Events for Autumn 2013

Well here we are again, Autumn chill in the air and time to huddle around and warm ourselves by the little guttering candle of poetry. In other words here’s some events folks.

The new Ouse Muse season kicks off on 19th Sept with a regular open mic at Harpur’s in Bedford, 8pm in the cellar. After that the next Ouse Muse dates have guest readers in addition to open mic – on Oct 16th Jacqui Saphra, all the way from the bright lights and the big city, while on Nov 21st we have a visit from the neighbours in the (charming) form of Fay Roberts…..who passed directly from MK to Cambridge without stopping in, so we have forced her at beer-point to rectify her sorry omission.

Bedford is marking National Poetry Day on 3rd October in style – with a poetry takeover of the central library from 10am-1pm. There will be a series of readings – including a children’s poetry session at 11am and a Seamus Heaney tribute at 11.45am, with a closing open mic. There will be two continuous workshops to try any time during the morning and a poetry information point, as well as some wandering poets giving impromptu performances where you least expect. In the evening there is a reading at Putnoe Library from 7pm, focusing on the poems sent in to the library for last year’s ‘Stars’ theme of NPD.

And finally my book, I said MY BOOK, Intermittent beings, published by Cinnamon appears this month. There will be a launch in Bedford on the 10th of October 7pm in the Christopher Fry Hall at Bedford Modern School. There is plenty of space, there will be wine and I will read a few poems around 8pm (to rest my signing arm, obviously). I’m also reading from the collection at CB1 in Cambridge on the 24th of Oct at 8pm, and at the Poetry Cafe in London on the 25th of November. If you can’t get along and buy directly at a reading you’ll find a link to the Cinnamon Press site in the ‘books’ tab.

Last but no means least the launch reading for Magma 57 which I have edited with Hannah Lowe, will be at the Troubadour as part of the coffee house series on the 18th of November at 7.30pm. Hope to catch you at some or all of these events.