Taking in venues and events such as Antichrist (London), The Trades Club (Hebden Bridge), Un-Peeled (Preston), Corallo (Italy), Bannermans (Edinburgh), The Cluny (Newcastle), 02 Academy (Islington) & Whitby Goth Weekend – it's going to be a very busy month.
Check out the gig page for more details...
Click this link for detailed gig listing
And The March Violets new website:
Lumb Bank in Heptonstall is a magical place – I've attended writing retreats there in the past, so it was a great honour to be invited to be guest reader.
Lemn Sissay and Hannah Pool are amazing tutors: truly inspiring. They made me feel very welcome. Thanks to the Centre Directors, Lemn and Hannah - and of course all the course participants for making it such a memorable evening!
Excerpt here:
"When I asked her what had kept her going when it didn't seem like her book was ever going to be published she answered with a plain and direct: 'Bloody-mindedness'.
She spoke about how she couldn't stop writing even if no one ever got to see her work – something I have to say, I agree with. She was fortunate to have very supportive friends and the dedication inside the opening page reflects this: To everyone who believed I could get here, even when I didn't. This, I have to admit, is one of the more touching dedications I have seen in a long while."
Read the full review here:
Really pleased to have an interview & feature in The Skinny this month!
It's free to pick up in venues round Liverpool & Manchester during October, or click on the link below and go to 'current issues'.
I'm absolutely delighted to have won second prize in the Manchester Cathedral Religious Poetry Competition 2013!
And coming second to such a great poet as Elizabeth Burns (who came first) is a particular honour.
The three prize-wining poems and seven highly-commended poems will be published in the Manchester Cathedral Poetry Competition booklet. To order, please send a cheque or postal order for £4.00 made payable to Manchester Cathedral, to:
Poetry CompetitionManchester CathedralVictoria StreetM3 1SXThe annual prize-giving ceremony, which is part of the Manchester Literature Festival calendar, is to take place in St Ann's Church, on Tuesday 15 October at 2.00 pm. The afternoon will feature readings from the shortlisted poets and the competition judge, Nicola Slee.
This is a free event, but places can be booked via the Manchester Literature Festival website.
The Palace of Curiosities is now available in paperback!
Order it direct from HarperCollins here:
Described as 'Bewitching' by Good Housekeeping.
'A jewel-box of a novel' - Sarah Waters.
The March Violets 'Made Glorious' Tour 2013.
ALL dates - 10 gigs - are now confirmed. That should be it now...
Please come along and have fun.
Headlines' interview
Really delighted to have a full-page interview in the autumn edition of 'Headlines' – the magazine of the Christie Hospital trust.
I talk about how the experience of throat cancer changed my life – and how I have fought to get my voice back. Both creatively and literally...
Where I recall my seven-year ordeal at the hands of a female stalker.
It took a long, long time - but I got my life back. With the help of friends, family and Greater Manchester Police.
If anything I say in this article helps support someone who is going through an experience like this, then it's worth it.
Just returned from a week on the Isle of Arran, Scotland...
A week spent in the company of wonderful writers such as Gerry Potter, Mel Rees, Stevie Turner, John G Hall, Sarah Miller, Chanje Kunda, Steve Waling, Steph Pike, Anna Percy, Leanne Bridgewater, Charlotte Henson - and so many more I can't list them here!
Peaceful mornings spent sitting at my window in Lamlash, overlooking Holy Isle. I did my morning pages with a pot of coffee, watching the seals swim in to take up position on the rocks.
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/
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
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/
Thrilled and honoured to have my poem ‘Now that you are not-you’ featured in this groundbreaking new anthology!
‘Mary Jean Chan and Andrew McMillan's luminous anthology, 100 Queer Poems, is a celebration of thrilling contemporary voices and visionary poets of the past. Featuring Elizabeth Bishop, Langston Hughes, Ocean Vuong, Carol Ann Duffy, Kae Tempest and many more.
Encompassing both the flowering of queer poetry over the past few decades and the poets who came before and broke new ground, 100 Queer Poems presents an electrifying range of writing from the twentieth century to the present day.’
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/445204/100-queer-poems-by-chan-edited-by-andrew-mcmillan-and-mary-jean/9781529115321
I’m honoured – my essay ‘Don’t Fence Me In’ is included in this wonderful collection! (Nine Arches Press, ed Ian Humphreys)
‘What motivates poets in the 21st century? How do they find their voice? What themes and subject matters inspire them? How do they cope with set-backs and deal with success? What keeps them writing?
In Why I Write Poetry twenty-five contemporary poets reflect with insight, wit and wisdom on the writing life, each offering their distinctive take on what inspires and spurs them on to write poetry. Also - individual writing prompts to help you create your own new poetry.’
https://ninearchespress.com/publications/poetry-collections/why-i-write-poetry.html