Happenings happening

and a recommendation

Hello dear friends

I hope you are finding a way through these dystopian times. I’m taking solace from my online and offline communities who are gathering in, regrouping, but some days it does feel as if the only thing keeping me sane is a cold water dip, returning to the body, the moment, the breath.

I also find myself chasing joy and laughter in these dark times, for what are we, if we can no longer smile? And how grateful was I when a friend sent poems by way of consolation on an especially bad day last week - it was all the salve I needed. I’m on the lookout for poems of joy - please share your recommendations in the comments below!

This gathering in and regrouping, this being with friends and writerly companions is a deeply sustaining and empowering experience. That’s why I’m thrilled to be heading northwards later this week to join StAnza Poetry Festival in St. Andrews. We’ll be launching ‘Hertz,’ a new DIRT collaboration from Alycia Pirmohamed and Hannah Copley with a poetry walk on the Saturday afternoon. And on the Sunday I’ll be reading at Poetry as Protest with Caroline Bird, Imtiaz Dharker, Joelle Taylor and more - booking is advised but it’s free, so come along to College Gate at 4.30pm.

On Monday 17th March 7.30pm I’m looking forward to supporting Alice Willitts, Marianne MacRae with Ellen Renton as they get ready to launch new work into the world at Typewronger Books in Edinburgh. Gonna try really hard not to get too distracted by all their amazing print making materials and machines!

Much more to say on this another time, but we’re taking our show Lost Mythos on the road this summer, starting at the Neoancients Festival in Stroud on 4th May. I’m mentioning it here as tickets are almost sold out - unsurprisingly the line-up is frankly incredible, a must for anyone interested in the emerging subcultures of post-Brexit Britain.

I’m running a workshop on Friday 2nd May on FOLKZINES at the Sub Rooms in Stroud. With roots in music fanzines, perhaps one of the most exciting thing about zines is how they capture and preserve the culture and subcultures of their time, serving as a historical record of individual lives, alternative movements, artistic expressions, and grassroots initiatives. In a world where digital media dominates, zines offer a tangible, hands-on experience and record of the moment that feels intimate and personal. Come and make some weird sh*t with me. More info here.

And finally, a recommendation. I spent the quiet moments of the weekend reading Richard Scott’s new collection, That Broke Into Shining Crystals. The book is exquisite, I loved it a lot - apart from being technically stunning, the way he holds the tension in the narrative that runs through the book is astonishing. And it's just beautiful. Go read it.

OK enough enough! All for now and hope to see you irl at one or other of these happenings x