Hello all! Apologies for the long silence on this blog. I’ve been hard at work completing my PhD on authenticity in contemporary UK spoken word. I’m due to submit and defend over the next couple of months, then I’m looking forward to diving headlong into freelance life, working as a poet, producer, educator, editor, etc! … Continue reading Hello! + My Eight Favourite Poems
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Article for Sabotage Reviews: “What Cult?”
Hello everyone! If you follow poetry in the UK, you'll probably be aware of an article that was published by PN Review in January entitled "The Cult of the Noble Amateur" by Rebecca Watts. In the article, Watts excoriates Hollie McNish's book Plum in a rude, uninformed manner. I, alongside many other poets, critics, and … Continue reading Article for Sabotage Reviews: “What Cult?”
Guest Post: Carly Brown on Acting and Spoken Word
Hi everyone! I'm delighted to be featuring another guest post on my blog today, this time from brilliant writer and performer (and all around lovely human) Carly Brown. I remember watching videos of Carly's poems online before I even met her and being blown away by her work. Carly performs imagery-laced, tightly-written pieces which often … Continue reading Guest Post: Carly Brown on Acting and Spoken Word
Archiving Spoken Word: Some Thoughts
Hello everyone! I’m writing today on the subject of archiving and documenting the contemporary spoken word scene in the UK. As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, I’m currently working on my PhD at the University of Strathclyde researching the performance of authentic selfhood in UK spoken word. I’m using an oral history methodology to … Continue reading Archiving Spoken Word: Some Thoughts
Self-Care during Edinburgh Fringe
Hello again, everyone! As I mentioned in my last post, it's nearly time for this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. While I couldn’t be more excited about the show I’m performing in this year (Loud Poets) and the opportunity to see other artists’ shows, I also wanted to write a post acknowledging some of the more … Continue reading Self-Care during Edinburgh Fringe
Spotlight on Process Productions
Hello all! Just a quick post today to introduce you to a resource on UK spoken word that I've found really interesting and useful. The lovely London-based poet and filmmaker Tyrone Lewis has been interviewing UK poets about their practices and local scenes and turning these interviews into documentaries which he posts on his YouTube channel … Continue reading Spotlight on Process Productions
Tips for Memorising Spoken Word Poems
When I first began watching spoken word, it always seemed incredible to me that poets could memorise entire sets of material and perform them live what seemed like effortlessly (same goes for actors and musicians). I wondered how they held it all in their heads, and how they could still seem like they were telling a story … Continue reading Tips for Memorising Spoken Word Poems
Being an International Student in Scotland
Hi folks! Today I'm posting something different. I was asked recently by the UK-US Fulbright Commission to speak at a conference for Holyrood Events in Edinburgh entitled International Students: Creating a Home Away from Home. They wanted to hear the perspective of an international student in Scotland on the joys and challenges of studying here … Continue reading Being an International Student in Scotland
2015: Year in Review
It's nearly the end of 2015: time to reflect on what's been a whirlwind year of new experiences, new work, and new opportunities. I learned so much this year about making, supporting, and critiquing performance poetry, from the perspective of the poet, the organiser/host, the promoter, and the critic. Here I gather some of my … Continue reading 2015: Year in Review
Becoming an Ambassador for Scottish Poetry Library
So excited to announce that Carly Brown and I will be piloting the new Scottish Poetry Library Ambassadors program this year! We’ll be tweeting, blogging, and sharing news about the SPL’s programs and how to get involved, as well as taking your ideas about events and programming that you’d like to see. Carly wrote a post for her blog that sums up some of what we’ll be doing and what the SPL has to offer – check it out, along with the rest of her great work! -Katie
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be joining the Scottish Poetry Library team as part of their brand new Ambassadors program. The poet Katie Ailes and I will be sharing information about the library on social media and also bringing you news about poetry events happening all over Scotland. You can follow us on Twitter at @SPL_Ambassadors and follow the Poetry Library at @ByLeavesWeLive.
What is the Scottish Poetry Library, you ask?? Well, it’s a pretty great place…
The SPL is an awesome national resource and an advocate for the art of poetry. It is one of three poetry libraries in the UK and their mission is to bring the pleasures and benefits of poetry to as wide an audience as possible. They do this in lots of different ways including:
- Housing an extensive lending library (from books to CDS to literary journals)
- Podcastinterviews with poets
- Events at…
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