Displaying items by tag: performance poetry

Tuesday, 23 February 2016 19:14

February 2016 - named 'Literary Hero' in The Skinny

Stirred Poetry's literary heroes

I've been named a Literary Hero by Stirred Poetry in the February edition of The Skinny!

"Rosie Garland commands the stage fully whether she is performing poetry, playing with her punk band March Violets or hosting cabaret. I learned stage craft watching her perform. Her novels, Palace of Curiosities (2013) and Vixen (2015), have been highly praised. She is particularly inspiring when she talks about the long, hard slog of writing, getting published, and managing to shut up her inner critic. We have been honoured to have her perform for us." [Anna Percy]

Read the whole article here -

The Skinny - Feb 2016

Published in News
Monday, 11 May 2015 16:12

7.3.2015 - Interview with WordMothers!

I was interviewed recently for WordMothers – a wonderful blog run by Australian writer Nicole Melanson. WordMothers is dedicated to showcasing women's work in the literary arts around the world. It features female author interviews and women in the book industry discussing what they're really passionate about.
Here's the link! Or you can read it in full below.
Click to read the interview on the WordMothers blog

WordMothers – Rosie Garland interviewed by Nicole Melanson
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?
I was a reader. Even more fabulously, I was read to. Early on, I discovered the joy of being transported to other worlds via the magic of words. It wasn't long before I started telling my own tales. I have a cough-sweet tin filled with books I created for my dolls, and wrote my first novel aged nine - a thrilling adventure involving super-heroines, spaceships and sharks. With pictures.
In fact, on the (mercifully rare) occasions I meet someone who professes to be a writer and yet not have time to read, my chin taps the floor. As Stephen King said: "This is like a guy starting up Mount Everest saying that he didn't have time to buy any rope or pitons."

WHAT IS YOUR LATEST BOOK OR CURRENT PROJECT?
I'm not happy unless I'm busy on a number of projects and am still learning the art of getting that number right...
My second novel 'Vixen' is out in paperback on February 12th and there's a busy book tour coming up. It's set in 1349, the year the Black Death arrived in England. This springs from my fascination with eras when the world was on the cusp of massive change.
I'm writing new poetry. In particular, a sequence of narrative poems inspired by the 2 years I worked as a teacher in Darfur, Sudan. Truly a stranger in a strange land. In addition, I'm getting on with my next novel for HarperCollins. It's at that stage where I hate it, and it is little more than a tangled heap of words.
I'm also treading the boards as Rosie Lugosi the Vampire Queen. If that wasn't enough, my band The March Violets are touring Europe and the USA in autumn 2015 with our new album, Made Glorious.
http://www.marchviolets.com/
Yes- busy. I love the interesting projects that come into my life! One I am particularly excited about is being invited to co-curate the John Rylands Library Literary Gothic exhibition in summer 2015.

WHAT IS YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT LIKE?
I count myself as very, very lucky. I have a room of my own, to paraphrase Virginia Woolf. It's lined with bookcases and every square inch is stacked with bits and pieces picked up over the years (from Californian sand dollars to statues of Kali and all points in between).
I'm a writer who likes peace to scribble – which is the word I use to describe first-stage work. I love the physicality of handwriting at this stage. When I've got to the editing stage I move to the computer. I know a number of creatives who find music conducive to work – I guess I'm one of those who prefers quiet. I think it's to do with the fact that I love music – if I listen to music while I'm writing I end up singing along and writing goes up the spout.

WHEN DO YOU WORK? WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?
I couldn't begin to say what a typical day is because I don't have them. What follows is a swift gallop around a 'writing day'.
I'm one of those 'morning people'. Morning, afternoon, middle of the night, I don't think it matters one iota as long as you find what works for you. However, I like to get started early. Part of it is because the world is not yet fully awake and that sense of possibility fires me up. Another reason is that I have a vicious internal critic who persists in telling me that everything I do is complete crap. She's a late riser, so I get up before she does and get started before the headtalk kicks in.
One of the things I wrestle with is the balance between writing and admin / social networking. A certain amount of the latter is unavoidable – it comes with the territory of writing being my job – but the knack is to refuse to let Twitter take over my life. I do admin in the afternoon. When I'm on a roll, I'll write into the evenings. It varies.
Also important is for me to take breaks. Not just to move the muscles, but to stay fresh. I take a leaf out of Julia Cameron's 'The Artists' Way' and go on an Artists' Date at least once a week: visit a museum, a gallery, or hang out with a creative friend.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Artist%27s_Way

WHAT IS YOUR WORK PROCESS?
I use creative rituals to get me started in the morning.
I'm not alone in being terrified of the blank page and a routine with small steps helps get the creative juices flowing. My day begins with three pages of journaling. This is not so much creative writing as a place to dump 'what I did yesterday' and clear the mind.
My rituals change (damn right too), but right now I like the exercise of writing six images (eg - something I can see / hear / smell, or that struck me yesterday). Coming out of the six images I write a haiku. Then the classic morning pages: three pages of free writing (the magic of 'threes'!). With those warm-ups under my belt, I get cracking on a heftier task like editing a chapter. An athlete wouldn't run a marathon from cold. My take is that a novelist functions in much the same way.
I want to grow, so seek out feedback and input. That might be going on a writing course, a writing retreat, getting feedback from creative colleagues, agent or editor. I am hungry to learn. For me, writing is a life process and is never done. At the age of 90, Pablo Casals was asked why he continued to practice the cello. 'Because I think I'm making progress,' was his reply.

WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?
There are times when I feel writing chose me. I write because I am made of stories. I write to work out and express how I think and feel. Writing as breathing out. Roald Dahl said - "A person is a fool to become a writer. His only compensation is absolute freedom. He has no master except his own soul, and that, I am sure, is why he does it."

WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
The odd, the unusual, the folk who don't fit. I've always written about outsiders; whoever they might be. My fiction is about people who won't (or can't) squeeze into the one-size-fits-all templates on offer and the friction that occurs when they try.
I know this comes from having always been an outsider myself. My mother used to ask, 'why can't you write nice stories?' However, I don't explore dark themes as some kind of pose, or to be challenging for the sake of it. I write what I write because that's what comes knocking.
Sure, I can produce something that doesn't fire me up (I've tried), but my heart's not in it. There's the rub: I write where my passions reside. I've chased myself in circles trying to second-guess what a publisher 'might' want and it was a disaster. There's no point twisting yourself into shapes trying to please. That way lies madness, and not the interesting, creative sort. Maybe it's one of the reasons it took me so long for my novels to get published. But that's a different blog: http://booksbywomen.org/rosie-garland/

WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF WHAT YOU DO?
Keeping going.
As I mentioned above, I struggle with an internal critic who never says anything nice and never, ever stops. Simply put, this inner censor wants me to stop writing. It's been there since I was in my early teens, and shows no sign of going away. Sure, it's had to change its script a little over the past few years what with the launch of debut novel 'The Palace of Curiosities' and follow-up 'Vixen', but it has simply developed nasty new mantras. One example: when people say they like 'The Palace of Curiosities', they're only being nice.
I used to listen to and believe every word I heard. Result? I stopped writing. Call it writers' block if you will. An important part of my writing life has been improving how I deal with internalised put-downs.
The first step was to call the voice 'Mavis'. If you'd like to read my blog on Dealing with the Internal Critic – here it is.
http://www.rosiegarland.com/news-and-events/item/177-being-a-writer-dealing-with-the-internal-censor.html

WHAT IS YOUR VISION AS A WORD ARTIST OR BOOK INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL?
To communicate. To share. To get my stories out there and enable other word artists to do the same. To encourage - myself as well as others - to tell our stories. Especially when the mainstream world tells us those stories are uninteresting, dangerous, weird, off-kilter and just plain wrong. Especially when the mainstream world tells us that.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE FEMALE AUTHORS?
Oh goodness, how long have you got? I've been asked this question a gazillion times and I've yet to find a snappy answer. It's impossible! Which is good. I've read work by so many inspiring women that there simply isn't room to list them.

Published in News
Thursday, 27 September 2012 10:14

Coming Out at Night

Coming Out At Night - performance poetry


Published by purpleprosepress, 2005 under Rosie Garland's stage name of Rosie Lugosi

Poem excerpt –

“Lights Go Out

The lights go out; there's a rustle of silk at the corner of earshot
The dark swims in, and ink closes over your head
Back row or back room my hand finds yours
Pulls you cheek to cheek, lip to lip
Go down for the third time and come up choking
And down again with my hand on your head.
The lights go out.
You said you wanted this
Screamed and bawled till mommy said
Come and tuck your little head in here
And I will stroke you, stroke you, stroke you
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have left the bed that you lie on
As you lay you down to sleep
Pass your soul to me to keep
I'll lock it in a box and prick it with a pin
And you will never see morning again.
The lights go out...”

Five star reviews on Amazon

“A delightfully eccentric and funny collection… I found the book to be like a favourite record or cd that you will return to time and time again.”

“Coming out at night is the latest collection of poetry by the ever charismatic Rosie Lugosi… pure comic genius”

“Witty, entertaining, thought provoking, funny, sad and spooky all in one delicious package. I liked it so much, I had the cover picture tattooed on my thigh. No, really.”

Published in Poetry
Tuesday, 20 November 2012 16:47

Things I Did While I Was Dead

Things I Did While I Was Dead - Flapjack Press, 2010

Click to purchase book at Flapjack Press

Reviews:

‘Peerless and passionate award-winning poetry’

Powerfully articulating themes as diverse as relationships, childhood, serial-killers and gender, this passionate and thought-provoking collection showcases Rosie's affecting and award-winning poetry.

"Candid, tender and surprising, these are poems about love and longing, myth and mirrors, the self and the other self. Things I Did While I Was Dead packs a powerful punch" - Jackie Kay MBE, poet & novelist

"One of the country's finest performance poets" - Apples and Snakes

"She is the mistress of language, whether it's making you laugh or informing your emotions. Here is a courageous artist with guile and expertise in equal measure" - Gerry Potter, poet

Rosie's book is available from the Flapjack Press shop [via PayPal or cheque payable to Flapjack Press].

Poem example -

Angry Goddess Seeks Similar

Mary! Call the babysitter and let me
take you dancing. You used to be such a mover
before all that God wore you down to milquetoast plastic.
Blow your nose, remind your hips how to shimmy.
Show them how it’s done. Stick out your bloody tongue:
I’ll lend you my spare necklace of severed hero’s heads,
a set of brand-new steak-knives.
Aren’t you sick of their prayers? Their excuses?
Start by smashing what’s left of the wedding china;
ink your foot into the earth. Twist rage
into a rope trick and climb through your halo
up to where the dark is giddy. I’m laughing
sequins to light up the dancefloor. Write
your own horoscope. Make this your auspicious day.

Published in Poetry
HAUNT Manchester presents Black Christmas

The Peer Hat,
14-16 Faraday Street,
M1 1BE Manchester

Saturday, 15 December 2018 from 12:00-19:00
Free event

Readings start at 3pm – featuring Rosie Garland at 4pm

Have you been naughty this year? Have you been very, very naughty?
Then you might be the perfect guests to receive the very special gifts in store at HAUNT Manchester’s Black Christmas Party.
Presented as part of Foundations Festival 2018, the HAUNT network bring to you a dark and delicious pile of sticky Christmas treats (for adults only).
Featuring:

• The hosts of The Fallen Christmas Angels, Satanic Santa and his Zombie Elves!
• Spoken word and cabaret from black-hearted Manchester superstars Rosie Garland, Liquorice Black, Lethal Gem, Joshua Hubbard… and more!
• There will also be an art exhibition from Manchester Gothic Arts Group.
Expect gifts, games, décor and surprises galore!
Over 18s only, this is Christmas without the kids please.
Fancy dress encouraged.

https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2018/11/foundations-festival-bringing-grassroots-music-community-action-black-christmas-and-more-to-manchester-b656

Published in Gig List
That's What She Said - Performance Workshop

Thursday 19th October
Bridlington Library
14 King St, Bridlington
YO15 2DE

15:00-17:00
£10.00 (no conc.)

Rosie Garland
That's What She Said - Performance Workshop

Nervous about presenting your work in public? Want to keep audiences hanging on your every word? In this workshop, award-winning writer and performer Rosie Garland looks at performing the spoken word, and how you can improve your readings. This informal and supportive session will provide key insights with practical tips & strategies to build confidence and make your words sizzle.
https://www.litup.org.uk/rosie-garland

We’re proud both to celebrate the poetry of writers from the East Riding of Yorkshire and to bring to our region some of the finest poets from around the UK and beyond.
'Our short, but very sweet, seaside festival has a strong focus on poetry by women and voices from beyond the UK. And in between all our brilliant readings, performances, workshops and discussions, there’s plenty of time to hang out with the rest of our growing festival family.

In our eighth year, we’re moving into the heart of Bridlington for the first time. We believe this will allow us to build an ever-closer relationship with the people who live, study and work here, while we continue to welcome our guests from further afield.

Published in Gig List
Sunday, 03 September 2017 10:39

12.10.2017 - Superheroes of Slam, Manchester Final

Superheroes of Slam 2017

Three Minute Theatre
Afflecks Arcade,
35-39, Oldham Street,
M1 1JG Manchester

Tickets £5/£4
Book on 0843 208 0500
19:00–22:00

Hosted by Rosie Garland, aka Rosie Lugosi
The Superheroes of Slam 2017 Final will take place on the 12th of October at Three Minute Theatre. This year finalists from Berlin (Germany), Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Newcastle, Rochdale and Sheffield will be battling it out for the title of Superheroes of Slam Champion 2017.
This year's finalists are...
Charlie Dupré, Kurt Wang, Haamid Sharif, Jodie Hannis, Jack Young, Elise Hadgraft, Shaun Hill, Melanie Branton and Rosie Fleeshman.

Book tickets to see them compete for the title here
http://www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk/events/commonword-superheroes-of-slam-final-37841

Alongside the title, the winner will receive £250 and an Arvon Course of their choice (subject to availability).
Contestants have 3 minutes to rock or shock the mic and are judged by audience responses and guest judges. Previous winners of the slam include: Dominic Berry, Mark Mace Smith, Ben Mellor, Joy France and Paris Kaur.

Published in Gig List
Wednesday, 12 August 2015 14:17

2.9.2015 - great weather for MEDIA, Manchester

great weather for MEDIA

3MT
Afflecks Arcade,
35-39, Oldham Street,
M1 1JG Manchester
£5 entry
Doors open 7:00 pm, show starts 7:30 pm

great weather for MEDIA is thrilled to return to Manchester, England!

Celebrate the publication of our latest anthology, Before Passing, with great weather for MEDIA contributors and special guests. This will be an astounding evening of spoken word.

Performers are Dominic Berry, Prue Chamberlain, Rose Condo, Rosie Garland, Ciarán Hodgers, Jane Ormerod, Rebecca Audra Smith, Patricia Snake, Nadine West, and Emma Wootton.

Bar open until 11:00 pm

www.greatweatherformedia.com

 

Published in Gig List
Wednesday, 12 August 2015 14:05

19.8.2015 - JibbaJabba, Edinburgh Free Fringe

JibbaJabba

The Banshee Labyrinth (venue 156)
29 - 35 Niddry Street, EH1 1LG Edinburgh
Time: 11:05 pm - 12:05 am
Free event

Yay, Jibba's back and going wild in Edinburgh, bringing you cheeky lil' hour long versions of Newcastle's eclectic epics!

I'm guesting on Weds 19th August, along with Kevin Cadwallender & Steve Urwin.

If you've not been along before, Jibba's a lively party of word based tomfoolery featuring THREE different & fantastic guest SPOKEN WORD PERFORMERS / COMEDIANS every night, plus our usual quick-fire mic-grab, OPEN MIC shenanigans. (Time limit announced on night depending on attendance. No registration necessary - Sitting near the front advisable if busy).

Whether you want to join in, or just want to check out the show, it'll be fantastic to see you there!

FREE ENTRY (with a voluntary donation bucket on t' door at the end)

Published in Gig List
Thursday, 16 October 2014 12:39

30.11.2014 - Rally & Broad! Glasgow

Stereo
Renfield Lane,
Glasgow
Doors 2.30, show 3-5.30pm

For the times when it all falls intae place... Rally & Broad present: The Eureka Moment! Helping us oot in fair Glasgow, we have...

AIDAN MOFFAT! Multi-talented writer, author, spoken word performer, musician, producer... we could go on. Our headline act for this month is the fabulous Aidan Moffat!

STRANGE BLUE DREAMS! A spooky musical backdrop of gospel, early rock 'n' roll, R&B, rockabilly and country...in other words: Strange Blue Dreams indeed. **** (Glasgow Herald)

ROSIE GARLAND! Born in London to a runaway teenager, Rosie has always been a cuckoo in the nest. She's an eclectic writer and performer, ranging from singing in post-punk gothic band The March Violets, through touring with the Subversive Stitch exhibition in the 90s to her alter-ego Rosie Lugosi the Vampire Queen, cabaret chanteuse and mistress of ceremonies.

MARTIN O'CONNOR! A vital new-talent as a performer, theatre-maker and spoken word act, O'Connor's stream-of-consciousness spoken word performances captivate and delight audiences. A finalist in Rally & Broad's Commonwealth Cultural Programme Slam, July 2014.

CHRISSY BARNACLE! Chrissy Barnacle is a singer-songwriter hailing from the grimey shores of the Clyde whose yearning and often fantastical lyrics are brimming with turmoil and optimism.

http://rallyandbroad.com/

Published in Gig List
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News and Events

  • Royal Society of Literature - Fellowship
    Royal Society of Literature - Fellowship
    Royal Society of Literature Fellowship

     

    On 12th July 2023 I was made a Fellow of The Royal Society of Literature! It was something I never imagined in a hundred years.

    It's a tremendous honour, & a testament to the quality of my writing. To say I am thrilled is a huge misunderstatement.

    https://rsliterature.org/fellows/rosie-garland/

    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/12/royal-society-of-literature-aims-to-broaden-representation-as-it-announces-62-new-fellows

    Written on Monday, 21 August 2023 09:12
  • Manchester City of Literature - Festival of Libraries 2023
    Manchester City of Literature - Festival of Libraries 2023

    Delighted to get the opportunity to talk to Manchester Festival of Libraries about the importance of libraries in my life!

    https://youtu.be/18VPl5qXvkM

    And there are many more –
    Watch all the short films featuring four accomplished Manchester creative practitioners who have worked closely with libraries over the course of their careers.

    Hear how libraries can support artists, writers, dancers, musicians and more to create original work, access valuable resources, gain practical support and inspire creativity.
    These films aim to highlight the rich creative diversity of our libraries, and pave the way for emerging artists to head to their local library for ideas and insight for their next big project.

    You can view all the films below.
    https://www.manchestercityofliterature.com/event/creatives-in-libraries/

    Written on Thursday, 22 June 2023 09:40
  • 'Because goddess is never enough' - a new film-poem!
    'Because goddess is never enough' - a new film-poem!
    ‘Because goddess is never enough’ – revealing the new film poem, made in collaboration with filmmaker Jane Glennie.

    Absolutely thrilled to announce this new film poem – created over 2021 in collaboration with amazing filmaker Jane Glennie. Inspired by the life of dancer and choreographer Tilly Losch, the film explores notions of erasure, strategies for persistence and the centrality of creative expression for the life of a woman in perpetual motion.

    We are delighted with the reception the film is receiving! A list of film festivals is below.
    AND there’s a ‘Book of the Film’!

    'Because Goddess is Never Enough (Peculiarity Press, 2022)
    Available from Blackwell’s (Waterstones, Amazon, etc)
    https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Because-Goddess-Is-Never-Enough-by-Rosie-Garland-Jane-Glennie/9781912384167

    Flick through the book here –
    https://photos.app.goo.gl/zzDN5KKbUccqPZsQ7

    Film festivals & events 2022 that have selected & featured 'Because Goddess is Never Enough'

    Moving Poems May 2022
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – selected as one of ‘the best poetry films on the web’
    https://movingpoems.com/2022/05/because-goddess-is-never-enough-by-rosie-garland/

    Fringe Arts Bath Festival 27 May - 12 June 2022
    Bath’s annual free festival of visual arts
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – selected for WORDPLAY programme
    https://www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/festival-2022
    https://www.fringeartsbath.co.uk/wordplay

    Tranås at the Fringe International Arts Festival 2-9 July in Tranås, Sweden
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – selected for the LIVING FEMININITY programme.
    https://www.atthefringe.org/film-program-2022

    Women X Film Festival 2-4 September in Darlington, UK.
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough' - Honourable Mention
    https://riannepictures.com/womenx

    Women Over 50 Film Festival
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – nominated for Best Experimental film, selected for the AT MY CORE programme
    https://wofff22.eventive.org/films/62e15892943cb70054a692d9
    https://wofff.co.uk/2022/08/wofff22-films-announced-find-out-more-about-our-fantastic-official-selections/

    Athens 10th International Video Poetry Festival 28 September - 1 October 2022
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – screened 29th September within 'Feminist Struggles' programme
    https://theinstitute.info/?p=5226

    HOME Manchester, Filmed Up 28th September 2022
    ‘Because Goddess is Never Enough’ selected for Filmed Up programme.

    https://homemcr.org/event/filmed-up-sep-2022/

    The Feminist Film Festival, Bucharest, 13-16 October 2022
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – Official Selection
    https://filmfreeway.com/TheFeministFilmFestival

    Sunderland Shorts Film Festival October 17th, 2022
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – selected for the Art & Experimental Films programme
    https://filmfreeway.com/SunderlandShorts

    Zebra Poetry Film Festival, Berlin 3-6 November 2022
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough'.
    We are very proud to be selected for Zebra, the oldest and largest international festival of poetry films.
    https://filmfreeway.com/ZEBRAPoetryFilmFestival
    https://www.haus-fuer-poesie.org/en/zebra-poetry-film-festival/home-zebra-poetry-film-festival/

    Still Voices Film Festival, Ireland 9-13 November 2022
    'Because Goddess is Never Enough' – Official selection Experimental
    https://stillvoicesfilmfestival.com/

    Written on Thursday, 29 September 2022 09:41
  • Sept 2022 - The March Violets announce 5 CD boxset release!
    Sept 2022 - The March Violets announce 5 CD boxset release!
    Announcing the Novemeber 18th 2022 release of 'The Palace of Infinite Darkness'

    It's 40 years since The March Violets released our 1st 7" EP (seriously, FORTY).
    So it’s a great time to announce that this tasty 5 CD Box Set is now up for pre order from Jungle Records!
    The Palace of Infinite Darkness - In addition to all the singles plus all the extended versions, the box has six excellent BBC sessions, 23 tracks with 9 unreleased songs (also reissued as Big Soul Kiss 2LP yellow vinyl after a sold-out RSD release). Then there are two whole discs of unreleased demo sessions – one from the early period 1982-84 and another from 1985-87. Founder-member Rosie Garland recounts the band’s story in a 44-page booklet.
    Check out the link:
    https://smarturl.it/MV5CDbox

    Written on Thursday, 22 September 2022 12:19
  • June 2022 - Queer Poetry for The Arvon Foundation
    June 2022 - Queer Poetry for The Arvon Foundation
    Residential Writing Week: Queer Poetry

    A wonderful experience – for the first time, I co-tutored a residential writing week for the prestigious Arvon Foundation! It was such a thrill to work alongside inspiring co-tutor Keith Jarrett and electrifying guest reader Jay Bernard.
    A very special week. I won’t forget it.

    Monday June 27th - Saturday July 2nd 2022
    Totleigh Barton, Sheepwash, Beaworthy Devon
    https://www.arvon.org/writing-courses/courses-retreats/residential-writing-week-queer-poetry/

    Written on Wednesday, 21 September 2022 15:16