Astral Weeks
This is a good exercise, I enjoyed doing it. All you do is listen to songs and interpret them innocently but not in depth.
Translations encourages you to play music and to write down the words you hear first, irrelevant of the original lyrics. Commonly, people do this all the time when singing along to songs. Having no idea of the words but, just saying what they think it could be.
...
31st January 2010
Cryptic Poem 001 - Heron
The cryptic poem is the invention of Durham University's own Simon Rennie.
There are ten syllables in each line.
Each line has had two words removed but clues have been provided for them.
The rhyme scheme is ABBAB for each stanza.
Return the poem to its original form.
...
30th January 2010
Cryptic Poem 002: Intellect
The poem is regularly rhymed. The rhyme scheme is ABA BCB CDC DED EE. There are ten syllables in each line. Return the poem to its original form using the cryptic clues below.
Answers to...
30th January 2010
Results of Cafe Writers Competition
The winners of the Norwich Cafe Writers Open Competition have been announced from nearly 1600 poems entered from far and wide. The judge was George Szirtes
Open Competition
First Prize (...
29th January 2010
Manic Monday - Cardiff
29th January 2010
Conversation Poetry Issue 10 Available Now
http://conversationpoetry.co.uk/downloads
This is the first issue of the new decade and has poetry from Ali Abdolrezaei, Col...
29th January 2010
Had Field Will Travel
A review of Nigh-No-Place by Jen Hadfield.
There are many things to like about this book, not least the cover picture of one very aware horse in an open landscape, that we can only take to be p...
27th January 2010
Separated at Birth (by Geography and Time and Unrelatedness)?
Locked away in WOL’s genetic engineering laboratories, the infamous Dr. Van Kinston has been experimenting with the DNA of famous poets past and present and has had some startling if disturbing res...
27th January 2010
What goes around...
What I Do That's New is a series of articles in which poets share their trade secrets with the rest of us i.e. they describe aspects of what they do that is either innovative or just plain clever.
...
27th January 2010
Poetry by the Corrib
After thirty-two years living in Galway city, all of which were involved with writing in one way or another, one has the oddest feeling that one has 'reared' most of the writers who now inhabit...
25th January 2010
A River Runs through the Red Shed
The former Derbyshire Poet Laureate – River Wolton, will be the special guest at Red Shed Readings on Thursday, 4thFebruary. The winner in 2004 of the Red Pepper Poetry Competition, and in 2008 of ...
24th January 2010
Huddersfield Short Story/Poetry Competition
The Huddersfield Literature Festival is proud to announce that this year's writing competition is now open for entries.
The aim of this year's event is to write a story in fewer than 1,000 word...
21st January 2010
£5,000 Poetry Prize - Deadline Looms
The closing date for the 2010 Cardiff International Poetry Competition is fast approaching. With only days to go until the deadline of Friday 29 January 2010 now is the time to get writing and get ...
21st January 2010
Poets Anonymous Venue Change
Poets Anonymous are moving to a new venue for their First Friday of the month meetings.
From 5th February, and for future First Fridays, Poets Anonymous will be meeting in the bar at the Fairfi...
21st January 2010
Hebden Burns Night
Lovers of poetry, food and/or all things Scottish are being invited to an evening of dining and entertainment in celebration of the Scotland’s beloved poet Robert Burns.
A traditional Burns N...
20th January 2010
The Garden of Awen in Bath
The Garden of Awen is an evening of performance poetry, storytelling, music, and other Arcadian delights, which takes place on the first Sunday of each month at the Chapel Arts Centre in Bath.
...
19th January 2010
Poets and Players Celebration
Five years ago poet Linda Chase and musical director Chris Davies got together to form Poets and Players. They began in Didsbury, but were soon invited to put on events at Whitworth Art Gallery, an...
15th January 2010
Attila the Stockbroker - 30th Anniversary Tour Dates
Way back in December, when the idea of a white Christmas still seemed like a really good idea, we promised to bring you any news we had of Attila the Stockbroker’s 30thAnniversary tour, and true to...
15th January 2010
Poetry Bites Michael McKimm
Belfast poet, Michael McKimm, is the special guest at Poetry Bites at the Kitchen Garden Café, King’s Heath, Birmingham, on Tuesday, 26thJanuary.
Michael was born in Belfast in 1983 and grew up...
14th January 2010
Ready for Your Close-Up?
Have you ever had a good idea for a film? ..... perhaps even your own life-story, or maybe just an interesting event from it? But how do you go about turning that idea in to a workable film script?
...13th January 2010
Where For Art Thou?
Stockport Art Gallery will be launching a new exhibition – ‘Where For Art Thou?’ on February 14th to mark the contributions of local writers.
The exhibition, which runs until 18th April, is the...
11th January 2010
Voyage of the imbeciles
What follows is a roistering tale of hi jinx on the high seas, but only on the part of the two imbeciles who could have got themselves killed (both of whom are involved in this very ‘zine), and onl...
10th January 2010
Sestina Siesta!
Sympathetic Sybil is Write Out Loud's own Agony Aunt...
Dear Sympathetic Sybil
I am struggling trying to write a sestina. Should I try a villanelle instead or try to persevere w...
9th January 2010
Dear Dermot
Welcome once again, to the editorial and points of view section of Write Out Quiet, the paramillitary wing of Write Out Loud. December was a fantastic month marred only by the sad demise of Paul B...
9th January 2010
Stress, Stress and More Stress
POETICS
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to this thingy. The noble intention behind this monthly series of articles is to share the knowledge of metre, rhythm, and poetic form that...
9th January 2010
Two Cinammon Poetry Collections
Quaintness and Other Offences, Ann Drysdale (Cinnamon Press, 2009)
The Shadow House Kathy Miles (Cinnamon Press, 2009)
Drysdale and Miles have different writing styles, how...
9th January 2010
The Trouble with my "R"s
Sympathetic Sybil is Write Out Loud's own Agony Aunt...
Dear Sympathetic Sybil,
When performing my poems or those of other people I find I have trouble with my Rs, and this makes me t...
9th January 2010
Music of the Spheres
Unfortunately we have not been able to contact Constant-Ngozi Ozurumba (last months winner) so this months winner has been picked by the Write Out Loud online team.
You can find out more about...
9th January 2010
The weight of cows
This month's poem was chosen by Norman Hadley. After trawling through all the profile he chose a short list of five but chose this poem because:
"The first three stanzas have a McGoughian lightne...
9th January 2010
Fire in the Head Workshops
Fire in the Head are offering some exciting new workshops in Devon for you to kick-start the new decade with inspiration, insight and a fresh burst of creativity.
Tomorrow, Saturday January 9th, is t...
8th January 2010
Poetrywivenhoe
Poetrywivenhoe’s next event will be on Thursday, 28th January.
The whole evening will be an open-mic session, and whether you choose to read your own work or something by your favourite poet, you ar...
7th January 2010
Will Self at Express Excess
The first show back for Express Excess after the Christmas break will be on Wednesday 20th January, will be quite a special start to the New Year.
They will be playing host to the sensational Will S...
6th January 2010
Calling Young Disabled Writers in Wales
6th January 2010
Eulogise someone. No, you logise someone.
In free verse, write a big magical exagerated lie of a poem about someone you admire.
Tell us what special powers they have, what language they speak, what they invented, what objects adore them, wh...
3rd January 2010
Knit Your Own World Tour
Trippin' is a regular column with guest writers telling us about the poetry scene where they are or, as in this case, about the experiences of a travelling poet. Send your articles for considera...
3rd January 2010
We are (non-rhyming) poets, and we're not cognisant of it
What I Do That's New is a series of articles in which poets share their trade secrets with the rest of us i.e. they describe aspects of what they do that is either innovative or just plain clever.
If ...
2nd January 2010
Another Angle
2nd January 2010
Bank St Writers Poetry Competition - Closing Date Extended
All winning entries will be published in the internationally circulating "Current Accounts" magazine. Some commended entries may also be published at the edi...
2nd January 2010
Writing from Art with Elizabeth Burns
Litfest is offering a writing workshop using The Storey Gallery in Lancaster, using their spring group exhibition – What Happens If...? as a stimulus.
In the sessions you will explore what the artwor...
2nd January 2010
Welcome
Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Write Out Quiet, the Ezine section of Write Out Loud. I have assembled a talented team and communicated an artistic vision that I wish to ...
2nd January 2010
Short Cuts Cabaret & Open-Mic Night
Short Cuts is quickly gaining cult status as Suffolk’s first variety show, why not find out what all the fuss is about and go along to The Cut in Halesworth, on Friday 22nd January?
Short Cuts will b...
2nd January 2010
Put Your Favourite Place on the Poetry Map
The East Riding Library Service has teamed up with The South Bank Centre, London, on their new literary project called GPS (Global Poetry System!) which is designed to map the whereabouts of poetry in...
2nd January 2010
Stealth
When I was a kid, I remember playing this game where a sheet of paper was folded over twice, giving the page three sections.
Each kid would sketch a part of the anatomy of a monster or such like ont...
1st January 2010
How to make your own poetry 'zine-type thing
First of all, for anyone who doesn’t know, a zine is a booklet you make yourself of whatever you want, which you then photocopy the crap out of and either sell or give away. Sometimes you hear poets c...
1st January 2010
Voice & Delivery - breathing 1
Welcome to a new feature that, hopefully, will give a bit of a boost to your performance by improving the quality of your voice and delivery in performance.
My name is Chris Dawson and I am an...
1st January 2010
