July Hots Up

My busy summer continues, with a flurry of July events. I’m actually going to see quite a few things on top of this list, but here’s the performance schedule. If you’re free, come and join me at some of it!

Leadboilers Festival, Saturday 8th July, Linthwaite.

Several poetry people in the line-up, including myself and Sarah L. Dixon How cool is that?

Full info, including details of the dog show can be found at:

https://www.leadboilers.com/leadboilers

Grand Plans, Sunday 9th July at The Sair, Linthwaite.

A new spoken word open mic hosted by Sarah L. Dixon. I’m spending the whole weekend in Linthwaite!

Getting Gobby in the Lobby, Wednesday 12th July, Lobby 1867, Wakefield.

I am on the list, but I appear to be keeping it a secret from Facebook.

Ink Spill Festival, Saturday 15th July, Head of Steam, Huddersfield.

Free, but ticketed sessions through Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.com/o/ink-spill-67748874503

I’m in another slam! 😎
Can’t wait for this one. Going to be a fab day of poetry workshops, guest slots and competitive slam action!

Poetry Vs Noise, Sunday 23rd July, The Peer Hat, 33 Oldham Street, Manchester. M1 1JG.

Lateral G and Boris Donkson back-to-back at this, with lots of other great wordsmiths and noisemakers!

Recipe for a Jubilant June:

TWO SLAMS!

A generous sprinkling of open mics

And a Sunday afternoon of poetry in the park.

June 8th, @Resident, Morley.
June 15th, Northern Stage, Newcastle. I am one of the 12 picked to compete….

June 23rd, Head of Steam, Huddersfield.
June 24th, Wharf Chambers, Leeds.
I’m competing in a 60 second slam!
June 25th, Owd Martha’s Yard, Hoyland. With Lee Pollard, Stand up Comedy Poet.
June 26th, Attic Stories, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield. Pic is of the very wonderful Rose Condo.

Out and About again

April was mostly a writing month, because I was unwell for so long. The joys of chronic illness!

On the plus side, I have a ton of new material as the outcome, and May now sees me back out performing.

I’m prioritising local stuff this month, so last week it was Small Seeds Acoustic Club on Tuesday, then Marsden Community Poetry on Wednesday. Both were lovely. Got my copy of Village Voices, which is out now. You can get yours too – from Maytree Press.

On Thursday, I went to see the wonderful Rose Condo perform her show ‘How to Starve an Artist,’ which proved enormously nourishing for this artist, and as a result, I have started planning my own show!

This week it’s over to Wakefield on Wednesday for Getting Gobby in the Lobby with guests Sarah L Dixon and Joe Williams.

Next week, its Attic Stories on Monday at Lawrence Batley Theatre, and Ink Spill on Friday at The Head of Steam, both in Huddersfield.

I’ve got more publication news coming soon and June is looking very good for performance – three new events booked already, all over West Yorkshire. More on that in a couple of weeks.

Tomorrow’s the Slam!

Look at me with my trendy no makeup selfie! The blur on the left is caused by my smashed screen protector. Authentic.

Preparing for tomorrow’s Hudds Lit Fest Slam with a day of rest, up in the Pennines. Weather is unpredictable, just as I like it!

Several people have asked me if I am nervous, excited or whatever, and it turns out none of those things. Since I have no idea what to expect, I have no expectations, which makes it all a lot easier. I’m hoping to go and have some fun! It’d be nice not to come last, but that’s about the extent of my ambitions…

So, a final plug: Small Seeds, Castlegate, Hudds. 7.30 on Friday. 🔥🔥🔥

Woman

Every month, the Ink Spill poetry night has a theme and I always enjoy writing something for it. This month’s was ‘woman’, probably because of International Women’s Day. I can’t make it to The Head of Steam on Friday, as I’m off to see Attilla the Stockbroker that night. But, I’d already written this poem, which they put up on their social media last week. I’ll save a copy here.