My Poetry Summer on Fast Forward

It’s been over 3 months since my last post.  I’d begun to fear I might never blog again, so here’s a rundown on what I’ve been up to, poetry-wise, this summer, since my day at Sheffield poetry festival.  And I’ll try very hard not to make this post over-long.

Festivals:  I read some of my poems in short guest mic spots at Leamington peace festival, Simon Says… festival in Leicester and Strawberry Fields festival in Heather, Leics.

Leamington peace festival
photo credit: Barry Patterson

Strawberry Fields spoken word stage

Poetry Workshops: Staffs poet laureate Mal Dewhirst’s at Tamworth library and John Siddique’s as part of Oakham literary festival.

Poetry Open Mic nights: Lichfield’s Poetry Alight, compered by Gary Longden (a mecca for midlands poets, always a delight); Gary Carr’s Spoken Worlds in Burton-on-Trent (relaxed atmosphere, intimate setting, the hubby’s favourite poetry night out); Word! at the ‘Y’, Leicester (eclectic mix of open mics, recent guest poets Tiffany Atkinson and Cherry Smyth both fab).

Poetry Day out: The Fizz, as part of Stafford festival (a pleasure to read with fellow poets, catch up with (same) friends, meet others and hear readings by Young Laureate candidates).

Poetry party: home from Stafford via Derby for an evening hosted by the lovely Seema and Richard Heley at their art studio/home in Derby (friends, food, poetry, music, improvisation to a backdrop of beautiful artworks).

Towards freelance: I’ve undertaken opportunities to shadow/volunteer at local arts for health workshops/groups.  In the process I’ve learned some ukulele chords, sung songs, laughed and drunk tea with a group of lovely ladies; created and screen-printed images inspired by lines of writing; ‘explored’ medieval Leicester; written a collaborative piece; done lots of typing up.  I also ran my very first poetry workshop, at the invitation of a local group – feedback suggests members enjoyed themselves as much as I did.  And I’ve been invited to return in the new year.

Coming up: I’m really looking forward to co-running a rebellious writing workshop, Make Love Not War, on Friday 4th October, with Leicester’s very own Tim ‘Bombdog’ Sayers, as part of the city’s Everybody’s Reading Week.  Along with four other Leicester poets, I’m exhibiting two poems as part of Drawing on Words, an exhibition by the Leicester Society of Artists.  Click here for audio clips and PDFs of all the poems.  This runs at New Walk Museum & Art Gallery from 14th Dec 2013 to 11th Jan 2014.  And – video footage of me reading my Sin É poem is also in the pipeline, as part of a film featuring poems by a local group.

Saving the best:

I’m delighted to announce that my debut pamphlet will be published by Soundswrite Press in autumn 2014.  The journey so far has been an educational and, at times, a sobering one; exciting and nerve-wracking by turns.  I’m all too aware that I have to ‘get it right’ – the best poems in the best order.  There’s absolutely no place for lesser poems to hide…

2012: year-to-view

According to WordPress, since moving here on 15th January, my blog has received 6,300 views over 49 posts, with visitors from 46 countries.  That’s the number stuff dealt with.  Here’s a more interesting take (I hope) on my poetry year:

This year I’ve ventured beyond Leicester to discover the delights of open mic nights across the Midlands: Poetry Alight in Lichfield, Nightblue Fruits in Coventry, The Fizz in Polesworth and Spoken Worlds in Burton-on-Trent.  Each has its own formula for success, its unique character, thanks to Gary Longden, Antony Owen, Mal Dewhirst and Gary Carr respectively.  I’ve enjoyed meeting up with friends, making new ones and hearing readings by a wide range of featured poets.  Word! at the ‘Y’ and Ping…K! Poetry continue to nurture and surprise.  Leicester Shindig remains a diary ‘must’ – four featured poets, high quality of open mic readings.

My poetry diet has been enriched by attending readings from Ian McMillan, Michael Horovitz, Marianne Boruch, Jackie Kay and Jo Shapcott, amongst others.

Favourite nights out: the Crystal Clear Creators pamphlet launch, my tiny exhibit launch with Galleri Gestur and guest reading at Ping…K! Poetry, Carol Ann Duffy’s reading at Leicester University as part of Literary Leicester week.

Great days: States of Independence at De Monfort University, the Lichfield Festival, Dig the Poetry at Polesworth Abbey and a guided tour of Polesworth’s Poetry Trail.

An impromptu half term getaway: the Hay Festival (even the wet Welsh weather couldn’t put a dampener on readings by Gillian Clarke, Phillip Gross and Ben Okri et al).

Best workshop: Cathy Grindrod’s Creative Development Workshop for shortlisted candidates of Writing East Midlands’ mentorship programme really helped me identify and refine my writing goals for the next twelve months.

Social support network: I’m continually grateful for the support and friendship of fellow poets at Soundswrite, Leicester and South Leics stanzas.  Workshopping my poems remains an essential part of the writing process.  (And friends on Facebook, Twitter and blogs for links, laughs and so much more).

Behind the scenes: writing, writing, writing, submissions, the odd published poem in journals and online.

The highlight of my poetry year: the five inspirational days spent in Cork as part of the Twin City Poetry Exchange: Paul Casey’s welcome and tireless hosting, our O’Bheal guest readings in Cork and Limerick, visits to Grange Stone Circle and Cobh, and the company of fellow poet Janet Smith.

2013: looking forward: my featured poet reading at Leicester Shindig on 14th January (am thrilled) and a half term getaway: a two-day poetry course on the north-west coast (can’t wait).

Wishing you all the very best in health and happiness for 2013.

Twin City Poetry Exchange: 15th -17th August

We spent Tuesday exploring Cork city sights under our own steam and ended the day by taking in a trad music session at a  local pub.  Warm weather, walked miles.

On Wednesday morning we met the Lord Mayor again, this time at his city chambers.  We had our photograph taken by the city’s crest and learnt a little of the commercial, political and cultural history of Cork.  We then stayed for the launch of Culture Night (Fri 21st Sept), a national initiative to promote Irish culture.

Right to left: yours truly, Rt Hon John Buttimer, Janet Smith, Paul Casey

On the way to our reading in Limerick we visited the Neolithic Grange Stone Circle at Lough Gur, the largest stone circle in Ireland.  The area, unaffected by the last Ice Age, has been inhabited for at least 5,500 years. Atmospheric.

After an Italian meal in Limerick, we arrived at The White House for our second reading of the week.  Tom McCarthy is the new MC of this weekly event comprising open mic and guest poets.

Amongst the open mics:

Paul Casey’s love poem, Blue Roses (click here and scroll down to read. Or why not read the complete interview and the poems that follow, including my favourite, Marsh, about his native Cork).

Ed O’Dwyer read three poems.  I was particularly taken with The Chip Shop (love/lust) and Conversation with a Daisy.  A talented young wordsmith, O’Dwyer has a forthcoming collection from Salmon Poetry in 2013.

Marion O’Rourke’s Visa Photo, inspired by a visit to Iran, was my favourite poem of the evening.  She begins, ‘This face is not mine,’ with its ‘red-peppered lips,’ ‘green scarf to cover old roots’ and its ‘anger-thick angles.’  In War’s Daughter, she writes, ‘[the bomb] stole her toes and swapped her legs for flaming sticks.’

My guest reading followed.  The atmosphere: intimate.  The response: warm.  I left the mic with the feeling that my poems were well received.

Janet Smith’s reading included: The Hooded Children, ‘cheap cotton shrugged around rain-soaked shoulders’; Flares, a journey of reminiscence from split cords to punk drainpipes, Reclaim the Night and Greenham Common, wearing ‘cruise missiles in our hair,’ ‘stamping on toys for the boys…embroidering our breath with our friends.’  Crafted poems, strong delivery.

There was ample time at the end of the evening to meet and talk to most of the audience/open mic poets before the drive back to Cork.

On Thursday we enjoyed locally-sourced food and copious amounts of Earl Grey tea at the English Market – a meeting place for city poets, great for people watching.  We then visited Cobh/Queenstown.  From here, ‘coffin ships’ transported convicts to the New World,  Irish emmigrants left for Ellis Island, the Titanic made her last port of call on her ill-fated maiden voyage and the Lucitania was torpedoed just off the harbour.  Excellent walk-through exhibition.

Annie Moore and her brothers, the first Irish immigrants admitted through Ellis Island on 1st Jan 1982.

We then went on to the tiny beach at Myrtleville: the wet and wild weather added to its allure.

Ravenous after all that fresh sea air, we polished off a second main meal, this time at the Quay Co-op vegetarian restaurant.  My food mountain: onion tart, spiced roast potatoes and mixed vegetables in turmeric.  Delicious.

Back to the B & B (before midnight, this time) to pack, to bed, warm and cosy, to read,write, dream.

Friday saw us at Cork airport by 10 AM, saying our goodbyes to Paul.  His Irish hospitality and tireless efforts as host made for a wonderful and inspiring visit. We left,  looking forward to November, when Paul and the other Cork poets visit Coventry.

Twin City Poetry Exchange: Mon 13th August

It has been a delight and an honour to visit Cork this week as part of the annual Twin City Poetry Exchange, with fellow poet, Janet Smith.

Cork poet, Paul Casey, gave us a warm welcome at the airport, transported us to our home-away-from-home B & B with the very lovely Finbarr and Marion, arranged our guest poet readings and gave generously of his time during the week to show us some of the local sights of interest.

Paul is the founder and organiser of Ó Bhéal (meaning from the mouth or by word of mouth) which provides weekly guest poet readings and open mic, and co-hosts annual exchange visits between Cork and Coventry poets, the forging and fostering of poetry links and friendships which constitute the Twin City project.

As honorary Coventrians for 2012, Janet and I were guest readers at Monday’s event.  The venue: upstairs in The Hayloft Bar of The Long Valley, Winthrop Street.  Lord Mayor of Cork, The Right Honourable John Buttimer was present for the early part of the evening which included the Five Word Challenge: a level playing field in which all present are given 10 minutes to write a poem incorporating five words provided at random by those gathered.  These are then read out at the mic, the winner being the poet who receives the loudest applause.

I began my guest reading with my self-penned effort (‘nough said) followed by my planned repertoire. The response: genuine, I think; I could sense which poems went down best.  In this city of poets, applause doesn’t seem to be given gratuitously.  I liked that.

Janet’s reading followed; I could now relax and enjoy her fine words and delivery, including some of my favourites of hers.

Then followed the open mic; poets from Spain, Italy and France as well as regulars, with poems in a range of styles.  Antonella Zagaroli, a poet from Rome, read from her Selected Poems, Mindskin, with Jennifer Matthews translating.  We were also treated to the wit of Conor McManus, one of the two Cork poets who will be on the exchange visit to Coventry in November.

O Bheal reading: MC, Paul Casey and audience

Midnight.  The end of the event, but not the evening, as we went on to a late night wine bar with several of the local poets: we chatted, drank, eventually left by taxi around 2.30 AM…

The Fizz

Tuesday 24th July: our first visit to The Fizz at Polesworth Abbey.  

Hosted by Mal Dewhirst, this bi-monthly poetry and spoken word event takes place in the abbey’s refectory, readers standing in front of the fireplace where Drayton, Donne, Jonson (and possibly the Great Bard) once warmed themselves.

Terri Jolland, one of the Polesworth Poetry Trail poets, was the evening’s guest performer.  Her prose and poetry reflect her sense of humour, zest for life, love of family, and her various interests.  Poems included:  The Dressmaker, a tribute to her mother whom she now envisages ‘sewing wings on angels’ and ‘riding the clouds’ on her Harley Davidson; a poem of firsts for her firstborn son, written in rhyming couplets; Margaret, for her daughter, employing jewel imagery to describe a precious newborn; Ladies of the Wood, her Polesworth Trail poem.  Terri also writes collaboratively with her husband, Ray; they read a sketch as Will Shakespeare and his wife, interweaving their own words with Bard-penned quotes for comic effect.

Amongst the open mics:

– Margaret Tor’s telling of an ancient tale from the tundra had a spellbinding effect upon her audience.

– Gary Carr’s Clay Mills Pumping Station, which I admired at last Friday’s Spoken Worlds (and, I now know, is written in trochiac tetrameter).

– Barry Patterson read three summer poems of light, reflection and barefoot days; punchy rhythm.

– Gemma Hogg delivered a confident reading of four poems, hot on the heels of her open mic debut at this month’s Poetry Alight. Legoland describes a certain housing estate where ‘technology sucks life out of the robots who reside there.’

– Dee Costello read three poems on the theme of leave-taking as a prelude to Remembering You with its lingering sweetness of friendship after parting.

Yours truly, reading in front of the auspicious fireplace

Next The Fizz date: Sat 8th Sept

Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to returning to Polesworth on Friday for David Calcutt’s Dig the Poetry workshop and to explore the Poetry Trail (watch this space).

Spoken Worlds

Friday 20th July saw our first visit to this monthly spoken word open mic event, ably hosted by Gary Carr in the upstairs room of The Old Cottage Tavern, Burton-on-Trent.

The formula: an evening in three halves (Gary’s words); relaxed, congenial atmosphere; diversity of spoken word styles; live music; quality sound system; breaks for chat and drinks from the bar.

Being able to sign up for three slots gives performers the opportunity to showcase a range of styles/themes/moods at the open mic.  Added to the mix were penned songs with guitar accompaniment, fiddle and melodeon tunes. ( I love how each event has its own character and recipe for success).

Yours truly at the open mic.

Some of the highlights from my notebook:

Terri Jolland’s Paint it Black: a piece about her son’s penchant for the colour (title taken from the Rolling Stones’ song).

Margaret Tor’s Magnificat, in praise of a friend’s forgiveness (after ‘pouring her heart into an envelope’).

Tom Wyre’s Autumn’s Funeral under a ‘tangerine and satsuma-sprayed sky.’

Gary Carr’s Clay Mills Pumping Station, a hymn to Staffordshire: superbly crafted.

There were moments of hilarity, too, including Rob Stevens’ sung rant about cyclists in the Peak District, in danger of ‘finding his carbon footprint on their seats.’

Cherries on the cake of my evening were two poems by Chesterfield poet, Tony Keeton:

– ink still wet, The Rules: of games children play, learning the ways of the adult world,  revolutions, history revolving: sparsity of language used to striking effect.

– Donner Und Blitzen: hilarious kebab poem by a veggie: read it here.

For a detailed account of the evening, read Gary Longden’s excellent review here.

Next Spoken Worlds night: Friday 24th August

PS: Terri Jolland is guesting at The Fizz, next Tuesday at Polesworth Abbey.

Leicester Shindig: May 21st

Always a diary highlight, my abiding favourite regular poetry night out.

Amongst the open mics:

Caroline Cook’s ‘Weekly Workout’ was a wry take on poetry workshops (ah, those inevitable games of Guess the Poet…).  Not afraid to experiment with styles and voices, I always look forward to hearing/reading her poems.  Richard Byrt’s ‘Coming Out’: wonderful example of ‘less is more.’  I loved the assonance.  Jonathan Taylor’s ‘Mozart’s Clarinet Sextet’: hilarious – I want to hear it again!  Gary Longden’s ‘Majorca’: a tribute to John Cooper Clarke – rhythm, rhyme and humour.  Roy Marshall’s ‘Relic’: an animal bone found on a woodland walk gives rise to contemplating our skeleton and ‘temporary skin’ – haunting last line.  Kathy Bell’s ‘Prayers Requested of an Anchorite’ from a sequence of poems, ‘Balance Sheets for Medieval Spinsters.’  Lindsay Waller-Wilkinson’s ‘Seaham’ – I loved this reworking from the original prose for its soundplay and internal rhymes.

Feature Poets:

C J Allen writes the poems many of us wish we’d written and his reading most certainly did not disappoint.  I purchased his newly-launched collection, At the Oblivion Tea-Rooms (Nine Arches Press) and it’s queue-jumped everything on my reading pile.

Alistair Noon’s Earth Records (Nine Arches), also launched this week, is the poet’s debut collection after publishing nine pamphlets.  Read more here.  Also a Longbarrow poet, listen to soundcloud tracks here.

Ira Lightman, reading in place of Julie Boden, gave a hugely entertaining rendition of poems across several collections as well as new work, amongst which ‘Air on a G String’ was my favourite.  (And the poet’s vivid image of his gents’ loo view: t-shirt print John Lennon sporting a urinating appendage from his Adam’s apple, a lasting impression…).

Robert Richardson, Imagist poet and visual artist, closed the evening.  I especially enjoyed ‘Prose and Poetry’: the former, justified; the latter, troublesome words that, on release, murder you in your sleep.

Next Leicester Shindig: Monday 16th July 2012.