Poetry News
Here is part 2 of Nick's Avant Garde mix of poetry and music. My poetry starts at 23 minutes 55 seconds
Events Coming Up Next
Please read the events disclaimer at the bottom of the page.
Scroll down for items in red which show deadline dates for submissions to magazines and competitions
18 June 2022
(From Cheltenham Poetry Festival website)
Martina McGowan and Ben Ray plus Open Mic
Online. Wed 18 June 2022. Free. 7pm BST
We are delighted to bring you two wonderful poets.
Martina McGowan is a physician, poet, writer, artist, advocate, activist in the wars against social, racial, and sexual injustices.
Her debut poetry collection, i am the rage, was the 2021 International Book Award winner in the Social Change category, and Goodreads Choice Award Nominee. i am the rage is not just a poetry book. It is a call-to-action. This evocative collection of thirty poems puts readers in the position of feeling, reflecting, and empathizing with what it means to be Black in America today. Her work has been published internationally in literary magazines and anthologies. She is also a poetry editor and book reviewer.
Ben Ray is a poet, reviewer and workshopper. He was the winner of the 2019 New Poets Prize.
His most recent collection is The Kindness of the Eel (The Poetry Business, 2020), and his writing has appeared in a wide range of publications such as The Poetry Review, Poetry Wales and The Oxford Review of Books. Ben is Cheltenham Poetry Festival's poet in residence.
To register go to: Cheltenham Poetry Festival - Cheltenham Poetry Festival
10 to 19 June 2022
(From Literary Hub daily newsletter)
Lit Fest returns to Denver, Colorado, 2022
Lit Fest is a ten-day celebration of writers and readers, an extravaganza of weeklong and weekend advanced workshops, craft seminars, readings, salons, business panels, agent meetings, and parties. In 2022, Lit Fest returns to Denver, Colorado, but don't worry! There will still be plenty of ways for our out-of-state members to participate virtually.
Choose workshops and events à la carte or sign up for one of our festival passes for the full experience. Click here to browse 2021's catalog to get a sense of the programming.
Visiting Authors for 2022 include fiction writers Steve Almond, Dan Chaon, Percival Everett, Laura van den Berg, and Tiphanie Yanique; nonfiction writers Emily Rapp Black, P Carl, Melissa Febos, Leslie Jamison, and Nadia Owusu; and poets Jericho Brown, Victoria Chang, and Edward Hirsch; novelists/screenwriters Dean Bakopoulis and Alissa Nutting, and more to come!
See Lit Fest | Lighthouse Writers Workshop
To buy the pamphlet see: Open Skies - Gillie Robic (livecanon.co.uk)
Over 20 More Poetry Things You Could Do Today
1) From (Of Poetry Podcast – Kitchen table conversations with poets)
Episode 24: Shelley Wong (Of Quietness, Fire Island, and Looking at Each Other) – Of Poetry Podcast
Shelley Wong is the author of As She Appears (YesYes Books, May 2022), winner of the 2019 Pamet River Prize. Her poems have appeared in American Poetry Review, Best American Poetry, Kenyon Review, and New England Review. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize and fellowships from Kundiman, MacDowell, and Vermont Studio Center. She is an affiliate artist at Headlands Center for the Arts and lives in San Francisco.
First broadcast in May 2022
See Episode 24: Shelley Wong (Of Quietness, Fire Island, and Looking at Each Other) – Of Poetry Podcast
2) (From Poetry Events — Home Stage (home-stage.co.uk) website)
Otis Mensah — Home Stage (home-stage.co.uk)
Meet the Poet: Otis Mensah
Keep up with Otis on Facebook, Instagram and his website.
Who is he?
Otis Mensah, former Poet Laureate of Sheffield, performing artist and writer of ‘rap hymns’ explores the boundaries of poetry and experimental music, using poetry and Hip-Hop as stimuli for philosophical reflection and introspection. Otis’s work reads like a stream of consciousness, using aesthetic language to paint worlds of thought and harnessing his quintessential use of rhythm for a hypnotic performance. He takes influence from the rhythmic and expressive freedom of Jazz, working through themes of racial identity, masculinity and coming-of-age.
What does he do?
Building on earlier work and his tenure as Sheffield’s first Poet Laureate, Otis continues to release music and tour. He has performed at Glastonbury festival and has opened for heavyweights like Benjamin Zephaniah, Arrested Development, The Sugarhill Gang, Wu-Tang Clan affiliate Killah Priest, Lowkey, Open Mike Eagle, Chali 2na and Blu & Exile.
Otis’s debut poetry collection Safe Metamorphosis came out in 2020 with Prototype Publishing. Otis discusses his forthcoming collection Drawn and Quartered in this episode of Meet the Poet.
First available to watch on Facebook and YouTube on Wednesday, 18th May at 8pm.
Go to Otis Mensah — Home Stage (home-stage.co.uk)
Once you have watched this episode there is 36 more to watch at Poetry Events — Home Stage (home-stage.co.uk
3) (From Poetry Non-Stop (poetrynonstop.com) website)
Poetry Month at Poetry Non-Stop
It’s April and time for NaPoWriMo when poets attempt to write a poem every day of the month. From April 1 we are sharing a daily post and podcast with poets from around the world sharing their ideas and poems to inspire you each day.
Make sure you’ve subscribed to the podcast and this blog so you don’t miss anything. Even if you do not plan on doing NaPoWriMo it will be a nice bit of poetry to add to your day, and even if you’re only inspired to write one or two poems that’s still an achievement.
If you’ve never done NaPoWriMo before and the idea of writing a poem every day seems daunting, take it easy. The aim isn’t to produce a masterpiece every day, just a first draft. By the end of the month you’ll have lots of ideas to develop at a slower pace. For more advice see this article or purchase my book Poetry Non-Stop.
Have a happy NaPoWriMo!
Go to News – Poetry Non-Stop (poetrynonstop.com)
Here all the poems at NaPoWriMo Poetry Non-Stop (soundcloud.com)
4) (From AngelHousePress website)
NationalPoetryMonth.ca
'NationalPoetryMonth.ca 2022 reflects the epoch’s visceral nature, in your face and guttural, the ouroboros devouring its own tail, an endless loop, a glint of silver on a knife with an edge of scarlet. It is a poetics of contrasts: haunting in its ephemerality or tactile and solid, but nothing permanent about what lies ahead, ghosts lurk inside a bowl of marigolds, lush red strawberries lie in a puddle on the road, stones echo as they roll.
Each day in April, we celebrate the variety of possibilities that is poetry: stanzas, prose, collages, erasure, video and photographs from contributors from Australia, Argentina, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, India, Japan, UK and USA. Poetry transcends and blurs boundaries and borders.' Amanda Earl.
NationalPoetryMonth.ca 2022 will remain online until February 28, 2023.
Visit https://nationalpoetrymonth.ca/ and click on the calendar days
5) (From Poetry Extra webpage)
Shark
Poet Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive and selects Dorothy Cross - Sharks - An ode to sharks with the Irish artist. With fossil records dating back 400 million years, sharks have outlived most life forms on the planet. They are essential to the natural order of marine ecosystems, but so little is really known about them. Dorothy Cross is fascinated and inspired by these majestic fish. She's shared a canoe with a shark caller in the South Pacific, swum beneath Hammerheads in the Galapagos and, in this programme, she's out on a boat off Malin Head, the northern most tip of Ireland, in search of basking sharks and poetry. Poems include Norman MacCaig's Basking Shark, Mirror by Silvia Plath, Flying Fish: An Ode by Charles Wharton Stork, Herman Melville's Maldive Shark and Behind Me Dips Eternity by Emily Dickinson. Poetry readers are Eleanor Bron, Bill Paterson and Fiona Shaw.
Produced by Kate Bland
A Cast Iron Radio production for BBC Radio 4
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2019
See: Poetry Extra - Shark - BBC Sounds
6) (From West Wilts Radio)
The Poetry Place
Repeated every Sunday, @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The Poetry Place is a monthly poetry magazine programme bringing you news, views, readings and interviews from today’s poetry community, both locally and further afield. Presented by Dawn Gorman and Peter O’Grady, it brings inspiration and food for thought for everyone, from those who enjoy listening to the occasional poem, to people writing and publishing their own work.
Hear the most recent new edition first broadcast on 29 Mayl 2022 at : The Poetry Place with Ruth Sharman & Susan Utting #29-29/05/22 – West Wilts Radio
7) (From T.S. Eliot website)
T.S. Eliot Prize
The winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize has now been announced, but it is still worth an hour of your time going to the website where all the shortlisted poets talk about their poetry and read some of their poems out.
See: Videos – The T. S. Eliot Prize (tseliot.com)
8) (From Eat The Storms website)
Eat the Storms – The Podcast Podcast – Episode 6 – Season 5
Podcast available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, Breaker, Player FM, Radio Public, OverCast, PocketCast, CastBox, iTunes, Podbean, Podcast Addicts and many more platforms.
This episode aired first on Saturday 11th June 2022. The guests were Mary Moynihan, Julian Matthews, John Buckley McQuaid, Daniel Wade, Mai Black and Fin Hall, produced and hosted by Damien B. Donnelly.
Visit: Eat the Storms – The Podcast Podcast – Episode 6 – Season 5 – eat the Storms
9) (From Seren Books newsletter)
Alternative Stories and Fake Realities Seren Books 40th Anniversary
In this edition we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Seren Books, the publisher from south Wales responsible for launching the careers of many poets and for putting out a series of memorable poetry collections including a few featured previously on Alt Stories.
In this podcast you can hear an interview with Seren’s outgoing poetry editor Amy Wack who leaves the press at the end of October 2021. She looks back at her time with Seren and the changes to the style and readership of poetry since she joined.
The presenter of this podcast is Nadia Wyn Abouayen and the readers from Alt Stories are Tiffany Clare and Chris Gregory.
See Seren Books 40th Anniversary (buzzsprout.com)
See all the podcasts at Alternative Stories and Fake Realities (buzzsprout.com)
10) (From Modern Poetry in Translation email)
Roman Women Poets
We are delighted to present this new digital pamphlet, Romanian Women Poets, curated by Cătălina Stanislav with Sam Riviere, our two Writers in Residence for 2021.
This residency is generously supported by the European Cultural Foundation.
See ROMANIAN WOMEN POETS - Modern Poetry in Translation
11) (From Poetry Book Society Email newsletter)
Insta Live Book Club PBS Spring Choice - from 28 January 2022
In this month's Insta Live Book Club PBS Spring Choice Emily Berry discusses the concept of "time slips" her forthcoming collection Unexhausted Time with our PBS Selector Anthony Anaxagorou and Jessica Traynor discusses poetry and parenthood in Pit Lullabies (Bloodaxe Books). Both books are due out in March but we're so excited to have exclusive early copies to send to members. Join by 15th February for your copy in the Spring mailing.
See the latest Insta Book Club: Emily Berry & Jessica Traynor - YouTube
12) (From The Buzz – The Hive Poetry Collective Website)
The Hive Poetry Collective
By The Hive
Airing on KSQD 90.7 FM most Sundays at 8:00, the Hive Poetry Collective is a buzz of poets in Santa Cruz, California— a swarm of radio conversations, public readings, and writing workshops. The link will also take you to all the available podcasts.
See S4: E18 Joe Millar chats with Dion O'Reilly by The Hive Poetry Collective (anchor.fm)
13) (From The Poetry Programme - RTÉ Radio 1 (rte.ie) website)
The Poetry Programme
Olivia O'Leary explores the diverse and vibrant world of poets and poetry. For everyone who loves poetry. And those who just don't know it yet.
The Poetry Programme Sunday 29 May 2022
James Joyce is famous as a novelist and short story writer, but what about James Joyce the poet? On this week's Poetry Programme Gerard Smyth talks with presenter Olivia O'Leary about the poetry of James Joyce.
Joyce's first book was a collection of poems, Chamber Music, published in 1907. To readers used to his experimentation with language, they sound rather traditional and old-fashioned. Joyce regarded them as songs and down through the years they have inspired musicians from Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer to Sonic Youth to set them to music. The final poem in the collection, Chamber Music XXXVI, is generally regarded as the best and still has a resonance in today's world.
In his second collection, Pomes Penyeach, published in 1927, there is more of the wordplay and Catholic imagery that we are used to seeing in his prose work. Olivia and Gerard also talk about Gas from a Burner, a satirical poem which Joyce wrote to express his displeasure at the burning by his publishers of copies of Dubliners.
Joyce's Collected Poems was published in 1936 and includes one of his best known poems, Ecce Puer, written to mark his grandson's birth and the recent death of his father.
Joyce's poems are read throughout the programme by Phelim Drew, and the programme ends with a musical setting of Bahnhofstasse, performed by musicians Lisa Hannigan, Adrian Crowley, Matthew Nolan and Cora Venus Lunny, from their album Pomes Penyeach, available from dublinvinyl.com.
Hear the broadcast at: The Poetry Programme Sunday 29 May 2022 - The Poetry Programme (rte.ie)
14) (From Carol Rumens's poem of the week | Books | The Guardian website page)
Carol Rumens' Poem of the Week
A faultlessly consistent article in a national newspaper, and always available online, too.
See Poem of the week:Poem of the week: Air by Victoria Adukwei Bulley | Poetry | The Guardian
15) (From Verse Ottawa )
MISS ANY OF VERSEFEST 2021? Catch the things you missed in our videos
See Videos of Past Events (verseottawa.ca)
16) (From BBC Radio 3 - The Verb Website)
The Verb at Hay
In the second of two programmes recorded in front of an audience at this year's Hay Festival, Ian McMillan is joined by Jennifer Egan, Gurnaik Johal and Allie Esiri.
Jennifer Egan won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for her novel 'A Visit from the Goon Squad', she has just published a companion novel, 'The Candy House'. Gurnaik Johal's debut short story collection is 'We Move', a group of tales that chart multiple generations of immigrants in West London.
Allie Esiri is an award-winning anthologist and curator and host of live poetry events. She has edited the best-selling poetry anthologies Shakespeare for Every Day of the Year, A Poem for Every Day of the Year and A Poem for Every Night of the Year.
Our 'Something Old, Something New' commission is from Liz Berry, author of Black Country and The Republic of Motherhood. Presenter: Ian McMillan Producer: Jessica Treen
Broadcast on 10 Jun 2022.
See : The Verb - Books and Pens - BBC Sounds
There is an archive of 161 episode available: BBC Radio 3 - The Verb - Available now
17) (From The Guardian website)
A Pandemic Poem: Where Did the World Go?
“There was a world once, but where did it go?” With the richer countries perhaps approaching at least the beginning of the end of the pandemic, it’s time to take stock. This affecting film combines the words of the poet laureate, Simon Armitage, with personal stories ranging from the uplifting to the tragic, to explore the deeply disturbing and utterly strange experience we have all recently undergone. An emotional roadmap of Covid-19 rather than a linear narrative, and all the better for it. Phil Harrison.
Now available at: BBC Two - A Pandemic Poem: Where Did the World Go?
18) (From New York Times website)
Reading poetry with the poem column
In this edition of our series on learning with New York Times columns, we’re inviting you to read and emulate The New York Times Magazine’s Poem column. Every week, the magazine publishes a new poem, which is chosen and introduced by a poet-editor, like Victoria Chang, Reginald Dwayne Betts or Naomi Shihab Nye.
In this lesson, you’ll read a poem from the column and see how the editors make their choices, as well as how they analyse and make connections to each poem. Then, you’ll choose your own poem to read and write a paragraph explaining what it means to you.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/learning/lesson-plans/reading-poetry-with-the-poem-column.html
Enter the 2022/2023 (10th) competition, which will run for 42 weeks.
Every Tuesday at midday (UTC) from 12th April 2022 – 31st January 2023, five words will be posted on this competition page. Entrants will have one week to compose and submit one or more poems which include all five words given for that week.
A prize of 750 euros will be awarded to the winner, plus 500 euros for second place and 250 euros for third place. These three, if available will be invited to read at Ó Bhéal’s sixteenth anniversary (hybrid) event, on Monday the 10th of April 2023. Should winners be able to attend in person, then an additional travel fee of 100 euro plus B&B accommodation will be provided for this. The overall winner also receives a physical award, hand-crafted by acclaimed glass artist (and poet) Michael Ray.
The shortlisted poems and winning entry will also be published in Five Words Vol XVI – the anthology of five word poems to be launched at the same event. A shortlist of twelve poems including the overall winner will be announced by the first week of March 2023. The judge for 2022/23 is Victoria Kennefick.
Entry is open to all countries. Poems cannot exceed 50 lines in length (including line breaks), and must include all five words listed for the week. A modicum of poetic license is acceptable. As long as the original spelling is intact, you’re welcome to extend, pluralise or even split any word to appear across two adjacent words, even if its original meaning becomes altered.
Poems should be newly written, during this 7-day period. There is no limit to volume of entries, although each payment and submission should be made separately.
NB** Entrants should be at least 18 years of age at the date of submission. Entries to be sent no later than 12pm on the relevant Tuesday. Submissions carry a 5 euro entrance fee.
For more information see: Welcome to Ó Bhéal - Fáilte go dtí Ó Bhéal (obheal.ie)
20 (From Lancaster Literature Festival website)
Lancaster Literature Festival 2022
Poetry events are still available to view for £5, see: -
Poetry Double Bill 2 Helen Mort & Kayo Chingonyi - Crowdcast
This Place, This Planet: Helen Mort - Crowdcast
Roger Robinson: A Portable Paradise Winner of the 2019 T. S. Eliot Prize - Crowdcast
There is also some free events from previous years. See Lancaster Litfest - Crowdcast
21 (From Moving Poems website)
Watch the Best Poetry Videos on the Web
The latest when I looked:
Recusio Redacted is a film by Helen Dewbery, from a poem by Jacqueline Saphra. The poem appears in the collection Dad, Remember You Are Dead, published by Nine Arches Press.
Helen will be familiar to followers of Moving Poems from her earlier films previously shared here. Aside from being a marvellous film-maker, she is co-editor with Chaucer Cameron of the online journal Poetry Film Live.
Jacqueline Saphra is a playwright as well as a poet. Her writing has been shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot prize, among other honours. She lives in London and teaches at The Poetry School.
Regularly updated there's 2062 videos (and counting) to see at Videopoems | Moving Poems
22) Look around this site and follow some of the links you have not heard of before.....
Keep Scrolling for news of more events in June
'Super. Keep looking down that long road.'
'Better Now Or Better Now Or Better Never?'
by Julian Stannard.
The Poetry Review Vol 111:2 Summer 2021
New On YouTube
Bob's YouTube Playlist - Poetry Readings and Films
There are poems by Victoria Kennefick, Joelle Taylor, Shaun Hill, Kae Tempest, Derek J Brown, Elle Heedles, and Raymond Antrobus, -
Bob's YouTube Playlist - Poets Reading Poetry (short clips).
New On Soundcloud
I am and the Bob in this mixtape.
My contribution begins at 27 minutes.
(See No.2 in the series above)
Top Twelve Poetry Headlines from the Web
(Click to go to the online article)
1. National Poetry Competition has its youngest ever winner | Poetry | The Guardian
2. Lemn Sissay: Younger self 'would never have believed' OBE honour - BBC News
3. Keri Hulme, New Zealand’s first Booker prize-winning writer, dies aged 74 | Culture | The Guardian
4. Tupac Shakur Childhood Poetry Auction https://bookriot.com
7. Top Poetry Books For Kids | www.romper.com
8. Robert Burns museum plan lodged for old Dumfries bakehouse - BBC News
10. The Bookseller - Blogs - Rethinking poetry prizes
11. Bradford Poet Nominated For National Diversity Awards
12. Chosen works of 'forgotten' 19th Century poet made into films - BBC News
Also see
News of Future Events
Click underlined words to go to the home webpages.
Items in red are stories with deadlines, such as open poetry writing competitions which close on this date.
Note: Events appear in reverse date order right down until today, so that you can plan well in advance for future events, and can see the closing dates of competitions that you may want to enter.
2022
All year in 2022
Please check the following which have regular updates of events worth visiting:
Eventbrite - Online #poetry Events
International Poetry Calendar – Griffin Poetry Prize
Irish Poetry Festival Calender - Ó Bhéal
Milkweed Editions - Events (U.S., Central Time)
National Poetry Library - comprehensive list of currently open competitions
Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts - Events Newcastle University
Nottingham: Writer's Block: What's on Nottingham's writing world (mynottz.com)
Poetry Events in UK & Ireland | Facebook
The Poetry Project > Hub (U.S.)
The following Groups offer regular online Open-Mics:
Cheltenham Poetry Festival - Cheltenham Poetry Festival
Fire and Dust - Ann Atkins Events | Eventbrite
Journal of Expressive Writing / Open Mic (U.S.)
Speak the Word: online open mic night Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
Speak Your Truth ~ Spoke open mic Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
TWOMPH - Stockton-on-Tees Libraries Events | Eventbrite
Still Keep Scrolling for news of more events in June !!
4 to 6 November 2022
(From poetryinaldeburgh website
Poetry In Aldeburgh Festival
'Our planning for a Festival in November 2022 is underway and we are looking forward to returning in Real Life to Aldeburgh, our town by the sea with some workshops and reading events.
We will also continue to have a live online offering for events and many workshops on days around the core weekend as we recognise that, for many, travel may still not be easy or affordable. We are keen to retain the sense of community built up over the last two years and many of our online readings will be on a donate what you can basis.
The Festival Team'
3 September to 2 October 2022
(From Wigtown Book Festival website)
Wigtown Book Festival
For the programme and on-going events prior to the festival see What's On - Wigtown Book Festival
23 to 26 September 2022
(From Burford Literary Festival website)
BURFORD LIT FEST 2022
We are at the planning stage for Lit Fest 2022, we have a long list of authors and events to delight you.
To subscribe for email updates visit Literary Festival | Burford Literary Festival | England (burfordlitfest.co.uk)
16 to 25 September 2022
(From Hastings Literary Festival website)
The Hastings Literary Festival
For everyone who loves the written word. The Hastings Literary Festival is a community festival, celebrating writing and the written word. We are committed to ensuring our events are safe, engaging and accessible, with a specific focus on supporting local writing talent.
See Literature Festival | Hastings Literary Festival | Hastings (hastingslitfest.org)
15 September 2022
(From Writing Competitions)
Max Porter to Judge the Moth Nature Writing Prize 2022
The Moth Nature Writing Prize aims to encourage and celebrate the art of nature writing. It is awarded annually to an unpublished piece of prose or poetry which best combines exceptional literary merit with an exploration of the writer’s relationship with the natural world.
The prize is open to anyone over the age of sixteen, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished.
Each year a single judge is asked to choose one winner from entries worldwide, to feature in the winter issue of The Moth. The winner receives €1,000 and a week at Circle of Misse in France. The inaugural judge in 2020 was Richard Mabey.
The Moth Nature Writing Prize is open to anyone over 16, as long as the work is original and previously unpublished. There is a 4,000 maximum word limit. The entry fee is €15 per entry and you can enter as many pieces as you like.
You can enter online or send your entry along with a cheque or postal order made payable to ‘The Moth Magazine Ltd.’ with an entry form or a cover letter with your name and contact details and the title of your piece attached to: The Moth, Ardan Grange, Milltown, Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland H14 K768.
Please read the rules before you enter.
The Prize closes 15 September 2022.
The winning entry will appear in the winter issue of The Moth.
For more information see The Moth Magazine
31 August 2022
(From The Poetry Review advert)
Aesthetica invites writers to enter the Creative Writing Award.
-
£5,000 prize money
(£2,500 for the Poetry Winner, £2,500 for the Short Fiction Winner) -
Publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual
-
Full membership to The Poetry Society (Poetry Winner)
-
A free 10-week Online Course from the Poetry School (Poetry Winner)
-
Consultation with Redhammer Management (Fiction Winner)
-
Selection of books from Vintage
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One year print subscription to Granta
Closes 31 August 2022
To Enter visit Aesthetica Magazine - Enter
26 to 28 August 2022
(From Between the Trees Festival website)
Nature, Science, Music, Art & Spoken Word.
Reconnect with nature in a Welsh woodland by the sea.
Between The Trees is the vision of two educators, Andrew Thomas and Dawn Wood.
We had begun to notice that people were becoming increasingly disconnected from nature and more connected to their screens, including us!
We wanted to do something to address this so, in 2014, Between The Trees was born.
With its unique theme of nature & science, the festival aims to reconnect people to the natural world. It features a blend of original indie folk music, art and spoken word within a community that embraces all and encourages thinking and creativity.
We couldn’t have found a more suitable site – Merthyr Mawr National Nature Reserve is one of Wales’ Sites of Special Scientific Interest and is a haven for wildlife, with its magical woodland areas, magnificent sand dunes and the sea beyond.
In person event, for which tickets need to be purchased.
See: Between the Trees Festival, Merthyr Mawr Nature Reserve, South Wales - Between The Trees
22 August 2022
The 10th Ó Bhéal Poetry-Film Competition
Submissions will be open from 1st May – 31st August 2022. Entries made outside of these dates cannot be considered. You may submit as many films as you like – each must interpret or convey a poem (present in its entirety, audibly and/or visually) and have been completed after the 1st of May 2020.
Entries may not exceed 10 minutes in duration. Non-English or non-Irish language films will require English subtitles.
The shortlist will be announced during October 2022 and one overall winner will receive the Ó Bhéal award for best poetry-film. Shortlisted films will be screened (and the winner announced) at the 10th Winter Warmer poetry festival (25th-27th Nov 2022).
Entry is free to anyone.
To enter visit Welcome to Ó Bhéal - Fáilte go dtí Ó Bhéal (obheal.ie)
2 August 2022
(From Second Light Website)
Second Light Poetry Competition for Long and Short Poems by Women 2022 – DEADLINE Tuesday 2nd August
We are delighted that Moniza Alvi has agreed to judge the Second Light Poetry Competition 2022. As always, the theme is open, and first prizes are awarded in two categories: Short (50 lines or under) and Long (over 50 lines). 2nd & 3rd prizes may be from either category. Winners and Commended poets will notified by 30th September and the poems published in ARTEMISpoetry Issue 29 (November 2022), either in full or extract. This is one of very few competitions where poems previously published in a magazine only (in print or online) are eligible.
MONIZA ALVI was born in Pakistan and grew up in Hertfordshire. Her collections of poetry include The Country at My Shoulder (1993), Europa (2008) and At the Time of Partition (2013), all three shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. Her most recent collection is the booklength sequence Fairoz (Bloodaxe, 2022).
£300 First Prize for each of Long (no upper limit) and Short (max 50 lines) poems
£150 Second Prize (1 poem from either category)
£75 Third Prize (1 poem from either category)
Winning & Commended Poems published (in full or extract) in ARTEMISpoetry
We aim to offer Winners a reading (may be online).
Deadline Tuesday 2nd August
Entry: £7 each per long poem. Short poems: £5 each or £10 for 3, £15 for 8.
For more information see: Second Light Live - news & events
1 to 7 August 2022
These are the dates for this year's Leeds Poetry Festival
31 July 2022
(From Ambit email newsletter)
ANNUAL AMBIT COMPETITION MAGICK!
Please send us work that explores the theme of Magick.
Our judges are:
Poems: Rebecca Tamás
Stories: Jenni Fagan
Art: Danielle de Picciotto
We offer £500 to each winner, and are arranging a Magick raffle of prizes which will be announced on publication. Winners will be published in our Magick issue on Halloween.
We need exclusive work, that is not being sent elsewhere. We ask that it has never been seen on social media, or past published anywhere.
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN 1 June > 31 July
For more information and to enter, see: Annual Ambit Competition Magick! - Ambit Magazine
31 July 2022
(From Hastings Literary Festival website)
The Hastings Literary Festival - Poetry Competition Open
Our poetry judge this year is John McCullough.
John won the Hawthornden prize for literature in 2020 for his third collection Reckless Paper Birds, which was also shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Award. He published his most recent collection Panic Response in March 2022 to great critical acclaim. His poems and have appeared in Poetry Review, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Poetry London and Best British Poetry. His first collection The Frost Fairs (Salt, 2011) won the Polari First Book Prize and was a Book of the Year for The Independent and The Poetry School.
Jon McCullough writes: "As for what I'm looking for, I would say 'I'm hoping to find poems that are modern and surprising. I like carefully crafted work with emotional intensity, pieces that appeal both to the heart and head, that give the reader goosebumps through original imagery and phrasing. There are many different ways to succeed rather than one correct path. I enjoy poems that take risks. Subject matter for me is less important than vitality and a fresh angle of approach.'"
Hastings Book Festival 2022 Competitions
Welcome to the annual Hastings Book Festival Competitions!
We are running two main competitions this year:
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SHORT STORY: on any theme with a maximum word count of 2500.
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POETRY: single poems on any theme, with a limit of 40 lines.
The Prize
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The winning entries in each category will receive a cash prize of £250.
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The runner up in each category will receive a cash prize of £50.
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Prizes will be presented in person at the festival closing celebration in Hastings on Sunday 25th September
The competition closes on 31 July 2022.
To enter see: Competitions | Hastings LitFest
21 July 2022
(From Eventbrite email)
Fire&Dust Poets Zoom Around the World. Special guest and Open Mic
About this event
OPEN MIC. Online, Free.
Thursday 21 July 2022. "Doors open" 7:15PM - come in and get settled. Gig starts at 7:30PM (UK time).
ZOOM
Please select ONE ticket type, Open mic reader+zoom link or audience+zoom link. Please reply to your Eventbrite confirmation to email the organiser ahead of the event if you have any special requirements eg. to go on early or late due to time zones. Open mic slots are available for poets throughout the night (usually 3 minutes max). Please cancel / let me know if unable to attend.
Fire & Dust is a poetry open mic event. It's at Café Morso in Coventry (UK) on the regular slot of the first Thursday of the month, but we want to keep the lovely poets and audience we've met since going virtual in April 2020 (of course new faces and voices are welcome.) We think it's important to keep poetry accessible to those who for whatever reason are unable to join our in-person event... or want a double shot of Fire & Dust.
See: Ann Atkins Events | Eventbrite
22 July 2022
(From Cheltenham Poetry Festival website)
Writing New Poems & Getting them Known - a Five Week Short Course on Zoom, led by Jonathan Davidson
Online
Mon 1st August 2022
Not a free event.
We welcome back the wonderful Jonathan Davidson for a series of Monday evening workshops in August.
Meeting for two hours on Zoom across five weekly sessions, this course will use interesting and uncommon poems to get us writing new work. There will be writing exercises and games and opportunities to enjoy each other’s new work. There will also be plenty of ideas for getting poetry shared – places to publish and ways to get work heard – and a chance to learn about the poetry sector in the UK. Each session will be followed up with a weekly e-mail with useful information and the course will finish with a chance to perform a few poems to other participants (not compulsory!) and the usual ‘end of course raffle’ in which absolutely everyone will win a prize.
Jonathan Davidson is a poet, writer and literature activist. He lives in the English Midlands but works internationally. His poetry has been widely published and he has also written memoir and criticism. His radio dramas and adaptations have been broadcast by BBC Radios 3 and 4. Much of his work is focussed on how writing – especially poetry – is experienced by readers and listeners. His most recent collection is A Commonplace (Smith|Doorstop, 2020) which has been widely reviewed, including in Under the Radar, The TLS and Racine. His previous book, On Poetry (Smith|Doorstop, 2018), a combination of memoir and manual, was included in The Guardian's Top 10 Books About Creative Writing 2020. His articles about poetry and the poetry sector at www.jonathandavidson.net have raised eyebrows.
Workshop dates:
Mondays 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th August
Bursaries
If you have limited financial means and cannot afford the workshops, there are a couple of bursaries available, please email cpfboxoffice@yahoo.com to apply.
The box office will close for this event at 10pm BST 22nd July
For more information see: Cheltenham Poetry Festival - Cheltenham Poetry Festival
15-17 July 2022
SKYLINES: A FESTIVAL OF POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD, COVENTRY, UK
A new festival for Coventry: 15-17 July 2022
Join us for three glorious days in July as the city of Coventry plays host to a celebration of poetry and spoken word.
With household names, established writers, new poets, workshops and poetry walks, words and performance will fill the streets of the current UK City of Culture.
The programme is now live.
Many of our events are being livestreamed (and captioned): you may prefer to buy our Livestream Pass for the weekend.
Five events are also BSL interpreted.
We can’t wait to see you.
For more information see: SkyLines festival of poetry and spoken word, Coventry (skylinescoventry.co.uk)
15 July 2022
(From Rattle.com website)
The annual Rattle Poetry Prize
The annual Rattle Poetry Prize offers $15,000 for a single poem to be published in the winter issue of the magazine. Ten finalists will also receive $500 each and publication, and be eligible for the $5,000 Readers’ Choice Award, to be selected by subscriber and entrant vote.
Additional poems from the entries are frequently offered publication as well. In 2020 we published 24 poems that had been submitted to the contest from over 3,000 entries.
With the winners judged in an anonymous review by the editors to ensure a fair and consistent selection, an entry fee that is simply a one-year subscription to the magazine—and a large Readers’ Choice Award to be chosen by the writers themselves—we’ve designed the Rattle Poetry Prize to be one of the most inspiring contests around.
Past winners have included a retired teacher, a lawyer, and several students. It’s fair, it’s friendly, and you win a print subscription to Rattle even if you don’t win.
DEADLINE: July 15th
For more information and to enter see: About the Rattle Poetry Prize | Rattle: Poetry
13 July 2022
(From Cheltenham Poetry Festival website
Brandon Wint, Stuart McPherson and Open Mic
Online
Wed 13th July 2022
Free
Brandon Wint is an Ontario-born poet and spoken word artist who uses poetry to attend to the joys, devastations and inequities associated with this era of human and ecological history. For more than a decade, Brandon has been a sought-after, touring performer, and has presented his work in the United States, Australia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Jamaica. His work has been published in national anthologies, including The Great Black North: Contemporary African-Canadian Poetry (Frontenac House, 2013) and Black Writers Matter (University of Regina Press, 2019). Divine Animal is his debut collection.
Stuart McPherson
Stuart McPherson is a poet from Leicester in the United Kingdom. His work has appeared in numerous online journals and anthologies, including Beir Bua Journal and After the Pause. His debut micro-pamphlet Pale Mnemonic was published in April 2021 by Legitimate Snack. His debut full length pamphlet Water Bearer was published in December 2021 by Broken Sleep Books. His debut poetry collection Obligate Carnivore is due to be published in August 2022, also by Broken Sleep Books.
There will be a limited number of open mic slots at this event. Each slot is for one poem of no more than 2 minutes. Please book an open mic ticket. If these are sold out, please email cptboxoffice@yahoo.com to put your name on the reserve list.
For more information see Cheltenham Poetry Festival - Cheltenham Poetry Festival
12 July 2022
(From Eventbrite)
Verve Poetry presents our first quarterly night at the Glee Club, incl. Saili Katebe, Jemima Hughes, Ryan Sinclair & host Sam J Grudgings
We'd love to welcome you to a new quarterly night for stunning national and local poetry with open mic - all hosted by regular Verve Poetry host Sam J Grudgings. Our events will always be on the second Tuesday of the month with subsequent night's scheduled for October, January and April.
Our night will have four features - two local and two national and of varying levels of experience. Our July headline is the incredible Joelle Taylor who hosts the stunning OutSpoken London monthly night and won the TSEliot Prize with her recent collection Cunto and Othered Poems.
Also featuring will be awesome Bristol based poet Saili Katebe, and two awe inspiring local poets, Jemima Hughes and Ryan Sinclair.
Each half of the night will have room for 6/7 open micers followed by two of our featured poets. (So 12/14 open mic slots in all!).
These are going to be storming nights of lively and lovely poetry! Join us!
NB This is event is for 16+ In-Person and Online Tickets Available
Tue, 12 July 2022
19:00 – 21:30 BST
Cost: £5-98
See:VERVE Poetry Night Feat. Joelle Taylor & Open Mic Tickets, Tue 12 Jul 2022 at 19:00 | Eventbrite
6 to 9 July 2022
These are the dates for the 2022 Penzance LitFest. See Penzance Literary Festival
1 July 2022
(From POETRY LIT! | millavanderhave )
Poetry Lit! is a monthly online reading series for poets from all over the world.
About this event
Poetry from all over the world has never been closer to your lazy chair! Poetry Lit! is a monthly online reading series for international poets... and their fans. Each month Poetry Lit! hosts a Zoom event where folks share in poetry.
Featured poets
Each month we invited 2 guest poets to read from their work. Here's the planned schedule of featured readers for the coming months:
July 1st Claire Askew & Erin Vance
After the featured poets there's an open mic, where you can hear some exciting new voices!
If you want to attend and listen to some great poetry.... welcome! Please register, so we know how many people are coming. We will send you a link to join nearer to the event.
Join the open mic?
If you want to participate in the open mic, please register for an open mic ticket. You can find tickets when you select a date.
Game rules open mic
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open mic spots are 5 minutes max.
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please do not book open mic spots for 2 or more consecutive events
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please book max. 3 open mic spots in a year
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if you somehow can't make it, please let us know and cancel your ticket, so another poet can fill the spot
Fri, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM GMT Online, Free.
To register visit Poetry Lit! - Online Reading Series Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
1 to 10 July 2022
These are the dates for the Ledbury Poetry Festival See Ledbury Poetry Festival (poetry-festival.co.uk)
30 June 2022
(From Poetry London magazine and website)
Entries to the Poetry London Prize 2022 are now open
First prize £5,000
Second prize £2000
Third prize £1000
Plus publication in Poetry London magazine
Judge Romalyn Ante. Closes 30 June 2022.
For full details see: Poetry London Competition - Poetry London Prize 2022
30 June 2022
(From Spoke Events | Eventbrite)
Speak your truth with Spoke Online Open Mic
You asked us for an online platform to share your work, so here we are.
Spoke's new online monthly open mic with Sharena Lee Satti and Andrew Doughty .
With most events now held in person, we don't want our online community missing out performing together. So here we are with our new online event, and all are welcome to join and share your work Its a safe inclusive space where you will feel welcomed and your work appreciated.
So do join us from wherever you are in the world with your poetry and short stories.
Online. Free. 19.00 hours to 21.00 hours, BST.
See: Speak Your Truth ~ Spoke open mic Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
26 June 2022
(From Kendal Poetry Festival )
MAIN READING WITH DON PATERSON AND NAUSH SABAH
Sunday 26th June 5.30-7.30pm
Theatre, Brewery Arts Centre
HYBRID
Tickets: £5 online
Tickets: £5 in person
Don Paterson’s latest collection Zonal (Faber, 2020) takes as its starting point the classic television series The Twilight Zone to create a collection that is a genre-bending experiment in science-fiction, autobiography and all the spaces in-between. Naush Sabah’s debut pamphlet Litanies (Guillemot Press, 2021) uses Sufi prayers and sacred texts as a starting point to explore doubt, dissent and dislocation.
For more information see: Main Reading Don Paterson Naush Sabah | Kendal Poetry Festival 2022
I have only highlighted one event, please go to the Festival website to see all the available events.
26 June 2022
(From West Wilts Radio)
The Poetry Place
Sundays, 3pm
with presenters Dawn Gorman & Peter O’Grady
The Poetry Place is a monthly poetry magazine programme bringing you news, views, readings and interviews from today’s poetry community, both locally and further afield. Presented by Dawn Gorman and Peter O’Grady, it brings inspiration and food for thought for everyone, from those who enjoy listening to the occasional poem, to people writing and publishing their own work.
There's a new episode on the last Sunday of every month, with repeats from the archive on the other Sundays of the month.
See: The Poetry Place – West Wilts Radio
25 June 2022
(From Eventbrite)
ON THE 4TH SATURDAY OF THE MONTH, SPEAK THE WORD RUNS AN OPEN MIC NIGHT
An online poetry and spoken word open mic night for people of all levels of experience
About this event
5-minute slots available. Come to read and come to listen.
Come and enjoy some wordplay with a friendly, inclusive and encouraging group. Whoever you are and whatever your relationship with poetry, we'd love you to join us. Feel free to join as audience, without reading.
Following on from an incredible series of poetry and spoken word workshops with Roundhouse Slam Poet Rakaya Fetuga, through The Caraf Centre, several of us enjoyed the community so much that we've decided to continue the sessions.
Event time: 6–8pm (GMT/UTC)
Duration: 2 hours
Accessibility: Captioning available, let us know if you have any other accessibility needs.
Queer & trans-affirming.
This is the schedule for our Speak the Word events:
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1st Saturday of month: workshop
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2nd Saturday of month: peer review
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3rd Saturday of month: workshop
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4th Saturday of month: open mic
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5th Saturday of month (when there is one): no event
Additional events can be found on our eventbrite page.
For this event see: Speak the Word: online open mic night Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
24 June 2022
(From Live Canon Events | Eventbrite)
Our 34th lunchtime reading
Fri, 24 June 2022
13:00 – 14:00 BST
Online : Free
Poets and event to be announced. Not confirmed but the events are usually two weeks apart
See Live Canon Events | Eventbrite
24 June to 3 July 2022
(From Bradford Literature Festival: 24th June – 3rd July 2022 email newsletter)
Powerful Poetry at Bradford Literature Festival
We are delighted to present a wide range of poetry events to suit every taste at this year's Bradford Literature Festival, including performances, conversations and workshops.
Some of the biggest names on the UK poetry scene join us to celebrate verse in all its forms, whether that's political, cultural, mystical or personal, including 2021 TS Eliot Prize winner Joelle Taylor.
In addition to poetic interludes poet Anthony Anaxagorou explains how to have your own poetry published, while Ben Okri tackles the issue of Climate Change and Sabrina Mahfouz challenges your perception of the Middle East.
For poetry events see: Events – Bradford Literature Festival
For the full programme see: Bradford Literature Festival 2022 Programme by bradfordlitfest - Issuu
23 to 26 June 2022
These are the dates for this year's Kendal Poetry Festival (See KendalPoetryFestival (@KendalPoetry) / Twitter)
22 to 26 June 2022
These are the dates for the Guernsey Literary Festival. See Guernsey Literary Festival - It's a book thing.
21 June 2022
(From Creative Manchester - The University of Manchester website)
Creative Manchester Poetry Competition 2022
Creative Manchester, in partnership with the Centre for New Writing and the Great Science Share for Schools, is running a Micropoetry competition themed around ‘Climate Change’. The judging panel includes esteemed poet and Chancellor of the University, Lemn Sissay
Dates
The competition runs from 21 March 2022 and closes on 21 June 2022 at midnight BST.
Brief
Can you express yourself in 280 characters? Participants are invited to write a micropoem themed around climate change to publish on Twitter using the hashtag #micropoem22.
Maybe you can include the oceans, seasons, animals, sustainable energy, or environmental protection? The possibilities are endless.
Eligibility
This competition is open to all. You do not need to be associated to The University of Manchester to enter the competition.
See Poetry Competition 2022 - Creative Manchester - The University of Manchester
20 June 2022 (early hours)
(From Rattle.com website)
Rattlecast: A Livestreaming Poetry Reading and Podcast - Cati Porter and Open Mic
We’re bringing a new poet into your pocket every week with the Rattlecast. Part interview and part reading, with a prompt-based open mic, it’s a casual way to hangout with Rattle editor Timothy Green and all of our friends in poetry around the world.
Upcoming Rattlecasts
Time of broadcast: Monday 8pm ET, Tuesday1am in the UK.
Coming up:
Tuesday, June 20th, 1 am in the UK: Mark Gibbons
It is available online at YouTube and Facebook, and is free.
For full details see https://www.rattle.com/rattlecast/
18 June 2022
(From Cheltenham Poetry Festival website)
Martina McGowan and Ben Ray plus Open Mic
Online. Wed 18 June 2022. Free. 7pm BST
We are delighted to bring you two wonderful poets.
Martina McGowan is a physician, poet, writer, artist, advocate, activist in the wars against social, racial, and sexual injustices.
Her debut poetry collection, i am the rage, was the 2021 International Book Award winner in the Social Change category, and Goodreads Choice Award Nominee. i am the rage is not just a poetry book. It is a call-to-action. This evocative collection of thirty poems puts readers in the position of feeling, reflecting, and empathizing with what it means to be Black in America today. Her work has been published internationally in literary magazines and anthologies. She is also a poetry editor and book reviewer.
Ben Ray is a poet, reviewer and workshopper. He was the winner of the 2019 New Poets Prize.
His most recent collection is The Kindness of the Eel (The Poetry Business, 2020), and his writing has appeared in a wide range of publications such as The Poetry Review, Poetry Wales and The Oxford Review of Books. Ben is Cheltenham Poetry Festival's poet in residence.
To register go to: Cheltenham Poetry Festival - Cheltenham Poetry Festival
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