Tag Archives: Sarah Barnsley

A warm night at the Lewes Arms

Lewes Arms

Warm in the sense of friendly I mean – although we did also need to open windows. I’m of course talking about last Friday and our latest Telltale Poets & Friends readings at the Lewes Arms. It’s a delightfully intimate pub, no longer with an actual stage upstairs but still a great venue for poetry readings. Plus it’s sort of become our mothership.

Sorry, no pics this time – except the ‘before’ photo of the room, so that I could see how the tables needed to go back before we moved them all – so you just have to imagine how our readers looked, especially Katrina in her beautiful vintage frock.

Telltale’s Siegfried Baber and Sarah Barnsley gave us storming sets with many new poems, and it was a pleasure to welcome Marion Tracy and Katrina Naomi as our guest poets. It’s just occurred to me that they have something in common, in that they have surnames that could be first names – spooky! I’m glad I didn’t think of that before the intros, or I would have certainly said “Please welcome Tracy Marion!” or something equally daft. Katrina, who had journeyed up from Penzance, mesmerised us with her witty and moving poetry. She had to contend with noisy blokes outside AND the sudden dramatic collapse of our roller banner, but she carried on like a true pro. Marion’s reading was excellent as always – surreal and joyously unpredictable poems.

It felt like all our friends and supporters were there, as well as a good number of people we didn’t know but many of whom came up afterwards to say how much they enjoyed it, and that really made for a super evening. Thank you everyone who came, bought books and donated generously the Telltale funds (there’s a new banner to buy after all!)

Interior Lewes Arms

Our cosy room, before we moved the tables and everyone arrived – !

Telltale Press & Friends, poetry reading, Lewes Arms, Lewes, Friday 28th April at 8.00pm

Poetry reading Lewes Arms 28th April 2017

Spring is here and with it another sparkly Telltale Press & Friends’ reading in Lewes, kicking off the Bank Holiday weekend in style on Friday 28 April 2017 @ 8pm.

Our guest poets come from near and far.  From Penzance we are delighted to present Katrina Naomi, whose spectacular second collection, The Way the Crocodile Taught Me (Seren, 2016) is a must-read; and we are thrilled to be joined by Brighton-based Marion Tracy, whose dazzling debut collection Dreaming of our Better Selves is fresh out from VanguardEditions.   Telltale poets Siegfried Baber (When Love Came To The Cartoon Kid, singled out by The TLS as one to watch) and Sarah Barnsley (The Fire Station) complete the lineup in what promises to be an exquisite evening.

The event is at the Lewes Arms and admission is FREE (donations welcome).  We hope you can join us!

How to find the Lewes Arms.

 

Poetry reading Lewes Arms 28th April 2017

 

Jess Mookherjee launches ‘The Swell’ 5th October, Pitcher & Piano, Tunbridge Wells

Glory and trumpets! Telltale officially launches Jess Mookherjee’s pamphlet The Swell at 7.00pm at the Pitcher & Piano in Tunbridge Wells on 5th October. 

I say ‘officially’ because The Swell went on sale at the Poetry Book Fair. I have to tell you this fabulous pamphlet sold like piping hot cakes. Why? Because it is absolutely excellent. So if you missed the fair, and want to lap up a Jess Mookherjee reading and buy her pamphlet come to Tunbridge Wells on 5th October. Plus, later in October, there will be another Telltale & Friends reading in Lewes, which will also feature Jess and stellar guests we are busily confining as I type.

As ever the Book Fair itself was an unmissable opportunity to hear some amazing readings (my favourite was Judy Brown whose book Crowd Sensations is a stunner) get an overview of the UK’s thriving poetry scene, and bump into loads of old poetry  muckers. Later Jess, Sarah and Peter also represented Telltale by giving a quick reading in the Square Pig & Pen pub nearby.

A few snaps from the day.

 

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A poet and her editor: Jess Mookherjee and Sarah Barnsley with The Swell.

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Jess selling another copy of her marvellous pamphlet The Swell. Next to her is Jeremy Page of The Frogmore Press who shared a stand with us again this year.

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Sarah Barnsley and Peter Kenny get slightly too excited on the Telltale Press stand.

Telltale & Friends – 7th July The Poetry Cafe, London

Opinions have been sought, debates held, pros and cons weighed up, and one epoch-shaking decision has been taken. Yes folks Telltale’s summer reading has been finalised!  It will be held at our old stomping ground of The Poetry Cafe, in London’s Covent Garden. It’s all the sevens: the evening starts at 7:00pm, on Thursday 7th July.

Hotter than a sizzling hot thing, is John McCullough right now. He’s a long-term Telltale friend, and his spanking new collection Spacecraft is already going down a storm. On the night we’ll also showcase Telltale’s latest recruit Jess Mookherjee, whose collection Telltale will be launching later this year. You’ll also find on the bill are fabulous Telltale stars Sarah Barnsley (The Fire Station) and Siegfried Baber (When Love Came To The Cartoon Kid). 

Picture the scene… You are sauntering through sophisticated Covent Garden, and effortlessly drift into the Poetry Cafe. Soon you are congratulating yourself on choosing to hear some exceptional poetry. All for free.

If you’re in reach of London, we’re looking forward to giving you a sunny Telltale welcome. Consider this your invitation…

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Telltale & Friends – 13th April, Lewes Arms, Lewes

Spring is almost here, and Telltale Press is at it again. For the second Telltale and Friends event of 2016, we’ll be spellbinding Lewes with powerful lineup of poets. We’ve coaxed the wonderful Abegail Morley (whose new book The Skin Diary is out this year) to read for us. Then we added Telltale’s own stars Sarah Barnsley and Robin Houghton, and invited Rebecca White – a poet whose strong work has been catching our eye lately.

The venue is upstairs at the characterful Lewes Arms, a place of fine boozes and warm hospitality. The night starts at 7:00 pm. Can you think of a better way to spend a Wednesday night? Thought not. And, what’s more, the event is absolutely FREE (though if you feel moved to slide voluntary doubloons into the Telltale coffers, we won’t stop you).

We’re looking forward to warmly welcoming you to a night of exceptional poetry.

Telltale Press & Friends, Lewes 2016

Sarah Barnsley pamphlet launch

November 12th: Telltale launches its fourth pamphlet, Sarah Barnsley’s marvellous The Fire Station at Goldsmiths, London. We achieved record sales for a launch! You can also buy it here.

Sarah Barnsley Goldsmiths pamphlet launch

Sarah also read from her pamphlet at the Pighog night at the Redroaster Cafe in Brighton.

Sarah Barnsley reading at Pighog poetry night

 

‘The Fire Station’ Launch Readings

Sarah Barnsley reading at Red Roaster

Sarah Barnsley will be reading from her new pamphlet The Fire Station this autumn at two events:

Poetry at the Red Roaster Cafe in Brighton, 29th October, 7.45pm when Sarah is sharing the bill with Paul Feldwick.

And the official pamphlet launch reading is on Thursday 12th November at Goldsmiths, University of London, at a special edition of Goldsmiths Literature Seminar (GLITS). The event will be held in Warmington Tower Room A, main campus, at 6.30pm.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear Sarah read, it’s a brilliant collection.

Plus refreshments, giveaways and general Telltale fabulousness.

See you there!

Telltale at Free Verse, the Poetry Book Fair

All the Telltale poets were at the Poetry Book Fair in London on Saturday, where we shared a table with The Frogmore Press… plus it was launch day for Sarah Barnsley’s The Fire Station… – buy it here!

 

It was an excellent day, we had the opportunity to meet loads of poets and readers, some for the first time, we sold a ton of pamphlets (thanks everyone!), gave away free poem cards and generally stirred things up with our call to (poetry) arms. Great stuff.

Telltale Poets at the Poetry Book Fair

Peter Kenny, Robin Houghton, Siegfried Baber, Sarah Barnsley representing Telltale Press at the Poetry Book Fair

A Hot Night at the Poetry Cafe

Robin Houghton, Peter Kenny, Sarah Barnsley, Tamar Yoseloff & Sue Rose, Telltale Poets & Friends, Poetry Cafe June 2015

Robin Houghton, Peter Kenny, Sarah Barnsley, Tamar Yoseloff & Sue Rose

We had a great time at the Poetry Cafe last night. These things are never without drama! Firstly, Tamar Yoseloff wasn’t at all well, so it was touch and go whether she could be there – so we were mighty relieved and grateful to see her.

Then there had clearly been some mix-up at the Poetry Cafe, as a number of the audience clearly weren’t expecting our event. It was actually standing room only in the end, and although we sweltered a bit no-one really minded. One person who turned up expecting an open mic was disappointed, but a number of others did stay and one person made a point of saying she was glad she did.

Our guest readers gave wonderful readings – Sue’s included some of the poems from her sonnet sequence Heart Archives, a combination of fourteen sonnets inspired by love and loved ones, and her own photos. It’s a really beautiful book, lovely production values, from Hercules Editions. And Tamar read from (and gave some background to) her new book Nowheres, a collaboration with artist David Harker, whose exhibition Drawing the Line is on display at the Poetry Cafe until June 27th. You can read John Field’s review of Nowheres here.

We were very proud to introduce Sarah Barnsley in her first reading for Telltale, a preview of some of the poems from her forthcoming pamphlet The Fire Station.

The audience included two visiting professors from the State University of New York at Oswego, Laura Donnelly and Adrienne McCormick, and a number of their students, which was great fun. And we couldn’t NOT invite Laura to read a couple of her own poems while in London!

Tamar Yoseloff, Sue Rose & Sarah Barnsley at the Poetry Cafe

Just a week to go till our next ‘Telltale Poets & Friends‘ – our informal reading series featuring special guests. Peter and I hope you can join us at the Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street in London’s Covent Garden, at 7pm next Thursday 18th June.

We’re delighted to have Tamar Yoseloff and Sue Rose coming to read recent work, and also our newest member, Sarah Barnsley. We’re currently working on the production of Sarah’s debut pamphlet, ‘The Fire Station’, which will be published in September. It’s a wonderful first collection and we’re so proud to have Sarah on board. Do come and hear her read and enjoy a sneak preview of the pamphlet.

Photo of Sarah Barnsley by Hannah Brackenbury

Photo of Sarah Barnsley by Hannah Brackenbury