Poetry Can

Welcome to the Poetry Can website, a portal to the world of poetry in the South West of England.

Poetry Can,
12 Great George St,
Bristol,
BS1 5RH
Tel: (0117) 9330900
e: admin@poetrycan.co.uk

NEW LOOK BRISTOL POETRY FESTIVAL

The Poetry Can is pleased to announce a new look for the Bristol Poetry Festival this year. A lot of people who regularly attend the poetry festival have suggested “splitting” the festival with poetry events and activities taking place in the Spring as well as in the Autumn. We think this is a great idea, it gives Bristol two high profile, high quality celebrations of poetry in the course of the year, and also gives everyone a greater opportunity to enjoy more poetry.

Bristol Poetry Festival in September will take place this year between Monday 13 and Sunday 19 of September 2010.

Bristol SPRING Poetry Festival will take place over the four days, including and between, Thursday 29th April and Sunday 2nd May. We are proud to announce a stellar line up for the Spring, including a rare appearance this year, from one of the most popular poets on the planet BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH performing for the first time at Bristol Spring Poetry Festival with special guest FRANCESCA BEARD.

Benjamin Zepheniah Francesca Beard

JOHN HEGLEY also makes his Bristol Spring Poetry Festival debut with special guest MALIKA BOOKER.

John Hegley Malika Booker

There will be an amazing night of readings from
GEORGE SZIRTES, RITA ANN HIGGINS and PETER BENNET

George Szirtes Rita Ann Higgins Peter Bennet

A fabulous poetry performance show featuring
SMOKE AND MIRRORS, HELEN GREGORY, LOU BELL,
DAN EGGS and DAVID JOHNSON

Dan Eggs Laura Wihlgorg Helen Gregory David C Johnson

There will be a MURDER IN THE LIBRARY event, written and devised by Sara-Jane Arbury, come along to Bristol Central Library and try to work out whodunit.

Sara Jane Arbury

There will also be a launch of the selected works of PAT VT WEST, edited by Rachel Bentham and Sheila Yega. Come and talk, drink tea and munch cake while you listen to old favourites and new surprises from Pat's collection. - - open mike for your fave PVT poems!

Pat VT West Rachel Bentham

Bristol Spring Poetry Festival

Thursday 29 April – Sunday 2 May 2010

Thursday 29 April, 8.00PM

ARNOLFINI

16 Narrow Quay, Bristol, BS1 4QA

Tickets: £12.00

BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH

with special guest FRANCESCA BEARD

Friday 30 April, 8.00PM

ARNOLFINI

16 Narrow Quay, Bristol, BS1 4QA

Tickets: £7.00

GEORGE SZIRTES, RITA ANN HIGGINS, PETER BENNET

Saturday 1 May, 5.00PM

BRISTOL CENTRAL LIBRARY

College Green, Bristol,

Tickets £6.00

MURDER IN THE LIBRARY

Saturday 1 May, 8.00PM

ARNOLFINI

16 Narrow Quay, Bristol, BS1 4QA

Tickets: £7.00

RHYTHM AND MUSE

with SMOKE AND MIRRORS, HELEN GREGORY, LOU BELL, DAN EGGS and DAVID JOHNSON.

Sunday 2 May, 3.00PM-6.00PM
REDLAND CLUB

Burlington Rd, Redland, Bristol
ADMISSION FREE

LOVE IS MORE THICKER THAN FORGET... PAT VT WEST

Sunday 2 May, 8.00PM

ARNOLFINI

16 Narrow Quay, Bristol, BS1 4QA

Tickets: £10.00

JOHN HEGLEY

with special guest MALIKA BOOKER

Tickets for events at the Arnolfini will go on sale from Thursday 1st April

Bristol Poetry Festival 2009
3rd -13th September 2009

Poetry Can would like to thank everyone who attended and supported Bristol Poetry Festival 2009.

Updated 12/10/09

Migrations is a celebration of the musical and cultural riches created through the movements of people from one place to another.
St George's most ambitious project ever, it is a continuing festival dedicated to presenting world music – including music from the world of Bristol – in a way that reflects the connections between different styles and the governing context of globalisation.

More details can be found here.

The Poetry Can has brought a definite poetic dimension to the Migrations Project. We have commissioned six writers to write poems based on the migrations concerts, the light of their own experience and the themes of migration. The poems have been exhibited at St. Georges since September 2009 and are now available to view on The Poetry Can website.

Read an introduction to the project here.

Click on the poets names to view the commissioned Migrations poems:

Ana Pascal       Mac Dunlop

Tamadour Saliem       Sahra Adan

Yu Yan Chen      Jeanne Ellin

Shagufta Iqbal

Street Poetry
Selected submissions to the Poetry Can call-out for street poems can be found by clicking here.

The original project, Park Street Shuffle by Sara-Jane Arbury, can be found by clicking here

Bristol Poetry Festival 2008

A big thank you to all who attended and contributed to Bristol Poetry Festival 2008. The festival was a great success with attendance up on last year and we have received very positive feedback with plenty of interesting ideas and names put forward for next years festival.

For an outline of the 2008 festival
click here

Dementia Arts SouthWest

an online forum for those working in dementia and the arts click here

The Poetry Can Video Box
click here

The Soulwater Pool by Claire Williamson

A new collection exploring a domestic drama unfolding over two tense days. A stunning follow up to her first collection, Ride On.

This collection, costing £7.99 is available to order from Poetry Can by calling 0117 933 0900 or email: admin@poetrycan.co.uk

The Soulwater Pool by Claire Williamson
Published by Poetry Can
ISBN 978-0-9539234-4-1

Poetry Can Poetry Competition
There will be news of the next Poetry Can Poetry Competition soon.

Salt by Denise McSheehy
Poetry Can Poetry Competition 2007 winner

Denise McSheehy launched her first published collection, Salt, at Bristol Poetry Festival 2008.

This collection, costing £8.00, is available to order from Poetry Can by calling 0117 933 0900 or email: admin@poetrycan.co.uk

Salt by Denise McSheehy
Publishd by Poetry Can
ISBN 978-0-9539234-3-4

Touchpiece by Elizabeth Whyman
Poetry Can Poetry Competition 2006 winner

Elizabeth Whyman, launched her first published collection, Touchpiece, at Bristol Poetry Festival 2007.

This collection, costing £8.00 is available to order from Poetry Can by calling 0117 933 0900 or email: admin@poetrycan.co.uk

Touchpiece by Elizabeth Whyman
Published by Poetry Can
ISBN 978-0-9539234-2-7

Taking a show on Tour?
First-hand experience and advice from Paralalia poets - David Johnson and Peter Hunter - who received an Arts Council grant to tour their multi-media poetry show around England in 2007.
click here

About Poetry Can

Poetry Can believes that poetry has a unique power to explore and express the experiences of life: poetry affects everyone. Poetry Can sees its role as enabling and encouraging as many people as possible across communities to get involved in poetry activity, raising awareness and enjoyment of this powerful art form.

If you would like to add any information to the site about your poetry event or activity, poetry group or institution click on contact and add your details/information or a return contact and we'll get your information up on the site.

If there's anything you'd like to see added in the future, please tell us and we'll see what we can do.

Please remember that this site is being constantly updated, so visit us regularly to see what's new.

We hope you enjoy the site and find it useful.



Haiti fundraiser - call for poets (and musicians)	8/2/2010


Writers' workshop for minority voices - Deadline Fri 5th Feb	3/2/2010




Coleford festival of Words -Brenda Read-Brown	9/2/2010
An evening with Brenda Read-Brown prolific, slam winning and well travelled performance poet. plus Open Mic (words, music theatre)

Corsham 'open mic' poetry	9/2/2010
Bring your own poems (or out of copyright poems by other people) to read or perform before a small, friendly, and unpretentious audience. Cafe facilities available at the arts centre, which is on Pound Pill just outside the town centre. Car parking available and on the bus route!

*Uni-Verse celebrating international poets and poetry* - Bath**	10/2/2010
Will May reads his own poems from Germany to America and discusses his settings of poems by Sylvia Plath and B J Johnson soft drinks available, bring your own snacks/sandwiches Hosted by Bath Stanza rep for The Poetry Society, Nikki Bennett www.nikkibennettpoems.com

Banner quotations taken from Pickings And Cuttings, a long running column of poetry quotations by Dennis
O’Driscoll in the literary journal Poetry Ireland Review, edited by Tony Curtis and published under the title As The
Poet Said, by Poetry Ireland in 1997.

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