July 20, 2011 – The Golden Hour

Glasgow — I’m Reading at The Ivory!

Wednesday 13^th July 2011, 7pm, £2

Ivory Hotel – 2 Camphill Avenue Shawlands

Glasgow friends, come along to Poetry @ The Ivory for a night of, um, poetry — duh. I’m reading and the rest of the line-up is yet to be confirmed but sure to be excellent if reports of other brilliant nights at the Ivory are to be believed. Also, I’m told — I’ll be doing a brief interview. Should be interesting. And, I would love to see you. And I like reading poems to you.

The Special Relationship

with Josie Long and Jonny Woo (and Ryan!)

July 6 · 7:30pm – 10:30pm

London — The Concrete Bar @ Pizza East Lower Ground Floor, 56 Shoreditch High Street

London Friends, I’ll be reading with the charming and brilliant Josie Long at this fun-filled night of chaos and genius. I have no idea what it costs — but whatever it does — it will be worth it. The bill is stacked, and I’ll be lightly sozzled. Come along and make merry with us all. Thanks to Jarred for sneaking me on the bill last minute. I’m very thrilled about this gig! See below for more details / other guest!

Comedian and playwright TOM BASDEN and the American short story writers JARRED MCGINNIS and SAM TARADASH have teamed up with the YARN squad to bring you a night of literary entertainment where award-winning writers, poets, comedians and filmmakers have a story to tell.
Guests for July’s show includes award-winning comedian JOSIE LONG and the one and only JONNY WOO.

The Naughty Boys

* computers vs drums vs loops vs spoken words *

Friday, June 24 · 7:00pm – 10:00pm

@ Neu Reekie 6

Scottish Books Trust, Trunk’s Close, 55 High Street

£5 / 4

Friends, once a year the elusive and enigmatic Naughty Boys take the stage and with the best of intentions —  to create 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.

The Golden Hour

22 June, 8pm, The Forest, Edinburgh

Free. BYOB.

Ladies and gentlemen — join us for the first in the final trilogy of monthly Golden Hour Events. We promise the usual melange of zesty new words, honourable music and visual rubbish all in a beautiful space. Bring yourself. Bring friends. Bring booze. This is a night we can not prepare you for.  Words from: Tracey Emerson (The Short-Story Doctor is In!), Richie McCaffrey (young poems with a familial lustre) & Gavin Bowd. With Music From:  BenOfficial (electro art performance for which you are all woefully unprepared), Doug Johnstone (acoustic and solo and acoustic and alone), & Jade and the Jacks – Pure, relentless, funky fun. You will hot up.

Four Poems

I sometimes get to travel and work with the dozens of other international poets who are part of the Word Express adventure. They run a great website full of new, young voices from all over the ‘EuroMed’. The site includes work from Turkey, Bosnia, Macedonia and Israel. For those of you who seek talent — go visit the Word Express site. I gaurentee you’ll find something to provoke, to contemplate, to entertain. For those of you looking for my poems — you can find them here.

Poems featured include the unpublished ‘I Do Not Want Rain For Rain,’ the familiar ‘Darkness on the Edge of Toast’ and excepts from my book ‘Tomorrow, We Will Live Here‘. If you like the poems please buy the book. It helps. If you don’t like the poems — keep exploring. There’s something great with just a few clicks. Click. Click. Click.

Golan Haji on the Podcast

One of the highlights of the Reel Festivals trip to Lebanon was getting to work and learn from Golan Haji. Golan, who lives in Syria, is a sensitive translator; a subtle, brave and unique poet. I interviewed him while we were in Beirut as we didn’t know if his visa for the UK would come through in time. At the time of the interview we were both keenly aware of the protests taking place in Syria. With this in mind — I hope you give a listen to this thoughtful voice. You can find more poetry, music, videos and blogs on the Reel Festivals site.

Ryan x

Listen Here:

Syrian poet Golan Haji joins Ryan in Beirut as part of the cultural collaboration festival of poetry, film and music Reel Festivals. They take some time out to chat about about poetry, translation, borders and politics.

Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Incidental music by Ewen Maclean. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine http://www.anonpoetry.co.uk and@anonpoetry.

Email: splpodcast@gmail.com

About Golan Haji

Golan Haji is a Syrian poet, with a postgraduate degree in pathology. He has published a number of books includingCalled in Darkness (2004), which won the ‘Al-Maghut’ prize in poetry, and Someone Sees You as a Monster (2008). His next collection, My Cold Faraway Home, will be published in Autumn 2011.  He has also translated various works into Arabic including the Scottish classic – Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He lives in Damascus.

• Golan’s poem, ‘Soldiers’ published in The Wolf Magazine
  

And Check Out

Andrew Philip’s blog from our poetry reading at the SPL. I’m grateful he summed up such a powerful reading in such a elegant way.

Starry Rhymes: 85 Years of Allen Ginsberg

My poem, indebted to Allen Ginsberg’s ‘America‘ (when will you send you eggs to India?), appears alongside many fine others in Read This Press’ limited edition chapbook. It is a great pleasure to be among so many international writers and friends celebrating one of my favourite influences. I should name some of the brilliant poets in this collection but then I would have to name them all. So, I’ll just say — buy the book. It looks great and the word on the street is — If you dig Allen, you’ll dig this. Go here and look for Allen’s face. He’ll sort you out.

Electric Tales

* storytellers and comedians come together like kittens in a box. But not cruel. *

14 June, 8.30pm

The Stand, Edinburgh — £4 / 3

 

It is not often I get to read in a comedy club. Yet, here I will be. Reading poems at the legendary Stand. A stage which has featured Daniel Kitson. Everyday I get closer. I’ll be doing a chatty poetry set. While I’ve been trying to trim the intros, it seems like this one requires a bit o’ banter. Come along if you like that kind of thing. Also performing: Fiona Herbert, Las Zorras, Liz Ely and Me.