The Cellar, London: Saturday 15th July

The Cellar
Every Saturday at The Poetry Cafe
22 Betterton Street
Covent Garden or Holborn tube
7.30pm
£5/3 concs
Floorspots available on the night (new and infrequent poets will be prioritised)


Saturday 15th July:
Guest Poets include Jonathan Asser, Claire Williamson & Dean Wilson

Jonathan Asser pops in tonight showcasing his tough but well crafted verse that deals with the violent prisoners he works with and the prostitutes he politely turns down while out for a jog. Claire Williamson will be making a rare London appearance, be sure to see more of her after she represents the south west on the next Apples and Snakes tour. Also on the bill, we have Dean Wilson, the sauciest postman in town and a true Cellar favourite.

Poets Anonymous: Wednesdays in Dublin

Wednesday evenings 7-30-9.30pm:

Poets Anonymous

A weekly poetry event in Dublin city centre which aims to provide a platform for up-and-coming poets to perform their work, to gain insight into the work of one featured poet each week, and to bring poetry to a wider audience.

Contact: nedluddtc@yahoo.com

Admission: 'pay what you can' basis.

Dublin: Harry's Bar, Nassau Street, Dublin 2

SHORTFUSE: Thursday 6th July - THAT'S TONIGHT!

Thursday 6th July at SHORTFUSE, Islington.

SHORTFUSE Edinburgh Fringe preview of Invisible Ink - your final chance to catch our brand new unique spokenword show in London before it heads for Scotland featuring Suzanne Andrade, Rhian Edwards and Nathan Penlington - tear-up the boundaries of page and stage with a slickly staged scrapbook cabaret of darkly humoured writing, wry literate comedy, music and magic.

Plus star of Channel 5's 'Monkey Magic' and Channel 4's 'Dirty Tricks' magician Alistair Cook, and a welcome return from Newcastle's Domain Jane poet and ventriloquist.


Every Thursday @ The Camden Head, Camden Walk, Islington, London, N1 (Tube: Angel)
Doors: 8.30pm. Admission: £5 waged / £3 concessions.

FARRAGO SLAM, LONDON: Wednesday 12th July

The Farrago School’s (almost) Out SLAM!

Wednesday, 12th July, 7:30pm in the RADA Foyer Bar, Malet St, WC1. Goodge St Underground.

MAP

OPEN TO ANY POET SLAM! Any subject or style. Read or Perform. Every poet wins a prize!

+ Features guests: Fran Landesman, poetry & jazz lyrical icon, accompanied by Miles Landesman + supporting singers, Zawe Ashton, back from finishing her degree in Manchester, Baba Brinkman, Canadian rap & poetry star, currently on tour with his hip hop version of the Canterbury Tales, Carolyn Staitus-Muller, final poetry set before heading back to Canada + Mat Lloyd, recently described as the coolest poet in the UK & Kit Noyes, the Easter SLAM! Champion, both making their Farrago feature debuts.

Emcee: John Paul O’Neill. Tickets: £6/£4


Other Summer Dates at The RADA Foyer Bar: Thursday, 27th July – The Farrago Summer SLAM!
Features include: Ascen Ariazu, Joshua Idehen, Anthony Joseph & Steve Sumner, others tbc.


Thursday, 10th August – Farrago Poetry Presents: Niall Spooner-Harvey’s Book Launch!
This event will feature Niall Spooner-Harvey and the London launch of his first poetry collection, 'Only Not Walking', with several guests performers including Abraham Gibson & Aoife Mannix, + musicians Simon Mastrantone & Bertel Haugen.

Info: farragopoetry@yahoo.co.uk. 07905078376. http:// London.e-poets.net.

myspace.com/farragopoetry

Open Mic in Leicester: Wed July 5th (Apples & Snakes)

Apples & Snakes in association with Complex Trout Productions, Bambu and Phoenix Arts present

WORD

8pm onwards, Wednesday 5th July
FREE
Special guest Valerie Bloom
Host Steve Rooney
@ Bambu, 21 Welford Road, Leicester (opposite council buildings)

Open floor spots available.
For more info contact Steve Carroll (07870 608875 / steve@applesandsnakes.org)
www.applesandsnakes.org.

Word is Leicester's premier open floor spoken word event. It runs on the
first Wednesday of each month at Bambu café bar, and features a fantastic
guest artist as well as open floor spots.

Valerie Bloom

Valerie Bloom was born in Clarendon, Jamaica and came to England in 1979. She attended the University of Kent at Canterbury from 1982-84 where she gained a first class honours degree in English with African and Caribbean Studies and in 1995 she was awarded an Honorary Masters Degree by the same university for her work as a poet.

Valerie has performed her poetry extensively in Britain and abroad, in schools, universities, theatres, at festivals such as Hay-on-Wye, Cheltenham, and Womad, and on radio and television. She has run writing courses for the Arvon Foundation, in-service courses for teachers and librarians, and writing workshops in schools and colleges.

Her books include, Touch Mi, Tell Mi (Bogle L'Ouverture, 1983) reprinted in 1990, Duppy Jamboree, (Cambridge University Press, 1992) Fruits (Macmillan, 1997) Ackee, Breadfruit Callaloo (Bogle L'Ouverture and Macmillan, 1999,) Let Me Touch the Sky, Selected Poems (Macmillan, 2000) The World Is Sweet (Bloomsbury, 2000) and New Baby (Macmillan, 2000.) Her selected spoken works, Yuh Hear Bout? (57 Productions, 1997) is available on cassette tape.

In addition, her poems have been included in over one hundred adult and children's anthologies, in the Poems on the Underground, in The Independent, the CXC Examination Syllabus for Caribbean Schools, and in the NEAB GCSE English/English Literature Anthology. Valerie is presently writing, performing and conducting workshops full time.

http://www.valbloom.co.uk/

Bohemian Words in Reading: Friday 7th July

Friday 7th July
8 - 8.30pm

Bohemian Words

at The Rising Sun Arts Centre, Silver Street, Reading.

This is Reading’s only totally open mic spoken word night, featuring a clutch of poets, a handful of comedians, and the many folk who’re going to come along and listen to what’s on display. Anything and everything goes.

It costs £2 to come in, FREE ENTRANCE for readers & performers.

"Six of the Best": Birmingham, Wednesday 5th July

On Wednesday July 5th
7.30pm
at BIRMINGHAM LIBRARY THEATRE, central Birmingham (next to the Eye & The Rep. Theatre)

it's ..........

SIX OF THE BEST!

£5 -- or free if you've performed in the series or auditioned for it earlier this year

Here's Emma Purshouse, from an early Six of the Best. Everyone is welcome, kids included. Music from Phat Controller, a great ska band, and we need to fill the theatre if possible, so if you're in the area, do come and listen to these talented Midlands poets, on stage together for the first time:

Music and Visuals from Phat Controller and Pixalize.
Dreadlockalien READS new material! (drumroll, please, for the man with paper in his hand)
Godfrey salter and his invisible ducks
As seen on TV, Vince Gould
Matt Nunn
Yusseff Ahmed
Leeanne Stoddart.


Matt Nunn at Night Blue Fruit in Coventry, who will be performing on Wednesday July 5th at Birmingham Library Theatre, 7.30pm. £5/FREE.

Night Blue Fruit at the Tin Angel, Coventry: Tuesday 4th July, perhaps the best Open Mic Poetry night in the Midlands

Tuesday 4th July sees NIGHT BLUE FRUIT at the TIN ANGEL, Medieval Spon Street, Coventry - a monthly Open Mic poetry event with some major Midlands live poets & performers on board, first Tuesday of every month.

No guests, no special treatment, just a bunch of fantastic regular poets and brand-new startling voices, some well-known and published, some taking the mic for only their first or second time.

8.30pm sharp or earlier if you want to read or would like a comfortable seat! Donation now required, but nothing excessive, couple of quid maybe. Well-stocked bar, great acoustics, intimate atmosphere.

And I should be there too, if my car's working at last!

The Ledbury Scribes: Monday 3rd July

Monday 3rd July 8pm - 10pm
LEDBURY FESTIVAL: The Ledbury Scribes & Open Mic

Local poets - an intimate reading at the Ledbury Festival. Get there early for this FREE event. Open mic available if you bring your own poems. Nibbles to eat, drinks at the bar.

Black Pepper Carvery (see www.poetry-festival.com for full details)

Foakies, Edinburgh: First Tuesday of every month

EDINBURGH: Poetry at 'Foakies'

First Tuesday of every month. Twenty minute spots featuring a singer-songwriter and then a poet followed by a forty minute spot featuring the main act, usually a singer-songwriter.

If you're a poet interested in performing at Foakies, please contact Tom Fairnie.
tomf@miscorp.ed.ac.uk

Edinburgh: The Royal Oak, Infirmary Street

Exploding Alphabets: Friday 7th July in Newcastle

Venue: Morden Tower, Newcastle upon Tyne
Organiser: Exploding Alphabets
Start time: 20:00 Fri 7 Jul 2006
Website: explodingalphabets.blogspirit.com

Following demand from Newcastle's new breed of promising and vibrant poetic talent, Exploding Alphabets has been established as a platform for original and challenging artists to perform in a supportive and welcoming atmosphere.

This month, EA presents an informed, engaged, poetic look at terrorism and its echoes...

Admission: £1

Morden Tower
West Walls
Back Stowell St
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4XG

Writers' Cafe, Stockton: Wednesday July 5th

The Writers' Café
taking place at The Georgian Theatre, Stockton
Wednesday 5 July 2006

Featuring top North East poet /publisher/writing activist Andy Croft,
plus the triumphant return of Saltburn singer-songwriter Izzy Isgate.

Plus up-and-coming young Teesside performance poet and writer Michael
Edwards, not to mention the funky acoustic songs of Paul Williams and
Paul Foxton and a mozaic of poetry from Paul Wilde, Alan Watkiss, Brian
Morton, Trev Teasdel, Katie Metcalf, Morbid and more.

Not sure of the time, as the round-robin email about Northeast events never tells you the time of events, but says you can find them at www.literaturenortheast.co.uk/events.

Ard Fili: Become Ireland's High Poet for 2007

The first All Ireland Live Poetry Championships

Desmond Swords

"I am Desmond Swords, the organiser of the first All Ireland Live Poetry Championships. The winner will be crowned Ireland's Ard Fili, which means they will be Ireland's High Poet. Heats will be held from November 2006 and the final will be in October 2007, as part of the Patrick Kavanagh Celebration 2007.

Contact desmondswords@hotmail.com for details.

The 2006 Patrick Kavanagh Celebration is on 1 September, above the Palace Bar, Fleet Street, Temple Bar, Dublin. This is a major spiritual home of Dublin literary life, where Kavanagh held court and sought employment from Dublin's post war head hacks, writing film and farming columns for the rags. In the mix with Brian O'Nolan aka Flann O'Brien aka Myles nag Copaleen, Behan, Anthony Cronin and the numerous scribes and bletherers of that town.

Kavanagh famously said that the standing army of Irish poets never fell below 20,000, which is a figure I can well believe, as if I heaved a brick from the top of Grafton Street it would be guaranteed to hit 10 before it reached the Phil Lynott statue outside Bruxelles boozer where Ronnie Wood has the occasional jam with the regular blues band there.

But enough idle chatter, Kavanagh also stated The Palace Bar. There was the gabble of poetry to be heard. And you can hear it on 1 September.

There will be a masterclass and workshop in the daytime from 12-4, all for the bargain price of 150 euros, led by He who shall remain nameless, but considered by many to be Irelands premier bard. Numbers are strictly limited and early booking a must."

DESMOND SWORDS

See the Poets On Fire Discussion Forum for more details of live poetry events like this and some great craic!

Buzzwords in Cheltenham: Sunday 2nd July

BUZZWORDS: Upstairs at The Beehive, Montpellier, Cheltenham.

This is a popular open mic event for the Cheltenham area (I'll be reading there myself in early November this year). Don't forget the workshop from 7pm - 8pm: Sound practice led by Chloe of Midnight Storytellers.

Open mic and guest poet from 8pm

Guest poet: A F Harrold

entrance - £3
queries to cheltpoetry@yahoo.co.uk or 07855 308122

Big Mouth Poetry: Bristol Festival Fringe, 22nd - 23rd July

BIG MOUTH continues its 5-year celebration at Ashton Court Festival with Big Mouth Poetry at the Fringe Marquee on Saturday and Sunday 22nd and 23rd July, here in Bristol, UK.

Headliners for Saturday 4.30 - 6.30pm
Chloe Poems
Adam Horivitz
Sophie Blackwell
plus local poetic support from:
Remi Tawose, Debbie Harris, Dan Butcher, Ross Rossiter, Pat Reid, Ian Sills, Bertram Trotar, Sofia Gradin. Plus Beat The Egg.
Music from: Summerzet zider bonkers combo More Silage!

Sophia Blackwell at this year's Oxford Live Literature Arena, performing as Sappho


ALL Headliners for Sunday 4.30 - 6.00pm
Rachel Pantechnicon
Byron Vincent
Lucy English
dreadlock alien
Mo The People's Nun

Music from Bath-based band with Janis Joplin soundalike singer Hannah Saunders: Cute Loony. MCs for both days Rosemary Dun and Tom Phillips.

Just outside the Fringe Marquee will be sited Big Mouth's original poetry installation - THE POETRY JUKEBOX from 2.30 - 3.30 both days. On Saturday, poetry provided by Ross Rossiter, and Rosemary Dun; and on Sunday by Steve Payne and Carol Pool.

EXTRA !! EXTRA !!

On Sunday 23rd July at 7pm in the Blackout Tent is the World Premiere of vox rock opera HAPPY JACK with spoken word, music and video. Inspired by The Small Faces' Happiness Stan, this specially commissioned spoken word/ vid/ music event is a collaborative original work: words and story provided by Big Mouth local poet and author Rosemary Dun and Bath-based ARCC providing their unique improvised soundtracking and vid mixing. Come and be surprised, stunned and beguiled by this modern day fable of love and redemption from the death of the 60s to terrorist attacks. Expect boats, hippies, sounds, and hope.


www.rosemarydun.co.uk

Over the Edge: Summer Readings in Galway, July 7th

Over The Edge in association with Poetry Ireland presents a reading by Eamonn Wall, Moya Cannon, Michael Heffernan & Catherine Hunter at Sheridan's Wine Bar,
14-16 Church Yard Street, Galway on Friday, July 7th 9pm.

There is no entrance fee. All welcome. For further information contact Kevin Higgins on 087-6431748.

New Poetry from Two Rivers Press: Thursday 29th June

Thursday 29th June – RISC, London Street, Reading. Two Rivers Press – new poetry. 6.30pm – 8pm.

AF HARROLD WRITES:
"The delightful and always exquisite Two Rivers Press, publishers of my first collection Logic And The Heart (which is available from the shop at www.afharrold.co.uk, by the way), are publishing the next two poets in their ongoing series of fine talent. The two in question are Joseph Butler who read at the faux-launch back at December’s Poets’ Café, and Susan Utting who started Poets’ Café several years before I came along, and who’ll be the special guest there in November. They’ll both be reading from their collections – Hearth Stone and Houses Without Walls, respectively, as well as mingling with the free wine which will be available."

Drop - the Beat Cafe: Leith, Wednesday June 26th

Drop - The Beat Cafe:
Bi-monthly Beat Cafe, Night of Poetry, Music, Story-telling and another surprise Art-Form.
The Queen Charlotte Rooms, Queen Charlotte Street, Leith, EH6

Wednesday / 26th/ July
8pm until Midnight

Hazel Morrison, Milton Balgoni, The Shellsuit Massacre, Stephen Barnaby and much, much more! All Original Material. Totally Free Event, No Cover on the door.

Drop-thebeatcafe@hotmail.co.uk
Craig Duffy/ Drop Enterprise
88/4 Duke Street, Leith, EH6 8HL
Craigmduffy@hotmail.com, Craig@leithfestival.com

"Drop - The Beat Cafe returns for its next Bi-monthly outing of Music, Poetry, Storytelling and much more with a new surprise again with another art form in the mix. In this month's event Stephen Barnaby brings his wicked sense of humour, Milton Balgoni bowls for a six, Rodney Relax and Nic. E. Melville team up for the Shellsuit Massacre, Celtic Connections winner Hazel Morrison provides the headline music act. This unique night of eclectic enjoyment is definitely not one to be missed, and is STILL a completely FREE event."

Amused Moose Hot Starlets at SHORTFUSE!

Thursday 29th June

London's only weekly fusion of stand-up poetry, performance comedy and spokenword returns after a mini break with a feature length preview from

Amused Moose Comedy Hot Starlets

...your chance to catch the next big things in an intimate venue featuring:

Holly Walsh, Ginger & Black, Christian Steel, Tom Clutterbuck, Rebecca Smith, Paul Eyres,

compered by Tiernan Douieb

Plus Poetry Idol 1 winner Liz Bentley - morbidly deadpan character comedy.

Deborah Lampitt - intelligent and delicately crafted poetry laced with humour.


With Resident Host: NATHAN PENLINGTON-


Every Thursday @ The Camden Head, Camden Walk, Islington, London, N1
Tube: Angel.

Doors: 8.30pm. Admission: £5 waged / £3 concessions.

Open Mic in Weston-Super-Mare: Thursday 29th June

Date 29/6/2006
Times : 7.30
Price : £ 1.00

Carlton Poets Poetry Night –

The Carlton Centre,
Carlton Street,
Weston-super-Mare

Last Thursday of each month.
All poets and acoustic performers welcome.

For more information, email junebastable @tiscali.co.uk or tel. 07748 974 942

How to Find UK Literary & Poetry Festivals

Here's a link to a brilliant new online resource from the British Council, a list of UK Literary and Poetry Festivals in alphabetical order, with full details of dates, previous activities, contact information, websites:

www.britishcouncil.org/arts-literature-literary-festivals.htm

'The Ship in the City' launch: new poems about Gloucester Cathedral, by Peter Wyton

THE CHAPTER HOUSE,
GLOUCESTER CATHEDRAL

ON SUNDAY, JUNE 25th
AT 11.45 a.m.

BOOK LAUNCH: ‘THE SHIP IN THE CITY’

BY PETER WYTON

A collection of poems about the history of the cathedral and the personalities associated with it, spanning more than 900 years.

Sunday Eucharist starts at 10.15. If you are not attending the service, please come to the South Porch (directly ahead of you as you enter the cathedral close from Westgate Street) at 11.30 a.m. The guides will direct you to the chapter house.

" 'The Ship In The City' is a collection of 34 poems on the subject of Gloucester cathedral, and the people, famous and infamous, connected with it over 900 years. It is written from the historical point of view, rather than the religious, and - being by me - is not entirely devoid of humour!" Peter Wyton

Price £5, or £5.75 inc. P&P from 14, Grisedale Close, Longlevens, Gloucester, GL2 0EG. Cheques should be made out to P.I. Fisher.



Peter Wyton performing at the QI Club, Oxford, earlier this year

Open Mic Poetry & Music, Birmingham: 25th June

Sunday Xpress is at the Market Tavern, Digbeth, Birmingham, this Sunday 25th June from 2pm-6pm, open mic for poetry & music & short stories, brilliant event!

Dreadlockalien says:

This Sunday 25th June, 2pm till 6pm at the Market Tavern, Digbeth, the finest performance poets gather for poetry and roast potatoes. Organised by a new collective called Four Canals, Paul Rafferty, Louis Campbell, Spoz, Big Bren, Jimmy Fantastic, Emma Bryson, Lizzie Smith and more I guess. This is a regular open mic event supported by Four Canals, the old Rainbow crew, New October Poets, C.D.G., Colourfree visions theatre and other organisations perpetuating live literature.


Also the Sunday Xpress crew have started a new night at the Rainbow, Birmingham, 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, same deal as the Sunday Xpress - open mic poetry, music, comedy, stories, whatever grabs your fancy. 8pm start - next one 4th July.

4th Friday Summer Party TONIGHT!

Friday 23rd June at 8pm, £5/4 entry, 4th Friday Summer Party with Hylda Sims, Liz Simcock and friends.

Hosted by Hylda Sims at the Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, London (Covent Garden tube).

Bards in the Bar Festival: July 5th (Caerleon)

Wednesday 05/07/06 - Saturday 08/07/06

Caerleon Arts Festival: Bards in the Bar.

A festival of poetry and pints featuring Newport City Poet Goff Morgan, a Poetry Slam and a workshop. Held at The Bell Inn, Caerleon.

For details contact 01633 420613 or visit www.thebellatcaerleon.co.uk