Culture NI has an interview with Poetry NI's Colin Dardis, talking about the launch of Pen Points Press and providing a platform for local poets. You can read it here.

Also, VoluntaryArts.org has a blog entry from Colin talking about his recent experiences with crowdfunding. Useful reading if you are thinking of venturing down that road for your own poetry projects.

The programme for the Belfast Book Festival is now out! As we're sure the mad scramble of invitations will start soon, let us get you about three events in a stellar line-up...


On Tuesday 10th, in the Black Box, Geraldine O'Kane launches 'Product of Perception', a multi-platform exhibition, artwork, dance and video, including work from a range of talent poets, artists and dancers.

On Friday sees the return of the ever-popular Poetry Slam, which was a sold out event last year, so book early for this one!

And then on Sunday is the launch of Poetry NI's Pen Points Press, with three publications released from Ross Thompson, Geraldine O'Kane and Chris McLaughlin.

Well done to Keith Acheson and the Crescent Arts Centre team for putting together such a fantastic week of literary indulgences!

A big thank you to everyone who came down to share in the poetry at Open Source Belfast today. Our praise and appreciation go out to the kind folk at Seedhead Arts and the volunteers as well.

We have readings from, suitably enough, four of our FouxXFour poets:
Geraldine O'Kane (from Issue Two);
Ross Thompson (from Issue Four);
David Braziel (from Issue Six);
and Kathleen McCracken (upcoming in Issue Nine).

Look out for another literary events at pop up site throughout the festival, and view their programme here.

What a night at Purely Poetry. Another jam-packed room, lots of readers and many first timers blowing the crowd away. Sometimes you don't realise when you're up at the mic reading, but many times throughout the time, I was amazed at how rapt and attentive the crowd where. You could feel the silence: the eager minds, held breaths, bodies tense... and then the wondrous release of applause and cheers afterwards. It's life-affirming, and it might just be my new drug...

As I mentioned on the night, we just book the place and throw the doors open; it's the great audience and the multitude of poets willing to read that really make the night. I love the range of voices, the different styles, shooting from dark to light, heartfelt to whimsical across the night. Well done people, and thank you!

Here's the list of readers who helped make the night a success:
Lara Sunday, Andy Ward, Diane Morrison, Richard Brennan, Geraldine O'Kane, Philip Robinson, MK Maguire, Jim McClean, David Smylie, Orlaith Hendron, Willetta Fleming, Tom Oyster, Lesley Johnston, Michael O'Neill, Katy Waller, Anthony Ferguson, Tom French, Frank F T Twaddle, Jason Ashford, Lynda Tavakoli, Yvonne Boyle, David Braziel and David Mallaghan.

We are back on the 13th June (the SECOND Friday of the month, rather than the first) for the Belfast Book Festival, holding our annual poetry slam event there. More details on that soon...

Cheers, Colin.