Well, August has been a goodun. I’m a bit knackered, if I’m honest, but also full of ideas for new poems. After a July that was mostly spent setting stuff up, learning a lot about writing and finally losing my dealing with editors cherry, it was nice to spend a month really getting on with writing and performing.
Me and Julian have been busy writing our From the Word Go stage show, which is really good fun to make, coming together slowly and will be revealed when it’s ready.
Chapter and Verse, our monthly open mic, is taking shape nicely. Our second event was like Terminator 2 to the the first Terminator, with great headline sets from Martin Dean and Two Seda, but we’re hoping that our next event on 1st September will be way better than Terminator 3. Head down to Jam Cafe, Nottingham on 1st September, 4:30pm to 7pm, for the next one. If you have a project or book launch you think we’d be interested in then feel free to drop us a message too, as we like all that stuff.
After a quick trip down South to see Avebury Ring, the largest stone circle in the world (it’s way better than Stonehenge, by the way), I spent a week up at the Edinburgh Fringe. I met lots of lovely and successful poets, wrote and recorded a poem from Arthur’s Seat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzRvse5C8G0), performed at the most excellent Other Voices and managed to get into heat 3 of the BBC Edinburgh Slam. I was promoted from reserve poet at about ten minutes notice and knocked out in the first round of the heat, but it was fantastic to be part of it. I definitely didn’t take the no-show guy to a dodgy chicken shop. Definitely not. Watching the final in the big BBC tent in front of nearly 400 people, that was other worldly good. One day I’ll be on that stage. This year was all about getting myself out there and seeing as many shows as possible, next year I hope to have my own show and have a bunch of feature slots at other people’s events.
I’ll be out and about around the East Midlands over the next few weeks, with at least three feature slots confirmed. Have a look at my Live page if you fancy popping down. I’ll also be working hard to untangle the mess that is the massively conflicting feedback on my book manuscript, trying to write some new pieces and working more on our stage show. Exciting times.
You can find all my projects by clicking on the Links tab. Feel free to give any of it a like or a follow if you like what I do.
Take care all 🙂