Welcome to Stuff. The Poetry Trust's latest news, events, podcasts and publications.

The Poetry Channel

The Poetry Channel went live on Friday 1 May.

For those who haven’t heard, The Poetry Channel will mine the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival’s rich audio archive - essential words from all around the world - to make broadcast-quality podcasts available for anyone anywhere online.

During the course of this month we’ll be releasing eleven new Poetry Channel podcasts and coming up on Friday 15th May we’ve got the third Poem Show featuring three British poets - Robert Seatter, Sinéad Morrissey & Peter Sansom with very different kinds of poems addressing the theme of family. Meanwhile in this week’s Aldeburgh backchat Ellen Phethean discusses Wall, her teen novel in poems, written while she was writer-in-residence in Byker, Newcastle.
Still to come in May - Clive James, Barbara Hamby, Dennis O’Driscoll and a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the recent Jerwood Aldeburgh Seminar.

 

Job Opportunity

Could you promote poetry with panache? We are looking for a Marketing & Communications Manager, a dynamic professional with digital flair and expertise to join a small, dedicated team. Salary: £22,000 pro rata (21 hours per week)

Applications deadline: Tuesday 26 May. Full details and application pack

 

Escalator Showcase

The Poetry Trust’s own Dean Parkin will be premiering his new one man show - Ducks, Trains & Other Tracks - at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival‘s Escalator Live Literature Showcase on Friday 8 May at 7.30pm at the Norwich Arts Centre.

 

Entries Invited - Aldeburgh First Collection Prize

Entries may be submitted by publishers and individual poets for this annual £3,000 Prize awarded for what the judges consider to be the best first full collection published between 1 August 08 and 31 July 09. This year’s judges are David Constantine, Michael Laskey (Chair) and Mimi Khalvati. Closing date for entries 31 July 09. Full details here.

Ciaran Berry, last year’s prize-winner for The Sphere of Birds (Gallery Press), will read at the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival this November.

 

Short Cuts Cabaret & Open Mic Night

Short Cuts Cabaret is probably Suffolk’s first real variety show and definitely a bumper night out, with a heady mix of spoken word, live poetry, comedy, music and audience participation. There’ll be the usual Open Mic slots, plus performers invited back by popular demand. Hosted by Dean Parkin with boogie-woogie maestro Maurice Horhut at the piano.

To apply for a slot, contact Dean on 01986 835950 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

 

Jerwood Aldeburgh Seminar

Nine talent-spotted poets (either at first collection or between first and second collection stage) took part in the third exhilarating Jerwood Aldeburgh Seminar in March The week long course took place at Bruisyard Hall in Suffolk and was led by Michael Laskey and Peter Sansom.

“I feel like I’ve been stretched and challenged, in excellent company, and propelled into a fast-moving, no-holds-barred, altered state where everyone is living, breathing and dreaming poetry” – was how one participant summed up her experience.

The tuition was unanimously rated excellent and as ever, the venue and catering won high praise as well – one person was so reluctant to depart that she dreamed of stowing away in the hall cupboard…

Catch the Seminar showcase reading at this year’s Aldeburgh Poetry Festival (6 – 8 November)