First Gig of the Year

 The first gig of the year was amazing – I think lunch time adrenalin is even more powerful than after evening performances!

Today was the launch of Jan Watt’s new project POETRY FOR LUNCH set in the city of Birmingham in the Amphitheatre in front of the new library – a great space with amazing theatrical acoustics.

I wasn’t expecting a PA system but Lozz hooked us up with a wireless mic – great for performing! We had a small audience in the amphitheatre with us and then passers by on street level – crowds formed at various points and listened to us, there were people in the secret garden (up in the Gods as Jan said) and they could hear us too!

It is a great idea and Jan is running these events weekly every Thursday for half an hour from 1pm if you are around. There are varied groups of performers taking part – so if you are out for lunch you can get to hear some great poetry for FREE every Thursday!

It was great to perform alongside others and good to meet some new poets and hear new work. The poets were Jan Watts, myself, Lloyd Scarsbrook, Gary Carr, Kate Faulkner and Simon Grenville and we spent a good half hour tag teaming poems.

We had to share the space with a large Christmas Tree,  Lloyd was the only one brave enough to make his way around it. Keri from the library filmed the event and took photos which I believe are destined for Twitter.

 

It was great fun and I look forward to the next one I am performing at, mid month.

National Poetry Day

 Happy National Poetry Day – this year’s theme is water, inspired by Coleridge’s mariner’s famous cry: “Water, water, everywhere”. This year, bringing liquid refreshment to all parts of the UK, there will be poetry readings, launches, prizes, performances and happenings.

Jo Bell is a local poet, known as the canal poet. I chose her poem ‘Lifted’ as it was filmed on the canal in Stone, where I used to live. That was the last point in my life that I wrote and the year I moved away was the last year I was published. (Then came the break from writing.)

Jo Bell who was also appointed Canal Laureate for the duration of 2013, chose Stone in Staffordshire as the location for her piece.

Since 1994 National Poetry Day has engaged  millions of people with poetry through a range of live events and  web-based activities for people young and old throughout the  country. Each year the day has a new theme.

Enjoy and celebrate National Poetry Day with us!

A link to my water based poem written today to celebrate National Poetry Day –  Fear, Sea and Me

 

I also went to a Book Festival Launch to celebrate and hear more poetry from the former Poet Laureate and the new one announced this evening.
The baton was passed by Stephen Morrison-Burke to Jo Skelt. I saw both of them in action with their words!

 

© N. Lewis 2007

Pandora’s Box has been Opened!

I don’t think I actually gave up Performance Poetry or reading at Open Mic events… it just happened.

I do know my last mic time was in 1998… a decade and a half ago.

The buzz of adrenaline I have now – having just made it home, is incredible! I cannot believe I waited this long. I don’t think I was waiting so much as a dormant. My creative spirit bubbled away under the surface, loading my sub-conscious with experiences to draw on at a later time. My spirit held on, knowing that I would explode again in her lifetime!

And here I am. Erupting. I plan on being on fire now for the rest of my life.

It has been so long that my brand new file was from Woolworths, which closed in the UK January 2009. (The folder really hadn’t been used either, waiting for this day.) Funnily enough my 2013 writing notebook is from Woolworths too – although that had been Christened in 2009 (when I took the inspired trip to Woolworths) to stock up on stationery after deciding to get back into writing – a venture that lasted just a few months.

So here I am, having opened Pandora’s Box, I see that all inside glistens with gold richness and I do not intend to do anything other than roll in the rush of belonging to this place and finally finding my way home.

Rifling through Poetry

I had a last minute call for work today (which is great financially) but has set me in quite a whirl this evening!

I have just a over an hour to get myself set for tonight’s poetry event.

 

 
Inspired by new poetry friends at Sarah’s book launch last month, I think my outfit has been chosen…. footwear is causing me mental stress…. I think after the day I have had (on my feet in tight, work shoes) I need to go flat…. and the great British weather has started so something waterproof would also be an idea….

I haven’t unpacked my vast shoe collection so my choices of limited (which is a godsend. I’d need an hour to choose feet cover my otherwise!)

And then the poetry… I had planned to email Mr G and have a fully typed file ready by 5pm …. I didn’t get a chance. I have rifled through the published collection – but don’t really want to take a library of books ‘look at me I’m published…’ and quite frankly some of the material that was published was written half a life time ago!

That’s why I am here on the blog trying to copy out some of my latest efforts… oh for a printer!

Better get on with it! Not sure how late I will be home, the gig is out of county and I may have to work again tomorrow. Will no doubt arrive home full of adrenalin and come and let you all know what a grand night I have had!