Saturday, January 19, 2013

The Write Stuff for 2013

The literary event season hasn't stopped. A night of poetry, music and performance, Free Frame of Reference on Tuesday just gone at Sand Bar; and then Jenn Ashworth's novel launch (for her 3rd novel, the multi-narrated "The Friday Gospels") at Blackwells on Friday. Poets at the first, fiction writers at the second, it seems - and me at both!

This week poets should be directed to the Penning Perfumes launch on Wednesday at Kraak Gallery - "a scented evening of poems inspired by perfumes, and perfumes inspired by poems". Whilst the novelists will no doubt be looking for familiar faces - both on and off the page - at the Anthony Burgess Foundation on Thursday, when Nicholas Royle launches his Didsbury-set (the Didsbury set?) "First Novel" along with Booker shortlisted Alison Moore.

Short story writers and readers may give this a miss and head for a Comma Press reading at Madlab on Edge Street - Icelandic short story writer Agust Borgthor Sverrison. I guess you pays your money (or not, both events are free), and takes your choice.

Though of course, just because you read one thing, doesn't mean that you can't benefit from seeing another - and increasingly - with performance events especially there's a pluralism. The following week I've got a short open mic spot at Bad Language, first time I've managed to read there, at the Castle on Wednesday 30th, and haven't decided yet whether it will be fiction or poetry; then on the 31st Manchester Art Gallery is open for a zine fair which should appeal to artistic and literary types alike. 

 Not bad for quiet January. Now, to find time to read a book. 

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