Tagged with Antony Owen

Congratulations Coventry –UK City of Culture 2021 – Not Business As Usual

Silhouette Press is very happy to see that Coventry, the city, its citizens and the all of the artists, cultural organisations and the Coventry 2021 Bid Team have been awarded the status of UK City of Culture for the year 2021! Congratulations to All!

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So what could this mean for the city’s writers, poets, performers and publishers?

Coventry is not often associated with writers and writing – but there have been numerous artists and publishers passing in and out of the city – recognition of the city’s literary legacy needs to change – hopefully Coventry 2021 – and the build-up to this will be the year[s] to make this happen – no more “business as usual”!

Here are ten things to consider to get involved and get engaged:

1.Make Coventry 2021 YOUR year to make things happen!

Coventry 2021 – and the three years of build-up towards it – are a great opportunity to start writing or start reading and tell new stories about the changing face of the city at a crucial period in its evolution!

Monkey read, monkey type [x1000]

 2. Fire & Dust – Poetry and Storytelling Open-Mic

Did you know there is a monthly open-mic night open to EVERYONE to come and read their work in front of a living breathing audience – or you can just sit and listen and soak in the words! There also special guests!

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Fire & Dust – FIRST THURSDAY of every month @ The Big Comfy Bookshop [Fargo]

3. Buy / Read / Submit to Here Comes Everyone magazine

HCE is the only literary magazine published in Coventry – each quarterly issue is printed on real [recycled] trees and has a theme – their forthcoming BRUTAL issue will be out in December 2017.

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You can buy the magazine and read blog posts on their website:

www.herecomeseveryone.me

@HereComesEvery1

4. Check out Philip Larkin  [but remember it’s not all about him!]

Philip Larkin remains an important aspect of Coventry’s literary – but there is much, much more to Coventry’s contemporary story – and bear in mind that much of Larkin’s work was produced and most likely influenced by Hull, where he lived for most of his adult life [HULL being the previous winner of the UK City of Culture]

5. Be a Part of Coventry’s 2.2 Mile Ringroad Poem!

Along with the Coventry 2021 bid’s themes of Reinvention there are plans for a 2.2 mile Ring Road poem is set to one of the digital centrepiece of 2021 along with major productions by the RSC and the screening of the entire works of Shakespeare in iconic locations.

Bridge over

 

Make your Mark and get involved!

6. Coventry-Cork Poetry Exchange

Nearing its 10th year, the Coventry-Cork poetry exchange has seen Coventry and West Midland writers visit Cork, Ireland and for Cork writers to visit Coventry  and perform their work. Coventry invented twinning as part of its post-World War Two movement towards peace and reconciliation and the Exchange is a result of this. Find out more about the Coventry poet’s experience here: COVENTRY – CORK – POETRY EXCHANGE 2017 

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7. Buy / Read Silhouette Press Books

Silhouette Press is a publisher, primarily of poetry books, we like to think we have grown our own audience, and have published writers from across the UK [hey, it’s not all about Coventry] – we’re still seeking new writers [see the SUBMISSION page on our website] check out our BOOKS [they are also available to read for FREE in Coventry Central Library]

@SilhouettePress

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL PRESS AND LIBRARIES!

The Best of a Bad Situation – by Jamie Thrasivoulou

The Africa In My House by Andrea Mbarushimana

Love And Loss And Other Important Stuff by Jonathan Pinnock

Exclamation Marx! by Neil Laurenson

8. Meet/talk to your Coventry authors…and find new ones!

There are lots of great contemporary writers from Coventry, some published others on the cusp of being published – connect with them – start a conversation about your own writing and support the author!

Here are just a few names:

Antony Owen, Andrea Mbarushimana, Barry Patterson, Alan van Widjgerden, Raef Boylan, Felicity Rose Barrow, Mantra, Leanne Brigewater, SuCat, Richard Houguez, Russ Berry, Emilia Moniszko, Martin Green, Aysar Ghassan, James Grady, Cathy Galvin,  Josie Allen…

Did we miss anyone? Probably…so get yourself out there!

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9. START YOUR OWN writing/press/magazine/zine/poetry gig

Silhouette Press and Here Comes Everyone magazine are a DIY effort, started in 2012 due to a lack of publishing opportunities in the West Midlands and to avoid the Londo-Centrism of unpaid internships and personal debt [the founders are now retired or assumed missing at sea…] but Coventry needs more literary events, more writers out of the woodwork, more publications to tell its ongoing story!

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Great article about the process here

10. Be an Ambassador for Writing in Coventry

Silhouette Press currently divides its projects between Coventry and London – why? Because there is a whole world of writing out there, and its important that as much as Coventry develops its own writing scene, the city and its authors connect and grow links with other communities and places across the UK, indeed, The World.

L-R: Neil Laurenson, Dwane Reads, Antony Owen

Check out the very funny and profound meanderings of the blogger/author, Coventry Conch

SP did a book launch for our three most recent books at Housmans Bookshop in London  – WHY? Because it’s important for Coventry artists to be represented EVERYWHERE!

So take your mad, wild, brilliant words far and wide and help make Coventry 2021 the year of the word!

 

 

 

THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN BOOKS, YOU KNOW, BUT NOT MUCH MORE…

 

Straight out of Coventry…

The HCE team arrived in the more-than charming surroundings of Much Wenlock for the last day of the Wenlock Poetry Festival 2014.

Arriving late morning we descended on a book stand at the Edge Arts Centre and went to meet and greet other writerly-types from across the UK, of course, we are far too anti-gauche to name-drop directly, needless to say it was a pleasure to mingle in such distinguished literary circles!

In search of refreshment, and nourishment of the spoken, chewed and spat-out word, we visited the George pub for the final open-mic of the festival on the theme of nature and place. The event displayed a vibrant mix of the earthy-toned geography of the Shropshire valley landscape and humourous recitals of people in flux and out of time from once familiar places – it was great to see poets from Birmingham, Wigan and Derby share their respective points of view from lands high, low and, like Coventry, flat.

We continued on to other pubs, Talbot, Raven et al and visited the rather brilliant Wenlock Books which has great coffee, a fine typewriter and most importantly a brilliant array of secondhand books as well as a rather charming set of brand new poetry tomes.

 

Monkey read, monkey type (Wenlock Books)

Monkey read, monkey type (Wenlock Books)

On a passing note, much of Much Wenlock, The Talbot pub in particular, suggested a distinctly older poetry crowd, perhaps the reckless youth were hung-over following an excess of rhyme from Friday night into Saturday morning, but nonetheless it was a shame to see the lack of younger poetry-lovers…that being said, we missed the Foyle young poets (13-17 year-olds) reading, so perhaps everyone was there? Regardless, this spurs us on to boost engagement both on the page and in person.

Three Go Mad…in Wenlock

At 4.30pm we came around to the Old Pottery, two poets in tow and the third punctual upon arrival. All three read a poem featured in issues of Here Comes Everyone magazine, as well as other selected works.

L-R: Neil Laurenson, Dwane Reads, Antony Owen

L-R: Neil Laurenson, Dwane Reads, Antony Owen

Neil Laurenson (Worcester) kicked-off the affair with a series of nuanced and understated poems that prick as much at political absurdity as they do at the national pomposity of museums and “public” gardens, with a liberal dose of Karl Marx thrown in.

Dwane Reads (Derby) burnt through a fierce set of his brilliantly orated poetry that is both yelled and cooed (sans audio assistance) with poetry that is forhright on social injustice and tenderly empathetic (and very bloody funny to boot).

Antony Owen (Coventry) worked through three collections of hard-won imagery evoking the Coventry blitz and modern conflicts with an eye and ear towards challenging the myopic racism and social divisions that remain prevalent throughout many parts of the UK.

All three poets were greatly received by a small but keen audience – SP would like to thank Wenlock Poetry Festival for having us, our poets for reading and the loyal listeners who shared the experience with us – we hope to return in 2015!

Adam Steiner, 1/3 of SP/HCE.