Tagged: Poetry And Spoken Word
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Surrealist Poetry from Ronnie McGrath
Ronnie McGrath joins us on May 9th for the Caribbean Literary Salon, in conversation with Kerry Young and Kevin LeGendre about his time in Jamaica and how it has influenced his writing. In the next few days we'll be publishing an interview we did with Ronnie, but in the meantime, here he is reading a short piece of his…
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Writers’ Room: Inua Ellams on Spoken Word
The award-winning poet, performer and artist talks to us about spoken word cliches, the joy of libraries, and being prepared to write in outer space.
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Audio: Untranslatable Words
Every language has unique words untranslatable into other tongues, which can speak volumes about the character of the cultures they come from. At our Migration Stories event, our Translator in Residence Ollie Brock brought together multilingual poets Nii Parkes, Maria Jastrzebska and Sofia Buchuck to talk about how they navigate the interlocking words and ideas of their different languages. We…
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Monday Reads: Poems on the Underground
Every Monday we choose something well worth reading, so you can start your week with words. Today we've chosen the new set of six Poems on the Underground, which appear in tube carriages across London from today.
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Writers’ Room: Poems on the Underground
Poems on the Underground have been spreading great poetry around the tube for twenty-seven years. Next week they launch their latest selection of poems to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Underground. Nii Parkes, regular contributor to Free Word's activities, is among the six poets featured. We spoke to Laura Chernaik, manager of Poems on the Underground, about London's love affair with poetry.
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Words in the Mirror
Ollie Brock, one of Free Word's new Translators in Residence, explains why he's chosen to start his residency with a discussion of 'untranslatable' words.
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Our Reading of Solidarity for Pussy Riot
On Wednesday 12 December the staff of the Free Word Centre gathered in the main hall to join a worldwide reading of solidarity for Pussy Riot, instigated by the International Festival of Literature in Berlin. Alongside cultural institutions around the world, the free expression organisations at Free Word came together to protest the trial and imprisonment of members of the Russian…
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Poetry: Kayo Chingonyi
Kayo Chingonyi is a writer and performer born in Zambia. He joins us at Free Word this weekend alongside Patience Agbabi and Warsan Shire to discuss the art of spoken word poetry at the inaugural African Book Festival,a nd in advance of the event, we're delighted to post some of his poetry here.
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Represent: A Collaboration Between Poets and Parliament
What does representation mean to you? In an exciting new project from Apples and Snakes, disenfranchised young people from 16 to 18 will be working with spoken word artists to explores issues of representation, democratic engagement and cultural identity in 2012. Made possible by the Free Word strategic commissioning fund, the project is a partnership between Apples and Snakes, Index on Censorship and…
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A Sunflower Seed’s Lines of Negation
A poem by London-based Chinese poet Yang Lian - for Ai Wei Wei
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Like These Trees by Najwan Darwish
Today we bring you an unpublished poem by Palestinian poet Najwan Darwish, who performed at Palfest's recent event at the Free Word Centre, plus a music video by celebrated oud musician Basel Zayed.
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A Shop Selling Speech
As Associate Playwright at the Bush Theatre, Sabrina Mahfouz spent January in her other motherland, Egypt, to research a theatre project inspired by the uprisings of the past year. As Sabrina discovered, so many things had changed - for better or worse - and so many things were exactly the same - for better or worse.
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“Why write about schools and not airports?” Riz MC performs at launch of Writers Bloc
Listen to Riz MC performing a new poem speed-written in response to the launch of international writing and education project Writers Bloc at the Free Word Centre.
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Too Much Freedom for the Land of the Free
In advance of her course on Free Speech and Literature, Dr Sophie Mayer finds out why Arizona State has banned The Tempest from its school curriculum.
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Small Change: Arts Funding and the Oil Industry
Performance poet and environmental activist Pete Bearder (aka Pete The Temp) reports from the launch of Culture Beyond Oil at the Free Word Centre
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Shake the Dust youth poetry competition launches
Hosted by Apples and Snakes, Shake the Dust is a massive youth poetry competition that involves people from the spoken word world at every level. In this blog post, Apples and Snakes' Digital and Marketing Assistant Dan Simpson lays out the competition process and sheds light on its role in empowering poets and educators alike.
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Sparks by Ian Duhig
Poet Ian Duhig discovers the ‘sparks’ of inspiration come from the unexpected.
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Imprisoned Burmese poet Zarganar released
The Burmese poet Zarganar, an honorary member of English PEN, has been released today as part of an amnesty for approximately 2,000 political prisoners.
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“If you try to find me, you’ll find me defiant…”
Spoken word artist Kate Tempest performs Line in the Sand – film produced by Apples & Snakes. More videos from Apples & Snakes …
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Laura Dockrill performs at Whose Muse Is It Anyway?
Poet, author and performer Laura Dockrill performs a love poem at Booktrust’s improv poetry night at Free Word Centre, Whose Muse Is It Anyway? …
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Upcoming Event: We Have a Voice!
Thu 23 May 2013
1:30pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
Join a chorus of young people at the Free Word Centre to celebrate the power of storytelling! Free Word’s Translator in Residence Canan Marasligil has been running a series of creative workshops with three schools in Islington throughout the spring, exploring storytelling in all its forms. From comics to recipes, poems to fairytales, young people from Islington Arts…
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Upcoming Event: Mother Tongue, Other Tongue
An information session for teachers
Sat 1 Jun, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Free Word Lecture Theatre
Mother Tongue Other Tongue is a multi-lingual poetry project intended to celebrate cultural diversity and the many languages spoken in schools in Great Britain. It is a Poet Laureate Education project supported by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. Initially run as a regional pilot by Manchester Metropolitan University and Routes into Languages North West, the competition is…
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Upcoming Event: First Lines
An evening of readings by new translators
Thu 13 Jun 2013
7:00pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
The British Centre for Literary Translation invites you to the launch of First Lines #2: New Translations by New Translators, an anthology which celebrates the successful completion of our 2013 mentoring programme for emerging talent in literary translation. You will be entertained to readings from fifteen different languages ranging from Tamil to Turkish, on subjects as diverse as trial by fire to…
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Upcoming Event: Poets and Pamphlets
Karen McCarthy Woolf helps poets pull their pamphlets into shape.
Sat 6 July, 11:00am - 5:00pm
The Albany
Karen McCarthy Woolf helps you pull your pamphlet into shape. Publishing a pamphlet of your work is an important step for a poet. In this workshop, using examples from the publishing world and from her own work, Karen will lead you through the process of pulling together a pamphlet of your own. You’ll look at how to…
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Upcoming Event: Going Live
Spread the Word presents a workshop on the art of performing.
Sat 13 Jul, 11:00am - 5:00pm
The Albany
Ever felt a sense of panic when asked to read something out? Read on… Writers – we are all different. Some of us are born to perform our work in front of a room full of strangers. Others can think of nothing worse than having to present our own work in public. Whether you write poetry or prose,…
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Upcoming Event: Writing Your Life
Spread the Word presents one-day workshop pushing the boundaries of writing memoir.
Tue 16 Jul, 11:00am - 5:00pm
London Metropolitan Archives
Join celebrated author, rare book dealer and literary broadcaster Rick Gekoski for this one-day workshop pushing the boundaries of writing memoir. Explore what ‘memoir’ really means by addressing the following questions with Rick, as he leads you through creative exercises and discussion: What is the power or potential of the author when the story you are telling…
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Past Event: Signs
Fri 3 May 2013
1:00pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
Children from Frank Barnes School for the Deaf and Gospel Oak School share what they have learned in workshops on signed poetry. Artist and performer Deepa Shastri, together with with poet Nadia Nadarajah, will lead workshops in the schools in April exploring the richness of translation between sign language and English, enouraging the children to come up with inventive ways…
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Past Event: Off The Page: Translating Poetry into Dance
Thu 21 Mar 2013
6:30pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
"Watch out for intellect, because it knows so much it knows nothing" – so warned the poet Anne Sexton. But how do we bypass intellect? In an evening of readings and performance, choreographers Marquez & Zangs will look at how a poem can be translated into movement. Versions in English, French and Spanish of Guillaume Appollinaire’s poem &ldquo…
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Past Event: Open Workshops for “Off the Page”
Mon 18, Tue 19 and Wed 20 March: 9:30am - 12:30pm
Free Word Lecture Theatre
‘Watch out for intellect, because it knows so much it knows nothing’ – so warned the poet Anne Sexton. But how do we bypass intellect? Ahead of Off the Page, a special evening event on Thursday 21st March, choreographers Marquez & Zangs will be taking versions of a poem in three languages and experimenting with 'translating' them into…
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Past Event: Abdellatif Laâbi and André Naffis-Sahely
Mon 18 Feb, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Free Word Lecture Theatre
The prize-winning Moroccan poet, Abdellatif Laâbi, is widely acknowledged as being one of the most important poets writing today. Born in Fez in 1942, he began writing in the mid-1960s, publishing his first novel in 1969. In 1966 he founded the renowned literary magazine Souffles, a journal of literature and politics that was to earn its editor…
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Past Event: Migration Stories
Can home be translated? Three poets take us over the bridge.
Wed 23 Jan 2013
6:30pmFree Word Hall
What happens to our stories when we take them abroad? A poet arriving in a new country will have to express his or her past in new words – whether for the purposes of seeking asylum, or to integrate into a new society. Can an old story be dressed in new clothes? Can new stories be taken home again? Looking…
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Past Event: An International Reading of Solidarity for Pussy Riot
Wed 12 Dec 2012
3:00pmFree Word Hall
Join us for an afternoon of poetry, protest, tea and cake this Wednesday as Free Word and the Free Word free expression Founder Members Article 19, Index on Censorship and English PEN join cultural institutions around the world in a reading of solidarity for Pussy Riot, instigated by the Internationales Literatur Festival of Berlin. We’ll be welcoming…
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Past Event: Catechism: Poems for Pussy Riot Live
Wed 21 Nov - 6:30pm (doors) for a 7pm start
Free Word Lecture Theatre
On 21 February, members of Russian punk collective Pussy Riot staged a protest in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, denouncing the Russian Orthodox Church’s support for President Vladimir Putin. Three members of the collective, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, were arrested and held in custody until August when they were each sentenced to two…
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Past Event: Bones Will Crow
A celebration of Burmese poetry
Wed 31 Oct 2012
6:30pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
Arc Publications and English PEN are proud to celebrate the publication of Bones Will Crow: 15 Contemporary Burmese Poets With Burmese poets Thitsar Ni, Eaindra, Khin Aung Aye and co-editor and co-translator of Bones Will Crow, James Byrne + special guest Htein Lin. Readings, performance, photography and food will mark the end of a week-long UK tour by the poets that has…
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Past Event: Throwaway Lines
From Litter to Litterature
Weekdays from 9am from 29 Oct - 26 Nov 2012
Free Word Hall
It started with an abandoned handwritten letter found on Blackfriars Bridge in 2009. This was the first of many throwaways rescued by Andy Hayes – a curious man, with a keen eye for rubbish and for art. He took his hoard of trash to 26, the writers' collective, and they got involved. Litter became litterature. A stash of 26 stories, written by 26 writers,…
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Past Event: Andrei Codrescu
The Romanian poet reads and discusses his work
Mon 16 Apr 2012
7:00pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
'One of our most prodigiously talented and magical writers.; Bruce Shlain, New York Times Celebrated Romanian poet Andrei Codrescu will read from his upcoming book So Recently Rent a World: Selected Poems, 1968-2012 and will talk about his work-in-progress 'The Archived Future (with life in footnotes)': an essay about the digital future and how to live with it. …
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Past Event: Brave New Words
Wed 4 Apr 2012
6:30pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
English PEN, Brighter Futures and NewVIc Activ8 are delighted to invite you to the launch of Brave New Words, a collection of poems, stories and reflections written by young people across London with refugee, asylum seeking and migrant backgrounds. A special event as part of Young People Seeking Safety Awareness Week, this evening will involve readings from the book, a…
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Past Event: This is Jerusalem
A Performance of Poetry and Music by Najwan Darwish and Basel Zayed
Wed 14 Mar 2012
8:00pmFree Word Lecture Theatre
The Palestine Festival of Literature (PalFest) invites you to see the celebrated poet Najwan Darwish performing alongside acclaimed oud musician Basel Zayed. This is a fundraising event for the fifth Palestine Festival of Literature, which will take place in Gaza in May 2012. All money raised from ticket sales will go directly to supporting cultural and education activities in Palestine. Previously,…