South Bank Poetry launch night at the Poetry Cafe...

I'll be reading a couple of poems at the launch night of South Bank Poetry's latest issue next week.
We'll be at the Poetry Cafe, in Covent Garden, on December 5th, further details can be found here, and also reading will be Ruth O'Callaghan, Stuart Mackenzie, Claire Booker, Christian Ward, Angela Croft, Michael Wyndham, Laura Hume, Bernard Battley and Chris Hardy.

Hopefully see a few of you down there.

 http://www.poetrysociety.org.uk/events/event/2113/

Poem in South Bank Poetry issue 14...

South Bank Poetry's latest issue features my poem Strawweight, and came out a couple of week's ago.

Anyone interested can purchase a copy here.

Caught By The River Social Club...

Hey all,

I'll be reading a few poems here early next year. Should be a great night, in a really great pub.
See you there...

Kelly and Victor

I was so happy to see Kieran Evans' film Kelly and Victor at the London Film Festival last night. It was a perfect antidote to so much of the vacuous, aspirational Downton-tainment that we are inundated with. The film looked incredible and held that magical line between revealing the brutal de-humanization process that people in deprived areas all over the country, but more specifically urban in this case, are still undergoing as a result of the strip-and-sell politics of Thatcher (heed the warnings... this film could not be more prescient.), and the tender, beautiful moments of humanity that take take root like dandelions, spiking through the cracked concrete (or deeper, causing the cracks) in sharp green shards of nature defiant. A haunting story - as haunting as a life, or city itself, with all the wonder, love and pain thrown in, a beautiful paean to a place and the people that haunt it.

Osborne on benefit "fairness"...

A quote taken from The Guardian today...

"So we are absolutely clear that those with the broadest shoulders must bear the broadest burden. But our conception of fairness, and this is perhaps where we differ from the Labour party, also extends to the welfare system. We also think it's unfair that when that person leaves their home early in the morning, they pull the door behind them, they're going off to do their job, they're looking at their next-door neighbour, the blinds are down, and that family is living a life on benefits. That is unfair as well, and we are going to tackle that as part of tackling this country's economic problems."

This is exactly the kind of emotive, imaginary, anecdotal bullshit that the Tories continue to use to justify their unabated attacks on the people they are paid to govern, not wage war on. The stupidity and immaturity of the drivel spouted here is just lamentable. Not just because it comes from a public figure who we can surely expect to at least have a kind of basic respect for everyone he is elected to represent, but more because this is the overly simplistic view of a grown man, for chrissssakes. I've heard Jeremy Kyle offer stiffer analysis than this.

Festival No.6

Hey all.
Sorry there's been so little action on here recently.
Seems like everything happens in the same fortnight about this time of year, festivals, last-ever shows, birthdays... blah blah blah.

Anyway, next weekend I am completely honoured to be reading at the CBTR/Faber Social stage at Festival No.6.

I'll be co-hosting a 45 minute poetry slot with John Barlow, a fellow CBTR poet and I think it's going to be great, so hopefully see you there...

A new poem on the site as well today. Cheers, Jeff, Andrew, Robin etc!

Come Down and Meet the Folks...

Hey,
It's going to be a real pleasure to finally take the stage at Come Down and Meet the Folks on August 12th. Run by seminal UK cosmic country pioneer Alan Tyler, it's a genuine honour to have been asked to do it. More info on their site, here.
Hopefully see a few of you down there.