Poetrybeat |1| Feat: Ireland’s Brave New Voices

I will be doing a monthly poetrybeat highlighting some things I’m a great big fan girl of. I say fan girl in the most serious and academic way. I’m tempted to do the beat in verse, but I don’t think I’d have any friends left.  If all this goes according to my master plan you will set your relationship status on Facebook to it’s complicated, which is arguably the most poetic (lonely is not available), and become a rambunctious slam poet.

People Shouting Poems and Weeping at this Thang Right Here

If you are free TONIGHT you should go to this. It’s the first National University Poetry Slam and will feature a hell-of-a-lot of Ireland’s best poetic youngsters. They’ll be battling (which is always mad-sexy) with words. Lewis Kenny (slam poet extraordinaire – who is frightening everyone with his recent achievements) has put the whole thing together. It promises to be a night full of laughter, emotions and extended metaphors. For more details click here.

Poetrybeat’s Fancy Shmancy Poetry Recommendation

Theo Dorgan (here’s a lovely thing he wrote) will be reading in Bray. A lot of poetry readings are quite snooze worthy. But I’ve seen Theo Dorgan on a couple of occasions and have been flummoxed each time. Flummoxed in a good way. In an I-WANT-TO-GROW-UP-TO-BE-THAT-GOOD way. So, if you wanted a good old poetry reading with entertainment and heart, then I’d sign yourself up for this. It will be on Saturday the 7th of March and there are all kinds of important details at this link.

A Place That Might Give Your Poetry a Home

There are many poetry journals. What gets rejected at one might get accepted at another. Do not lose hope. Some of the loveliest folk behind poetry things in Ireland are the irreverent Peadar O’Donoghue and Collette O’Donoghue. They bring out a book – an actual book – full of poems from all sorts of poets.  They’re all about getting the best new voices in poetry on the bus. Think about the Poetry Bus. Think about reading it (because it’s excellent) and submitting to it during the next submission period (because it’s excellent).  For more information click here.

Poetrybeat Thinks this Competition Would Love Your Poems

It’s not guaranteed, but they might. This is a lovely competition and the prize includes getting your work published and a biggish cheque. Which is basically a poetic smack on the bottom. Some people don’t enter prizes on principle, but I am of the principle that you should get your work out there and read and your name on fancy lists. You want your name to start annoying people. You want them to think there’s that poetry turnip that gets listed for everything. It might not sound like you do, but you do. So this march, take a shot at this.

Brave New Voices – An Irish Poetry Team on the World Stage

Brave new voices is this very exciting and raw poetry event for young poets. It’s a worldwide phenomenon, with lots of the poems going viral on the internet. Stephen Murray has selected a team of young Irish teenagers to make the trip. The fundit campaign is over, but you can see more information about the Irish contingent right here.  We’ll keep you posted on how the story unravels. The competition is home to world class slam poetry, like this video which might just break your heart.[iframe id=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/pc6CJ_kUNYc” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

I Just Want to Sit in a Corner and Read Poems

That’s a lot of stuff and I could throw more stuff at you, but I won’t. I’ll refrain. The last thing I will give you is a poetry book – for the ones that want to read poetry (and screw washing their hair and turning up at things). I am in some kind of deep love with Michael Ondaajte. This is a taster of one of his pieces (ignore the robotic voice thing on poem hunter, that makes all poems sound like instructional videos, and just read it). If I were you, I’d get the full collection for a great big bath of sensual poetry. Now doesn’t that sound yummy? Click here for a link to the book.

Poetrystuff is a new thing. We’re all scared and nervous. We have lots of plans and would love for you to join us – if you want to. This month will be full of poetry interviews and exciting poetry snippets and articles. So keep your eyes peeled for more. If you have an idea for an article or are running an event/magazine/competition/idea/thing that you want to share with me, so that I can possibly share it with others, then the email is [email protected].