Hungerford Bridge at the Hammer and Tongue Final (video)

Performing Hungerford Bridge at the Hammer and Tongue Oxford grand Final. Really really pleased with how it went - huge thanks to James Webster for some very helpful tips.

Last Man Out of Eden - CD & pamphlet

So I've finally got some new work to show for myself. Last Man Out of Eden is a CD and pamphlet of performance pieces out on June 12th (which, coincidentally, is the date of the Hammer and Tongue final). It's a  collection of poems about hope in the face of disappointment, with a lyrical confessional style that takes in equal amounts from Ferlinghetti, Tracey Emin, and Patti Smith’s Just Kids. These poems celebrate the healing powers of time, non-violence, and remembrance but above all carry a simple message:
Celebrate the lives of those you love because one day they won’t be with you any longer and you’ll be left writing poetry about how you wish you’d loved them more.

 And here's the bit where I really need your help. I'll be recording the poems for the CD live and I need an audience. It will be at 7.30 on Friday June 8th at (of course) The Albion Beatnik Bookstore. If you think you can sit and whoop up some raucous applause through a set of 9 poems (it'll take 30-35 minutes) whilst being plied with wine, please come along!

From the sandpit - a world of possibility

It's week one of my play experiment and I'm finding my feet. It all feels rather frivolous, but that's sort of the point, as I find my way around what I want to devote more energy to. I've been posting random things to my tumblr. One of the things I'm really enjoying is having a camera for the first time in 30 years or so - at the moment I'm photographing food a lot (maybe I'll write the recipe book I've always wanted to), and I'm doing a series of my most prized literary possessions - here's #2, My ARC of Murakami's 1Q84 from the lovely people at Blackwell's.

What I'm really looking forward to is taking pictures of this year's literary exploits, reporting Oxford's literary scene as it were.

Writing-wise, I've written my first short story for ages, but I still haven't decided what to do as my next big project. I'm tempted even at the thought of a really dark thriller - maybe my crime-loving juices are bubbling again. I'm also working on a one-man show that might be ready for next year, and a one-man exhibition for the autumn. But most of all I'm really enjoying focusing on spoken word, and trying to improve my performances and material for poetry readings and am delighted to have been asked to do a couple of longer sets - at FULLFAT next Monday, the 9th, in Brick Lane, then for Ferment Magazine on the 28th.

In that vein, I'm working really hard on my performance so I can put together some fun videos on YouTube - just the one so far, and it's not fabulous, but it's a start - I hope another tomorrow.

Most of all at the moment I'm enjoying putting this year's shows together. I've made a definite choice to do fewer shows this year but put them together even better - last year was fabulous, and I also learned a huge amount. I want to stick to 5 or 6 really top class shows I can give everything to (organising-wise - I'll accept almost any invitations to read). First up is The New Libertines at Manchester's legendary Afflecks on January 23rd. There's been an amazing response to this and I'm so excited. Later in the year the highlights so far are Not the Oxford Literary Festival in March, a Flash Slam in May, and The New Libertines back at Stoke Newington Literary Festival in June.

Most of all I'm having an amazing time, and am looking forward to working with and discovering even more new fabulous writers than ever before as well as many many of my dearest friends and closest colleagues from the past 3 years.

New Year's Message

I left before Christmas with a poem I hoped would get people writing poetry in the New Year, and more generally getting engaged in the things they cared about through there writing. You can see the words to Alibi here.

I thought I'd start the New Year as I hope to go on, with a video. I hope you enjoy it. I'd obviously love if you shared (the YouTube page is here - if you have a YouTube channel let me know and I'll subscribe), and if you do, please encourage people to leave their own poems in the responses - I hope you'll do that here. If you do, I'll take it you're OK with me putting the poem/prose/penning of whatever kind on my playpit homepage here.

Anyway, here it is. And weighing in at 2 minutes 57 seconds it's a fair bet you'll hear it at a slam near you some time this year!