Pop up Poetry event at Cambridge House, 12 May 2012

From time to time Birkbeck tutor, Liane Strauss, organises a pop up poetry evening.  Here I am at one of these at Cambridge House.

The Birkbeck Scribblers - 2 May 2012 - Liane Strauss

The Scribblers events continued at The Hoop & Grapes and on 2nd May 2012 and I was back on duty again as compere and I also read a poem.  The audience were asked to join in by filling in feedback forms which were passed back to the readers, all useful stuff for fledgling writers.

We were very fortunate to have as our guest reader, Liane Strauss, who read from her books, Leaving Eden and Frankie Alfredo.

The Birkbeck Scribblers - 6 March 2012 - Anthony Joseph

The next Scribblers event on 6th March 2012 was held at The Hoop & Grapes pub in Farringdon.  Despite it being a little further from Uni, we still had a brilliant turn-out and I managed to get a poem selected (anonymously of course).

We were very fortunate to have as our guest reader, Anthony Joseph, who captivated the audience with his reading of poems from his books, Bird Head Son and his then forthcoming publication, Rubber Orchestras.

Greece in our Eyes

It was very exciting to tale part in the Greece in our Eyes exhibition because not only was I creating poems for artworks in the event but I also co-created an artwork, Lithic Love, with artist Philippa Edwards.

Here I am at the private view at the Hellenic Centre on 11th January.  To my right is an image by artist, Tafari Grant, whose artwork inspired a new poem, Apollo and Daphne.

Photos by David Olsan.

The Birkbeck Scribblers - Inaugural Event - 27 November 2011 - Richard Hamblyn and Jonathan Kemp

In my second year of the course at Birkbeck, I got heavily involved in a new literary group that ran reading evenings.  It became known as The Birkbeck Scribblers.  We invited submissions from across the Creative Writing BA and High Certificate courses then selected poetry and short fiction to be read at our live events.  

Here's me compering the inaugural event held at The College Arms pub close to Birkbeck

with guest readers, Richard Hamblyn 

and Jonathan Kemp.

Woodland Wonders

I was very excited to be part of the Woodland Wonders Exhibition held in the Victorian Chapel at Nunhead Cemetery.  I had written new poems for the event and was pleased to find that one the artworks, these black trees by artist Debra Mo, fitted perfectly with a slightly spooky poem, Forest Halflight.

Bulgaria in our Eyes

I was very excited to be part of this the Bulgaria in our Eyes Exhibition held at the Bulgarian Embassy in London at the private view on 16th June.  The poems added another layer to the artwork and new poems Damask Gold, Samodivas and Salzata were written specifically for the exhibition.

Here I am at the private view with the artists and the Bulgarian Ambassador together with organisers, Valeriya N-Georg and Philippa Edwards.

Photo provided by David Olsan.