Splenetic rage consumes
Contorted faces
Blindly
Revenge retribution
Lifts angry fists
In time
Other’s sad misfortune
Drawing them in
Frenzy
Distant deeds far removed
Behind double doors
Seem close
Bared teeth hissing
Hate in lazy
Contempt
Guilty turned out to be
An apposite
Verdict
My interest in history, in what has gone before us, increases by the year, and Aston Hall has 400 years of history, of Civil War, of Kings, Queens and of intrigue. I was delighted to be part of the Write Down Speak up team, comprising Laura Yates, Kurly, Spoz, Maggie Doyle and Charlie Jordan on the day ,who descended upon this House to soak up the atmosphere write a few poems, inspire some others, listen to the contributions of others, and generally have a poetic day influenced by place.
It was fantastic to get children, staff, and visitors to write on the day offering a memorable poetic vox pop of proceedings. Not finely polished work, instead rough immediate responses to the surroundings.
The setting is odd. One of the finest surviving Jacobean mansions in the country, it is now hemmed in by decaying 1970’s housing, Victorian terraced streets, Aston Villa’s football ground and the elevated section of the Aston Expressway. There is much to write about, far too much for any single poem to tackle. To my delight it inspired me to write no fewer than six poems, a sequence, like real poets do!
I perform two poems on the video. The first, Alien Invasion in Aston can be heard as the second poem in on this video, performed by me,, as I liken Aston hall to a spaceship, so out of kilter is it with shat now surrounds it. The second is the penultimate Long Gallery on the video and describes the eponymous room which served as a contemporary gym, providing enclosed walking space for exercise- and gossip.
The four poems not performed on the video include Aston Hall, a cinq cinquaine which name-checks several notable aspects of the House. Visitors records the nasty side of the Holte family, their perverse pleasure in asking their servants to wait on wooden painted cut outs of aristocratic figures which they installed in their drawing room. I was surprised to discover that the deep dark finish of the wood in the Great Hall, and all around the house was not the colour of the original wood, instead it bore the stains of 400 years of living. Great Hall draws a parallel between that and how the colour of relationships can also alter without us noticing. Finally, The Groom to the Stool of the Kings is a piece of fun, based on truth. Introduced by a poem recorded in stone in the Great Hall where the servants would often assemble it is a light hearted look at the job of the groom whose job it was to literally take the Kings toilet to him from which the terms “throne” and “stool” endure.
The texts for each poem follow:
Alien Invasion in Aston
It is as if a spaceship had descended
A bloody great Jacobean one
Descending to destroy the muck and grime
The ugliness of what surrounds , calling time
On the careless buildings which abound
Squat and ugly temporary
Bland insipid monstrosities
That choke at its chimneys
And paw at its gates
Over run by mediocrity most ignominious of fates
A superior race with thought and care
With time to wonder what goes where
Should visit us fast
To conquer those who build not to last
For Holte and Watt were visionaries too
Not men for suffering architectural fools
Who allowed place and sightlines to be wrecked, blocked and mangled
All in the name of progress and new fangled
The alien forms would question the intelligence,
Of those who thought that the M6 had perspective relevance
To splendour and pride and artistic aesthetics
Not a bungled attempt at a modernising quick fix
So roll out your weapons and your powerful armouries
And flatten the offending to restore landscape harmonies.
Groom to the Stool of the King
(Inscription above the fireplace in front of which the servants dined)
If service be thy means to thrive
Thou must therein remain
Both silent faithful just and true
Content to take some pain
If love of virtue may allure
In hope of worldly gain
In fear of God may thee procure
To serve do not disdain
If you are groom to the stool of the king
Whenever his aides came beckoning
It was your task to produce his throne
A seat of which he called his own
For kings do not attend a lavatory
Instead they come to him you see
A noble regal affectation
Providing comfy defacation
And because sometimes before relief
His majesty would sup upon gold leaf
The groom would sift the contents rough and runny
As where there’s muck there’s always money
Aston Hall
Chestnuts
Grand avenue
A mile long colonnade
Such grandeur and flat bread in a
Nutshell
Great hall
Roaring fireplace
Hosting nobility
Impressing Kings in a room and
A half
Staircase
Shattered fragments
Blown by Parliament’s force
Munitions and splinters remain
In place
Secret
Tunnels and doors
To the church or beyond
Escape route from foul treachery
And fear
Tow’ring
Wealth and excess
In perfect symmetry
Subjugation and achievement
Glowers
The Long Gallery- Aston Hall
Where ladies pout whilst showing out
Escorted by husbands or young men
Where gossip slips from indiscreet lips
Of who, and what and when
With reports exchanged of Trafalgar or Waterloo
Or other tales of Empire derring-do
On the turn she might expose a heel, perhaps an ankle
Just a glimpse enough to make paramours thankful
Haughtily ignoring the gasps, the sighs
For really this was but light exercise
When outside rain might smudge a perfectly powdered nose
Or risk a stain on virgin white hose
When precipitation might flatten carefully coiffeured tresses
Or dampen the line of voluminous dresses
Which dipped, swept and ostentatiously swayed
At the distinguished , morning promenade
The Great Hall
I had imagined that it was always like this
Dark heavy hue on ancient panelling
Distinguished, authentic, imposing
Until a chipped fragment revealed the truth
Light bright vibrant oak
With bold veins
I looked again
Only then did I see the grimy layers
Of soot, touch, animal brush and repair
Veneers that accumulate
Disfigure, dull, sap
And I thought of us
Visitors
They stood silent, erect
Imperious figures by the fireplace
Standing, impassive, unmoved by the hearth’s heat
Mysterious, but of unquestionable social status
Their deportment and the cut of their cloth
Resplendent for all to see in high finery
Distinguished guests of Sir Thomas Holte
Welcome and revered visitors
Of an uncertain Parish
For whom places must be set
Cushions plumped
Rooms made ready
To whom deference, a bow and a curtsy was demanded
Accompanied by offers of refreshment
And hot baths
Not by way of hospitality
But of amusement
To the dummy boards
A Tokoloshe
Last week I had the privilege of learning about the tokoloshe from former Zimbabwe resident Afric McGlinchey. This has prompted some further research, with some interesting, and surprising results. By far the most intriguing was a Yahoo Answers page in which a South African resident poses a dilemma resulting from tokoloshe misbehaviour with his bride to be. It might be a joke, but there again, it might not…..
My future wife impregnated by the tokoloshe?
I am a Botswanan living in rural South Africa. I am planning to marry my third wife and I paid her family lobola of two oxen, 12 sheep and a hi-fi system. She is a virgin. I recently went home for a few weeks to visit my sick uncle and when I returned, my future wife told me she is pregnant, although we have not yet consummated. Her father says she was impregnated by a tokoloshe and that the only option would be for us to get married as soon as possible. I am worried because I do not want to be the father of a tokoloshe child, as I believe they are high maintenance. However, I am obligated to marry now because my future father in law has already sold the cattle and sheep to pay for his new dentures and to pay off some gambling debts. What should I do? I was hoping to make her my favourite wife, as my first wife has lost most of her teeth and is barren. However, the tokoloshe child is going to complicate things. I am a well-educated man and feel I do not deserve this women trouble. Do you think I should run away?
Vlakvark Chabalala
Best Answer – Chosen by Asker
This is a very difficult question. It is important to know exactly why the tokoloshe was attracted to your wife. As you know, the tokoloshe could not have got into your wife’s orifice if the bed was high enough off the ground, and if you did not check that the bed was high off the ground, it is your fault. Tokoloshe have very, very long penises, about as long as the span of a man’s both arms. They can move them, like snakes, and they will get into your hole if you do not put your bed up.
Did your wife say that she saw the tokoloshe? If she did, you must get rid of her, because he will be back to make her pay for talking. She must not say that, or it will be very bad for her. My old friend Chitepo saw a tokoloshe, and told everyone, and he was killed by the tokoloshe who was working for the Rhodesians. So you see how dangerous it is.
I would run away. You will lose your lobola, but it is only a few sheep. Two cows is nothing, but I understand about the hi-fi. But if you think of money now, it is not that much, but a tokoloshe child who is not yours for twelve years, that is a lot of money.
What tribe is your future wife? Perhaps the N’anga could be persuaded to help?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081117050051AAf2gvN
Tokoloshe proof bed
This was the last event in the 2011 season for Fizz, and featured the second live performance of the Cork Poets on tour with a radio appearance still to come. The move from the Refectory to the Tithe Barn was a success with the more intimate and comfortable surroundings accommodating a good turn -out, and was a credit to organisers Mal Dewhirst and Antony R Owen. The presence of several newcomers to Fizz was particularly welcome both in welcoming the guests and in providing some new voices to the second half open mic section.
Following their Coventry appearance, the Cork Poets read fresh material, with Afric McGinchley opening up the evening in very strong style. She introduced us to the Zimbabwe Tokoloshe. Zimbabwe’s Tokoloshe is large, covered in fur with long talons and a bony spine reaching all the way down its back from the top of its skull with glowing red eyes and emits a foul stench, speaking in a rasping voice. Fear of them is such that many people will not sleep on the floor, and will raise their beds higher by placing bricks underneath the legs. This enables them to see one hiding underneath the bed before they retire for the night. There’s a good reason to fear a Tokoloshe – it is claimed they will climb into the bed with the inhabitant and bite off a sleeping man’s toes and have their wicked, Tokoloshe way, with the women. Some people will not even mention the name Tokoloshe for fear of summoning this extremely unwelcome guest. A person can summon one to inflict harm upon another, and if this happens then a Nyanga – witchdoctor – may intervene and chase the evil being away. Only the victim and the culprit dealing with it can see a Tokoloshe, apart from children.
So when the farm workers on Afric’s farm downed tools because of the presence of a Tokoloshe, this was bad news both for the collection of the harvest and the well being of the farm workers, time to call in the Nyanga to resolve the situation, and for Afric to write Exorcism about the incident. Raw material does not get much better than that. The poem was fabulous. What impressed me most about her was the versatility of her writing. The emotion of her poem to her son leaving home captivated the room ,complete with plaintive cry to “ grab the tender moments”, Yes a stream of consciousness poem about a young virgin’s first sexual encounter was erotic and compelling, while Fish Paste and Star Jumps was the most innovative poem about being stuck in a traffic jam I have heard for a long time.
Com Scully has mastered the art of dry wit and humour, always eschewing a belly laugh in favour of a wry smile. The Schism of Antioch was a great title which he chose to develop independent of the facts, no matter, it was impressive and fun. He told of when he was nearly undone by a Professor of near east history of the first millennium, but successfully blagged his way through, no doubt resulting in a frantic search by the academic for this fresh source material, a search that will be forever doomed! Sceilig Mhichíl, is a steep rocky island, one of a pair, in the Atlantic some nine miles from the coast of County Kerry. It is home to a monastery founded in the 7th century in which the monks lived in stone ‘beehive’ huts, clochans, perched above near vertical cliff walls. As such it was rich and evocative ground for Return to Red Abbey to explore. Two poems inspired by his daughters, Isabel and Middle Age, revealed Colm’s soft side, but the most striking poem for me was his last, God’s Footballer, which marvelously conjured memories of childhood sporting endeavour.
Jennifer Mathews works in concise, understated forms. Some poets wring the maximum out of their inspiration, Jennifer does just enough, making each word work hard, and she knows a rich image when she spots one. After two weather poems she read Firsts , which explores unsuitable youthful infatuation inspired by spotting an initially striking young man sitting on some steps ,who then revealed himself as a ravaged drug addict. So although” Thin and tall as a long wicked flame,
he is white hot—white everything” he then morphs when “ he opens his mouth— a missing tooth, others rotting at their bases. I feel them curl in their little deaths.” Anyone who has lived in more than one country tends to be sharp in spotting local foibles and idiosyncrasies. Jennifer did just that in A Taste of More a playful and affectionate twist on the English phrase “moreish”.
The open- mic half gave the Cork Poets an opportunity to both relax and appreciate the work of others, and numerous poets were on top form. I shall pick out just two poems which edged above a very strong field, Antony R Owen’s Mother Russia, and Gary Carr’s Fish. And so , for a night, the spirit of O Bheal in Winthrop St, Cork, lived in Polesworth. We live in a time of international financial uncertainty , self interest and mistrust. Over a pre-poetry pint I mused with our visitors about the connection which most poets instinctively recognise when in poetic company. Perhaps it is the poetic quest to ask questions, whilst respecting and welcoming differences which is part of that bond? The value of the Cork/Coventry Poets exchange unquestionably strengthens that desire to celebrate what we share and demands to be nurtured and grown.
The Cork Poets, Jennifer Mathews, Afric McGlinchey and Colm Scully flanked by Mal Dewhirst (left) and Tony Owen (right)
Gary Longden 3/11/11
A strengthening artistic bond between Coventry and Cork was reinforced tonight with the latest exchange visit between the two cities, which this time brought Colm Scully, Jennifer Mathews and Afric McGlinchey across the water. An unexpected bonus of the evening was the American and African heritage which Jennifer and Afric respectively, brought with their writing, in addition to the Cork/ Irish nexus. All three poets had impressive literary credentials, but as Afric later opined, it is better to let the poetry itself do the talking – which is exactly which they did, in some style.
Colm Scully
Colm Scully playfully boasted that he had the only authentic Cork accent, but his poetry was far from parochial. The satire Ode to Capitalism in an era of global financial crisis was safe opening territory, before he switched from macro-economics to the personal imagined life story of a 103 year old lady who had recently died- and then moved to an unlikely fascination with hats. Colm is a chemical engineer by profession, and that discipline was evident in his meticulous and fond description of the manufacture of millinery. Origins of Superlatives was witty, my favourite from his reading was The Minarets at Little Island a fine evocative industrial landscape piece.
Jennifer Mathews
Jennifer Mathews is a recently naturalised Irish citizen of Missouri, USA, descent, a reverse of the emigration trends of the past two centuries. After opening with Scavenger Hunt , a reprise of the theme of the collapse of global capitalism, she then ventured into the less well known excesses of the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas with Protesting the Tornado a piece whose power transcended the physical phenomena it described, as did Severance. Panda took us on an unexpected, and delightful trip to China before she explored ,tongue firmly in cheek, on how a woman is supposed to keep her man. Jennifer’s easy manner was equally at home with the more profound opening section as it was with the lighter closing pieces.
The last of the Cork Trio to perform was Afric McGlinchey who defied the demands of a long day to produce a sparkling set. Red Letter Day was a poignant paean to the suicide of three immigrants in Glasgow, executed by jumping from the top of a tower block, Red Shoes a wonderful piece of whimsy about a girl’s best friend. On Hold offered the sharply observed tale of some males preference to withdraw when the going gets tough in a relationship , and scored with every line. Her cautionary advice to neither lie to a partner, nor tell him the whole truth either, had an air of veritas about it, whilst Migration, about her time in Zimbabwe, was lyrical and beautiful.
Antony R Owen hosted in his usual relaxed, but authoritative style with Mal Dewhirst remembering his time in Cork with three poems in tribute to his time as guests of the Cork Poets. Writing in detail about someone else’s home town is always high risk with cursory familiarity vulnerable to error and misinterpretation. It is a tribute to Mal’s writing, and attention to detail, that neither flaw was apparent, indeed the natives Poets as one reflected that it was about time that they got around to writing about home turf themselves!
The Cork Poets appear at Fizz 10, Polesworth on Thursday 3rd November at the Tythe Barn, Polesworth , 7.30pm,free admission.
Gary Longden 1/11/11
Colm Scully performing in 2009
Afric McGinchley performing in 2009
Afric McGinchley gave the following interview to Whohub:http://www.whohub.com/africmcglinchey
What did you first read? How did you begin to write? Who were the first to read what you wrote?
After the fairy tales – Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm come to mind – and comics – I was an Enid Blyton fan. I devoured everything she wrote!
I started writing plays, at the age of ten. My sister Paula, and three friends, who acted in my plays, were my first readers. Then I moved on to songs. I played one on the radio when I was fourteen. Poetry came next. Fiction only came much later.
What is your favorite genre? Can you provide a link to a site where we can read some of your work or learn something about it?
Literary fiction is my favourite genre, but as I’m a book reviewer, I get sent a real eclectic selection of books to read, and I read them all, sometimes finding to my surprise that I rather enjoy thrillers too. Good ones, obviously. You can see my work on my website:
http://www.africmcglinchey.com
What is your creative process like? What happens before sitting down to write?
I have to clean the space around me first. Eat something and have some tea. Check my mail (and FB and play with my website, which is a work in progress!) and then, when all the distractions have been dealt with, I’ll get down to writing, which I find a real meditative experience. I immerse myself in another world. Until about 4, when I suddenly realise I’m starving, when I’ll stop for a snack, and maybe a walk. Later on, I might write until well into the night, and then crawl, exhausted and stiff, to bed.
What type of reading inspires you to write?
Reading a wonderful poem, or fantastic literature, or good, funny, light stuff. Or interviews with other writers.
What do you think are the basic ingredients of a story?
A character the reader can relate to, a conflict, rite of passage, unexpected ending. Themes of love/sex/death/birth/quest.
What voice do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?
First. Much more intimate.
What well known writers do you admire most?
What a question!! Well, the names are already flooding in to my head, so I’ll write fast, but this will only be the tip of the iceberg of course – so MANY wonderful writers out there, and I’m so grateful to them all: JM Coetzee, JK Rowling, Shakespeare, Dickens, CS Lewis, Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll, Annie E Proulx, Doris Lessing, Josephine Hart, Michel Faber, Marian Keyes, Charles Mungoshi, Nadine Gordimer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, DH Lawrence, Flann O’Brien, Nick Hornby, Isabelle Allende, Zadie Smith, John Updike, Margaret Atwood….look, you’re not going to read any more, so I’ll stop now…I could type for hours though….
What is required for a character to be believable? How do you create yours?
An inner life. Flaws, weaknesses, endearing characteristics, a voice, opinions, a visual, three dimensional sense of the character. I create mine by mapping a life for him/her before starting my story. What’s in his pocket/fridge/wardrobe, his pets, his home, his idiosyncrasies, ex-girlfriends, memories, embarrassing family members etc…
Are you equally good at telling stories orally?
Probably better! I’m still learning to be a writer of fiction. Poetry is the genre I’m most at home in.
Deep down inside, who do you write for?
I write for myself – to make sense of my world, out of curiosity about the creative process, because I have an ongoing love affair with words, the worlds you can create – for escape – and then I want those I love to read my stuff, so they understand me better. And sure, of course, when I feel I’ve written something good, I’d like to be read by others – for the joy of earning a living from what I love to do.
Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force?
I think all creative processes are a form of personal therapy. And internal conflicts are an excellent creative force; writing is a way of channelling unresolved issues.
Does reader feed-back help you?
Reader feedback tends to confuse me! If I’m only on a first or second draft, I might be susceptible to their comments and suggestions enough to change something quite intrinsic. And later, I usually go back to the original idea. I think a lot of creative people are beset with doubts and can easily be sidetracked by the opinions of others. Better to complete the work to a point where YOU are satisfied, then put it out there – that way, your own feelings about your work have been distilled to a certainty and you’re more able to receive feedback in a detached manner.
Do you participate in competitions? Have you received any awards?
I’m a reader for a big competition, so I see some excellent writing – and don’t enter myself, mainly because I am cash-strapped (you have to pay to enter each competition), and aware of how MANY competitors are out there. So chances are minimal that I’ll win! Instead, I submit stuff to journals/magazines/agents/publishers. And sometimes I get accepted, which is gratifying enough for now.
Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust?
I have done. But I don’t think I’ll do it again, until I’ve done several drafts myself first. It’s in too fragile a state at the early stages, and someone else’s opinions might colour the end result quite significantly.
Do you believe you have already found “your voice” or is that something one is always searching for?
I am always exploring.
What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?
I’m not very organised, and tend to be a little haphazard about schedules. I love writing lists though, and sometimes I’ll have a madly productive day and send off manuscripts/poems to five agents/publishers, or complete three thousand words in a day. The next day, I might get nothing done.
What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate?
My notes, poetry books, pens (always black rollerball) and loads of paper to jot down ideas. And tea – or coffee, depending on the time.
Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process?
For poetry, I write first in my little notebook which I carry around with me everywhere – you never know when the ideas are going to strike! Or when you might see something that inspires a poem or a detail for your novel. For fiction, I write on my laptop, and edit on screen. I only print it out when the draft is completed.
What has been your experience with publishers?
One small publishing company showed interest in a non-fiction book of mine (Through Ireland’s Revolving Door) for a year – and I went to see them four times! In the end, they decided it wasn’t the right time to take a risk on a book that would have a small market. So that was frustrating! Another publishing company showed interest in a couple of gift books (Advice to a Daughter and Advice to a Son) for four months, then wrote and told me they were sorry but they were publishing a similar series themselves!! So I went ahead and self-published quickly. Other publishers wrote encouraging rejection letters in response to my novel submission (Love in a Virtual Climate). So again, I’ve decided self-publishing is the way to go.
What are you working on now?
Getting all five of the books I’ve written so far self-published in the next month.
Absorbed in amniotic languor
Opaque brightness fades
In descent
Only the sound of my own diaphragm reverberates
Tolling in deathly rhythmic
Surrender
The Dunraven sprawls, spent prone
Tears gouge mortal wounds
Broken
Entering her warm currents pulse
Doors ajar, passageways call
Waiting
With one kick she is gone
In a burst of bubbles
Abandoned
And in heady exit
A crescendo of life cries
Reborn
On Saturday 22nd October the “Write Down Speak Up Love Where You Live” project visited Blakesley Hall, near Yardley in South Birmingham. Maggie Doyle, Kurly, Matt Windle, Laura Yates,Spoz, Dreadlock Alien and I visited, wrote some lines, and tried to inspire others to do the same.The opening poem, in voiceover, is called The Gilbertstone. It was inspired by the legend of a stone which lies within the grounds, reputedly transported by the giant Gilbert.The video finally closes with another voiceover of a poem of mine , one dedicated to Birmingham – Take Five
The sun shone, and a fine time was had by all. Although a children’s poem, and my first in that genre, it is strange how a sense of place fills you when you write on location. I hope you enjoy the above record of the day, and my voice and poems book-ending it.
Tuesday 1st November Night Blue Fruit, Taylor Johns Canal Basin, Coventry,8pm: Open mic, free in, Barry Patterson Hosts
Thursday 3rd Fizz 9, Tythe Barn Polesworth Abbey,7.30pm, free in. From Dublin Afric McLinchley, Colm Scully, Jennifer Mathews plus open mic
Thursday 3rd Parole Parlate, Little Venice, St Nicholas St, Worcester Richard Tyrone Jones, Bobby Parker, Nicola Callow, Beth Knuckles Edwards, Sam Hunt,Huw Parsons Andrew Owens, Eugina Herligy, John Lawrence, 7.30pm £3 in.
Thursday 3rd Yard of Tales, Joules Yard, rear of 53-55 High Street, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Storytelling, 7pm, £6in Joules Yard is a unique venue with a licensed bar after
Sat 5th Pomedy Show, Arena theatre, Wolverhampton,7.30pm: £9in Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Jamaican Independence.
Bringing together Poetry and Comedy with incisive social commentary and music, Yasus Afari engages with Marcia Calame, local poets and comedians to bring an evening of laughter and learning.
Sun 6th Artournamnet Glos Sunday Chill, The New Inn, Noon-10pm.Bonfire of the Vanities Slam,Jack Dean, Johnny Fluffy Punk, Amy Rainbow, Peter Wyton, Ash Dickinson, Spoz, Brenda Read Brown,Michael Wilson, Suz Winspear, MstrMorrison, Crispin Thomas, Emma Purshouse, Timothy Brewis, Jeremy Tooms, Fergus McGonigal, Rose Dun, Shabz Ahmed, Chris Dibnah
Mon 7th The SW@N Club – Spoken Word at the Newhampton, Wolverhampton at 8 pm – 10.30 pm. Admission – suggested donation on entry.Storytelling, poetry, a tune or a song, take part in the open sessions or just sit back and enjoy the variety of performance. Most sessions are open spots but approximately every three months there is a performance in the second half by a professional artist (supported through donations).The club meets in the upstairs room at the Newhampton Inn, Riches Street, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, WV6 0DW.For further details please contact Peter Chand http://www.chandstory.com
Mon 7th Hammer & Tongue, Left Bank Theatre, Cheltenham Rd, Bristol: 8pm with Tim Clare plus open slam.
Mon 7th Pub Poetry, Canal house, Canal St Nottingham, 8pm: Free in, An evening of poetry in the pub, mixing beer and comic literature.It’s an open mic night for poetry, short stories, songs if ya got ’em – the only thing is they should be funny. Everyone is welcome to read, either your own or someone else’s stuff. No advance notice required – just turn and say you’d like to read.It’s entirely free and is held in the upstairs room of the Canalhouse. Starts at 8pm with periods of reading, drinking and writing limericks. All jolly good fun.See you there!
Feel free to email me if you’ve got any queries: nicholas.tyler@btinternet.com
Tues 8th Wolverhampton City Voices, City Bar, King St, : £3in Set Bill, Simon Fletcher hosts
Tues 8th Stony Stratford Scribal Gathering The Upstairs Room at The Crown, Market Square, 7.30pm,Free in. Richard Frost Hosts
Tues 8th Tales at the Edge, White Lion, West Castle St, Bridgnorth,8pm,free in: Storytelling,Mike Rust officiates.
Wed 9th “Spread the Word!” Open Night, The Voicebox, Forman Street, Derby, DE1 1JQ (look out for the Abbey Street car park signs from the new Derby ring road.)7.30pm. £3 in
Flying Donkeys are pleased to present an Open Night of spoken word and music – tales, poems, prose, monologues and acoustic music of all kinds. Previous evenings have brought us a multitude of fabulous performers! Do come and join us as listener or performer – note if you would like to perform it helps to get in touch beforehand if you can so we can plan the evening.
Flying Donkeys are pleased to present an Open Night of spoken word and music – tales, poems, prose, monologues and acoustic music of all kinds. Previous evenings have brought us a multitude of fabulous performers! Do come and join us as listener or performer – note if you would like to perform it helps to get in touch beforehand if you can so we can plan the evening.
As part of a new initiative of introducing new performers, this evening will feature a special guest spot from London storyteller Stephe Harrop. Stephe is a sensitive and stylish performer whose tales evoke the vanished worlds of the past and fantastical worlds of the imagination. Her stories weave together history, legend and fantasy with the traditional songs and ballads of the British Isles.
For tonight’s event Stephe is performing an excerpt from her show “Powder & Plot” – an intricate and compelling set of stories for Guy Fawkes Night, unearthing from the streets of Jacobean London, the battlefields of Europe and the deceptive peace of the English countryside, the tragic tangle of politics, religion, loyalty and love that shaped this most famous of plots.
“Spread the Word!” was recently reviewed by http://www.behindthearras.com:
“Spoken word events traditionally major on poetry, interspersed with the odd prose piece to provide a bit of a break. “Spread the Word” turns this concept on its head by majoring on storytelling, and using poetry and music as the interludes – and very well it works too… each main performer not only had a distinct style, but also the stories themselves were quite diverse, ensuring a satisfying, stimulating and rewarding evening.” Gary Longden, reviewing “Spread the Word!” June 2011.
We even provide scrumptious cake too! To register an interest in performing contact Sophie on Tel 01332 840007 or email info@flyingdonkeys.co.uk or just let us know at the door when you arrive on the night. Tickets are a straight £4 or £2 if you are performing!
Wed 9th The Quad Derby, QUAD, Market Place, Cathedral Quarter, Derby, DE1 3AS 19.30 Free in, A monthly night of performed poetry for everyone, new performers always welcome or just come and listen, Les hosts.
Wednesday 9th November Dave Reeves will be performing his show Black Country Dialectics, based on his Offa’s Press pamphlet, at Bilston Library, Mount Pleasant, Bilston, WV14 7LU, 4-5pm. Free event. Dave will be supported by Chris Lomas and Heather Wastie.
Thur 10th Word Up Poetry Open Mic plus headliners,The Drum Arts Centre,The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, Birmingham, , http://www.the-drum.org.uk Seasonal monthly, 7.30pm, £5in.j.morley@the-drum.org.uk
Thur 10th What Are They Whispering? a poetry show, New Art Exchange, Nottingham ,7.30pm,
Fri 11 Walsall Central Library Jo Bell,1.30 – 3.30pm, Free in,Don’t miss this opportunity to meet famous poet Jo Bell at our poetry workshop event, with “The Feel Better with a Book Group”.Meet in the museum’s education room.
Fri 11th Myth Covered Peaks, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Unions St, Burton upon Trent, 7pm;Free in, a documentary film by local film maker Jim Moore exploring the myths and legends of the Peak District with contributions from local poets and storytellers.
Friday 11th The 10th Solihull Slam, at the Arts Complex, 7.30pm. with Spiel, Marcus Moore and Sarah-Jane Asbury
Sat 12th A concert for a can of beans, Charity show in aid of the Food Bank. West Bromwich Community Church, Victoria Street, West Bromwich,B70 8EX,7.30pm: Spoken word with some acoustic music.Cost: A can of food for the Food Bank,Tickets from Nigel Self 0121 612 3396
Mon 14th Pure and Good and Right, the Sozzled Sausage, Leamington Spa, 7.30pm, £3in Open Mic, George Hardwick MC’s.Peter Wyton headlines
Tues 15th Poetry, Performance & Pizazz at the Boar’s Head in Kidderminster, 7.30pm. A performance and workshop with Emma Purshouse and Heather Wastie.
Tues 15th Poetry Club Giggling Goblin Coffee Shop, Mill Lane, Ashby de la Zouch– it starts at 8:30 to 8:45pm with a licensed bar and great coffee. It will then be on the third Tuesday of the month.
The event is hosted by Brian B. Langtry, who ran a poetry and folk club in the Black Country in the Mid 1970’s, which ran until the pub closed down. Brian has always been keen to mix the arts and has decided to give the Folk and Poetry format a revival in Ashby. As Brian’s flyer says the Performers are from the audience.
Wed 16th Storytelling Café Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Rd, Kings Heath, £7in with Red Phoenix telling traditional terrifying tales.
Thurs 17th 3 Poets Walk into a Pub at Ye Olde White Hart, Kinver,7.30pm, free in, with Emma Purshouse , Mark Niel and Heather Wastie
Thurs 17th Speak Up, Bulls Head, Moseley, Birmingham, 7.30pm: headliners plus open mic,£5in http://www.bullsheadmoseley.co.uk/
Thurs 17th Go Wild/Lion Appeal POETRY Event, Staion Pub, Kings Heath 8pm,£5.00 entry
Elaine Christie, Helen Calcutt, David Calcutt, Matt Nunn from Nine Arches Press
Mon 21st Word of Mouth, Bristol Old Vic, Kings st, Bristol. 8pm: £8in Byron Vincent, with guests Luke Kennard and Tom Phillips.
Tuesday 22nd Poetry Bites, Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Rd, Kings Heath, £5in Poetry Bites next meets on November 22nd when the headliners will be local author (Ghost Town Music) and poet, Bobby Parker and Joseph Horgan . Horgan was born in Birmingham to Irish parents and currently lives in Cork. He won the Patrick Kavanagh Award for poetry in 2004. He writes a weekly column for the Irish Post, reviews and contributes to radio and television. His first collection, Slipping Letters Beneath the Sea, was published in 2008. Last year, he published his second collection A Song at Your Backdoor.
Thursday 24th Hit the Ode, Birmingham , Matt Harvey/Catherine Brogan plus open mic, £5 in, Bohdan Piesecki hosts
Thursday 24th Bilston Voices, Metro Cafe, Bilston, 7.30pm, set bill, £3 in, Emma Purshouse hosts
Friday 25th Spoken Worlds, Old Cottage Tavern, Burton on Trent,7.30pm, free in, Ash Dickinson plus open mic, Gary Carr hosts
Sun 27thrd Rhyme and Tells at the Six Bells in Bishops Castle, Shropshire,8pm, free in: Mike officiates, Storytelling evening
Sun 27th Adam & Eve, 5pm Poetry Marathon- Open Mic- Acoustic Acts- Bands,A whole afternoon and evening of poetry madness- all to raise money for this year’s Children In Need appeal.
Children In Need poetry marathon- a sponsored hour of non-stop poetry at montly events, the Sunday Express. Free entry event- all poets taking part are asked to donate £1 to be part of the marathon, and to get some sponsors if they can! All welcome- read your own poem, some-one else’s- marathon between 5pm-6pm, acoustic acts, bands and open mic all afternoon.
Sponsor forms for the event available from sammywroteunder@googlemail.com
Please do join and be part of this-www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey.
Your change counts. From counselling projects to help children get over grief, trauma counselling, beds for children who would otherwise sleep on the floor,to grants for brain injury units and visual impairment play schemes- this wonderful charity really do make a difference.
Tues 29th Word Wizards Grove Hotel, Buxton 19.30. £3inOpen mic three minute slam format, Rob Stevens hosts, More info: Poetryslamuk@aol.com
Tues 29th Telling Spaces ,Mythstories, the Morgan Library, Aston Street, Wem, Shropshire, SY4 5AU.7.30pm, free in: Storytelling
Tue 29th 3 Poets Walk into a Pub at Ye King & Castle, Kidderminster Station ,7.30pm, free in, with Emma Purshouse , Mark Niel and Heather Wastie
Wed 30th Worcester 42 – Open Mic Night Boston Tea Party , Broad Street: 7.30pm; £4 in ‘42’ is Worcester’s first & only Gothic, Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Open Mic Night for all those who love the genres & everything in between. “42” takes its name from Douglas Adams’ answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Wed 30th Manchester Bad Language, Castle Hotel Oldham St7.30. Set Bill, hosted by Daniel Carpenter.7.30pm. Anthology launch plus open mic.
Sat 3rd Dec German Market, Birmingham “Love where you live”, 11am-3pm, create, write and perform, open mic. Free event
Sun 4th/5th/6th Christmas Voices, George Hotel, Bird St, Lichfield.7.30pm £9.75 inc pie& wine. Intimate Theatre presents Christmas Voices, a specially designed compilation of light hearted poetry, music and drama for the festive season which will keep everyone thoroughly entertained. The George provides the perfect backdrop for the show, which combines old favourites with originals and humour with pathos and is an essential part of the Christmas celebrations at the hotel.
Tuesday 6th Dec Amnesty Benefit, Poetry Bites, Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Rd, Kings Heath, £5in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Amnesty International and Human Rights day. Joel lane and Anthony Fuller headline, Kay Fuller organises on fuller40@hotmail.com
Fri 9th Beauty & the Beast Slam, Stroud Valley Artspace,4 John Street, Stroud GL5 2HA: 7.30pm £5in
01453 751440
http://www.sva.org.uk/home/contacts.html
Fri 9th Smart Poets Open Mic Poetry Party Vegd out, 7 Fletchers walk, Birmingham,B3 3HJ.: 7.30pm Gary Longden headlines
Sat 10th Lit Fuse, Mac Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, 7.30pm:£8 in.A showcase of the best of Brums up and coming poetic talent, directed by Cheryl Martin.
Wed 14 Darwin Suite, Assembly Rooms, Derby, Sleeping Beauty and Alcestis Storytelling· 7:30pm – 10:30pm,First of two chances to see this lovely evening of storytelling and music in the Midlands – the perfect mood setter for the week before Christmas!
Award winning storyteller Daniel Morden breathes new life into the most haunting of tales, Sleeping Beauty, telling it alongside the Greek myth of Alcestis, awakening a frisson of resonances between the stories. Oliver Wilson-Dickson (violin) and Dylan Fowler (guitar) accompany the tales with heart-stopping original music, infusing them with drama, atmosphere and emotion.
Tickets £10 (£8 concessions) from Assembly Rooms Box Office
Tel: 01332 255800
Wed 21st Dec Storytelling Café Kitchen Garden Cafe, York Rd, Kings Heath, £7in with the Storytellers Studio telling seasonal tales.
His world imploded into deep breaths
As if incapable of taking enough air
She stood there
A shadowy figure under fragmenting light
Incomplete
Inert, passive, he sat
She had seen him, he had seen her
High boots, slender legs, long hair
The door opened, the interior light
Bathing her in unexpected glare
Uncertain words and glances flickered
In calculated assessment
It was the ordinariness of the flat
Cheap but tidy
A letter opener lay on her bookshelf
Its dull sharpness latent
They coupled on the soft sofa
On a rug roughly thrown to collect the sweat
And semen
Their bodies moved in time
Chance harmony in discordance
Fumbled normality played
Mumbled platitudes made
In the emptiness
She asked to be returned to where he had found her
To be absorbed once more by the indifferent darkness.
Tuesday 1st November Night Blue Fruit
Thursday 3rd Fizz 10, Polesworth
Tuesday 8th Lichfield Poets, Cruck House
Wed 9th Flying Donkeys, Voicebox, Derby
Fri 11th Jo Bell, Walsall Library,1.30pm
Mon 14th Birmingham Stanza
Thur 17th Nov Go Wild/Lion Appeal POETRY Event is now on Thursday 17th November at 8pm, £5.00 entry Jewellery and Born Free Stall, at The Station Pub/Hotel,Kings Heath, Gary Longden, Elaine Christie, Helen Calcutt, David Calcutt, Matt Nunn from Nine Arches Press
Tuesday 22nd Poetry Bites
Thursday 24th Hit the Ode, Birmingham , Matt Harvey/Catherine Brogan
Sat 3rd Dec German Market, Birmingham
Tuesday 6th Dec Amnesty Benefit, Poetry Bites
Garyswordz 