Love's Lingo in the HEART café

Richard Wilcocks writes:

Love's Lingo, a preliminary - or if you like interim - LitFest event in the café of the HEART building on Bennett Road on Friday evening was a wonderful and very substantial taster for the full banquet to come. Becky Cherriman, the blue angel of the evening, delivered slices of heightened reality to an appreciative audience. She spoke truths about relationships close-up into our ears, intimacies conveyed in a conversational style. For me, there was just a touch of Angela Carter in her rhythmic scrutinies of old loves and fresh loves, fading pains and lasting pains.

Her poetic guest was Clare Neruda, a talented newcomer and similarly confessional: it was heartwarming to watch and listen as her confidence grew during her session, until she had us gripped. Her musical guests were Maggie 8, a duo which finished the evening beautifully.

Becky Cherriman will be with the LitFest again on Tuesday 20 March at 1pm for The Lingo of Food. The Workers Educational Association, in partnership with Osmondthorpe Resource Centre for adults with physical disabilities, and supported by Headingley LitFest, will be reuniting two creative writing groups for a delectable literary performance. She will be with both of them as facilitator.

About food - it's certainly delectable in the HEART café, and the atmosphere is just right for poetry and music. There will be more LitFest stand-alone events like this in future.

www.beckycherriman.com

Talking Myself Home - with Ian McMillan

Note it in your Filofax, tap it into your iPhone or ball-point it into the palm of your hand - just don't forget the date and time, which is 16 March at 7.30pm, and the place with the pulpit still in it - Left Bank Leeds, the old St Margaret of Antioch Church on Cardigan Road.

You are being given the opportunity to experience the phenomenon which is Ian McMillan, who will be performing his acclaimed verse autobiography in Headingley! Ian is poet-in-residence for English National Opera, The Academy of Urbanism and Barnsley FC. He presents The Verb every week on BBC R3 and appears regularly on Pick of the Week, Quote Unquote, The Arts Show, Just A Minute, You & Yours, Fry’s Planet Word, Have I Got News For You and next spring, Coast.

He’s Yorkshire TV’s Investigative Poet and Humberside Police’s Beat Poet. He was recently castaway on Desert Island Discs and featured with his Orchestra on The South Bank Show. His rip-roaring poetry shows are legendary. Cats make him sneeze.

‘The John Peel of poetry’ Alec Finlay


‘Jovial Poetic Troll’ Mark Radcliffe


'It cleared me chest something wonderful' Theatre By The Lake, Kendal


'One of my all-time heroes  -  he’s such a talented bloke, I could kill him’ Mike Harding


'Ian McMillan proved himself the ultimate spoken word artist, in that he was never at a loss for them – spoken or otherwise. His show Talking Myself Home was a dazzling combination of finely-honed poems and stand-up’s repartee. When the audience weren’t savouring his metaphors (in a Wish-I’d-Written-That way), they were shrieking with laughter. And what more could you want from a poetry show?' Apples'n'Snakes

Photo of Ian McMillan by Kippa Matthews:

7.30pm Left Bank Leeds (St Margaret of Antioch Church), Cardigan Road

£10

www.ian-mcmillan.co.uk
http://www.leftbankleeds.org.uk/

Let's share the LitFest programme

The programme is now well and truly fixed, and the giant Heidelbergs (they're printing machines) will soon be spitting out thousands of printed leaflets and brochures, for the whole lot and for the Ian McMillan event on 16 March.


Plenty of these will be handed to the locals at the Headingley Farmer's Market this Saturday 11 February, but we need you to help by taking wodges of leaflets and putting them in places where they will be appreciated. Ring our contact number now to offer help - 07789976854 - or email heveliusx1@yahoo.co.uk


If you haven't done so already, look at the programme's online version at www.hlfprogramme.blogspot.com


Becky Cherriman's preliminary event Love's Lingo, which takes place in the HEART café on Friday evening 10 February at 8pm, has now been blessed with the presence of terrific singer Maggie 8. You can hear her at  http://www.myspace.com/maggieslovelymusic 


You can also see and hear Becky on YouTube - just type her name in.

Jo Brandon's Phobia

Jo Brandon (New Shoots, last year's LitFest)writes:
Just wanted to send a quick message as I'm very excited to be launching my debut poetry pamphlet Phobia on Friday 20 January, 8pm at the Carriageworks in Leeds. It would be wonderful to see you there!

I'll also be reading as part the Valley Press Fest in Scarborough on Saturday 21 January from 2-4pm at the town library and earlier in the day there will be a signing at Taylor's very fine bookshop and tea rooms.

Both events are free.

Ian McMillan on Yorkshire Accents

Thanks, Iggie, for drawing attention to this YouTube piece in which Stephen Fry talks to poet Ian McMillan about the richness and variety of accents here in Yorkshire.

Ian McMillan, yes the man himself in all his richness and variety, will be coming to the LitFest on Friday 16 March. The event will be in the Left Bank Centre on Cardigan Road at 7.30pm, tickets £10. All the details soon! Put it in your diary.

Love's Lingo

 In honour of Valentine's Day, commissioned and published writer Becky Cherriman will take you on a poetic journey through the vast lexicon of love. This will take place in the HEART Café at 8pm on Friday 10 February as a preliminary event for the LitFest 'proper' in mid-March.

But don't expect it all to be hearts and flowers! Becky's work is known for its honest and often uncomfortable intensity.  The evening will also feature live music from Maggie 8  (http://www.myspace.com/maggieslovelymusic) and a reading from poet, Clare Neruda.

Tickets on the door will be just six pounds - and that includes a drink. 

Becky is a writer, creative writing facilitator and performer based in Leeds.  She works regularly for the Workers Educational Association, The West Yorkshire Playhouse, Artlink West Yorkshire and Ilkley Literature Festival, develops writing-related resources for The Hepworth Wakefield and delivers public readings of her work.   

Successes to date include being shortlisted for the 2009 Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Award, the 2009-10 Fish Short Story Prize, and the 2011 Grist Poetry Competition, a commission to write and perform an interactive children’s story at The Rotunda Museum in Scarborough on the theme of geology, publication in an anthology ‘Along The Iron Veins’ and attaining second prize in the 2010 Ilkley Literature Festival Open Mic competition.  Her poems ‘Behind His Eye’ and ‘Every Bone’ will be published in the 2012 ‘Grist Anthology’. 


Here is a poem about the HEART Centre written by one of Becky's students:

The Heart Centre

New rooms wrapped round an old beating heart

Wall adorned with new, vibrant art.

Drums in the stairwell with Hettie the Cleaner

Pot plants abound to make it look neater

Guitar, pilates or trumpet lessons

Everything covered in weekly sessions

From young to old and those on the dole

With Heart in the Community, this place has a soul

Angela Lloyd Roberts

2012 PROGRAMME SOON

Finalising meetings are taking place, possibly while you are reading this! Nearly all the pieces have been fitted into the jigsaw.

The printed programme should be available in about a fortnight. Get in touch if you want to help with distributing it. It will certainly be on tables in the Heart Café during Becky Cherriman's evening on 10 February - see LOVE'S LINGO.

York Storytelling

Here's a plug for kindred spirits in York: read about the storytelling festival on 3 February at http://www.skiddle.com/events/11547602/

We'll see some of the Yorkists in Headingley next March, hopefully.

Alan Bennett at Lawnswood

Earlier this month (9 December), our most illustrious ex-resident visited his old school, Leeds Modern, to officially open its library, which is now named after him. As far as we know, the last time he was at the school, which is now called Lawnswood, of course, was coincidental with the last Headingley LitFest in March. The LitFest's box of free books from World Book Night at that time consisted of copies of A Life Like Other People's, and most of them were donated by us to the school's sixth form. He read from this during both visits - the section which deals with his use of Armley Library - and added a strong condemnation of current library closures, which he described as "wrong and short-sighted...   We're impoverishing young people." There were no dissenting voices.


On 4 February, which is National Libraries Day, The Library Book will be published, with contributions from the likes of Julian Barnes, Stephen Fry and himself. This will be in support of library campaigners everywhere.


He was also eloquent in his observations on fee increases for students wanting to go to university. He told his audience of students, teachers and governors that he would not have been able to go to higher education himself if the situation had been like today, because his parents simply did not have enough money to support him: "I didn't realise then how fortunate I was but soon after I left university I realised I'd been very, very lucky."


He was welcomed to the event by Deputy Head Will Carr, who is pictured below. Some of the faces in the audience were familiar, because they belonged to some of those who either participated in, or watched, the wildly successful fourth LitFest Poetry Slam at Lawnswood. Was it so many months ago?


We are hoping that the next Slam will be just as good!

Lle desiel?

Richard Wilcocks writes:

“Lle desiel?” is Elvish for “Are you ready?” One-time Headingley resident J R R Tolkien was responsible for creating the Elvish language, of course. It comes in two variations – Quenya and Sindarin, or High-elven and grey-elven. Tolkien provided only three hundred and fifty words, but his followers have now added thousands more, so you can now take part in a reasonably intelligent conversation.

Perhaps it will replace Esperanto as the world’s most significant made-up language. Who knows? And before you ask, there is no evidence that Tolkien was working on Elvish grammar while he was living in Headingley, and the blue plaque which will soon be put on the wall of the house in which he lived while lecturing at the University of Leeds will have English words on it, in spite of intensive lobbying by local elves.

Elvish has a credible but rudimentary grammar, and is based mainly on Finnish and Welsh, so I am told. Perhaps after the forthcoming LitFest in March next year (keyword is LINGO), some people will be inspired to become experts, because Elvish will be at least talked about by Dr Richard Brown from the English Department of the University of Leeds as part of an event which will probably take place on a Wednesday evening – ‘probably’ because the programme is still being fixed. It will appear in its final form in January.

In the meantime, you might like to look at this website.

Below, the Elvish written on the One Ring:

Linda Marshall at HEART

Mila and Craig at Café Lento

Café Lento on North Lane is the place to be on Friday evenings. That's true for yesterday, anyway. Mila and Craig were terrific, with a variety of musical styles- including Bossa Nova - and songs in Portuguese. Audience loved it. They could come to the Iberian Evening (we'll probably change that as a title...) which was mooted after the show. This would take place during next March's LitFest.

Leeds Lieder rocks!

Heartwarming to see such an array of fledgling talent at Leeds Lieder's Composers and Poets Showcase on Saturday! Some of them were at Headingley LitFest too - in New Shoots last March.

Click here for full review.

We Are Poets - at Hyde Park Picture House

Thanks to Peter Spafford for alerting us to this: 

 

The award winning 'We Are Poets' is in Leeds for a very special 'homecoming' screening at the Hyde Park Picture House, Sunday 2nd October, 5:45pm

Sheffield Doc/Fest Youth Jury interview with Alex Ramseyer-Bache and Daniel Lucchesi from Jack Ranson on Vimeo.

We Are Poets is on tour around the UK and after a successful opening at the British Film Institute, it is now coming to it's home town of Leeds to share and celebrate this amazing local story. Don't miss it!

Winner of the Youth Jury Award at the Sheffield Documentary Festival 2011 and shortlisted for a prestigious Newcomer Prize at Grierson: The British Documentary Awards 2011, We Are Poets intimately follows six remarkable young poets from Leeds Young Authors, a youth poetry group based in Chapeltown, as they are chosen to represent the UK at Brave New Voices, the most prestigious poetry slam competition in the USA.  From their inner city lives to a stage in front of the White House in Washington DC, the poets must prepare for a transformational journey of a lifetime. 

Cinematic, honest and deeply personal, We Are Poets is a moving testament to the power of creativity, community and the dynamism of young people. Anyone tempted to dismiss today's youth as politically apathetic better pay heed: here is electrifying evidence to the contrary. 

We Are Poets was directed and produced by local filmmakers Alex Ramseyer-Bache and Daniel Lucchesi.

There will be a Q&A with the directors and poets following the screening and live poetry performances! 

Here's what a few people have said about the film:

Sheffield Doc Fest - "A poignant, truthful and uplifting perspective on youth today and its potential. From its utterly brilliant opening, through to its moving finale, 'We Are Poets' is inspirational!" 

I-D Magazine -  "Lyrical, inspirational and ultra-cool...a brilliant story and a milestone in breaking down stereotypes”

Benjamin Zephaniah - “Amazing...the film itself is a poem. Poetry is an art, filmmaking is an art, it's takes great sensitivity to bring them together - this film shows us how it's done!” 

For more information and to book tickets: http://www.hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk/index.php?showing=3151#now-showing

The Zoo Story

Dave (Theatre of the Dales) Robertson warmly invites everyone to a free performance of

THE ZOO STORY

by

Edward Albee

with

 Guillaume Blanchard

and

David Robertson

First staged in 1959, shortly before he wrote Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Albee's one-act tour de force is as wry and hypnotic as ever.

Two New Yorkers strike up a conversation in Central Park. One irritates, amuses and intrigues the other with his life story, till the listener is caught up in a climax at once shocking and deeply moving.

You can catch it next weekend at the following times and venues:

On Saturday, Sept 17th, at 3pm in Dagmar Wood (opposite Dave's house) or in the nearby LS6 Cafe (often called the Clock), if it rains.

Also, at 8pm in Cafe Lento on North Lane, Headingley (where there will be a licensed bar).

On Sunday, Sept 18th, at 3pm in Dagmar Wood. (Again, in the Clock, if it rains.)

Also, at 9.30pm in the garden of 1, Grosvenor Road (Dave's place) by the light of a bonfire. (Shelter will be rigged up, if rain threatens.)

Support the LIPPfest!

Readers of this blog are sure to be interested in the LIPPfest so here's information and dates for your diaries:


The Leeds Independent Presses Poetry Festival (LIPPfest) 2011 kicks off on 24 September at the Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds with a programme of readings from twenty-one poets, six workshops, symposiums and publishing talks. An independent presses bookfair will give people the chance to browse and purchase literature from a range of literature not stocked on the shelves of your average bookshop.




LIPPfest 2011 Poetry competition


Here you can download details, rules and entry form for the inaugural LIPPfest poetry competition. The competition will open for entries on April 12th 2011.  Entries close on July 14th 2011. Winners will be announced at a special event at the festival on September 24th.


(Click this Link to download PDF)


This year’s judges are Pat Borthwick and Mike Barlow.


Prizes
• 1st Prize £ 250.00
• 2nd Prize £ 150.00
• 3rd Prize £ 100.00
• The Leeds Prize £ 50.00
• All prize/award winners will receive a poetry
book from the LIPPfest book fair.


All prize winners will also have an opportunity to read at the festival and will be invited to submit their entry for inclusion in the LIPPfest’s anthology of poetry. The competition is a great way to support the festival and help us to promote the poets and poetry of independent presses.


Any money raised will go into putting on further events and developing new ways to take poetry out to new audiences. See entry form for full details.

Read! Read! Read!

Here's an extract from a recent issue of the official newsletter of Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School in Meanwood:

The   school   was   privileged   to   stage   one   of   the   events   of   the   Headingley   LitFest when  the  celebrated  author,  Robert  Swindells  read  and   discussed   his   works   with   pupils.   Swindells   is   one   of   Britain’s   most   successful  writers  of fiction  for  young  people... 

Robert   Swindells,   who   was   born   in   Yorkshire,   has   received   numerous   awards for his books for children and young adults. Stone Cold, a favourite  with our  pupils,  won  the  Carnegie  Medal  and  has  been  adapted   for television  by the  BBC.  Generations  of  our  pupils  have  enjoyed  reading   his novels  and they  were  delighted  to  be  given  the  opportunity  to  hear  Mr   Swindells  read extracts  from  his  work.  

They   plied   him   with   questions   about   his   subjects,   his   writing   methods,   his   beliefs   and   his   income!   The   quality   and   variety   of   the   questions   asked  was   impressive.   Pupils   found   his   honest,   entertaining   and   down-to-‐earth   approach   engaging   and   many   of   them   said   that   he   made   them   believe   that  they  could  succeed  as  writers  if  they  put their  minds  to  it...  

We  were  delighted  to  welcome  pupils  and  staff  from  Allerton  High  School   to the  event.  Mr  Swindells  was  moved  and  impressed  by the interest our pupils had shown.

Radish Books attended and provided copies of Mr Swindells' work. Many purchased Stone Cold and left clutching copies which carried a personal message from the author: variants of 'Read! Read! Read!

C. Brown

 

Readathon, anyone?

Peter Spafford performed in the LitFest on 20 March in one of the house events. See the earlier posts to read the report. He has just put this message up on  Headingley Chat:

I`m organising a broadcast literature festival for East Leeds FM (www.elfm.co.uk) called WRITING ON AIR, June 13-17. 

 

For the finale, we're doing an all-night reading of Paul Auster's True Tales of American Life. We're looking for a team of 10-15 people crazy enough to camp out inside the fabulously atmospheric Seacroft Chapel and read through the night in shifts. Plenty of coffee and biscuits provided.

 

At the moment we have a hard core, but we need more! Anyone fancy it?         

  

http://www.peterspafford.co.uk/

Beechey Island

This poem was greatly admired by a number of people at the Let Me Speak event on 22 March. Campion Rollinson has now sent it, and you can read it on Headingley LitFest Originals.

Food for thought

Richard Wilcocks writes:

Food appears to be playing an increasingly important part in the LitFest. We began in a restaurant this year, compliments about the home-made cakes and dainties provided last year were commonplace, and similar praise has been drizzled upon us this time around. Perhaps we should finish in a restaurant as well. Or in a house with a good cook in residence.

This particular house event on Sunday afternoon was so successful that there had to be a repeat performance. Fortunately, the first lot through the door did not scoff everything, and there was plenty of Oyster Bay left to drink, because I was there for the second session. Lis Bertolla and Doug Sandle performed a well thought-out poetry programme, Maria Sandle sang and played guitar, and a couple called The Retrolettes sang and played the ukelele. At one point, Doug played a Jew’s Harp!

There were poems written by Lis and Doug themselves and by the likes of Geoffrey Chaucer, Jonathan Swift, John Keats, Edward Lear and Roger McGough, and occasional ventures into prose, with short extracts from Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Laurie Lee’s Cider with Rosie. Maria was particularly charming with her rendition of Junk Food Junkie, and the Retrolettes brought us Trinidadian sunshine with the Andrews Sisters’ version of Rum and Coca Cola.

The session concluded with Lis’s own beautiful poem After the Poetry Reading. Then it was time for the nosh. We’ll have to do this every Sunday afternoon now.