Friends in Australia — I’ll be in Melbourne and Sydney doing a handful of readings. It would be great to see you and all the events have  a lot more than me involved. It is pretty exciting to be appearing with so many good writers, and performers while in the country. Please, come along if you can. I’ll also have fresh copies of my first collection, Tomorrow, We Will Live Here, for signing.

Sydney, Australia

Tuesday, 6 September — Word in Hand, The Friend in Hand Hotel — 8pm, $5 – 10

This is Sydney’s premier regular and enduring poetry / spoken word event. Featuring Ryan and two USA based poets: Shane Koyczan and Jive Poetic, moderated by Miles Merrill.

Melbourne, Australia

Saturday, 3 September — Poetry @ The Dan, The Dan O’Connell Hotel, 14.00 – 17.00

The Dan is Melbourne’s longest running weekly poetry venue. From January 1st 1994 the Dan has featured some of the best National and International poets.

Wednesday, 31 August — City of Literature Connect, The Wheeler Centre — 19.00 – 20.00

The Melbourne Poets Union and Australian Poetry presents a Melbourne / Edinburgh collaboration, a Cities of Literature soiree. Two international poets based in Edinbugh: American-born Ryan Van Winkle and Australian-American Emily Ballou read from their work.

 

Tuesday, 30 August — Edinburgh Unbound, Melbourne Writers Festival, The Toff in Town — 20.00 – 22.30, $25.00

Unbound Edinburgh is many things. Part reading, part gig, part party. Join the irrepressible Ryan van Winkle as he hosts a killer evening of rakish words, independent films and eclectic music all in a beautiful space. We’ll be celebrating the flourishing partnership between MWF and the Edinburgh Book Festival in our sister UNESCO City of Literature. In the capable hands of Ryan, poet, reader in residence at the Scottish Poetry Library and host of The Golden Hour at Edinburgh’s iconic Forest Café, we’ll meet experimental writer Ewan Morrison, one of Scotland’s most innovative young novelists, and Emily Ballou, the brilliant young Australian poet, novelist and screenwriter (The Slap) now resident in Scotland, and one of Melbourne’s superstars, Christos Tsiolkas, (The Slap). Featuring music from Andy Hazel and closing with Rapskallion’s unique blend of vaudevillian, cabaret, and junkyard gypsy blues.

Friday, 26 August — Words Per Minute at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square, 9-11pm, FREE

I’m super happy that my final Edinburgh performance before I head to Australia and then back home to America will be with our friends at W.P.M.

Kirstin Innes, Kirsty Logan and Helen Sedgwick will be hosting an evening of special treats where all performers get ten minutes to impress the audience.  Expect the unexpected and some familiar faces at WPM including The Zorras, novelist, playwright and dazzling performer, Alan Bissett and American author Adam Levin and another American — me!

Wednesday , 24 August — The Golden Hour

The Forest, FREE – 1pm – 3am

Here it is — the last ever Golden Hour at the Forest Cafe at 3 Bristo Place. After this marathon event, we’re going to all rest up and think about new ways to do what we love — mixing poetry, stories, cartoons, music, drunkeness and dancing. In the meantime — you’ll have this massive event to remember us by — featuring our true loves: Tom Pow, Jonny Berliner, William Letford, Emily Ballou, Robin Grey,Anna Crowe, Ericka Duffy, Kirstin Innes, John Glenday, The Little Big Band, Alan Bissett, The Ghost of Joseph Seal, Jed Milroy & Hailey Beavis, Paper Cinema, Jason Morton, Jane Flett, Toby Mottershead, Jen and the Gents and Dolphin Boy + much more including films by Roxana Pope and some special Reel Festivals gubbins. You will want to buy a hamburger.

Sunday, 21 August — Edgelands — a conference from the borders of performance

11am-7pm at The Forest Fringe, FREE

I’ll be speaking at ‘flash-conference’ featuring topics such as public perception of art, theatre, performance and the audience. I’ll be discussing ‘How can we stop making capitalism?’ with other interesting people. For more details, visit the Edgelands website. It should be interactive and exciting!  This day is not about railing against authority or the great institutions of the arts. It is a day for everybody to gather at the edges of those big institutions and organisations, on equal terms. To ask daring questions and suggest implausible answers. To share a spirit of generosity and a galvanising sense of hope; that despite or perhaps because of the political, financial and environmental circumstances in which we find ourselves, the arts can and will play a part in imagining and realising a better possible future.

Artists. Audiences. How can we do this better? 

Why have we failed to convince people the arts are important? Are the arts still important?

So now we have the full four, what’s next? Well, the very exciting opportunity to grab a ticket, along with our first list of confirmed speakers/artists/participants! Currently confirmed are:

• Chris Goode
• Tim Etchells
• Chris Thorpe
• Kieran Hurley
• Laura McDermott
• Harun Morrison
• Rohan Gunatillake
• Annette Mees
• Ryan Van Winkle
• Third Angel
• John McGrath
• Emma Adams
• Matthew Somerville
• Rachel Coldicutt
• Emily Sexton (Next Wave)
• Tom Armitage
• Gob Squad
• Fuel

And you can now grab a ticket from the first batch over at edgelands.eventbrite.com. There will also be another batch released along with the final list of speakers/artists/participants next month.

As ever, do share/talk about the event on Twitter using the hashtag #edgelands, and finally, do go and check out all of the wonderful partners who will be supporting the event.

Saturday, 20 August – Reading with Rachael Boast & Will Eaves

The Edinburgh International Book Festival

Charlotte Square, 8.30-9.30pm, £7/5

It is a real honor to have been invited to read as part of this year’s main programme at the Edinburgh Book Festival. What is even more amazing is that I’ll be reading with our old friend (and nominee for the prestigious Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection) Rachel Boast and Will Eaves the Arts Editor of the Times Literary Supplement. So, thanks to the Book Festival for inviting me to be on such a strong bill and let’s all hope I don’t embarrass myself. I’ll be reading from ‘Tomorrow, We Will Live Here‘ which you can buy from Salt. Just click on that cover.

Thursday, 18 August — The Golden Hour at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square, 9-11pm, FREE

Live and Kicking in the Spiegeltent! With Kelly Link, William Letford, Joe Dunthorne, Billy Liar, Mikel Krumins and Earl Grey and the Loose Leaves!!!

We’re super pleased to have been invited back to the UNBOUND part of this year’s book festival. This is the second to last ever Golden Hour and we have special readers, amazing musicians and just two hours to party. Please come and support us in the beautiful Spiegeltent!

The Golden Hour is many things. Part reading, part gig, part party, part disaster. This free monthly event originating from Edinburgh’s Forest Café, has travelled the highlands, England and Europe playing to sold out crowds in sweaty venues from Berlin to Applecross. And now this literary cavalcade return to Unbound’s infamous Spiegeltent with a killer line-up of rakish words and eclectic music all in a beautiful space. Featuring Joe Dunthorne, Kelly Link and William Letford, there’s music from the acoustic punk Billy Liar, hip-hop from Mikel Krumins former front-man of the legendary Abdominal Showmen plus the show-stopping, barn-burning Earl Grey and the Loose Leaves. Rest up with an open mind at The Golden Hour.

Ryan in the Gutter

I have two new poems in the latest issue of Gutter — The Magazine for new Scottish writing. I’m very pleased to have these published as they are the first new poems to see the world since the publication of Tomorrow, We Will Live Here — they sound a little different and I’m quite shy about them. So, support Gutter and check let me know what you think about ‘Gerontocracy’ and ‘A Raincoat, A Spell of Rain Ago’. Also, in this issue, you’ll find new work from a lot of talented friends — some of whom are:  Anneliese Mackintosh, Michael Cannon, Tracey Emerson, Kirsty Logan, Brian Johnstone, Sally Evans, Rodge Glass, Ewan Morrison, Iyad Hayatleh and Tessa Ransford, Jim Carruth, Sandra Alland, Kevin McNeil, and Colin Will. It is good to be in good company. You can get a copy of the magazine here.

Sunday, 7 August — The Naughty Boys at Faceplant

The Forest 6-9pm, FREE

The Naughty Boys make improvised electro po-noize.  Poems vs computers vs drums vs salvaged keyboards and whatever else we can find. You will come.

The Naughty Boys are:  * DanSeizure on keys and computer loop. * Stevie Paterson on keys and percussion noises. * Ryan Van Winkle —Spoken Words.

Also appearing: Alison Smith, Colin Herd, Fiona Soe Paing, Mark Mace Smith, Nuala Watt, Rachel McCrum, ShellSuit Massacre & Sophie Mayer

And here’s a little poster gallery for you. What’s your favourite?

shhhhhhh… 

August Event Roundup

This should be a pretty amazing August. Between parties at Forest and the general buzz of the Edinburgh International Book Festival I’ll be doing a few readings and performances as well as hosting two Golden Hours. There will probably be more but — in the meantime — here’s the dates for your diaries:

Sunday, 7 August — The Naughty Boys at Faceplant, The Forest, 6-9pm, FREE

The Naughty Boys make improvised electro po-noize.  Poems vs computers vs drums vs salvaged keyboards and whatever else we can find. You will come.

The Naughty Boys are:  * DanSeizure on keys and computer loop. * Stevie Paterson on keys and percussion noises. * Ryan Van Winkle —Spoken Words.

Also appearing: Alison Smith, Colin Herd, Fiona Soe Paing, Mark Mace Smith, Nuala Watt, Rachel McCrum, ShellSuit Massacre & Sophie Mayer

Thursday, 18 August — The Golden Hour at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square, 9-11pm, FREE

Live and Kicking in the Spiegeltent! With Kelly Link, William Letford, Joe Dunthorme, Billy Liar, Mikel Krumins and Earl Grey and the Loose Leaves!!!

Saturday, 20 August — The Edinburgh International Book Festival with Rachael Boast & Will Eaves, Charlotte Square, 8.30-9.30pm, £7/5

Considering all the things they’ve done, it is perhaps surprising that these three talented poets are only now publishing their debut collections. Will Eaves is an established author and Arts Editor of The Times Literary Supplement; Ryan Van Winkle is host of the much-loved Edinburgh literary evening The Golden Hour; and Rachael Boast has a PhD in Creative Writing from St Andrews University. Join them to hear how their experiences translate into fresh, exuberant, thought-provoking new verse.

Sunday, 21 August — Edgelands — a conference from the borders of performance, 11am-7pm at The Forest Fringe, FREE

Wednesday , 24 August — The Golden Hour , The Forest, FREE – 1pm – 3am

Here it is — the last ever Golden Hour at the Forest Cafe at 3 Bristo Place. After this marathon event, we’re going to all rest up and think about new ways to do what we love — mixing poetry, stories, cartoons, music, drunkeness and dancing. In the meantime — you’ll have this massive event to remember us by — featuring: Tom Pow, Jonny Berliner, William Letford, Emily Ballou, Robin Grey, Anna Crowe, Ericka Duffy, Kirstin Innes, John Glenday, The Little Big Band, Alan Bissett, The Ghost of Joseph Seal, Jed Milroy & Hailey Beavis, Paper Cinema, Jason Morton, Jane Flett, Toby Mottershead, Jen and the Gents and Dolphin Boy + much more including films by Roxana Pope and some special Reel Festivals gubbins. You will want to buy a hamburger.

Friday, 26 August — Words Per Minute at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square, 9-11pm, FREE

Join your hosts, Kirstin Innes, Kirsty Logan and Helen Sedgwick for an evening of special treats where all performers get ten minutes to impress the audience – no matter how famous they are. Expect the unexpected and some familiar faces at WPM at Unbound including, novelist, playwright and dazzling performer, Alan Bissett and American author Adam Levin and other American — me.

A Thousand Stories Podcast

I was happy to be invited by Conor Mahood to take part in his one thousand stories project. I’m pretty sure I ruined the whole thing as my other friends who have done it are far more interesting and articulate than I. So, if you don’t want to listen to me, you can hear Deborah Pearson, Holly Conrad or Morgan McBride all of whom know how to actually speak.

Here’s what Conor says about the porject:

A Thousand Stories is a podcast project where I will interview people using the same rough pool of questions each time and see what emerges.

Though it’s from a pool of questions, I may ask someone all or only a couple of these in the actual interview.

The goal is one thousand people.

And here is my contribution to the project — The Lucky Episode 13

For the long-delayed 13th episode I interviewed Ryan Van Winkle, reader in residence at the Scottish Poetry Library and poet, author of the collection Tomorrow, We Will Live Here. Ryan also hosts a poetry podcast for the Scottish Poetry Library, find out more about it here.

Listen Now

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