Needlewriters poets & that pesky CW MA

Wonderful evening at the Needlewriters in Lewes last night, with Maria Jastrzebska and Andrea Samuelson reading their poetry. Both read very movingly. Maria’s new collection ‘At the Library of Memories’ is just out from Waterloo Press, and Maria gave it an intriguing introduction by saying the memories were not only hers, but those of herRead more ⟶

Ten Voice Stanza tonight…

It’s been a few months in the planning, so Jo and I are hoping we’ve thought of everything – ha ha! If you’re in the area, do come along to Ten Voice Stanza – doors 7.30, starting at 8pm, ten members of Brighton Poetry Stanza reading their work, plus open mic opportunities. It’s at theRead more ⟶

January’s off to a great start

Happy New Year! I’m particularly upbeat about 2013 – already there are lots of positive things going on in both work and play (not sure where poetry sits on that spectrum but I’m doing my best to blue the edges, little by little.) On New Year’s Eve I had an email from Helen Ivory toRead more ⟶

Poetry reading on January 17th

The workshopping group that I go to in Brighton is holding an event, Ten Voice Stanza, on Thursday 17th January. If you are anywhere in the vicinity, please come – and tell your friends! There are ten of us reading and we each have a maximum of 8 minutes, to allow some time for openRead more ⟶

The last Pighog night for 2012

Had a lovely evening last night at the Redroaster in Brighton, at Pighog’s last event of the season. As well as the winners of the Moss Rich competition, we had sets from Brendan Cleary and Robert Hamberger both of which I really enjoyed, and an eventful open mic, more about which later. Brendan (who I’dRead more ⟶

Readings, launches, and the Carmen Rollers

  Lots of excitement in the past week. First of all, National Poetry Day and the launch of the Frogmore Press anthology Poems from the Old Hill on Thursday evening. It was standing room only as we’d all brought family and friends to cheer us on. It was fab to see some of my non-poetRead more ⟶

Pighog night in aid of breast cancer charity

A very good evening yesterday at the Redroaster in Brighton: always lovely to hear Charlotte Gann reading, including some of the goodies familiar to me from her pamphlet ‘The Long Woman’ and some new poems I’d had the privilege of seeing ‘in development’. And she looks so striking under the lights! The photo is takenRead more ⟶

Please do not put me on after 9.30pm

The autumn poetry scene has swung into action. On Wednesday evening Clare Best hosted an evening of readings at the Needlemakers – something enjoyable from all the readers, a good mix including Jackie Wills, John Davies and Clare herself. I enjoyed it all but I do tend to very suddenly have a concentration crash atRead more ⟶

Brighton Pecha Kucha Night

Last Friday I was one of the presenters at Pecha Kucha Night at the Lighthouse in Brighton. If you’re not familiar with what it’s all about: Pecha Kucha (or PK for short, let’s say) apparently approximates to the Japanese for ‘chit chat’, and it was devised by a firm of american architects based in Japan, whoRead more ⟶