News & Events
News
Roy champions a multi-cultural and international style in traditional format. A charismatic, powerful, engaging performer... an enormously likeable manner augers well for the coming months
Garry Longdon review in Behind the Arras
...ignore the quiet unassuming manners of this very polite man, Roy Mcfarlane is one of the most talented and politically motivated poets I've heard in the West Midlands and deserves to be more widely known in the UK.
Jane Holland: Boudica & Co
Reading, Appearances & Events
- Beginning with your last breath: Book Launch
Wednesday 14 September at 7.30pm – The Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton
Celebrate the launch of Roy Mcfarlane's (former Birmingham Poet Laureate) debut collection of poems, Beginning with your last breath. An exploration of love, loss, adoption and identity in powerful precise and emotionally-charged poetry.
Enjoy a night of poetry and music in an intimate setting and get ready to be taken on a journey, between the spiritual and the sensual worlds with graceful, rapturous hymns to the transformative power of love.
- Bearings and Beginnings: Book Launch
Tuesday 20th September at 7.30pm – Shakespeare Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon
Nine Arches Press presents an evening of poetry on the theme of travelling and homecoming, getting your bearings and finding your beginnings with poets Roy Mcfarlane and Isobel Dixon, who will read a selection of poems from their new poetry collections
These are poems of love and loss, discovery and belonging, and both poets will also interweave Shakespeare and sonnets into their journey – join us to travel poetry's path and see where it takes us – around the world, across borders, or even just around the corner...
- Unexpected Encounters: Poets-in-residence showcase evening
Saturday 24th September at 6.30pm – Shakespeare Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon
Poets-in-residence from this year's poetry festival will read extracts from work produced during their residencies. Come and hear what has inspired them and find out what they ended up writing.
- Beginning with your last breath: Guest Poet
Tuesday 4th September at 7.30pm – Black Country Living Museum, Tipton
- National Poetry Day Gala
Thursday 6th October at 7.30pm – The STUDIO at The REP, Birmingham
Jean 'Binta' Breeze: The Verandah Poems
Internationally renowned Jamaican poet Jean 'Binta' Breeze is the author of eight books of poems and stories. Described as a 'one-woman festival' her poetry is deeply powerful, political and personal. Come and be awed and inspired. Jean's latest collection, The Verandah Poems, is published by Bloodaxe.
Roy Mcfarlane: Beginning With Your Last Breath
Roy Mcfarlane is a former Birmingham Poet Laureate. His work has been published widely in anthologies and magazines. His debut collection. Beginning With Your Last Brerath, is a powerful exploration of love, loss and identity, taking in the Black Country, Norman Tebbit and Marvin Gaye along the way.
Announcing Birmingham's new Poets Laureate
Who will represent your city with sensational poetry until 2018? We introduce you to the new Poet Laureate and Young Poet Laureate, selected from exceptional applicants, who will perform poems on the theme of Birmingham.
Further 2016 Performances and readings:
- Monday 10th October at 7.30pm – Licensed to Rhyme Artrix Café, Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove B60 1GN
- Thursday 13th October at 7.30pm – SpeakEasy Worcestershire
- Wednesday 9th November at 7.00pm – Poetry Reading Rugby Library
- Thursday 17th November at 7pm – Poetry Parlor Waterstones High Street, Birmingham, B4 7SL
- Monday 21st November at 7.30pm – Leicester Shindig, The Western, 70 Western Rd, Leicester LE3 0GA. Reading with Gregory Leadbetter
- Tuesday 22nd November at 7.30 – Poetry Bites, Kitchen Garden Café, 17 York Road, Birmingham B14 7SA. Reading with Peter Daniels.
- Saturday 26th November – Shrewsbury festival of literature, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury