Readings
We put up to two major readings a year by nationally acclaimed poets, to support them in promoting their work and inspire our members in their own writing. Previous readers have included Roddy Lumsden, Hugo Williams and Penelope Shuttle.
Events
As part of our aim to bring poetry to a wider audience we regularly put on events that combine poetry with other
arts, particularly music. See our listings for the next special event.
We also are often invited to provide readers at local and national festivals such as the Faringdon Arts Festival,
Woodstock Literary Festival and OxJam.
Here are the upcoming events for Spring 2008 for the Back Room Poets.
- Wednesday 2nd April from 7.30pm onwards
An Evening of Poetry and Music at The Vaults and Garden Cafe (please click the name for details/map) - An Oxfringe event
Price: £6/£4 (tickets only available on the door)
With Peter McMullin (flute), Gulliver Ralston (keyboard), Liam Ings-Reeves (vocals/guitar). Featuring Fluttering Hands, a debut collection by Stephen Wilson, and a sequence with flute and percussion from Cassandra Fractured by Jenyth Worsley.
With: Alison Brumfitt, Tim Greenwood, Inge Milfull, Tina Sederholm, Averil Stedeford, Pat Winslow and other BRP members. This event will raise money for the charities RESTORE and Salaam Baalak Trust.
On Stephen Wilson's Fluttering Hands (Greenwich Exchange):
"Wilson's best poems show restraint, though they are frequently brave, transcending and profound. This is an important debut collection."
James Byrne, editor of The Wolf
"Master of minute observation and celebrant of local landscape… ironic, urgent and passionate… an assured, serious voice."
Richard Burns, poet. - Thursday 3rd April, 6.30pm
The Music of Words.
Venue: Borders Bookshop
Price: Free
Highlights of this evening of (mostly) poetry and music include: extracts of the acclaimed two-man show 'Rhyme and Reason' by Alan Buckley and George Roberts; songs and poems from Edinburgh fringe veteran and popular Oxford performer Ellen McAteer; work by poet and photographer Nick Owen; and writing from Stephen Wilson, K V Skene, Greg Sweetnam and Liz Gifford. - Friday 4th April, 6.30pm
Lit/Com
Venue: Borders
Price: Free.
In an evening celebrating the lighter side of literature, performers include: Oxford's own Poet Laura-eate, Laura King; poet and radio producer Jenyth Worsley; Tina Sederholm of the Back Room Poets; magical realist and witty rhymer Megan Kerr; humorous writers Tessa Verdugo and Deirdre Kelly; and the Freehand Writers' Group with a mixture of poetry and prose.
