Charles Olson, Centenary Conference

Saturday 13th – Sunday 14th November, 2010

2010 marks the centenary of the birth of the American poet Charles Olson. As poet, critic and theorist, Olson extended the possibilities of modern writing. From Call Me Ishmael to The Maximus Poems he probed the relation between language, space and community, providing radical resources for the re-imagining of place and politics. Aiming, in Robert Creeley’s terms, to hear all that Olson still provokes at the beginning of the Twenty-First Century, this conference seeks to re-assess the scope of his legacy. It will provide an opportunity to consider Olson’s value through and across a range of disciplines, with particular attention to be given to his influence on British and European writing.

Proposals for papers (title with 300-word abstract) should be sent to David Herd at d.herd@kent.ac.uk by Friday 19th March, 2010.

Centre for Modern Poetry, University of Kent

Desperate for Love

Tuesday 8th December, 8pm

• Ken Edwards
• Tom Raworth

A free gift for the first 50 through the door.

Komedia, 44-47 Gardner Street, Brighton BN1 1UN

Admission £3.50

Chlorine Reading

Monday 30th November, 7.30pm (8pm start)

• Luska Mengham
• Richard Parker
• Robert Rowland Smith
• Steve Willey

The Hope, Queen's Road, Brighton BN1 3WA

Admission £5 / £3 (conc.)

Douglas Oliver Conference

Saturday 5th December

Conference 10.50am - 5.30pm

Reading 6pm - 8pm

This conference examines the work and influence of Douglas Oliver including his earliest writings, Oppo Hectic, The Harmless Building and In the Cave of Suicession; unpublished letters to Peter Riley; his theories of prosody and of politics; his visual work in The Diagram Poems; and the final Arrondissements project on the psycho-historical landscapes of Paris. 

With an evening Poetry Reading by:

• Kelvin Corcoran
• Ralph Hawkins
• Simon Jarvis
• Alice Notley

Admission £10 (all-day ticket) / £6 (unwaged) / £4 (evening reading only)

For more information and a registration form, email the conference organisers.

LTB 10, Lecture Theatre Building (off Square 3), University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester C04 3SQ

Campus Map

Poetry in Bolton

Monday 16th November, 8pm

• Michael Haslam
• Tom Jenks

The Octagon Theatre, Howell Croft South, Bolton BL1 1SB

Admission £4 / £2 (conc.)

A limited number of free tickets for under 26s are available for this event. Contact the ticket office for more details on 01204 520661.

The Other Room

Wednesday 2nd December, 7pm

• Sophie Robinson
• Nick Thurston

The Old Abbey Inn, 61 Pencroft Way, Manchester M15 6AY

Admission free.

DESPERATE FOR LOVE

Short notice:

Tuesday 10th November, 8pm

• Sean Bonney
• Elizabeth-Jane Burnett
• Josh Stanley

A free chapbook for the first 50 of you through the door.

Komedia Theatre, 44-47 Gardner St, Brighton BN1 1UN

Admission £3.50

Chlorine: Augmenting the Dram

Sunday 25th October, 7.30pm (8pm start)

Chlorine Readings presents the Egg Box Showcase, featuring:

• Vahni Capildeo
• Joel Duncan
• Daniel Kane
• Agnes Lehoczy

Egg Box books by Daniel Kane, Agnes Lehoczky and Vahni Capildeo will be available to buy at the reading.

The Hope, Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3WA

Admission £5 / £3 (conc.)

Dartington and Falmouth Events

Events taking place at UCF Dartington Campus, Dartington Hall, Totnes, Devon TQ9 6EJ:

• Tuesday 20th October, Studio 4, 6pm: Writer’s Talk – Tony Lopez discuses his recent book Darwin
• Thursday 22nd October, Studio 5, 6.15pm: Reading Group 1: The Poetry of Andrea Brady
• Thursday 12th November, Studio 5, 6.15pm: Reading Group 2: The Textual Practice of Caroline Bergvall
• Thursday 19th November, Studio 3, 7.30pm: Dartington Campus Readings 2 – Harriet Tarlo and David Prior
• Tuesday 24th November: Workshop (Dartington Studio, 2pm) and Writer’s Talk (Studio 4, 6pm) – Erin Moure
• Wednesday 25th November: Workshop (Studio 31, 2pm) and Poetry Reading (Studio 3, 7pm) – Erin Moure
• Thursday 3rd December, Studio 3, 7.30pm: Dartington Campus Readings 3 – JR Carpenter, Emily Critchley, Jow Lindsay 
• Thursday 10th December, Studio 5, 6.15pm: Reading Group 3: The Poetry of Andrea Brady
• Thursday 21st January 2010, Studio 5, 6.15pm: Reading Group 4: The Textual Practice of Caroline Bergvall
• Thursday 11th February, Studio 5, 6.15pm: Reading Group 5: The Poetry of Andrea Brady
• Thursday 4th March, Studio 5, 6.15pm: Reading Group 6: The Textual Practice of Caroline Bergvall

Events taking place at UCF Woodlane Campus, Woodlane, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 4RH: 

• Friday 27th November: Workshop (Studio A, 2pm) and Writer’s Talk (Woodlane Lecture Theatre, 6.30pm) – JR Carpenter
• Saturday 28th November, Studio A, 10am: Workshop Pt.2 – JR Carpenter

Events taking place at UCF Tremough Campus, Tremough, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ:

• Thursday 5th November, Tremough Campus Chapel Lecture Theatre, 4.30pm: Writer’s Talk -  Simon Van Booy

via Larry Lynch

Concrete Poetry in Edinburgh

There are a number of concrete poetry events and exhibitions taking place in Edinburgh up until new year, below is the programme of events.

Monday 19th October, 7.30pm

Key Concrete Works 

Artist and publisher David Bellingham talks about his favourite concrete poems

The Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton's Close, Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DT

Admission £5 / £3 (conc.)

Saturday 24th October, 11am - 12pm

Navigating Concrete 

A guided tour of exhibited works with Librarian Julie Johnstone

The Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton's Close, Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DT

Tue 27 October, 6.30-8.30pm

Reading Concrete 

Reading group session looking at concrete poems

The Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton's Close, Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DT

Friday 6th November, 7.30pm

Robert Lax 

An evening of video and readings, with Alan Spence & Julie Johnstone

Old St Paul’s Church, 63 Jeffrey Street, Edinburgh EH1 1DH

Monday 23rd November, 12.45 - 1.15pm

A Model of Order: Concrete Poetry 

A talk by Kerry Watson, Librarian 

Dean Gallery, 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR

Saturday 28th November, 2 - 5pm

Sound poetry day 

Drop in to listen to recordings and short talks

The Scottish Poetry Library, Crichton's Close, Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DT

There are also simultaneous exhibitions running in the Scottish Poetry Library and the Dean Gallery from 3rd October through to the new year, featuring work by Ian Hamilton Finlay, Augusto de Campos, Eugen Gomringer and others.

via Peter Manson