Words with music

I’ve a busy time over the next couple of weeks as Sheffield’s First Poetry Festival gets into swing. On Sunday 27th I’m part of an arts walk, followed by a poetry garden party, hosted by Art in the Park:

Sunday, 27 March, 12.30 to 1.30pm Poetry Walk.
Meet at the Francis Newton (used to be Aunt Sally’s) entrance, Clarkehouse Road, S10 2LA A free event.

Sunday 27 March, 2 to 5pm, Garden Poetry with many poetry and art activities, LYNWOOD GARDENS. (If raining this will go ahead at the Broomhall Centre, Broomspring Lane). A free event

As a member of  the Tuesday Poets, I’m part of the performance “Out of Place”: Tuesday 29 March, 7.30 – 9pm, Showroom 5 (not in Bank Street Arts Centre as previously advertised). Tickets £4 / £3 (conc) from The Showroom Box Office, or on the door

As one the students on Sheffield Hallam’s MA writers I’ll be reading on Sunday 3 April 6.30pm – 8pm at Bank Street Arts. Tickets £4 / £3 from The Showroom Box Office, or on the door

and again on Wednesday 6 April 6.15 – 7.45pm, Bank Street Arts Centre a free event (this is a mix of experienced writers from the MA and those who are just starting out, all of whom will be airing brand new work).

The MA writing magazine, Matter, is available now in the Poetry Library: 3 issues including Matter 9, which contains two of my poems: http://www.poetrymagazines.org.uk/magazine/issue.asp?id=748

Whilst yesterday I was really pleased to take part in the launch of poems at the Moorland Garden on the Longshaw Estate just outside Sheffield. Two of my haiku were runners up, and so now proudly displayed on little brass plaques on spoons (amongst shovels, saws and other garden tools) in the garden. Look for “Cottongrass” and “Bilberry”. Some of the other poems were really good, with worthy winners and some really clever lines. It was particularly nice to see such great entries from children, who really stole the show with their work.