Category Archives: Behind the Arras Reviews

“It’s in the reach of my arms, the span of my hips, the stride of my step, the curl of my lips.I’m a woman, phenomenally .Phenomenal woman ,that’s me.” So quoted host Jan Watts, current Birmingham Poet Laureate, from acclaimed … Continue reading →

This event was sponsored by Nine Arches Press, publishers of Krystanovic’s latest and posthumous collection , Moses’ Footsteps ,for which the evening was a launch. A Croatian national, he had lived in Birmingham since 1992 and studied Creative Writing at … Continue reading →

One of the pleasures of spoken word events is that you are never quite sure what you are going to hear when you turn up. This was no exception. The relationship between lyrics and poetry over the years has been … Continue reading →

Running successful poetry nights is not easy. Audiences take time and patience to build, and are fickle .If you don’t give them what they want, the venue will be empty next time around. So it is to Emma Pursehouse’s great … Continue reading →

This is now a well established event drawing competitors from as far away as Gloucester and Manchester. That success is down to the alchemy of Emma Purshouse’s pre show organisational skills , and the onstage charisma of co-hosts Marcus Moore … Continue reading →

The following poem is one I wrote on the day and is featured as the introductory voice-over. Ort cafe Where ink once mixed in chemical alchemy Folk and ideas now flow They come and go In babbling chatter Of this … Continue reading →

This was the inaugural evening of what is to be a monthly event which Behind the Arras was pleased to support. Normally to be an open mic, the first evening was launched by Liz Lefroy and Vuyelwa Carwin. Although Shropshire … Continue reading →

2012 has now well and truly dusted its boots off and made itself at home, and as January comes to a close so the first round of regular poetry events are completed. Establishing, and maintaining success, as a spoken word … Continue reading →

The vibrancy of poetry events around the Midlands is well documented in Behind the Arras, but nowhere does the poetic muse flourish more healthily than at Smoke and Mirrors in Malvern. Organised by Dee Davidson and Caitlin Belgard. This year … Continue reading →

THIS was Behind the Arras’s ridiculously belated first visit to The Drum, which is dedicated to developing and promoting contemporary art and culture of British African, Asian and Caribbean communities. Its ambitions are bold, as it strives to become a … Continue reading →