Various Pieces of News #June

1) The Mslexia Women’s Poetry Competition for 2010 is now open. The website also features a very useful workshop by Jane Holland on learning to remove from pedestals first drafts – I think we can all learn from that!

2) TODAY! Little Episodes is hosting an ‘afternoon of live music and literature, smack-dab in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Brick Lane’ with book donations running throughout the afternoon and readings leading into the evening.

3) The New Danse Macabre is out, the issue is called ‘Stardust’ and focuses on the magic of cinema with, as usual, an esoteric mix of fiction and poetry. Check it out, it’s free and online!

4)  ‘Polarity Magazine launches its first issue ‘Death vs Taxes’ on Thursday 24 June at the Writer’s Room, University of Warwick. The London launch will take place on Sunday 27th June at the Slaughtered Lamb pub (starts at 18.00)

5) If you happen to be in Paris end of June, don’t miss Shakespeare & Co’s Literary Festival 18-20 June 2010. The theme this year is Storytelling & Politics and the writers invited incude Martin Amis, Philip Pullman, Will Self, Carole Seymour-Jones, Raja Shehadeh, Erica Wagner, Jeanette Winterson, Gao Xingjian and many more.

6) Again, if you’re in Paris, don’t miss the next Franco-British Spoken Word evenings (every Monday at Culture Rapide). The themes for June : 7 June – Revolution; 14 June – Time travel… voyager dans le temps; 28 June – Skin… la peau.

7) This isn’t news, but get yourself to Fuselit now if you haven’t already, and nab yourself one of their special offers – beautifully handmade, eccentric and with awesome content to boot, these limited editions aren’t going to be around for ever. Besides, did I mention they’re insanely cheap for what they are? Well, they are.

8 ) Cinnamon Press is five years old and is celebrating with special offers on Envoi and I Spy Pinhole Magazine as well as a special price for Adnan Mahmutovic’s novella Thinner than a Hair (£6) – for that price you also get a copy of his short story collection [Refuge]e for free. If you want to win a place on their writing course in Wales this autumn, send a short story of under 2,000 words/five poems/five microfictions by 31 July. Full details are here. Keep an eye out too on their reading tour at the end of June in London.

9) In Paris yet still (it’s where I’m based, forgive me) The Ivy Writers Paris are hosting a Franco-British reading on 15 June with poets Rachel Blau Duplessi and J-P Auxémery at Next (17 rue Tiquetonne) at 19h30.

10) Gists and Piths have some great recommendations of things to check out this month. It is also a wonderful blog combining reviews, articles and contemporary poetry, well worth checking out.

11) The Silkworms Ink blog has been going for a few weeks and it is worth a read. On top of this, Silkworm Ink also has online pamphlets and t-shirts for sale.

12) Last Paris one, I promise, the 33rd Festival of Franco-British Poetry takes place 13-20 June, with Catalan poetry at the forefront this year.

Think something is glaringly missing? Let me know in the comments.

One thought on “Various Pieces of News #June

  • June 5, 2010 at 11:38 am
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    Parc Floral (Bois de Vincennes) has open air jazz concerts until August (then there are classic concerts.) Five euro park entrance fee. There are some seats under cover. Get there about 45 minutes- 1 hour early if you want one. Otherwise, there are plenty of places to sit on the grass (picnics!) around.

    http://www.parisjazzfestival.fr/fr/actualites/loffre-paris-jazz-club

    The schedule is on the right hand side.

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