South Magazine Launch in Newbury

A busy month performance-wise. On Tuesday 10 October, fellow poet, Dave Ashbee, and I read at a launch event held by South Magazine in Newbury.  Dave and I were asked along, as we were co-selectors for Issue 56 of the magazine.  Dave’s set included the always-enjoyable found poem – The Gloster Birder, and my set included my seasonal poem – Shaggy Inkcaps.  The evening’s programme continued with poems read by a number of contributors to South, including many of the poems which Dave and I had selected for this issue.  A most enjoyable evening featuring impressive poetry and hospitable company – with thanks to Patrick Osada, Peter Keeble and other members of the South Magazine management team. South’s report on the evening can be found here: http://www.southpoetry.org/readings

Cheltenham Literature Festival

Next day, Wednesday 11 October, Cheltenham Poetry Society read at Cheltenham Literature Festival. The programme comprised poems and projected photographs from our anthology Cheltenham 300 … published to mark the tercentenary of Cheltenham as a spa town.

Poets reading at the event featured (left to bright in the photograph below):
Roger Turner, Stuart Nunn, Robin Gilbert, Alice Ross, Sharon Larkin, Sheila Spence, David Ashbee,  Belinda Rimmer, Michael Newman, Annie Ellis. Howard and Marilyn Timms (not in the photograph) also read at the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Villanelles at Waterstones, Cheltenham

On Monday, 16 October our friends in Gloucester Poetry Society ran their monthly event, Villanelles, in Waterstones, Cheltenham. The evening included performances by guest poet, Clive Oseman from Swindon, Jason Conway, Rose Chanter, Sarah Snell-Pym, Lania Knight, Kurt Schroeder (thanks for the photographs), George and other poets from Cheltenham and Gloucester. Thanks to Rose Chanter and Waterstones, and Jason Conway and GPS, for these enjoyable monthly events.

Poetry Cafe Refreshed, at Smokey Joes, Cheltenham

On Wednesday 16 October, several Cheltenham and Gloucester poets read at the monthly Poetry Café Refreshed event at Smokey Joe’s in Cheltenham, where we were thrilled to have Matthew Stewart as our guest poet.

 

Gloucester Poetry Festival

Later in the month, on Thursday 26 November, Roger Turner, Michael Newman, Dave Ashbee and I read a selection of our poems in the Black Cat Bar, The Dick Whittington pub, in Gloucester, as part of the first-ever Gloucester Poetry Festival, organized by Ziggy Slug and Jason Conway.

Poetry Cafe in Cheltenham Library

And, finally, next day, Friday 27 October, Roger Turner, Michael Newman, Belinda Rimmer and I read in Cheltenham Library with a number of poets from the University of Gloucestershire, with memorable poems especially from George and Ziggy.  There was also an open mic. This was the latest event in the library’s monthly  lunchtime Pop-up Poetry Café programme. Thanks to poet and UoG lecturer, Angela France, and Rebecca Sillence of Cheltenham Library for making the event happen.