Apples & Snakes In Soho Iain Sinclair

Contact: 0207 478 0100/www.sohotheatre.com

Tonight Iain Sinclair, the poet laureate of London’s peripheries, takes a break from pacing the streets and ventures into W1. With a brace of big-selling books behind him – including London Orbital and Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire – he is the arch-sniffer-out of the sense of place. Although ‘banned’ by certain borough councils for suggesting that the capital is worth more than whatever fast buck is being wrung out of it this week, he continues to strike a chord with those Londoners who prefer to look beyond the obvious. This evening he reads a selection of his poetry and prose.

Also on the bill is Tim Wells, who has been described as ‘a bit like Henry Mayhew interviewing Eek-A-Mouse in an East End tailor’s’. Originally one of the ranting poets – and not allowed to forget it – Tim Wells is another writer with the essence of London underneath his fingernails. His latest collection Rougher Yet is currently available from Donut Press.

Jay Bernard, meanwhile, has been resident writer on a pair of allotment sites in London and Oxford as part of My Place Or Yours, an ongoing programme of poetic placements across the UK. As such, she’s been delving into the nature of urban green space and literally getting to know her onions. Join her as she presents a barrowload of words and film-clips documenting her experiences so far.

All told, it’s the ultimate guided tour for lateral thinkers. With poetry. And seats.


Brought to you by Apples & Snakes – putting the poetry into the global village

Entry: £8 / £6

Time: 8:00pm