The Basil Bunting Weekend
A weekend of readings by poets in the Bunting tradition, and discussions on the achievement of Basil Bunting in his centenary year.
Friday June 23rd
JAMMING SOUND AGAINST IDEA - poet Roy Fisher [photo], with guitarists James Birkett & Rod Sinclair
At 70, Roy Fisher continues to surprise and dazzle audiences with his
"wonderfully witty and anarchic poetry" including the substantial
selection The Dow Low Drop (Bloodaxe Books). Fisher's career
has spanned teaching, poetry, and jazz, and tonight he teams up with
one of the region's brightest guitar duos, James Birkett & Rod
Sinclair.
7.30 p.m. (Music School, Palace Green, Durham)
Saturday June 24th
Alington House, 4 North Bailey, Durham
10.30 a.m. THE PIOUS CAT: Local story-teller Thor Ewing reads Bunting's North-Country retelling of a Persian tale of cat-and-mouse for children. Warning: contains strong cat-language!
12.00 READING WRITING: A performance by Tom Raworth [photo], the rapidfire doyen of English poetry readers: "Tom Raworth is the one who's truly most interesting to me in England at the moment. I'm fascinated by what he's doing. He's an extraordinary poet" (Robert Creeley).
1.00 p.m. BUNTING ALOUD
Colpitts
Poetry, together with the Basil Bunting Poetry Centre, present a
celebration of the physicality of sound in Basil Bunting as local poets
and members of the audience read Bunting's work for themselves, and
discuss the experience. There will be opportunities to listen to the
voice of The Great Man (in sound recordings, and on film) in the course
of the afternoon.
Conclusion c.5.00 p.m.
This event is offered in memory of Gordon Brown (1925-2000), loyal supporter of Basil Bunting and all poetry in the NorthEast.
Evening Reading (Waterstone's Bookshop, 69 Saddler St., Durham)
-
STOP PRESS! CHANGE OF PROGRAMME!
Sadly, Gael Turnbull had to withdraw from his reading on Saturday
24th June, for personal reasons. However, his place has been taken, at
short notice, by Seaham-based poet Bill Griffiths. Of Griffiths's latest publication, A Book of Spilt Cities, Iain Sinclair notes: "Through momentum, he achieves prophetic instability"
6.30 p.m. A GATHERING OF VOICES - poets Gael Turnbull [photo] and Harriet Tarlo [photo] read their work. Northeast Borderer Turnbull's Gathering of Poems collects work which is "amongst the most original written in English during the past two decades" (Kenneth Cox). Ex-Colpitts organiser Tarlo's Brancepeth Beck established one of the most distinctive voices out of Durham in recent years.
Sunday June 25th
Alington House, 4 North Bailey, Durham
1.00 p.m. SHARP STUDY AND LONG TOIL - BASIL BUNTING AT 100
Colpitts Poetry and the Basil Bunting Poetry Centre introduce
discussions and short presentations on aspects of Bunting's work,
together with considerations of his standing today. Topics include -
but are not limited to - his spirituality, his regionality, his place,
his landscapes. . .
Conclusion c. 4.00 p.m.
Concluding Reading (Waterstone's Bookshop, 69 Saddler St, Durham)
5.30 p.m. GLADLY TO HILLS: readings from upland poets Tom Pickard [photo] and Colin Simms [photo].
Of Pickard's latest collection fuckwind,
Paul McCartney has written: "Tom dissects his gut reaction and reminds
us to appreciate the cool clear beauty of our own situation". His
neighbour in the Cumbrian High Pennines, Simms is the author of Eyes Own Ideas, Goshawk Lives, and many other works on motorcycles and natural history. Together they are collaborating on a work entitled Lyrical Badlads…
Events supported by the Basil Bunting Poetry Centre, Boots, Colpitts Poetry, Durham City Arts, Northern Arts and Waterstone's Bookshop.