7 ?" 9 November 2008… and despite the credit crunch and the plethora of other festivals, our boldly imaginative programme has attracted reassuringly healthy advance bookings (average 71% across 31 events). This year’s Festival promises to be its usual feast of poetry excellence with a programme designed to intrigue and enlighten. Tickets are still available for most events ?" so it’s not too late to escape to Suffolk’s irresistible seaside town for the complete poetry...

October Poets at the Puzzle was a great gig with around a dozen people managing to fill the space with their enthusiasm. Paul Blackburn as guest gave us a great range of diatribes and insights, and was followed by a wide variety of styles and messages in the Open Mic slot.
Lots of lively discussion afterwards too!
DO NOT MISS
the November session where the guest will be Emjay [Jane Hollingworth].
Winner of Ilkley Literature Festival open mic competition, Emjay has recorded a CD of her 'He...

Brian Morse(1948 - 2007) was a gifted & much loved poet, teacher & children's writer. In 1994, he established Dagger Poets, specifically to discover & nurture new poetic talent.
He died very suddenly & unexpectedly last year, and this reading has been organised by his friends & some of the talented poets he published, as a tribute to him.
It will be introduced by Michael Glover.

Readers:-
Michael Glover Cathy Bolton...

In
autumn 2009, Flarestack Publishing is launching its new imprint,
Flarestack Poets, under the direction of Meredith Andrea and Jacqui
Rowe (both Flarestack Poets). They're looking for poetry that dares
outside current trends, even against the grain... collections that
aren't bus queues, from poets who are forging their own linguistic
connections with the root-ball of experience. Flarestack pamphlets have
a reputation for quality and diversity, and for encouraging work from
new and est...

The Rape and Abuse Line announces the opening of the annual short
story competition which closes on 31st
October 2008 and will be open to writers submitting a short story of
between 1500 and 1800 words. The rules can be downloaded from their web
site (see below). Please read them carefully before entering your stories.
The
organisers would like see a short story continuing on from the opening
few words ‘If it hadn’t been for that telephone call………..…’
This
could be a rec...

As Part of Birmingham Book Festival Learning Links International Presents
"Overstanding Rastafari" 0n 21/10/2008 featuring Yasus Afari and Friends
Yasus Afari is the author of the Jamaican best seller "Overstanding Rastafari" which has had an incredible impact since it was published in 2007. Already in it's fourth print run this book is currently being translated into Japanese and Spanish.
In conversation with local friends and poets from the Rastafarian community,
Yasus Afari talks about the...

A couple of weeks ago John Clays(pictured), well known poet around the North West, fell down stairs and cracked a vertebra. After two week in hospital, John is now at home with a heavy brace on though he's relieved that it looks like he doesn't need an operation. Both John and his wife, Sandy, don't intend to attend any poetry events for a while.
Meanwhile we, at Write Out Loud, wish John a speedy recovery....

Due to the unexpected closure of the Howcroft Inn the Write Out Loud Bolton event on Sunday (19th Oct) will be held at the Gypsy's Tent - start time 8pm.
Details of the event including full address of, and directions to the pub can be found in the gig guide

Come and listen to some short stories from the
middle east with

joumana haddad
yousef al mohaimeed

hassan blasim
@ the lord mayor's parlour, town hall, Manchester
tue 21st oct•
7.30pm
£5/£3...

Congratulations to Mark Neil who recently won a prize at the "One Page Play" competition organised by the Marie Curie Cancer Care in association with Barefeat Theatre Company. Mark's play "Human Relations" brought the house down according to Sandra Dudley (Bedford magazine) with it's "irreverent take on the most common inner personal conflict in life"
Find out more about Mark at http://www.writeoutloud.net/poets/markniel...

The Gala will be held on Thursday 16th October, 7.30pm at the Royal Northern College of Music Tickets: £7/5 Box Office: 0161 907 5555
The
inaugural Manchester Poetry Prize, set up by the Writing School at
Manchester Metropolitan University, attracted over a thousand entries
from more than 30 countries. The shortlisted winners, Mike Barlow (from Lancaster), Mandy Coe (from Liverpool), Allison McVety (from Wokingham), Helen Mort (from Cambridge), Lesley Saunders (from Slough) and Rosie Sheppe...

The Bookhabit Poetry competition is now under way. Each week 50 poems are judged to go through to the next round. Do not wait until the closing date to submit your poems. Briefly …
The Bookhabit Poetry Competition is free to enter. There is a written section and a performance section with audio or video formats. The overall winner will receive US$1000. There are 3 rounds:
Round 1 - Each week 50 poems are judged winners in each section and are chosen to go through to Round 2 ov...

Wednesday 8 October – Tuesday 14 October 2008 - Cardiff Bay, Various Venues

Shock
of the New. This is what Ezra Pound wanted. What Robert Hughes thought
that art generated right through the last century. Flickering change.
In 2008 has this changed? Literature may still be new but does it
continue to make waves?

BayLit, the Academi’s annual literature festival will try to find out. Expect the young, the new, and the alternative.

For more information www.acade...

What I Do That's New is a new bi-weekly feature column on Write Out Loud, in which guest poets explain their style. Our intention is to highlight innovative ways of producing poetry and to act as a forum by which creative thinkers can share their ideas, and to encourage readers and writers to analyse their work and that of others.

We launch this feature on the 8th December with an article from Attila the Stockbroker.

Get involved
You’re unique. Your writings or performances are differe...

The University of Liverpool is pleased to announce that George Szirtes will give the 2008 Kenneth Allott Lecture in Poetry on Thursday 6 November at 5.30pm in the Jack Leggate Theatre. The lecture is open to all and free to attend.
The Jack Leggate Theatre is located in the newly opened Victoria Gallery and Museum, in the Grade II listed Victoria building on Brownlow Hill, the University’s original site.
George Szirtes was born in Budapest and came to England as a refugee in 1...

At 2pm on Sunday 26th
October, Tony Walsh will be performing the most ambitious thing he's ever written
at Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry as part of both
Manchester Literature Festival and The Big Science Read.
The twenty minute piece
was originally commissioned for the Worktech07 event held at The
British Library in London last November. Entitled,
"Zeroes and Ones" it has a science and computing related theme
throughout and begins with The Big Bang, before engaging the
a...

On Saturday 8th November 2008 Jorie Graham will hold a Masterclass as part of the Liverpool Literary Festival - Shipping Lines
- 10.30am -12.30pm at the Bluecoat

Poets are invited to submit work to be workshopped with Jorie Graham, or
simply to attend...

£5/£3/£1 book through the Philharmonic Box Office 0151 709 3789

Jorie Graham is the author of numerous collections of poetry, including

her most recent, Sea Change (Ecco, 2008). She has also edited two
anthologies, Earth T...

On Saturday 17th Jan 2009 "Not Part Of New Years Eve" will return and you can be part of it. A ONE DAY FESTIVAL AT THE DANCEHOUSE THEATRE, HOSTING 30 ACTS OVER 2 SPACES PLUS AN ART GALLERY. WE ARE LOOKING FOR A REAL RANGE OF ARTISTS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PEFORM YOUR WORK THEN PLEASE GET IN TOUCH. THIS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE AMONG YOU WHO WANTED TO BE PART OF NOT PART OF LAST SUMMER BUT COULDN'T, OR FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO TRY OUT YOUR WORK PRIOR TO ITS INCLUSI...

So what does the Christmas season bring to PAGE ONE (internet radio) with Tony Stringfellow this week …In line with the stations Christmas theme, leading up to the festive day Tony will be reading A Christmas Carol for you all, with a few other turkey flavoured ditties thrown in …Don’t miss it!!!
Fridays at 6.00pm www.wcrfm.com Mondays at 9.00am
If you have a poem or short story that you would like to
feature in the show, or if you would like to appear on
the...

The Library Theatre Company is now welcoming submissions from Manchester-based writers, performers, and theatre companies.
If
you have a script, a scene or just a burning idea you want to explore
then we want to hear from you! Please submit a script, or a proposal of
no more than 500 words by email to first.stage@hotmail.co.uk, or by post to First Stage, The Library Theatre Company, Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester, M2 5PD.
If you want to find out more about the event, please...

Garstang poet Norman Hadley
reads from his new collection
Corner Bookshop, St. Thomas' Weind, Garstang
7:30 pm Tuesday 4th November
Signed copies £6.99
Plus sneak preview of
forthcoming novel releases
www.normanhadley.com

Write Out Loud poet, Graham Buchan, has an exhibition of photographic portraits, Simple Gifts, taken in many different countries, at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden, running from October 6th for one month.
The photograph is a sample of his work.

Whether you are just starting outor have been writing for some time...
Whether you write for performance or the page...
Would you like to get some creative feedback on your writing?
Then come to a FREE One-To-One 20 minute Surgery@ The Gregson Centre, Moor Lane, Lancaster. Surgeries will be held on:
Sunday 23rd November 2008 - 1 - 3pm Sunday 7th December 2008 - 1 - 3pm Sunday 19th January 2009 - 1 - 3pm
If you are interested in attending any of theseplease email contact info to:
email: spotlig...

A one day course run by David Bateman (pictured)
Poets Of The Mersey Sound Sat 11th Oct 2008
One-Day Course Information Sheet
Venue: Newsham Adult Centre
What is the course about? The poetry of Adrian Henri, Roger McGough & Brian Patten, the 3 poets featured in the influential & huge-selling anthology, The Mersey Sound (Penguin, 1967; revised editions 1974 & 1983).
Who is this course for? Anyone who is interested in poetry or in Liverpool culture.
What do I...

Bright Books are delighted to invite you to this event to hear Lemn Sissay read his poetry,
share his thoughts and sign copies of his eagerly anticipated new book, ‘Listener’
Lemn is currently the writer in residence at The Royal Festival Hall, London and has appeared on many radio and TV broadcasts including being the youngest contributor to Grumpy Old Men.
Lemn’s last visit to Bright Books was a magical event. All who attended were captivated by his
enthusiasm and emotional poetry. Thi...

Last month's poem of the month writer, Hannah Kate, has chosen this month's poem. Hannah says, "I really enjoy Steve's work, particularly his cut-and-paste technique. This poem says nothing beautiful - but it is a moving and beautiful thing. It threads together a series of phrases we've all read a thousand times before, but somehow creates something incredibly poetic and new. Or rather, it makes us create it. I know what I think it means..."
Find out more about Steven and his wor...