Double-slammy!

On Monday 11th August, I will be competing in not one but two poetry slams. At 5pm (BST), voting closes (HINT! HINT!) on the best recorded poetry performance in the StAnza Digital Slam. From 8.15pm I will be performing live in the first heat of the BBC Poetry Slam at the Edinburgh Fringe. Entry is free. The competition will be tough (see video below) but maybe with enough audience response I will find my way into the final on Saturday...

StAnza Digital Slam - third time lucky?

For the third year in a row, I have made the shortlist of the StAnza Digital Slam. Hoorah! So, if you fancy popping over to vote, you could make me even happier.

Is That You?

It's voting time again! Silverburn shopping centre in SW Glasgow recently announced their "Supersonnet" competition. Despite the name, they were not looking for sonnets (which exceeded the requested character length!), so I produced the short piece below. If you like it, and enough people vote for it here by 7 March, you can walk all over it when it is set into the new floor of the winter garden.

Is That You?

Is that you in the doorway with the short, dark hair?
Is that you looking round while I try not to to stare?
Is the face on my phone, here, now in the flesh there?
Is that you?

I've been waiting for someone, my mug in my hand,
To heat up my warmth and to sweeten my bland,
To stir what's been brewing and long left to stand.
Is that you?

Choose Me!

Yes, choose me! Or rather, please view the ten finalists and vote for your favourite performance poetry video in the StAnza Digital Slam. Voting closes at 5pm on Sunday. Here is video number 10 (thanks again to the Edinburgh University Literature Society) - but don't let me sway you too much. ;)

Umbrellas

Here comes summer! It's been remarkably sunny (he said, jinxing it), though I did nearly lose an eye on several occasions the other day at the Merchant City Festival thanks to the scourge of our time - umbrellas. The poem that follows, as recorded at the Pleasance Cabaret Bar by the Edinburgh University Literature Society at one of their poetry slams, records my loathing of these contraptions.

And, don't worry! I have been doing things, and writing things. I will shortly be redesigning this website, and adding more lovely content, so watch this space...