TEIGNMOUTH POETRY FESTIVAL

2016

Jackie Kay Martyn Crucefix

Greta Stoddart Simon Williams Susan Taylor Ann Gray Lawrence Sail William Oxley Simon Barron

Robert Garnham Rebecca Tantony

17 TO 20 MARCH 2016 www.poetryteignmouth.com

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TICKETS / WORKSHOP BOOKINGS

Tickets for evening events at Teign Heritage Centre are available online from Ticketsource

(address below), from the Information Point in the new Teignmouth Pavilions on the

seafront, or via the email address below. Advance booking advised, although you may still

take your chance on the door.

Tickets for daytime events at The Ice Factory will be available on the door, or via the email

address below.

Workshops – advance booking essential - can be made via Ticketsource or email below.

To buy online (includes a PayPal option)

www.ticketsource.co.uk/poetryteignmouth

To buy via email – ticketsforteignmouthpoetry@gmail.com

More details on Festival page of website: www.poetryteignmouth.com

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TEIGNMOUTH POETRY FESTIVAL 2016

Venues

THC – Teign Heritage Centre, French St, Teignmouth, TQ14 8ST

01626 777041 www.teignheritage.org.uk

TAAG – Teignmouth Arts Action Group, Northumberland Place,

TQ14 8DD www.teignmoutharts.org.uk

Ice Factory, 10 Somerset Place, Teignmouth TQ14,

www.teignmouthplayers.com

See map on back page

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Programme in Brief

Thurs 17 8 – 10pm, Well Met - Simon Williams & Susan Taylor

with music from Simon Barron THC

Fri 18 10am – 1pm, Writing Workshop - Graham Burchell TAAG

11am – 12.30pm, Open Mic - Sufi and ecstatic poetry Ice Factory

2 - 4pm, Writing Workshop - Greta Stoddart TAAG

2.30 – 4pm, Sufi in Translation - William Oxley/Parvin Loloi Ice Factory

4.30 – 5pm, Talking Poetry - Publishing, with Patricia Oxley Ice Factory

7 – 8.15pm, Poems in Other Languages THC

8.30 – 10.00pm, Reading - Greta Stoddart & support THC

Sat 19 10am – 1pm, Writing Workshop - Jackie Kay TAAG

2 – 3.30pm, Therapeutic Poetry & The Book of Love and Loss Ice Factory

4 – 5pm, Songs of the Beloved - Annabel Milln & friends Ice Factory

7 – 8pm, Reading - Ann Gray and Lawrence Sail THC

8.30 – 9.30pm Reading - Jackie Kay THC

Sun 20 10am – 1pm, Writing Workshop - Martyn Crucefix TAAG

3 – 5pm, Open Mic Ice Factory

6.30 – 8pm, Reading - Martyn Crucefix

Competition Readings and Prizegiving THC

8.30 – 10pm, High Performance THC

Note: Afternoon events at the Ice Factory include free Tea and Cakes

Details of Writing Workshops on page 11

Fringe Events

Sat 12 7 – 9pm, Festival Opening Party, live music TAAG

Sat 12 to Thur 24 10am – 5pm, Lost and Found Exhibition TAAG

Sat 12 to Tues 22 Treasure Hunt – under 16s Various

Tues 22 5 – 6pm, Treasure Hunt prize presentation TAAG

Tues 22 7 – 9pm, Poetry reading TAAG

Ticket Information - See page 2

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FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

THURSDAY MARCH 17

8pm – 10pm THC £6

'WELL MET’ - an eclectic mix of poems and songs of sea and shore. Susan Taylor - Simon Williams – Simon Barron Well Met indeed: these three have been busy beachcombing their way around the Southwest and beyond to bring ocean-inspired lyrics and windswept, seascape stanzas to add to the sea salt in the Teignmouth air.

Susan Taylor lives on Dartmoor and tries to capture its wildness in her

poetry, as much as she can. She’s not afraid to take on the challenge of

universal themes and often weaves fresh narratives from traditional

stories.

Simon Williams’ poetry ranges widely, from quirky pieces derived from

news items or science and technology, to biographical themes, to the

occasional Clarihew. He often builds humour into his writing.

Simon Barron is a songwriter and interpreter of traditional English folk

song. His music and assured stage presence have brought air-time on BBC

Radio 2 & 3, and appearances at all major UK festivals. Simon is a guitar

virtuoso, with a ballistic fingerstyle that perfectly suits his songs of nature,

land and sea.

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FRIDAY MARCH 18

11am – 12.30pm Ice Factory £3

OPEN MIC – Sufi and own Ecstatic Poetry

Presented by Ronnie Aaronson. Sufi poetry brings harmony in turbulent times. The friendly and tolerant

writings of the Sufis have earned the respect of people worldwide - of all religions and of none. Their

legacy of peace, love, fellowship and empathy continues to inspire writers today.

This is the opportunity for Sufi aficionados to share their long-time favourite poems, or to present poems

of their own in the Sufi style.

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FRIDAY MARCH 18 (Cont…)

2.30pm – 4pm Ice Factory £4

SUFI POETRY IN TRANSLATION – William Oxley & Parvin Loloi

Including Tea and Cakes

William Oxley’s poetry has appeared in The New York Times, The Spectator,

The Independent and The Observer. He has many books and countless

magazine publications to his credit and has given readings in places as far

removed as Nepal, Canada and France.

With his co-translator, Parvin Loloi, William will look at the work of Hafez, the

Persian classical and quasi-mystical poet. Hafez was the founding father of

Persian poetry, its greatest love poet, and inventor of the ghazal form which, it

has been argued, influenced the development of the sonnet form in Italy first,

then the rest of Europe. Hafez laid the foundations on which Jalal din Rumi was to build.

4.30pm – 5pm Ice Factory free

TALKING POETRY – GETTING PUBLISHED – with Patricia Oxley

Patricia Oxley, editor of Acumen magazine, in discussion with Ronnie Aaronson. Many poets are first

published in periodical magazines, some of which welcome submissions from new writers. What are the

protocols? Should you expect to be paid? How good a poet do you have to be? Patricia, who also

organises the Torbay Festival of Poetry, has been involved with the poetry magazine scene since

1972. 'Acumen's longevity is down to its editor's clarity of vision and generosity of spirit. It is that rare

beast, a genuinely successful and inclusive poetry magazine.' Brian Patten

7pm – 8.15 THC £5

POEMS IN OTHER LANGUAGES

Ian Royce Chamberlain introduces poetry in other languages, read in their original format and in English

translations. This innovative event was a major hit of our first two festivals and returns by popular

demand. Volunteer readers – all poetry enthusiasts who are fluent in their chosen (or native) languages –

will present poems of their own choice.

8.30pm – 10.00 THC £6

GRETA STODDART

Greta Stoddart’s three collections have all brought unequivocal acclaim:

At Home in the Dark (Anvil) won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize in

2002 and was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection;

Salvation Jane was shortlisted for the Costa Book Award 2008 - the

judges said ‘… a collection which is both wonderfully unsettling and

deeply life-affirming’. Her latest is Alive Alive O (Bloodaxe, 2015). She

lives in Devon and teaches for the Poetry School and the Arvon

Foundation.

With support from Jennie Osborne and Graham Burchell.

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SATURDAY MARCH 19

2pm – 3.30pm Ice Factory £4

THERAPEUTIC POETRY and THE BOOK OF LOVE AND LOSS

With Tea and Cakes

Ronnie Aaronson offers an opportunity to read and discuss poems we've

written to help ourselves through loss.

Followed by readings from The Book of Love and Loss, a life-affirming anthology

of contemporary poetry which explores these universal themes from a huge

range of perspectives. Edited by R.V. Bailey and June Hall, it was published by

The Belgrave Press in 2014. Introduced by June Hall and Jennie Osborne. Entry fee refunded on purchase of the book.

4pm – 5pm Ice Factory £4

SONGS OF THE BELOVED with Annabel Milln and friends

Annabel’s songs are based on the poetry of the Sufis, Rumi and Hafiz. With

friends including David Holmes (guitar), Petya Halse (flute) and Fran Andre

(cello, vocals), this will be “a guaranteed feast for the ears, heart and soul”.

Introduced by Ronnie Aaronson

7pm – 8pm THC £5

ANN GRAY & LAWRENCE SAIL

Ann Gray’s recent collections include At The Gate (Headland, 2008) and The Man I

Was Promised (Headland, 2004). She has been Poet in Residence at Cambridge

University Botanic Gardens, and won the Ballymaloe poetry prize

in 2014. Ann lives and works in Cornwall where she has a care home for

people with dementia. She is co-director of the Bodmin Moor Poetry festival.

‘Ann Gray’s poetry is a measured but sumptuous revelation, like the sun

coming up a few inches at a a time.’ Clive James

Lawrence Sail’s poetry is vivid, precisely drawn, intelligent – a delight to hear and to read. He has published 12 books of his own poems and edited a number of anthologies, including First and Always (Faber 1988), which raised more than £65,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Recent collections include Waking Dreams: New & selected Poems (Bloodaxe Books, 2010), a Poetry Book Society Special Commendation, and The Quick (Bloodaxe, 2015). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and lives in Exeter.

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SATURDAY MARCH 19 (Cont)

8.30pm – 9.30pm THC £10

FESTIVAL HEADLINE READING – JACKIE KAY

Introduced by Graham Burchell

Jackie Kay was born and brought up in

Scotland. Her first collection of poems, The

Adoption Papers (Bloodaxe, 1991), was

immediately recognised as an outstanding

debut; it won The Forward Prize and the

Saltire Society Award for best first book.

Written in the three voices of an adoptive

mother, a birth mother and an adopted

child, it launched a poetry career rooted in

the ability to articulate a wide range of

emotional experiences.

Her list of literary awards also includes the Guardian Fiction Award for her novel, Trumpet. Red Dust Road

(Picador) won the Scottish Book of the Year Award and the London Book Award. Other honours include a

Saltire prize, a Scottish Arts Council Prize and shortlisting for the IMPAC awards. Fiere, her most recent

collection of poems, was shortlisted for the Costa award. Jackie has written extensively for stage and

television, and has picked up yet more awards for short stories and books for children. She was made a

fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2002 and is currently working on her next novel, Bystander.

Jackie Kay, MBE, is Chancellor of the University of Salford and Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle

University. The Festival is privileged to present this great poet, utterly unique voice, and a major figure in

UK literature.

This will be an evening of poetry which is personal, heartfelt, compassionate – poems which go directly to

the heart of a situation. Faced with an audience, Jackie Kay manages to match the dignified directness of

her writing with a style that is disarmingly casual. As a reviewer described it in The Irish Times, ‘It is as

though she is speaking to you at a bus stop’.

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Jackie Kay – image Mary McCartney

SUNDAY MARCH 20

3pm – 5pm Ice Factory £4

OPEN MIC

Including Tea and Cakes

Jennie Osborne will MC the session, extending a special

welcome to writers taking part in the four Festival

workshops.

No advance bookings – slots of about five minutes on a

strictly first-come first-served basis.

The Ice Factory is a friendly 40-seater space with an

excellent sound system. A lively afternoon, with free tea

– and yet more cake!

6.30 – 8pm THC £5

MARTYN CRUCEFIX and Competition results

The Festival is indebted to Martyn for his work in judging this

year’s competition – and privileged that he will read for us at

this prestigious event. Martyn has won many prizes including

an Eric Gregory award and a Hawthornden Fellowship. His

seven poetry collections have attracted reviews such as “an

exceptional ear . . . superbly intelligent . . . urgent, heartfelt,

controlled and masterful.” (Kathryn Maris, Poetry

London). His translation of Rilke’s Duino Elegies (Enitharmon,

2006) was hailed as “unlikely to be bettered for very many

years” (Magma). Recent original collections

include Hurt (Enitharmon, 2010), The Time We Turned (Shearsman, 2014) and A Hatfield Mass (Worple

Press, 2014). Daodejing – a new version in English will be published in 2016. For more information, or to

read Martyn’s erudite blog, visit http://www.martyncrucefix.com.

FOLLOWED BY COMPETITION PRIZEGIVING

Short-listed poets from the 2016 Teignmouth Poetry Festival Competition will be invited to read their

entries. Martyn Crucefix will announce the results and present the £850 in prizes.

Judge Jennie Osborne will present the prizes for the ‘Keats’ Footsteps’ competition and prizewinners will

be invited to read their successful poems.

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SUNDAY MARCH 20 (cont’d)

8.30pm – 10pm THC £6

HIGH PERFORMANCE with Rebecca Tantony, Ian Beech, Robert Garnham

and Ian Royce Chamberlain. Bring the weekend to a close with these top performers.

Rebecca Tantony is an electrifying spoken word artist. She

has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, Natural History

Museum, The Barbican Theatre and Colston Hall among

many other prestigious venues. Her first collection, Talk You

Round Till Dusk, was published in 2015. Unmissable!

Robert Garnham, long-time SW favourite, is now hot property on the UK festival

and spoken word circuit. He has appeared with John Hegley, Arthur Smith - and

a leek. He is, he protests, frequently mistaken for Tom Daley. It has become a

cliché, but that phrase ‘a unique voice’ fits no-one better than Robert. Playful,

whimsical, absurd – his poetry turns the ordinary into sheer delight.

His new collection, Nice, is published by Burning Eye Books.

Ian Beech presents Torquay’s Poetry Island, introducing many of the UK’s

top performance poets as well as welcoming newcomers to the warm and

friendly Blue Walnut stage. His own poetry, all written with the ear of an

audience in mind, has brought him appearances at most of the

Southwest’s spoken word hotspots. He is protester, social commentator,

diarist, host of his own radio show and much more. His first collection, On

the Road to Ollantaytambo, was published in 2015.

Ian Royce Chamberlain, a Festival co-founder, was Exeter’s first ever poetry

slam champion. He is a regular at SW festivals and open-mic events, holding

audiences with a mix of poems to make you laugh, cry, or just think.

As an engineer, he loved the challenge of building high performance

engines; writing good poetry, he says, is the same process – assembling

words into perfect working order. His first collection stumble into grace was

published in 2012; the next is taking shape.

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Image Marcus Wylie

Image Ian Beech

TEIGNMOUTH POETRY FESTIVAL 2016

WRITING WORKSHOPS places at workshops must be booked in advance – see back page

FRIDAY MARCH 18 10am – 1pm TAAG £10

LED BY GRAHAM BURCHELL

Graham has lived and taught in many countries. He has written books for children and, more recently,

published three poetry collections. His name regularly features in the results of poetry competitions,

among others ‘The Bridport Prize’, ‘The Plough Prize’, ‘Torbay Poetry Festival’ and the international

‘Poetry on the Lake’.

His workshops are thoughtfully led - poetic inspiration guaranteed.

2pm –4pm TAAG £10

LED BY GRETA STODDART

Greta quotes Alan Bennett: ‘You do not put yourself into what you write - you find yourself there’. With a

mix of close readings and writing exercises this workshop will look at who we think we are in our poems,

and how we might come up with new ways of being there.

As many Poetry Teignmouth regulars know, Greta’s workshops combine a sympathetic touch with firm

leadership. She never fails to inspire.

SATURDAY MARCH 19 10am – 1pm TAAG £15

LED BY JACKIE KAY

Jackie has called her workshop ‘In the Short Run’ – exploring how much you can say in a short poem and

ways of making turns in their form.

Poet, novelist, dramatist – Jackie Kay was made MBE for services to literature in 2006. Hers has been a

voice unique in British poetry since the publication of her outstanding first collection, The Adoption

Papers (Bloodaxe, 1991). Book early for this rare and special opportunity – a poetry workshop with the

incomparable Jackie Kay.

SUNDAY MARCH 20 10am – 1pm TAAG £10

LED BY MARTYN CRUCEFIX

Martyn has themed this workshop ‘Poems as Translations?’ No foreign language skills required, just a

willingness to explore the ways that poems can be seen as translations – how experience, ideas, signs,

symbols, gestures, even facial expressions are brought over into language. Exercises will stretch poetic

habits and yield the beginnings of new poems for participants.

Martyn is a highly respected workshop leader, hugely experienced in poetry history and theory - as well as

the hard graft of writing it.

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