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Emily Berry
EMILY BERRY, MIRIAM GAMBLE, SAM RIVIERE & JO L WALTON A new anthology announces the young voices in British poetry
Want to know what’s really going on in the current UK poetry landscape? Roll up! Dear World and Everyone In It, a groundbreaking anthology which ‘attempts to define a generation’ has (re)drawn the map for you – and this event offers a guided tour. Poets Sam Riviere, Miriam Gamble, Emily Berry and Jo L Walton, and editor Nathan Hamilton, will read from and discuss this posse of over 60 of the ‘most talented and interesting young poets currently writing in the UK’. What makes this hybrid, playful, collaborative, ambitious collection tick? Hamilton points out in his introduction that ‘just being young and proficient doesn’t mean your writing is new and interesting’. David Morley in The Guardian commended Dear World’s bite and rigour, calling it ‘friendly to poetry’s inherent difficulties and demands’. He praises its voice and mannerisms – the Star Trek jokes, the chiding of an editorial old guard, the ‘electric panache’. Poems sneak onto endpapers. A scampish attitude prevails.
Anthologies like this ‘provide the occasion for debate and clarification on the different possibilities available in contemporary poetry’, says Sam Riviere, who has a number of poems from his debut 81 Austerities in Dear World. Miriam Gamble, whose debut collection The Squirrels Are Dead took the Somerset Maugham
Award in 2011, reminds us that poems are ‘rhythmical entities, things made of the carefully crafted interplay of sounds, tones, silences. Hearing poets read their work often brings out nuances you mightn’t have registered on the page. That can alter your sense of a poem completely. They should be heard as well as seen.’ Charm and swagger, cake and eat it: poetry fans, for new horizons and fresh vistas, set your compasses to this exciting rich mix. (Peggy Hughes) ■ Charlotte Square Gardens, 0845 373 5888, 14 Aug, 2pm, £7 (£5).
EROTIC WRITING MASTERCLASS Too hot to handle?
“Oh my!” she gasped. “It’s so . . . big!”
“And it’s hard. Really hard. Are you sure you can
handle it?” he smirked. The woman took a deep breath. “Yes – yes, give it to me now,” she cried wildly, and with a thrust that made her inner goddess do the merengue, the librarian stamped out for her the complete works of Proust. If that titillating scene didn’t set your loins aflame,
perhaps you should try writing your own. As part of the Hendricks Carnival of Knowledge events, Rowan Pelling, former editor of The Erotic Review, is hosting a masterclass on how to write sensual prose. Certainly the astonishing success of EL James’ Fifty Shades Of Grey has proved that there’s a demand for even horribly written erotica. And while many objected to a view of sexual politics straight out of the 1950s, it has sparked a revival of interest in sexy fiction for women, in particular. Pelling’s workshop promises to share some of her favourite erotic tales. (Andrea Mullaney) ■ Hendricks Carnival Of Knowledge, One Royal Circus, 226 0000, 8 Aug, 2pm, £12 (incl. cocktail).
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SPOKEN WORD EVENTS Foreigner Go Home (With Me!) Described by critics as an ‘awkward teenager’ with ‘wisdom beyond her years’, UK Poetry Slam champion Stephanie Chan (pictured) tells of moving to London from the Far East in a quest for knowledge, power, revolution – and a damn good time. Fiddlers Elbow (downstairs), 556 9933, until 11 Aug, 1.30pm, free.
LJODAHÅTT One word, folks: ‘TROLLSONG’. Which is the rough translation of the Norwegian word ljodahått. This Norwegian troupe are a musical collective who aim to give new life to a huge range of Norwegian poetry with an original live music score. Rich, dark cabaret. Charlotte Square Gardens, 0845 373 5888, 12 Aug, 9pm, free. Tongue Fu A regular spoken-word show in London combining live literature, music and improvisation. They have a reputation for sharp, slick, energetic shows, and have featured Scroobius Pip, Kate Tempest, Salena Godden, Sabrina Mahfouz, Inua Ellam . . . it’s a big sexy list of talent. It will be jazzy and warm, perfect for late-night poetry. Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 25 Aug (not 12, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 22), midnight, £11.50 (£10.50).
Around The World In 8 Mistakes Illegal emigration, illegal immigration, one demonic possession, an accidental trip to a warzone, and moving for love. Sophia Walker gives us every reason never to move, from the girl who did it all, wrong. The Royal Oak, Infirmary Street, 557 2976, until 23 Aug (no weekend shows), 2pm, free. BBC Edinburgh Festival Fringe Slam Heats The BBC Slam has grown in profile and prestige over the last few years, mainly down to its indefatigable compere, Young Dawkins. Last year’s final filled the Big Tent at the BBC, with crowds watching with bated breath on the big screens outside. The heats feature, among others: Tim Turnbull, Paula Varjack, Martin Daws, Ross Sutherland, Graeme Hawley, Scottish makar Liz Lochhead and defending 2012 champion Jenny Lindsay. Absolutely a must-see. (Rachel McCrum). BBC Festival Village, Potterrow, 12–15 Aug (grand final 17 Aug, apply for tickets), 8pm, free.
8–15 Aug 2013 THE LIST FESTIVAL 31