PUREandGOODandRIGHT in Leamington Spa this MONDAY 21st August

The venue for this open mic poetry night is a chic bar/restaurant called TOYK on Warwick Street in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. I will be reading/performing as will guest poet PETER WYTON and a whole host of other Midlands poetry stars!

Bring your poems, plus some money for the bar. Easy parking in adjacent streets.

7.30pm kick-off this Monday night, 21st August.

Sheffield poetry readings: TODAY at 8pm

Saturday 19 August

Jesse Glass with Andy Hirst and David Kennedy

8pm at the Rutland Arms, 86 Brown Street, Sheffield. £3/£1.50 concs.

West House Books in association with Broken Compass Press presents a
reading by Jesse Glass to launch his collection 'The Passion of Phineas
Gage and Selected Poems', together with readings by Andy Hirst and David
Kennedy.

London Poetry Festival: Wednesday 23rd August

The second London Poetry Festival 2006 is taking place next week!

23rd August, Wednesday, 6:30-10:30 pm
Vanburgh Theatre
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA)
62-64 Gower Street
London WC1E 6ED
(Nearest tube: Goodge Street, Buses: 10, 24, 73, 134, 390 stopping at Gower Street. Entrance via Malet Street)

For tickets please call RADA Box Office on on 020 7908 4800.

For further information please visit www.poetsletter.com and browse through the Festival Pages. Or call 020 7556 7052 0r 07931 357 109 or email Editor@poetsletter.com

Speakeasy, Nottingham: Wednesday 16th August

Complex Trout Productions and The Alley Cafe present

speakeasy 52: performance poetry and spoken word

@ The Alley Cafe, 1a Cannon Court, Nottingham (opposite Angel Row Library)
Wednesday 16th August, 2006
8pm onwards
FREE
floor spots available

with special guest
Tim Turnbull
Host: Steve Carroll

Speakeasy returns to the Alley this month with a star from the performance poetry firmament. Tim Turnbull has been performing his poetry since 1994, and was awarded the Arts Foundation's Performance Poetry Fellowship (the first of its kind) in January this year after a performance with four other nominees at London's South Bank Centre. He will be the Writer in Residence at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival for 2006, and has been nominated for the Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection in this year's Forward Prize with his book Stranded In Sub-Atomica. A must-see live. We also have open floor spots available and the raffle is once again looking splendid. Hope to see you there.

Trout

www.myspace.com/complextrout
www.timturnbull.co.uk

North Beach Nights Poetry Slam: Thursday August 24th

North Beach Nights Poetry Slam
continues on Thursday August 24th at 9pm in BK's Winebar, Spanish Parade, Galway
with special guest performer: Brendan Murphy
and guest MC: Mags Treanor

Admission: 4 Euro

Brendan Murphy is 2006 Cúirt Grand Slam Winner
(and winner of the July North Beach Nights Slam.)
Brendan is gearing up for his perfomance trip to
the Green Mill in Chicago and other U.S. venues.

This will be our opportunity to get him live before he takes off
for the States and to give him our full encouragement and support.

The Slam follows the usual format and is open to everyone. Please bring two max. three minute performance pieces and be there early to get your name down. The prize for the winner is the honour and a bottle of red wine generously donated by BK's Winebar.

Coming events:
September 21: Guest Poet Michael D. Higgins
Guest MC Dave Lordan

October 19: Guest Poet Louis De Paor
Guest MC Niall McCarthy

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

info: john 091 593290

Readers' & Writers' Day: Cumbria, Saturday 19th August

Cumbria Readers' and Writers' Day
Cumbria County Council's Library Service is inviting budding bards to Bassenthwaite's beautiful Higham Hall for a special readers and writers day with some of the region's best poets.

The county council's 'Write Read' event, which takes place from 9:00am to 5:00pm on Saturday 19 August, is an exciting opportunity for anyone with a passion for poetry to take part in readings, discussions and workshops with local literary luminaries Marvyn Cheeseman, Meg Peacocke, Jacob Polley and John Siddique.

Poetry in motion is also being provided in the form of a mobile library which will give people the chance to become Library Service members as well as offering the chance to browse and borrow from a wide selection of books.

Councillor Roger Bingham, Cumbria County Council's Cabinet member responsible for libraries, says the Write Read event is a great way for people to indulge their love of literature. "This is wonderful opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the region's best poets in the beautiful surroundings of Higham Hall. For the Library Service it is a good way to reach out to potential new members and display just a small selection of the growing range of books and other items which are available to borrow from libraries across the county," he said.

The cost of the day is £25 and includes lunch and free entry in a special literary quiz with the chance to win a £25 book token.

Bookings should be sent to:

The Write Read, Grange over Sands Library
Grange Fell Road
Grange over Sands
LA11 6BQ

William Park at The Mill, Saturday August 12th

WILLIAM PARK, GREGORY-AWARD POETRY WINNER AND AUTHOR OF SURFACING (SPIKE PRESS) WILL BE APPEARING AT:-

The Mill, Thornton, near Poulton-le-Fylde, 5-6pm, Saturday August 12th. Entrance: £2.50

The Mill is the largest fan-tail Windmill in Europe. A blues band will be on in the courtyard earlier, and, after William's event, people can have a meal at the nearby restaurant also in the courtyard area. The bookshop opposite the Mill will have copies of William's book SURFACING, which he will sign.

This event is a new venture - MOUTH, MOOD and MAGAZINES - where William will talk entertainingly about some of his experiences over the last 20 years in the poetry 'world', will read poems from his book SURFACING, and conclude with an informative part on literary magazines, in his role as Magazine Listings Editor for INCWRITERS www.incwriters.com

Poets' Cafe in Reading: Friday 18th August

Undeterred by the fact that it's summer and most sensible poetry people are in hiding or on holiday, or both, Poets' Cafe in Reading is bravely going ahead with its August slot this month. Here are the details:

Friday 18th August – Poets’ Café, South Street Arts Centre, Reading.

This month’s special guest is Myra Schneider (www.esch.dircon.co.uk/) There’s the usual open mic opportunities for people and poets on the night and everyone's lovely, according to MC & organiser AF HARROLD.

Poetry at Herne Hill: Friday 18th August

Friday 18 August at Island Arts Studio, Herne Hill

Susie Gordon will be launching her first collection of poems Peckham Blue, the remarkable story of the discovery of her biological family in South London. In support Inua Ellams, Maggie Sullivan and young Cumbrian poet Emma McGordon. You can buy Peckham Blue for £4 on the night or online.

Penned in the Margins: further information

Breaking' Out at the Masque Bar, London: Wednesday 16th August

Wednesday 16 August---Breakin' Out


MESSAGE FROM JAMES O'NUANAIN:

Upstairs at the Masque Bar Barbican, 1–5 Long Lane, EC1A. If you're coming by tube, turn right out the station, walk around the corner and it's straight in front of you.

Entrance is £3 the show starts at 20.00 come along and sign up for a floor spot from 19.30 onwards. Bar closes late.

Niall Spooner-Harvey will be plugging his new book and delighting us with samples of his literary talent.

Joe Campbell will be Bob Dylaning it with harmonica and guitar. Bring your own kazoo.

And bring a coat, the air conditioning kicks ass.

Spoken Word in Hartlepool: Thursday 3rd August

Boulder-Dash
Summerhill, Hartlepool
Thursday 3 Aug 2006
Outdoor spoken word event. Join writers from Hartlepool's Word Lab for an
evening of original writing, music, sketches, and performance at local
nature reserve Summerhill Boulders.

For the time of this event and other fascinating details, please visit www.literaturenortheast.co.uk/events

Live Poetry in the Midlands this week

NIGHT BLUE FRUIT: Tuesday 1st August at the Tin Angel in Spon Street, Coventry: 8pm (?) launch of 4 new collections of poetry from local press Heaventree, plus Open Mic as usual


WORD: Wednesday 2nd August at Bambu in Leicester. 7.30pm (?), an Open Mic with a guest poet slot. Don't know who the guest is this month, alas, as the Leicester arts/lit events email arrives in the first few days of the month, so the Word event has usually occurred by the time it arrives. How's that for organisation!?


SIX OF THE BEST: Wednesday 2nd August, Birmingham Library Theatre, 7.30pm, central Birmingham near the Rep Theatre and the Eye wheel, six of the best poets in the Midlands performing on stage for only a fiver (or FREE if you're active in live poetry in the Midlands). Two hour event.

Poems & Pints in Cheltenham: Saturday 29th July

This Saturday, 29th July, at Cheltenham College (in one of the cricket festival marquees) in Cheltenham:

POEMS & PINTS OPEN MIC WITH GUEST POETS

7.30pm start

Ann Drysdale, Bob Mee & others

Open mic spots available

Raffle and Bar

This is a fundraising event for 'Buzzwords at the Beehive', Cheltenham's only regular live poetry event.

Open Mic in Galway: Wednesday 26th July

Westside Arts Festival: Poets & Writers Corner

This event is to be held at Westside Library, Galway (off Seamus Quirke Road) on Wednesday 26 July, 7:00-8:00PM.

Open Mic night for all aspiring writers and poets to share their work, with readings by Kevin Higgins, Susan Millar DuMars, Margaret Cullagh and Eamon Kelly.

For further details contact Westside Library on 091 520616 or The Westside Arts Festival on 091 587691 or 087 2066190

GO-SLOW FOR SUMMER!

Please Note: This site is now officially on GO-SLOW FOR SUMMER. That means posts will be less regular, probably appearing either weekly or every four to five days rather than daily. This mirrors the general situation across the UK where live poetry slows down so that us hard-worked poets can head for the nearest beach, catch a few rays, smoke a few ... well, you get the general picture.

Normal service to resume around the start of September. But if you'd like your event to appear on this site, do please email me as usual. I am not dead, but sleeping.

Poets' Cafe in Reading: Friday 21st July

Friday 21st July
Poets’ Café at South Street Arts Centre, Reading.

With special guest poet Helen Farish, who will be gracing the Poets' Cafe with her presence and giving a reading alongside the usual open mic opportunities for the rest of the punters.

8pm doors, 8.30pm poetry. £6/£4 (or £5/£3 if they’ve not put the price up yet – it’s happening but AF Harrold doesn’t know when).

Speakeasy in Nottingham: Wednesday July 19th

Complex Trout Productions and The Alley Cafe present

speakeasy 51: performance poetry and spoken word

@ The Alley Cafe, 1a Cannon Court, Nottingham (opposite Angel Row Library)
Wednesday 19th July, 2006
8pm onwards
FREE
***floor spots available***

with special guest
Sara-Jane Arbury
Host: Steve Carroll

It's summer at the Alley, and this month we're aiming to be in the alley enjoying the evening with fantastic guest Sara-Jane Arbury and lots of you lovely people. Cool beer, smoothies, crisp white wine, cocktails and Nottingham's longest running, most entertaining performance poetry night. Free (at least the poetry is...). Does it get much better? We'll be there with our 51st raffle and our 51st selection of rabble rousing anecdotage. There are floor spots available if you're early, and seats for your tired legs. Why not come down and soak up the summer evening with us? You know it makes summer sense. Hope to see you there. Did we mention that it's summer? All together now - Heatwave...

London Irish Centre Reading: Thursday July 20th

Thursday 20 July
Poetry Reading
Paddy Bushe, Simon Barraclough, Mick Delap, Vivienne Fogle, Beatrice
Garland, Luke Heeley & Liane Strauss
The London Irish Centre
50/52 Camden Square
London NW1
8pm (Bar open at 7.00) tickets 5.00 Concs 3.00

Tube Camden Town Northern Line, Overground Camden Road Silverlink, Bus 29
253 274 31

Reminder: QI Club Open Mic in Oxford this week

Tuesday 18th July
8pm
£5 entry
Quiet It’s… Hammer & Tongue at the QI Club, Oxford.

Guest Poets & Open Mic Poetry & Sophisticated Drinks & Glorious Food

AF HARROLD SAYS:
"One of Oxford’s most sophisticated poetry open mic nights, with a feature spot this month from Baba Brinkman and his Rap Canterbury Tales. It’s at the QI Club in Turl Street in the town centre, kicks off by 8pm and costs £5 to get in. Go along, they’re nice folk there. As far as I’m aware this is the last Hammer & Tongue event of the summer in Oxford (I don’t know about Brighton), so don’t go along to any after this until September or you might find yourself alone."


LOCATION: QI Club, Turl Street, Oxford
Turl Street links Broad Street and the High Street in Oxford. Broad Street is where Blackwell's huge bookshop is, just down from the King's Arms. The QI Club is a swish-looking bookshop with bars/club rooms, opposite the extremely useful row of cashtills at the Broad Street end of Turl Street. Just step in armed with a fiver and some poems, you'll be fine.


--------------------

Coffee House Poetry in London: Monday 17th July

"please lock me away"...a themed poetry-party
Locks and keys, bolts and window bars, shackles and chains, dungeons, keeps and high towers have long fascinated storytellers, dramatists, filmmakers, songwriters & poets

Monday 17 July 2006
8pm
at The Troubadour Coffee-House, 265 Old Brompton Road, London SW5

at Coffee-House Poetry, PO Box 16210, LONDON, W4 1ZP
or e-mail: CoffPoetry@aol.com

The publicity material for this event says:

"...from Rapunzel, Tennyson?s Lady of Shallott, Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo, Dante's Ugolino and Dickens' Dr. Manette, the gaol writings of Bunyan, Wilde, Papillon, Gide and Cheever, Burt Lancaster in The Bird-Man of Alcatraz and Akhmatova waiting outside Leningrad prison for 17 months... to astounding escapes in The Wind in the Willows, Michael Collins, The Wooden Horse, Colditz, Great Expectations...

Come and listen to guest poets with their own and others' favourite poetic imprisonments & escapes, real or imaginary, actual & emotional, listen to some low-down prison blues and try our Alcatraz prize-quiz (with time off for good marks...)

Readings MONDAYS from 8 to 10 pm, tickets £5.50 concessions £4.50,
season tickets 40% off...
cheques payable to Coffee-House Poetry, no credit cards

265 Old Brompton Road LONDON SW5
nr. junct. Earls Court Rd & Old Brompton Rd
nearest Tube station: Earls Court (District & Piccadilly Lines)
for information, advance booking, season ticket & mailing list enquiries,
phone 020-8354 066

Open Mic Poetry in Leamington Spa with Jane 'MC Virgin' Holland this Monday!

PUREANDGOODANDRIGHT

presents

Open Mic Poetry
in Leamington Spa!

This Month’s Guest Poet Kei Miller, with Guest MC, Jane Holland

Come and share YOUR poems:
all styles, all standards,
seasoned performer or open mic virgin,
all are welcome ...

or just come, listen and ENJOY! at TOYK 102a Warwick Street, Leamington Spa

Bar and Kitchen: Free admission!
Relaxed atmosphere + great food
+ fine wine, chill at the bar
or call 01926 882249
to book a table for a great evening out

Monday 17th July 2006, 7.30pm


REMEMBER! Poetry Discussion Forum: POETS ON FIRE Forum
Register today at the Poets on Fire forum - it takes less than 3 minutes and is completely free!

Glasgow readings this Wednesday, 12th July

This Wednesday, 12th July, there will be readings by the poets Stephen Vincent (Stephen's blog) and Peter Manson (Peter's website) at 'Mono', 12 King's Court, King Street, Glasgow. The evening starts at 8.30pm for 9pm.

Find more information about Mono here.

QI Club, Oxford: Tuesday 18th July

Tuesday 18th July
8pm
Quiet It’s… Hammer & Tongue at the QI Club, Oxford.

AF HARROLD SAYS:
"One of Oxford’s most sophisticated poetry open mic nights, with a feature spot this month from Baba Brinkman and his Rap Canterbury Tales. It’s at the QI Club in Turl Street in the town centre, kicks off by 8pm and costs £5 to get in. Go along, they’re nice folk there. As far as I’m aware this is the last Hammer & Tongue event of the summer in Oxford (I don’t know about Brighton), so don’t go along to any after this until September or you might find yourself alone."


LOCATION:
Turl Street links Broad Street and the High Street in Oxford. Broad Street is where Blackwell's huge bookshop is, just down from the King's Arms. The QI Club is a swish-looking bookshop with bars/club rooms, opposite the extremely useful row of cashtills at the Broad Street end of Turl Street. Just step in armed with a fiver and some poems, you'll be fine.

Catweazle Club: every Thursday in Oxford

The Catweazle Club: EVERY THURSDAY, 8pm, at the East Oxford Community Centre, corner of Cowley Road & Princes' Street, Oxford.

Oxford's legendary performing arts club

An intimate and magical space for musicians, singers, poets, storytellers and performance artists of every imaginable hue, who grace the stage every Thursday night. A chance to sit, to listen, to connect, to inspire and to be inspired …


Website: Catweazle Club.

Poet's Letter: Monday 10th July

Poet's Letter Magazine Poetry Performance and Live Music

will be taking place at the Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street (nearest tube: Covent Gardent) tomorrow night @ 7 p.m (Monday, 10th of July).

Poets performing will include: Munayem Mayenin, Roi Kwabena, Maggie Sullivan (Poet in Residence for July), Nnorom Azuonye and Johnny Vallong in music. As usual there will be an Open Mic available for poets & performers.

People who would like to subscribe the Print Magazine can do so at the Poetry Cafe Reading.