Friday, 20 June 2014

A month of treats

The Dylan Thomas Boathouse, Laugharne.
This month is full of treats for the poet in me. I get to read at so many great events – and to hear the work of a fabulous range of other poets and prose writers too.

And I don’t have to travel too far from home.

I was pleased to read a small selection of my work at the Time Café in Carmarthen last weekend, as part of the Whisper and Shout event arranged and hosted by write4word. This is an annual event where live literature groups from across west Wales can gather to share work with each other and visitors to the town.

It was the third annual gathering of community and professional literary groups who make up the Welsh contingent of the WISPA (Wales Ireland Spoken Word and Poetry Alliance). Groups represented included The Cellar Bards, HOWL, Neath Writers group, Red Heron, Haiku and Hipflasks and Lampeter Writer's Workshop.

As part of the PENfro Poets writers’ group I read regularly at the Folk Club held at Rhosygilwen in Pembrokeshire. There is a great selection of folk music here every month too.

And I am one of 12 writers taking part in the launch event on the spoken word stage at Dinefwr Literature Festival today (Friday 20th). So pleased to be part of this wonderful festival.

There is a Poems & Pints regular event at the Queen’s in Carmarthen on Monday (23rd) and I hope to read in the open mic session there too.

Friday, June 27th is the Cellar Bards’ monthly live literature night at the Cellar Bar in Cardigan, where I usually read in the open mic section. This time we have a special guest – writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare. And it is the Bards second birthday, so there’ll be a bit of a celebration. Poetry writing and live reading all started there for me two years ago, so it is a special place for me. I simply wouldn’t be doing all this writing and public reading if it wasn’t for the Bards.

And I am really looking forward to Saturday, June 28th, when I will be reading at the Dylan Thomas Boathouse in Laugharne.  It’s a real privilege to have been invited to read my poetry there with Poet in Residence Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch in this Dylan Thomas Centenary year. Two other Cellar Bards will be reading on the night too – Carly Holmes, who has just had her first novel published by Parthian;  and Charlie Sharp, a great poet.

I have written a poem that has Dylan Thomas connections especially for the night, but more news of that later.
Here are loads of links for anyone interested in the spoken word in west Wales:

Details about upcoming events, plus plenty of other useful info about live literature in Wales here:

Other links:

Cellar Bards, Cardigan:

Poems & Pints, Carmarthen:

write4word:

WISPA:

Dinefwr Literature Festival:

Rhosygilwen concert hall:

Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch:

Carly Holmes

Dylan Thomas Boathouse:




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