A "certain type of experience" with Travis Alabanza
Travis Alabanza is a London based performance artist, theatre maker, writer & general shit talker. Such is the claim of Travis Alabanza’s facebook page, but having met and interviewed them I can safely say if it really is shit they are talking then it is the good kind.
Travis was “always a drama queen” at school but didn’t get started as a performance artist until the age of 15, and it was poe...
26th June 2018
Rip Bulkeley and a poem for Grenfell
In a series of nationwide events to mark the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower and following on from my previous Write Out Loud article from a few days ago, I met and spoke to the organiser of "Poems for Grenfell Tower" Rip Bulkeley who is spearheading a continuing campaign supporting the official "Gren...
26th June 2018
Poet gets a gong: an MBE for Kate Clanchy
Teacher, poet and author Kate Clanchy has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list for her services to literature, after decades of teaching young people poetry, English and creative w...
26th June 2018
Assembly Lines: Jane Commane, Bloodaxe
In a BBC Radio 4 broadcast (Start the Week, 21 May 2018) Jane Commane asserted that “poetry has a duty to look at the layers of history … the push and pull between the past and the present”, and this...
26th June 2018
'Cafe Blues / space cowboy poem' by Damon Blackery is Poem of the Week
Cafe Blues / space cowboy poem by Damon Blackery is Write Out Loud's Poem of the Week. Congratulations to Damon who, aside from his poetry, is a man of few and considered words: "My art is about my f...
25th June 2018
Write Out Loud Woking is moving - to Woking!
Write Out Loud Woking is moving its venue – to Woking. The only Write Out Loud night in the south has spent its first two years at the New Inn at the village of Send, just outside Woking. It is now mo...
20th June 2018
Poetry responding to art: Contemporary ekphrasis
Making use of images as a means of writing continues to flourish as an area of contemporary practice. For instance, ‘Poetic responses to Gustav Klimt’ at the recent Hay Festival included readings by J...
20th June 2018
Pop-up Festival bringing stories to life for children
From 11-22 June, 80 children’s authors and illustrators will take part in the second annual Pop Up Festival – a national schools literature festival that sees books brought to life.
Over the cours...
20th June 2018
Point me at the stars: Noel Williams, Indigo Dreams
Noel Williams lives in Sheffield where he has been a key figure in its expanding poetry scene for many years. He has initiated group projects such as Speakers 2, Women and War, and offered invaluable ...
20th June 2018
The Poetry School announces "World's biggest Ecopoetry prize"
National charity and arts organisation The Poetry School provide inspiring tuition and opportunities for poets and poetry audiences. They have just announced details of the Ginkgo Prize for Ecopoetry...
20th June 2018
World-class spoken word showcase at Hay Festival 2018
Question: How can you see a huge variety of world-class spoken word events in different venues all on the same day? Answer: Take a trip out to the Hay Festival.
In just one day, at this two-week f...
18th June 2018
‘Summertime’ by Jan Oskar Hansen is Write Out Loud’s Poem of the Week
Jan Oskar Hansen is Norwegian, and has been a regular contributor to Write Out Loud for over four years. His poems often draw on his experiences as a sailor, or explore his memories. Jan is clearly a ...
18th June 2018
Catharsis in poetry: Ralph Dartford's Recovery Songs
With the darling buds of spring outside and summer just around the corner, the passing of the seasons offers time for quiet reflection. We caught up with West Yorkshire poet, playwright and arts acti...
15th June 2018
You, me, Grenfell Tower and poetry
The horrifying events of the Grenfell Tower blaze that killed over 70 people are being remembered this month in a series of events marking the first anniversary of the tragedy. The depth of sadness t...
14th June 2018
Editor's Review: Benjamin Zephaniah at the Hay Festival
The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah **** (four stars)
Benjamin Zephaniah is definitely a modern master of poetry, and this thousand-plus sold out Hay Festival gig was his opportunity to indu...
14th June 2018
Rip Bulkeley and a poem for Grenfell
In a series of nationwide events to mark the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower and following on from my previous Write Out Loud article from a few days ago, I met and spoke to the organiser of "Poems for ...
14th June 2018
‘The Videomatic Tutor’ by Keith Jeffries is Write Out Loud’s Poem of the Week
Keith Jeffries lives in the Canary Islands – a reminder to us all of the international reach of Write Out Loud – and looks back to the years of National Service in his poem The Videomatic Tutor, obser...
11th June 2018
Young people & poetry: a hobby worth pursuing
Some places have ‘em, some don’t. Indeed, they come in all shapes and sizes, but Carol Ann Duffy isn’t the only one with Laureate in her title, (although she is the only one appointed by the Queen). ...
7th June 2018
American Life in Poetry: The Wall
To honor the memory of the thousands who died in Vietnam, here's a poem by Bruce Guernsey, who divides his time between Maine and Illinois, about Maya Lin's memorial in Washington, D.C.
The Wall
...
7th June 2018
Publishing, poetry and performance applauded: The Saboteur Awards 2018
The Saboteur Awards and Festival have been described as the “ankle-biter” of the literary world. Rather than focussing on heavyweight novels and big publishers, the awards celebrate small-budget
indi...
7th June 2018
Land of Three Rivers: anthology edited by Neil Astley, Bloodaxe
Hexham is a market town in Northumberland, south of the river Tyne, and close to Hadrian’s Wall. It is also the home of Bloodaxe Books, whose editor Neil Astley is renowned for the bestselling antholo...
7th June 2018
‘That Thing In The Cupboard’ by Hannah Collins is our Poem of the Week
This week, we offer our congratulations to Hannah Collins, whose piece That Thing In The Cupboard has been chosen as Poem of the Week. On her profile, Hannah says ‘I believe poetry is best when shared...
5th June 2018
Novice Slamming: Giving it back to the people?
Next week I make my proper competitive debut into the world of poetry slamming. Since entering the world of performance poetry I have always been undecided about whether or not slamming is for me. J...
4th June 2018
Write Out Loud Contributing Editor named "Best Reviewer" at the Saboteurs
Write Out Loud’s very own Contributing Editor Jade Cuttle has scooped yet another award which recognises her distinctive critical writing and reviewing skills. Named “Best Reviewer” at the Saboteur A...
2nd June 2018
Fire and Dust in the Write Out Loud spotlight
Coventry's Fire and Dust has been nominated as Best Regular Spoken Word Night in this year's Saboteur Awards. What better time for Write Out Loud to ask them just what it's all about, this Open Mic g...
1st June 2018
