It was a busy Autumn – big thank yous to all those friends who supported the launch events for Intermittent beings, and Magma 57. Both still on sale from Magma and Cinnamon. Apologies for the egocentric information roundup that follows.
It promises to be a busier New Year in Bedford and around. After our first Ouse Muse of the year on 15th of Jan we have a week of events that starts with a reading by Bedfordshire poets at the Torriano meeting House in Camden on Sunday 19th. The poets will be myself, Dick Hancock, Sarah Davies and Zakia Carpenter-Hall. The Place Theatre has a week of poetry-themed programming – kicking off with musical adaptations of Betjeman on 20th Jan, the Ouse Muse poets having work performed by members of the Swan Theatre on the 22nd and a workshop and performance by Clare Pollard on the 26th. There’s also a poetry film and a show based on the life and work of William McGonigall. Tickets and information from The Place.
My own reading diary – besides the regular Ouse Muse – will I hope encompass some more of the excellent nights springing up locally, like Fen Speak, Hoodwink Elixir, Allographic and the evergreen Friday afternoon Poetry Cafe. In terms of formal dates I’m reading at the Toddington Poetry Society on the 25th February (7.30pm at Hightown Community Centre) and with two other Cinnamon poets at Lumen on April 15th. I’m also very pleased to be the compere for the Bedfordshire round of Poetry by Heart, which is taking place on the morning of 8th Feb at Bedford Central Library.
Finally, in stop press, I’ve been shortlisted in the Gregory O’Donoghue competition (i.e. a runner up) and the South Bank Poetry Competition. Even more exciting I’ve reached a long list of seven in the Venture Award competition for poetry pamphlets run by Flipped Eye – final judging to come – fingers crossed.
I am a poet writing in a range of styles from performance-led to page-based and limerick to avant-garde.