'Best of the Literary Blogosphere': www.poetsonfire.blogspot.com (the site you're reading, by the way). For more about Jane see www.janeholland.co.uk and you can buy her latest book BOUDICCA & CO at: Salt.

*

Emma Purshouse is a lively, original performance poet and stand up comedienne. She is the 4th Annual Solihull Slam Winner, and one of her poems was published on a tram!



She won first prize at the Wolverhampton City Arts Festival Poetry Competition in 2002, and came second in the 2006 Cheltenham Festival “All-Comers” slam. She has an MA in Creative Writing and is a founder member of the artists and writers collective imagetextimage (www.imagetextimage.com).

Plus Open Mic

AN UNMISSABLE NIGHT !

Admission £3 (£2 Student/OAP)

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

2007 Events and Guests

Sunday 21 January - Jane Holland and Emma Purshouse

Sunday 18 February - Dreadlockalien, Dan Wilson, Evoke

Sunday 18 March - The Disparate Housewives: Stella Mandella and Jacqueline Saphra

Sunday 15 April - Rob Gee and Lorna Meehan

Sunday 20 May - Luke Wright

MORE DETAILS? Visit PUREandGOODandRIGHT

SHORTFUSE in Islington: Thursday January 18th

Nathan Penlington presents the first SHORTFUSE of 2007 (live poetry, spoken word, music etc.)

Thursday January 18 2007 8.30pm
The Camden Head, 2 Camden Walk, Islington, London, London N1
Cost : £5/£3

London's only weekly fusion of stand up poetry, performance comedy, spokenword and music. In this, the first SHORTFUSE of 2007, Nathan Penlington hosts a feature length set from Liz Bentley, plus a full set from Tamsin Kendrick.

Touch Me, I'm Sick: Wednesday 17th January

TOUCH ME I'M SICK!

Wednesday 17 January at 20.00 (sign up for floor spots at 19.30)

Entrance free

Upstairs at the Old Crown Pub 33 New Oxford Street (On the corner of New Oxford Street and Museum Street) London WC1A 1BH ---Telephone 020 7836 9121

Nearest tube stations Tottenham Court Road or Holborn

Featuring Steve Sumner's confessions of a thwarted ladies man and Dave Bryant; exiled from Essex due to his indifference to fighting dogs, he's thrived in his new life in London as a poet … or at least 'scraped by', poems featuring the word 'goodbye' a speciality. Presented to you by two of London poetry's drunkest Emcees Good Housekeeping's James Ó Nuanáin "this cooking sherry goes down a treat" and Kevin "I can't believe you're still going on about that" Reinhardt. Floor spots are available to anyone who wants to perform.

Two features, two halves, two Emcees. Get it off your chest and share the misery or get drunk and enjoy the show. We'd love to see you.

Contact Telephone Number: James Ó Nuanáin 07763 632 369

Poetry & Climate Change: Thursday January 18th in Oxford

RE: "Versing the damage"
Thursday January 18th
'The Vaults': St Mary's University Church
Oxford
7 - 9 pm

Bill McKibben (author of The End of Nature) recently claimed that artists are ignoring climate change. This promted Steve Larkin (one of the founders of Hammer and Tongue) and a spoken word artist who has had climate change as one of the central themes of his work to find evidence to the contrary.

Having been involved with the development of a thriving live literature scene in the UK, witnessing the work of other writers with similar themes he emailed as many artists as he could with an email entitled "Versing the damage" asking for examples of work that tackles the issue.

The result has been an inbox full of replies titled "Re: Versing the damage" and a vast array of songs and poetry from artists all over the world, a selection of which will be presented by performers as part of the COIN speaker series event on January the 18th.

Entry to the event will be on a first come first served basis. £3/£2 7-9pm. The Vaults and Garden is an organic fair trade cafe in the heart of Oxford City underneath St Mary's University Church on the High Street opposite Quad.

Poetry at the Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham: Wednesday 24th January

On Wednesday 24th January, James Nash & John Siddique will be reading their poetry at the Lakeside Arts Centre, University Park, Nottingham.

7.30pm start

North Beach Poetry Nights (Galway): Thursday 18th January, plus forthcoming dates

The BELFAST POETS kick off the season at North Beach Poetry Nights in

BK's Winebar,
Spanish Parade, Galway
Thursday January 18th 2007. 9pm

MC for the evening is Elaine Feeney.

This touring group of 3 female and 2 male poets follow on their
2006 successful tour of Australia with a poetry tour of Ireland,
taking in Cork, Limerick, Galway, Dublin, Derry and Belfast.

The touring poets, Phatbob, Aisling Doherty, Chelley Mclear, Ellen Factor and Gordon Hewitt emerged from the various open mic nights held over the last few years in Belfast and the Sunday Session performance spaces in Derry.

Gordon Hewitt, spokesperson for the Belfast Poets Touring Group says,

“Too often we get told that poetry is something that people cannot get into, that it can’t be accessible or easily understood. We write about the world in which we live. We comment on Iraq, Lebanon, racism, paramilitarism, policing and the Peace Process, but we also write about everyday experiences, love, relationships, clubbing, even shopping, so that our show has something for everyone. Last year we were equally successful performing to other writers and performance poets at Festivals as well as working class pubs in places like Darwin or Perth, We want what we do to be powerful poetry but which anyone can enjoy. “

The North Beach Poetry Nights Slam follows the usual format.Please bring along two three minute (max.) pieces for Round 1 and 2 of the slam.North Beach Poetry Nights especially welcomes newcomers to take thestage.The prize is the honour and a bottle of red wine generously donated by BK's Winebar. Location: BK's Winebar, Spanish
Parade, Galwayat 9pm. Admission: 4 Euro

Coming Events:

February 15th
Guest Poet: KEVIN HIGGINS MC: Gary King

March 15th
Guest Poet: MAIGHREAD MEDBH MC: Trish Casey

April 26th
North Beach Poetry Nights special Pre-Cúirt Grand Slam event
with performances by the 4 former Cúirt Grand Slam winners
and the 2007 competitors.
MC: Brendan Murphy

May 24th
Guest Poets: KEITH ARMSTRONG and PAUL SUMMERS
MC: John Walsh

NBPN gratefully acknowledges the support of Poetry Ireland and Galway City Council.
Info: John Walsh at 091-593290

http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.com

Spoken Word in Glasgow - THE EX-MEN, Friday 12th January

The waiter joined me
I said I'm latte-ed out
- What're you having?
Said I'm latte-ed out

LATTE-ED OUT

FRIDAY 12TH JAN @ THE CCA (SAUCHIEHALL STREET, GLASGOW) 9PM - 1AM



THE EX-MEN - spoken word electronica (www.myspace.com/theexmen)

ADAM ZANDERS - live electro: 'thinkey mind voyaging'

EWAN CHAMBERS - leftfield vinyl

[free entry]

FARRAGO SLAM, LONDON: Thursday 18th January

The Farrago Zoo Awards Ceremony & Farrago New Year SLAM!

Thursday, 18th January, 7:30pm

@ RADA Foyer Bar, Malet St, WC1. Goodge St Tube.

Multi-Map

Featuring short performances by Farrago Zoo Award nominees, including Dizraeli, the new UK SLAM! Champion. Carmina, Isabel del Rio, Joshua Idehen, Metis, Niall O’Sullivan, Rachel Pentechnicon, Niall Spooner-Harvey & Fran Landesman and band! Others tbc.
This is the first Farrago SLAM! of 2007. Open to ANY poet, any subject or style, read or perform. EVERY POET WINS A PRIZE!

Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£5.

The Farrago Zoo Awards have been running since 1994 and are voted on by supporters and audience of Farrago events. Information from John Paul O’Neill: farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk. Telephone: 07905078376. http://London.e-poets.net. www.myspace.com.

Elvis McGonagall at Lavender Hill, London: Friday 19th January

Elvis’s New Year Poetry Party!

Elvis McGonagall – reigning World Poetry Slam Champion and resident wit on Radio 4’s Saturday Live – dons his sporran and introduces you to four handsome strangers. Get ready for a quintessentially poetic first-footing (i.e: it’s three weeks late) in the collectively off-kilter company of Sue Johns, Pete Hunter, Sally Crabtree and Nathan Filer. Warning- some of these people may come in fancy-dress. You can too if you like.

When: Friday 19 January 2006 @ 9.00pm
Where: BAC, Lavender Hill, London, SW11 5TN
Tickets: £4.75 / £3.50
Book: 020 7223 2223 / www.bac.org.uk
Info: www.applesandsnakes.org

Buzzwords in Cheltenham: TONIGHT!

Upstairs at the Beehive, Montpellier Villas, Cheltenham

BUZZWORDS!

Monthly poetry reading and workshop on Sunday 7th January (i.e. tonight) in the heart of Cheltenham.

7pm - workshop led by John Godfrey
8pm onwards - open mic and Guest poet (John Godfrey)

Blue Room Poetry in Newcastle: TONIGHT!

Venue: Bridge Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne
Organiser: The Blue Room
Start time: 20:00 Sun 7 Jan 2007
Website: www.blueroom.org.uk

Michael McCarthy's first collection, Birds' Nests and Other Poems, won The Patrick Kavanagh Award. He has also published two books of verse for children: The Story of Noah and the Ark, which has been translated into 16 languages, and The Story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. He lived in Durham during the 90s and last performed at The Blue Room in January 2006. He currently lives in North Yorkshire where he works as a priest, counsellor and spiritual director. He has just returned from a four-month writing residency at Charles Sturt University in Canberra, Australia.

In 2006, Sand published Nev Clay's first collection of words, The Leaf Collector (`a quiet gem', Terry Kelly). He also plays guitar and writes songs. Nev's currently working on a music/poetry project in Alnwick Garden with Mercury prize-nominated singer-songwriter, Kathryn Williams.

James Welsh has been writing for around nine years and has had short stories published in various magazines including Billy Liar, Liar Republic and Text Bear Bones. He writes mainly prose but also some drama and poetry. His is presently in the final stages of finishing a novel and lives in the east end of Newcastle.

Mark Ellis graduated from the MA in creative writing at Newcastle University in Sept 2005. Since then he has completed a play and a book called Liber Mundi for a commission by Harrogate Theatre, which was slashed to pieces, re-written and produced in its benign lesser-state in November 2006. Having (almost!) put this behind him and following successes in both the University of Plymouth and WRHammons.com writing competitions, he has set up his own publishing company, The Pumpleton Press, and vowed to complete and publish Liber Mundi in its original form. In the meantime, Faded Pictures, a collection of Mark's short stories, is Pumpleton's first release and will (hopefully) be available on the night, or by contacting pumpleton@hotmail.com.

Tickets: £3 (£2 concessions) on the door.

The Bridge Hotel
Castle Garth
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE1 1RQ

The Ex-Men: Saturday January 6th

THE EX-MEN in Islington

For your Saturday night entertainment, spoken word electronica from The Ex-Men (Ex-Men webpage) taking on the music world, come to The Hope and Anchor, 207 Upper St, Islington, at 10pm!

'Crossing the Line' poetry: TONIGHT in London

Crossing the Line

in the upstairs room at The Plough, 27 Museum St., London WC1. Nearest tubes: Russell Sq, Tottenham Crt Rd, Holborn. Starts from 7.30pm. Featuring Louise Landes Levi, Brian Marley and David Miller.

Admissions: £5/£3 (concessions).

For all enquiries regarding future readings, please contact Jeff Hilson (j.hilson@roehampton.ac.uk). The publicity material for this event says: "Crossing the Line is pleased to announce a poetry reading by Louise Landes Levi, Brian Marley and David Miller, on Friday the 5th of January (2007), from 7.30, Other forthcoming readings in the series include Michael Heller and tba (2 February). "

Poetry Review launch: Friday 5th January

Friday 5th January 6.30 - 8.00

Launch of winter issue of Poetry Review with David Harsent and the announcement of the Geoffrey Dearmer Prize winner.

Poetry Society Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London

Poetry at the Rising Sun, Reading: Friday 5th January

Friday 5th January 2007
Preacher John’s Poetry Night, at the Rising Sun, Reading.

If you’re in Reading, then apparently the night AF Harrold used to run as Bohemian Night has passed seamlessly into the hands of Preacher John. This will be more or less the same sort of thing as AF was doing – spoken word open mic – except he knows how to get the log fire going and it’ll be much lovelier, according to AF. No time specified on the info I saw, but no doubt it will be known about town if you're an inhabitant of Reading or its environs.