THE GOLDEN HOUR!  Year of Open Doors Party!

October 20th, 2010
8pm
Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Pl
Free! Free! Free! (byob)

Words:

Sophie Cooke – will not hurt you.

Kevin MacNeil – gets behind the method actor’s mask.

Doug Johnstone – actually doesn’t mind the taste of soap, thank you very much.

Music:

Caro Bridges – music + words = songs

Small Feet Little Toes – a solo acoustic performance – strum strum, sing sing

White Heath – brings the heavy metal thunder!

We open doors for YOU!

From Tuesday the 19th of October, Newington Library will be my poetic home away from home.

I’ll be semi-based in Newington Library hosting free poetic events and workshops! You can come and meet your Reader in Residence on 19 October or join our Nothing But the Poem workshop on 2 December at 19.00. The month will also feature a display with my favourite poetry collection and a reading with myself and the beautiful Andrew Philip. It should be a brilliant month so come along to any of the TOTALLY FREE events mentioned below or feel free to pop into the library and see what excellent poetry books are on offer!

Meet Your Reader in Residence

Tue. 19 Oct 16.00 – 18.00

Ryan Van Winkle is Reader in Residence at the Scottish Poetry Library and Edinburgh City Libraries. He is also a working poet who’s work has appeared in Northwords Now, New Writing Scotland and The American Poetry Review. His first book is due out from Salt in November and is titled, ‘Tomorrow, We Will Live Here’.

Poems Aloud

Thurs. 21 Oct. 10.45 – 11.45

Do you have a favourite poem? Do you love hearing poems read aloud? Come to our poems aloud session where we’ll be sharing the poems we carry with us, in our hearts and even in our pockets. Bring any poem you’d like to hear and share and we’ll read a few from our roving poetry collection.

An Evening of Poems…

Tue. 23 Nov. 19.00 – 20.00

Featuring Ryan Van Winkle and Andrew Philip. Philip’s ‘The Ambulance box’, has been short-listed for the Forward and Seamus Heany prizes. His moving poems explore loss and discovery while addressing the death of his first child. One of our favourite Edinburgh poets. Ryan Van Winkle is Reader in Residence at the Scottish Poetry Library and his book, ‘Tomorrow, We Will Live Here’ is focused on parting from America. His collection won the Crashaw Prize in 2009.

Nothing But the Poem

Thurs. 2 Dec 19.00 – 20.00

Fancy a poetry chat? Nothing But The Poem is a relaxed and informal way to meet and discuss poems. Moderated by ECL / SPL Reader-in-Residence Ryan Van Winkle. * We read a poem * We discuss the poem * Only the poem we’ve read. * No Jargon * No experience needed * Nothing to fear * Nothing but the poem.

Poetry Month also features a unique poetry display of our favourite and most accessible collections.

October 10: A Free Poetry Discussion For Everyone!

10 October, 20 November, 11 December — The Forest, 3 Bristo Place — 2pm

Fancy a poetry chat? Nothing But The Poem is a relaxed and informal way to meet and discuss poems. Moderated by ECL / SPL Reader-in-Residence Ryan Van Winkle.

* We read a poem * We discuss the poem * Only the poem we’ve read. * No Jargon * No experience needed * Nothing to fear * Nothing but the poem.

This Magazine Should Be Subscribed to and Treasured

For those of you who don’t know, Fuselit is probably one of the nicest, smallest, and most beautifully produced, quirky magazines of quality in the country. It is lovingly hand crafted, comes packed with poems, stories and a very, very tiny cd. The whole thing is edited and produced by our friends Kirsten Irving and Jon Stone who are fine poets in their own right making it wonderful thing to be a part of. I’m very proud to have a song on the tiny cd in their latest issue ‘Jack’. The track is from the album Ragland and I put together recently and I’m glad they liked it enough to include in this collection. Really, I can not describe how lovely and joyful this package is, so please, just order a copy. It costs £4 and it fits in your back pocket, just like that. You will actually thank me. I swear. Buy the magazine HERE.

If You Are Not Convinced

• From the people who brought you Fuselit comes – ooh la la – Sidekick Books! Please see www.drfulminare.com for details.

• Submissions are invited for Fuselit: Contraption. Please see Submissions for guidelines.

It is a real honor to have my poems included in Carcanet’s latest edition of the Oxford Poets series. In the 2010 edition of this respected anthology I’m surrounded by such wonderful poets as David Shook and Jim Carruth — both of whom make being in this collection an extra treat because they are good and they are friends. Frankly, it is worth buying this anthology for either of them alone. But you don’t just get them (and me) you get a total of 9 new voices spanning decades and continents. And for those of you thinking — I’ll just buy Ryan’s solo collection when it comes out — Well, there’s poems in this anthology which you won’t find in my full collection. So, snap this up, it is worth it. Have a look / make a purchase HERE.

One of my favourite poets in the UK is Mario Petrucci. He’s a great writer and thinker, a thoughtful, considerate, opinionated man who I feel quite lucky to have interviewed. His book ‘Heavy Water: A Poem for Chernoybl‘ is one of the best books of poems I’ve read in recent memory. Go buy it, if you have not already. Or, if you still need convincing — listen to the podcast and hear of good this writer is!

Mario Petrucci

Mario Petrucci – scientist, thinker and poet – unravels an engaging discussion with Ryan on poetry, poetics, science, the challenges of pushing the boundaries in poetry and much else. They discuss Mario’s fantastic Heavy Water as well as his most recent, i tulips, and we pepper things with a few choice readings.

Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email us: splpodcast@gmail.com

Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry.

Or subscribe without iTunes (RSS)

Listen now…

Or download as MP3.

First published 9 August, 2010

About Mario Petrucci

Mario Petrucci has had residencies at both the Imperial War Museum and BBC Radio 3.  Combining poetic innovation with a profoundly human aspect, he is four times winner of the London Writers competition and recipient of the Bridport Prize, an ACE Writers’ Award and a New London Writers Award.  His collection Heavy Water (Enitharmon, 2004) won the Arvon Prize and forms the backbone of a powerful poetry film on Chernobyl (Seventh Art Productions).  His remarkable i tulips collection (Enitharmon), which has already been praised highly by Roy Fisher and Bill Berkson.

• Mario’s website

And Here’s a Glimpse of Heavy Water: A Film For Chernobyl

<httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btCavtbkbho>

Hello All! Another blast from the Book Festival past! Here I get the chance to talk to two very different but very very good poets. It was humbling. This is what I sound like when I am humbled.

Kathleen Jamie & Lorraine Mariner at #edbookfest

We’ve been at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this past week, and caught up with two very different poets who have been involved with the events strand the Scottish Poetry Library has curated together with Don Paterson. The first is Lorraine Mariner, who we caught up with after her event in the Spiegeltent. The second is award winning poet Kathleen Jamie, who reads some of her remarkable new work.

We also mark the passing of Scotland’s Makar, Edwin Morgan, and his former editor at Carcanet, SPL director Robyn Marsack, shares a few words about Eddie. We’ll be doing a full show on Morgan very soon.

Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine. Music by Ewen Maclean. Email us: splpodcast@gmail.com

Twitter: @byleaveswelive & @anonpoetry.

Or subscribe without iTunes (RSS)

Listen now…

Or download as MP3.

About Kathleen Jamie

Kathleen Jamie was born in the west of Scotland in 1962, and educated in Edinburgh, where she studied philosophy. Her poetry collections include The Queen of Sheba (1994), and Jizzen (1999), both of which won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial award. Her Selected Poems, Mr & Mrs Scotland are Dead (2002), was shortlisted for the International Griffin Poetry Prize, and in 2002 she was awarded a Creative Scotland Award.

As well as poetry Kathleen Jamie writes non-fiction, such as Findings (Sort Of Books, 2005), which merges travel and nature writing. Her poetry collection, The Tree House (2004), won the 2004 Forward Poetry Prize (Best Poetry Collection of the Year) and the 2005 Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year Award. She holds a part-time post as Lecturer in Creative Writing at St Andrews University and lives in Fife. Her latest collection is Waterlight: selected poems (Graywolf Press, 2007).

• More about Kathleen Jamie, including her poem ‘Glamourie’ in our poets a – z section
• Kathleen Jamie’s ‘Close Encounter’ with Stanley Kunitz in our Reading Room

About Lorraine Mariner

Lorraine Mariner was born in 1974, grew up in Upminster and attended Huddersfield University where she read English, and University College London where she read Library and Information Studies. She works at the Poetry Library, Southbank Centre. Her pamphlet Bye For Now was published by The Rialto in 2005. In 2005 she also received an Arts Council Writer’s Award and in 2007 her poem ‘Thursday’ was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for best individual poem. Her first full collection, Furniture (Picador, 2009), has been shortlisted for the inaugural Seamus Heaney Centre Prize for Poetry.

• Read some poems by Lorraine Mariner

In this podcast you will hear, quite clearly I think, what Ryan sounds like when he has a man-sized crush on another man. Yes, it is me in conversation with the ‘mallsy’ Ewan Morrison. Frankly, this chat really doesn’t have a whole lot to do with poetry but we do make a lot of jokes, hear some great stories about malls and talk about the desecration of public spaces. There is sadness, joy, comedy and, yes, I think real ‘sparks’ between Mr. Ewan and I. Please enjoy.

Ewan Morrison

Scottish literary powerhouse Ewan Morrison – filmmaker, novelist and short-story writer – talks to Ryan at the Edinburgh International Book Festival about the poetry of the shopping mall, his latest multimedia project. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine and @anonpoetry. Presented by Ryan Van Winkle at @forpub. Mail: splpodcast@gmail.com and tweet @byleaveswelive

Or subscribe without iTunes (RSS)Listen now…

Or download as MP3.

About Ewan Morrison

Ewan Morrison is the author of the novels, Menage, Distance and Swung and of the short story collection The Last Book you Read.

He worked as a writer-director in television and film for ten years, directed over 200 hours of television, has been nominated for three BAFTA’s and is the winner of a Royal Television Society Best Drama Award. He was script writer in residence in New York from 2002 to 2005 with Madstone Films.

Ewan has recently been awarded a Scottish Arts Council writers bursary for a book of short stories entitled TALES FROM THE MALL. He has also recently been awarded a six week writers residency at Cove Park – an innovative artist and writers retreat on the banks of Loch Long, Scotland.

• Ewan’s website
• Follow Ewan on Twitter
  

  Related links…

• Ewan reading from a Tales from the Mall story on Youtube
• Edinburgh International Book Festival

THE GOLDEN HOUR!

September 22nd, 2010
8pm
Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Pl
Free! Free! Free! (byob)

WITH….

Michel Faber — Novelist & accidental Train Spotter brings stories.

Lorraine Mccauley Trio — featuring Guitar / Vocals, Cello / Glockenspiel , Viola / Mandolin and Accordion. It is atmospheric, melodic, lyrically beautiful, haunting and mostly gentle.

Michael Pedersen — award-winning lexical butter churner and fluffy maned man.

screen kids — power comes out and at you.

Nalini Paul – new chapbook

+

Ottersgear – get in!

See you there!

Here’s a new podcast for y’all! Donald S Murray and I met many years ago in Shetland when he interviewed me for a job. This experience was so traumatic, I blocked out the memory. However, upon re-introduction, I was happy to realize he is a lovely and intelligent writer and, lucky for you Dear Listener, he has a voice like Peruvian honey poured slowly over rich mahogany. Okay, you can tell, it is a bit late as I write this. What I mean is — Donald is a pleasure to listen to. I hope you enjoy the interview and please check out some of his books…..

Listen now…

Donald S Murray

Ryan chats to Donald S Murray while he was at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. They discuss his non-fiction book on St Kilda, The Guga Hunters, the importance of place in poetry, the difference between island and mainland poetry and Donald’s new book which focuses on the Italian Chapel in Orkney. We also get to hear a few of Donald’s poems.

Presented by Ryan Van Winkle. Produced by Colin Fraser of Anon Poetry Magazine and @anonpoetry. Music by Ewen Maclean. Contact: @byleaveswelive or mail splpodcast@gmail.com

Or subscribe without iTunes (RSS)

Or download as MP3.

About Donald S Murray

Donald S Murray comes from Ness at the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis and now works in close proximity to ‘the Ness’ at the southern tip of Shetland. His experience of life clearly limited, he has written much about islands and the seabirds that fly around them. The gannet especially features in The Guga Hunters (Birlinn) and Praising The Guga (North Idea); both taking flight in October 2008. These books were inspired by the men who hunt the guga (or young gannets) each year in Sulageir off the north-east coast of Lewis.

• More about Donald
• Donald’s poem ‘Love-making in St Kilda’ chosen by Rosemary Goring and Alan Taylor in our Best Scottish Poems 2008