This particular gig is still shrouded in mystery – I will update the post as soon as I know more. What I know for sure is that both Daan Doesborgh and I will be performing in his home town of Venlo on that day, probaly in the evening. Where exactly remains to be established. Watch this space!

Image source.

WHEN?
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Event starts at 20:35 (but see below)

WHERE?
Utrecht City Hall
Korte Minrebroerderstraat 2, Utrecht (map)

MORE INFO
The 27th is  National Poetry Day in the Netherlands, and I am going to have the chance to perform at the biggest event celebrating the occasion: Het Huis van de Poëzie (The House of Poetry). A sizeable gaggle of poets from around the Netherlands and the world will read and perform on the night on several stages; you can catch me in the International Room at 22:45 and on the Main Stage at 23:15.

Image source.

WHEN?
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
Doors 19:30, start 20:00

WHERE?
Café de Barones
Torensteeg 2, Amsterdam (map)

MORE INFO
My 2011 Dutch mini-tour will begin with this intimate literature night organised and hosted by Daan Doesborgh in Café De Barones, a small pub close to the literature faculty of the University of Amsterdam. Four poets will be appearing on the night: Ellen Deckwitz (former Dutch national champion), Peter M van der Linden (who came in second in the competition last year), Josse Kok (a rising star of the Dutch slam scene) and, well, Bohdan Piasecki. Kim Stevens will also be there to provide musical accompaniment.

Image source.

WHEN?
Wednesday, January 26th, 2011
20:00

WHERE?
Café De Zaak
Korte Minrebroederstraat 9, Utrecht (map)

MORE INFO
Every year, the Turing Foundation organises a huge National Poetry Competition in the Netherlands. This year, over 2300 poets – established authors and beginners alike - anonymously submitted 9869 poems! The 100 winning texts are announced at a party in Amsterdam to which the top 100 poets are invited; for all those who did not quite make it, a rival party takes place in Utrecht, and this is the event where we will have the honour of performing. Who cares about the winners – it’s all about the losers, all of whom, I’m sure, will have been robbed – ROBBED, I say – of a what was rightfully theirs. The Turing Foundation being a charity, however, there is a noble cause behind all the cynicism and bitterness: this year, all participating poets will be auctioning their manuscripts, and the money raised will go towards a literacy project in Poland. So, yay.

Image source.

PureandGoodandRight

WHEN?

Monday, January 10th, 2011, 19:30

WHERE

The Sozzled Sausage

141 Regent St

Leamington Spa CV32 4NX (map)

MORE INFO

Fun fact: the first time I headlined PureandGoodandright was around three years ago. Natasha Godfrey, then the Apples & Snakes West Midlands coordinator, was there, and kindly recommended me to the rest of the A&S crew… As a result, I did a few gigs for the organisations in exotic places where no one had ever heard of me, like Plymouth. I have fond memories, is what I’m trying to say!

So if you’re around, come to the first PureandGoodandright night in 2011, and enjoy the spiffy new venue and long headline set from yours truly. Open mic slots are available, too.

Full gig list here.

Image source.

We have a cracking line-up for the inaugural night. Kim Trusty will be representing Birmingham – I’m very grateful to Kim (who is semi-retired as a performer) for agreeing to do a set. I saw her at Polarbear’s “Bear’s House” event at the mac and have want

ed to hear more ever since. Next is Tony Walsh, a Manchester poet whom I first met in Warsaw, where he did a 40 minute feature set for a special anniversary slam. 40 minutes, in English, in front of  a Polish crowd, and he still killed it. ’nuff said. And finally we have two Canadian artists – Ian Keteku, reigning Poetry Slam World Champion, and Brad Morden, ukulele player and poet, too.

Me, I’m looking forward to putting my hosting hat back on; but you, you should invite your friends, get there early to grab a seat, and enjoy. See you at the Victoria.

Picture source.

Ordsprak Festival 2010

WHEN?

Friday, October 1st, 2010 (the festival itself starts on Thursday September 30th, and continues until Saturday – scroll down for a full list of acts)

Event starts at 19:00

WHERE?

Reginateatern

Trädgårdsgatan 6, Uppsala, Sweden (map)

MORE INFO

Ordsprak is Sweden’s main spoken word festival, and coincides with the Swedish National Slam. The organisers pride themselves on the international nature of their event, and each year, they try to invite a selection of poets from all corners of the world. I’m very excited about this one, not least because I will be sharing the stage with Sage Francis, who was a major source of inspiration for me when I first discovered spoken word. The full programme is below – there are some pretty amazing names on that list, so if you happen to be in Sweden in early October, you could do worse than make your way to the Regina theatre in Uppsala. Vi ses där!

Thursday 30/9, 19:00:

• Open poetry slam,  featuring Ewok (South Africa). The winner gets the opportunity to read on Saturday. Free admission!

Friday 1/10, 19:00:

• Dag Thelander
• Amanda Lindholm
• Alex Bengtsson
• Bohdan Piasecki (Poland – but you know that)
• Malin Jakobsson
• Henry Bowers (Kung Henry) (winner of the Swedish National Poetry Slam 2004)
• Sage Francis & B Dolan (USA)

Saturday 2/10, 18:00:

• Saman Faramaxi
• Thursday Slam Winner
• Niklas Mesaros (winner of the Swedish National Poetry Slam 2010)
• Jenny Wrangborg
• Marcus Priftis
• Anca Mizumschi & Bogdan O. Popescu (Romania) (Sam Kessel will be reading  Swedish translations)
• Oskar Hanska (winner of the Swedish National Poetry Slam 2009)
• Kat Francois (UK) (winner of the World Slam Championship 2005)
• Ewok (South Africa)

WHAT?

Sssh Boom Ssh Boom (It’s Only Theatrics).

WHEN?

Friday, August 6th, 2010

Event starts at 19:00

WHERE?

The Nave

1 St Paul’s Road, London N1 2QN, UK (map)

MORE INFO

Full gig list here.

Image source.

Appearance at the  Eastbourne Festival.

WHEN?

Saturday, April 17th, 2010.

Show starts at 19:00.

WHERE?

The Lamb

36 High Street, Old Town, Eastbourne BN21 1HH, UK (map)

MORE INFO

This is a special Anglo-Polish evening, as part of the Eastbourne Festival. It will feature music from Magdalena Reising and The Blue Café Jazz Ensemble, and poetry from Maria Jastrzebska as well as yours truly. More details can be found here.

Full gig list here.

WHAT?

Smoke & Mirrors Show

WHEN?

Sunday, March 21^st, 2010.

Doors open at 19:00.

Show starts at 20:00.

WHERE?

Cafe Anno

Lerchenfelderstraße 132, Vienna, Austria 1080 (map)

MORE INFO

The Smoke and Mirrors tour is now well on its way – join Dominique Macri, Paula Varjack, Ludwig Berger, and yours truly to experience our travelling poetry circus as we make a stop on the shores of the Danube.

The event is organised by the Radieschen literary journal, as part of their weekly series of readings at the Cafe Anno.

Free entry!

Full gig list here.