At the launch event Emma Purshouse will be reading her contribution to this unique book ‘Smell, Memory, and Literature in the Black Country’
“From Banks’s brewery’s yeasty stink to groaty pudding and spicy curry, the book’s collection of essays provides a new literary history of the smells and childhood memories that belong to the Black Country.
Lecturer in Creative Writing, Rob Francis, said: “The Black Country is often an overlooked region of the United Kingdom, but we’ve decided to put it at the centre of this book, using it as the basis for exploration of the relationship between smell and memory.
“Growing up in the Black Country is a unique and exciting experience, with such a rich mix of smells, even within a very short distance, helping to add to our strong sense of identity and connection to the region.”
The book, which has a preface from author Will Self, draws on psychology, neuroscience, memory studies, literary studies and philosophy.
The critical essays reconsider psychogeography through cutting-edge sensory and philosophical engagements with physical space, smell, language and human behaviour.
Professor in English Literature Sebastian Groes said: “The Black Country is going through a transformative moment whereby gentrification and a veritable cultural boom are reinvigorating the region. This book hopes to contribute to forging new, bright futures for the Black Country.”
The creative contributions from writers, including Liz Berry, Narinder Dhami, Anthony Cartwright, and Kerry Hadley-Pryce, meditate on the senses, place, and identity.
It’s hoped that the book will not only appeal to those interested in the rich cultural heritage of the Black Country, but also those interested in place-identity, politics and the importance of culture in the twenty-first century.
The book was released earlier this month and can be purchased from the publisher’s (Palgrave Macmillan) website and Amazon.
You can book your free ticket, here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launch-event-of-smell-memory-and-literature-in-the-black-country-tickets-141835015349
Steve Pottinger and Emma Purshouse guest at this regular night.
Join Emma Purshouse and Steve Pottinger for a creative writing workshop designed to get you writing love poetry – whilst avoiding cliche! Have a go at creating a sonnet and a piece of concrete poetry for someone special. A fun, friendly workshop. Beginners welcome.
Price: £10 (+ booking fee)
Book your place here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/valentines-verses-tickets-133139386489?aff=
Join Emma Purshouse, Poet Laureate for the City of Wolverhampton, as she launches her debut novel, ‘Dogged’. Emma will read extracts from her work and talk to Steve Pottinger from Ignite books about its creation.
Price: £3 (+ booking fee)
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-conversation-with-emma-purshouse-tickets-133142429591?aff=
Come and join this year’s judge Liz Berry as she talks about the process of choosing a winner, and hear winning and shortlisted poets read their submissions for Wolverhampton Literature Festival Poetry Competition 2021. The theme this year was ‘Aspects of Love’, so here’s an ideal way to spend a Valentine’s Day afternoon.
Price: Free event, but you do need to reserve a place as places will be limited.
Tickets here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-competition-winner-show-tickets-133139139751?aff=
Join Joelle Taylor and Ben Davis as they speak about their journey through poetry.
Joelle, an award-winning poet playwright, author and editor will be sharing her stories of travelling the world with her poetry and giving us an insight into her debut book of short stories The Night Alphabet. Ben will be joining Joelle in this discussion and sharing how poetry can be adapted for all ages with a few gags along the way.
Joelle Taylor is an award-winning poet, playwright, author and editor who has recently completed touring Europe, Australia, Brazil and South East Asia with her latest collection Songs My Enemy Taught Me. She is widely anthologised, the author of 3 full poetry collections and three plays and is currently completing her debut book of short stories The Night Alphabet. She has featured on radio and television and founded SLAMbassadors in 2001 – the UK’s national youth slam championships remaining its Artistic Director until 2018. Her work is taught as part of the English GCSE syllabus, and she has received a Change Maker Award and a Fellowship of the RSA, as well as being longlisted for the Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowships. She is the host and co-curator of Out-Spoken, the UK’s Centre’s premier poetry and music club, currently resident at the Southbank Centre Purcell Room.
Ben Davis is an award-winning author of children’s books. His fast-paced, gag-filled poems are very much for adults, though.
Price: £10 (+ booking fee)
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/headline-poet-joelle-taylor-ben-davis-tickets-133700715439?aff=
Haiflu Ever After – Haiflu Ever After
And nothing makes sense
but in telling our stories
we learn who we are.
Part poetry show, part inspirational talk, spoken-word artist and inventor of the Haiflu, Liv Torc, will take you on an entertaining journey through the pandemic poetry project that engaged thousands of people across the world. During the hour-long show Liv will also perform some of her own highly-acclaimed poetry and invite members of the audience to offer up their own haiflu to be read aloud.
Project Haiflu started in Match 2020 when Liv asked her friends on Facebook to share how they were feeling about the lockdown. What resulted was 12 weekly poetry films, combining original photography and music and a special event for libraries – all of which makes up an incredible social history archive of an extraordinary time. Haiflu even ended up featured on BBC R4’s Today Programme.
Matt Black thinks he might be a dog, and that dogs have all the answers. Joyful and powerful entertainment with cheap props, surprising dog facts, excellent poems, and Snoopy’s answer to world peace. Poetry, comedy and science collide! “Barking brilliant” Lola the Dog
We are asking for a £1 nominal fee to secure your virtual seat in the Zoom.
Please note a virtual hat will be provided prior to and after the performance. Any proceeds made through the virtual hat will be given directly to the performer.
Book you space here:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fringe-room-matt-black-the-snoopy-questions-tickets-133157859743?aff=
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