"From Blogs to Boggle; from poetic lyricism to lyric poetry; from diaspora to the double-dactyl; from politics to play-texts; from publishing to pop culture, and the plain cult... This is LONDON WORD FESTIVAL - putting words centre-stage."

www.londonwordfestival.com
www.myspace.com/londonwordfestival
Tickets: www.wegottickets.com/f/216

Festival Lineup (as of 21/1/08)
Venues: Bardens Boudoir, Bedroom Bar, Bethnal Green Working Men's Club, Bishopsgate Institute, Cargo, George Tavern, Gramaphone, Hoxton Hall

Feb 20 > Festival Launch + Permanent Tourist
Feb 22 > Josie Long + Frieze (Tim Key & Tom Basden) + Ginger & Black + Jimmy The Homeless
Feb 23 > The School for Gifted Children hosted by Robin Ince with Ben Goldacre, Ben Moor, Rich Sandling, Helen Zaltzman and Martin White
Feb 25 > Saul Williams (spoken word) + dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip + Polar Bear (MC) + Charlie Dark (DJ) *** SOLD OUT ***
Feb 26 > Richard Herring + Simon Munnery + Matthew Crosby (MC)
Feb 28 > Joshua Ferris + Joe Dunthorne + Richard Milward
Feb 29 > Making Nothing Happen: Mario Petrucci, Melanie Challenger, Caspar Henderson, Neil Astley
Mar 04 > Words in Progress: Lizzie Nunnery, Tim Price, Joel Horwood, Alan McKendrick
Mar 05 > 1927 + Orphans & Vandals + Tim Wells + Hannah Silva
Mar 08 > Edward Larrikin's Camusflage Krokodial + The Pan I Am (acoustic) + Barnaby Tidman
Mar 09 > The Oulipo Poets + Toby Litt
Mar 10 > Storytellers' Club
Mar 11 > Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band + The Ventriloquist Band + A Poem In Between People
Mar 12 > Ben Borek's Donjong Heights + Stop Sharpening Your Knives (words/music)
Mar 13 > Book Futures: Scott Pack, John Lenehan, Chris Meade, Martyn Daniel, Shirley Dent

Various bits...

Saul Williams is SOLD OUT.

Neil Astley (Bloodaxe) is confirmed for Make Nothing Happen with Mario Petrucci, Melanie Challenger and Caspar Henderson. Fri 29 Feb @ Bishopsgate.

Martyn Daniel is confirmed for Book Futures with Scott Pack, Chris Meade, John Lenahan and Shirley Dent.

Ben Borek is launching his book Donjong Heights on Wed 12 Mar @ Gramaphone.

Tickets: www.wegottickets.com/f/216

Ta muchly.
T x

Wish I could come down to London for some of these, Tom, but I'm saving my pennies to pay for a week's retreat this summer (i.e. being able to write solidly for a few days without noisy children underfoot), otherwise I'd be there.

I'd better blog this Festival on POF, I guess. It's getting awfully close to kick-off.

Thanks Jane :) much appreciated!

Yes, very close.. tell me about it..

:o

Alexei Sayle is appearing at our opening night on Friday 22nd Feb!

If you take/have permission to use any photographs of these early Festival gigs, Tom, email one or two of them to me and I'll post them up on POF. With review copy, if you write any. ;)

Good luck!

Sure thing Jane, I will do!

I've done a wee blog post about the launch of London Word Festival ... http://thisisyogic.wordpress.com

T x