Tag Archives: Catherine Smith

New month, new space, new poetry

November 2, 2017 2:42 pm , Leave a Comment ,

1 November saw the Telltale gang return to the newly-refurbished Poetry Café in Covent Garden where we were delighted to be joined by special guests Catherine Smith and Abigail Parry.   The spare and smart décor was the perfect backdrop for readings that were by turns elaborate, engaging, intense, irreverent, comic, caustic and yes indeed alliterative, rhythmic; downright brilliant displays of the sonic magic of live poetry.

Telltale co-founder Robin Houghton kicked off proceedings in style with an exclusive preview of her exciting new pamphlet, All the Relevant Gods, due out in February 2018 with Cinnamon Press.  Next on the floor was Catherine Smith with a funky festoon of poems from collections including Lip and Otherwhere (Smith/Doorstop).   Two stomping sets, a break to enjoy the refreshed upstairs café complete with poetry miscellany on each table like inviting menus (my favourite was the school exercise book inviting visitors to leave a poem), then it was back downstairs for a corker of a set by other Telltale co-founder Peter Kenny.  Halloween may have just come and gone but that didn’t stop Abigail Parry treating us to a trio of Gothic poems amid an exhilarating set that tricked and turned on wicked word plays – we simply cannot wait for Bloodaxe to bring out Abby’s collection Jinx next March.

Thank you once again to Robin Houghton, Catherine Smith, Peter Kenny, Abigail Parry, the Poetry Café and the wonderful audience who filled the room with warmth and laughter.  Next stop:  the Telltale Anthology 2018 – watch this space!

TT 1 Nov pic

Peter Kenny, Abigail Parry, Robin Houghton and Catherine Smith

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Guest poet Abigail Parry joins us for our autumn event

September 18, 2017 3:40 pm , Leave a Comment ,

abigail parryFantastic news – we’ve persuaded the multiple award-winning poet Abigail Parry to read with us at the new-look Poetry Cafe in London on November 1st for our autumn Telltale Press & Friends.

Last year Abigail won two of the biggest prizes out there – the Ballymaloe and the Troubadour. Her long-awaited debut collection Jinx is out with Bloodaxe next year. Abby gives excellent poetry readings  – another great reason to come along on 1st November.

Joining Abby are Telltale founder members Robin Houghton & Peter Kenny, and our marvellous Associate Editor and mentor Catherine Smith – also known for her compelling readings … it’s going to be a great night.

As ever, entry is FREE, although donations are always welcome! Just buy a drink upstairs and come on down to the newly refurbished basement room.

Here’s the flyer, and here’s the Facebook event page – please share with your friends, and thank you!

We’re looking forward to seeing you there.

 

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Lovely evening of readings at the Poetry Cafe

January 12, 2015 2:16 pm , Leave a Comment ,
Readers at the Telltale Press event, Poetry Cafe, 7th Jan 2015

L to R: Robin Houghton, Peter Kenny, Rhona McAdam, Catherine Smith, Siegfried Baber

Last Wednesday we kicked off the New Year with a super evening at the Poetry Cafe  – more about it here on Poetgal. We’re already looking forward to the next one – will keep you posted!

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Happy New Year – join us at the Poetry Cafe

December 23, 2014 2:10 pm , Leave a Comment ,

First week into the New Year we’re back on the road at the Poetry Cafe, or as Peter Kenny eloquently puts it:

“After the orgy of booze-fuelled ribaldry that is December, why not turn over a new leaf in 2015 and make your first social outing one for the soul? Poetry from the outstanding Canadian poet Rhona McAdam, the frankly steamy Catherine Smith, shining new talent Siegfried Baber, plus the multi-prize winning Robin Houghton and myself in the centre of London.”

Yee-haa! Please come, bring your friends and let’s get started on 2015 with some shiny new poetry. Rhona McAdam is over from Canada, so take this opportunity to hear a brilliant talent… and Catherine Smith’s ‘The New Cockaigne’ is a fantastic, rollicking satirical tale in verse.

Free entry, all welcome … we hope to see you there, and will have news of our plans for 2015 and beyond.

With best wishes for a fantastic Christmas and New Year…

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Telltale launches in Lewes & Hove

September 25, 2014 8:57 am , 1 Comment ,
Hove Telltale Launch event

Catherine Smith, Peter Kenny and Robin Houghton at the Hove launch

Last night was the second of our private launches for Peter Kenny’s The Nightwork, and joining us to read were Catherine Smith (who also read last week in Lewes) and John McCullough, who entertained us marvellously despite only recently getting back from Japan.

Peter Kenny reading at the Lewes launch of Telltale Press

Peter Kenny reading at the Lewes launch

Our venues were quite different – last week we were in the meeting room of The Hive, a really nice cosy space with a big pot plant in the corner – we put tealights on the mantlepiece and it had a salon feel. Then last night we were in the big, bright airy space of Cameron Contemporary Art in Hove, a wonderful gallery with floor to ceiling windows all down one side. Everyone remarked how quiet and classy it was, plus lots of lovely artwork to view of course.

I’m rather jinxed when it comes to filming so I can’t say yet whether we managed to capture any of the readings successfully, but I hope so. If and when we have something in the bag we’ll post it here.

So, two fab evenings done, one public launch event to go – next Wednesday at the Poetry Cafe, the day before National Poetry Day, so we hope we manage to get an audience!

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Autumn launch readings announced

July 29, 2014 6:33 pm , 1 Comment ,

Exciting news – we’ve organised our first readings, to launch both Telltale Press and our second Telltale pamphlet, Peter Kenny’s The Nightwork.

Wednesday 17th September, 7.30pm, The Hive, Lewes
– Robin Houghton, Peter Kenny, Catherine Smith and Abegail Morley

Wednesday 24th September, 7.30pm, Cameron Contemporary Art, Hove – Robin Houghton, Peter Kenny, Catherine Smith & John McCullough

Wednesday 1st October, 7.30pm, Poetry Cafe, London
– readers to be confirmed

The first two events are invitation-only. There’ll be lovely refreshments and possibly a few surprises. If you’d like an invitation simply sign up for our newsletter (right hand column) – thanks!

 

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Welcoming our new Associate Editor Catherine Smith

May 31, 2014 5:12 pm , Leave a Comment ,
Catherine Smith, new Associate Editor of Telltale Press.

Catherine Smith

Fabulous news! Renowned poet and super-champion of new writing Catherine Smith is to be our Associate Editor.

Catherine will be helping us find talented new poets to add to the Telltale fold, as well as lending her expertise to the editorial process. Brilliant stuff!

Says Catherine: “I’m delighted to be associated with this exciting new venture. In this difficult publishing climate, many talented new poets have few opportunities to see their first ‘body of work’ published. Telltale is an innovative new-kid-on-the-block in pamphlet publishing, offering a genuine alternative to serious writers, who may have considered self-publishing but would like more support, editorial and marketing input.”

Catherine Smith is an award-winning poet and fiction writer. Her first short poetry collection, The New Bride, (Smith/Doorstop) was short-listed for the Forward Prize for Best Collection, 2001. Her first full collection, The Butcher’s Hands (Smith/Doorstop) was short-listed for the Aldeburgh/Jerwood Prize and was a PBS Recommendation. It earned her a place, in 2004, as one of Mslexia’s ‘Top Ten UK Women Poets’ and as one of the ‘Next Generation’ poets – ‘the most exhilarating new voices to have emerged in the last ten years’ (PBS/Arts Council).

Her third book, Lip, (Smith/Doorstop) was short-listed for the Forward Prize in 2008 and her most recent collection is Otherwhere (2012).

Catherine teaches on The Creative Writing Programme at New Writing South, for the Arvon Foundation and for The Poetry School; she also judges poetry and fiction writing competitions.

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