A Thousand Monkeys go Ape-shit in Guildford!

Pop Up Poetry pulled a thousand monkeys out of a hat last night, with the launch of its spanking new anthology for 2014.

Congratulations to editor Janice Windle and host Donall Dempsey for a spectactular event at The Bar Des Arts in Guildford, Surrey, where poets and audience gathered for an evening of word, song and antics to celebrate the event’s re-branding from PUP to The Thousand Monkeys.

Performers included  Cat Randle, Elaine Stabler, Grim Chip, Kathy Tyler, the Stokey Bard, Amy McAllister, Tom Vliestra and me. There was music too from the Dirty Carols (don’t ask!)

At  183 pages, the Pop Up Anthology 2014 is among the most generous and intelligently put together I’ve seen in a good while. Open mic-ers were all offered at least one page in the book, and what you get is the best poetry from 70 poets who have read at some point during the year, including:

Wendy Klein, Steve Pottinger, Sally Blackmore, David Cooke, Donall Dempsey, Louise Etheridge, A F Harrold, Mark Gilfillan, Claire Booker, Holly Luhning, Patrick Osada, Bethany Pope, Chrys Salt, Pauline Sewards, Isabel White and Janice Windle.

To buy a copy of Pop Up Anthology 2014, or to find out more about the free monthly event in Guildford on the third Tuesday of each month, visit: 

www.dempseyand windle.co.uk

www.the1000monkeys.com

 

 

Bookerplays shares stage with grand piano

They really do things in style down in Surrey’s cathedral city of Guildford. Even the poetry venues have crystal chandeliers!

An enthusiastic audience watch ‘Harriet by the Swings’

Bookerplays was invited by Pop Up Poetry organisers Donall Dempsey and Jan Windle to perform two short plays at their regular spoken word event.

Carla Espinoza in the role of Sylvia in ‘Rainbow Baby’

Talented actors Rachel Crowther, Carla Espinoza, Alex Gibson and Natalie Harper shared the stage with a grand piano, double bass and some seriously decorous lighting, as they performed Claire Booker’s ‘Harriet by the Swings’ and ‘Rainbow Baby’ to a rousing reception yesterday at The Bar Des Arts opposite The Yvonne Arnaud theatre.

Pop Up Poetry offers an eclectic mix of music, poetry, spoken word and a generous sprinkling of fairy dust.   What’s more –  it’s all free! For details of where and when please check out the following link: http://www.facebook.com/PopUpPoets

To view a 5 minute film of ‘Harriet by the Swings’ as performed by the same cast at the Lost Theatre, Stockwell, London, last year, please click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBHZOSlv2b0&hd=1