While half-the-world's celebrating May '68's "happenings" we happen to have, as luck would have it, Helena Nelson and her happy band here with us for the perfect bank-holiday event! Do happen along to hear the best in "Happenstance" writers from Edinburgh to Galway, from Hitchin to Hatfield, get to meet the editor and poets, and if, as it happens, you've time on your hands, be here early and savour the heady, halcyon delights of London's leading literary coffee-house and garden!
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mon 26th may, 8pm at the troubadour

happenstance poets: helena nelson introduces martin cook, d.a. prince, eleanor livingstone, rob a. mackenzie, andrew philip, greg leadbeater, michael mackmin and tom duddy

Poetry-chapbook imprint, Happenstance, bring the best of their current pamphlet-poets from near & far: introduced by editor Helena Nelson (Unsuitable Poems, 2005)—

- Eleanor Livingstone (see poem below from... The Last King of Fife, 2005) is Artistic Director of StAnza, Scotland’s Poetry Festival;

- Martin Cook (Mackerel Wrappers, 2006) tried tea planting, soldiering, advertising & social work before retiring to write poetry;

- D.A. Prince lives in Leicestershire; her first collection, Nearly the Happy Hour, is published by Happenstance this month;

- Rob A. Mackenzie (The Clown of Natural Sorrow, 2005) has moved from Glasgow to Edinburgh via Italy;

- Andrew Philip (Tonguefire, 2005) b. Aberdeen, works for the Scottish Parliament;

- former environmental lawyer Greg Leadbeater (The Body in the Well, 2007) is currently researching Samuel Taylor Coleridge;

- Michael Mackmin (Twenty-Three Poems, 2006) co-founded & edits The Rialto;

- Tom Duddy (The Small Hours, 2006) teaches philosophy at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

You can read poems by each of the readers here.

Probable running order:

Helena Nelson (intro)
Andrew Philip
Rob A Mackenzie
Martin Cook
DA Prince

[break]

Tom Duddy
Eleanor Livingstone
Micheal Mackmin
Greg Leadbetter
Helena Nelson

Looking forward to seeing you and Rob at this, Andy, and catching up with Greg and Nell.

Thanks, Roddy. Looking forward to seeing you too. Should be a great night.

Andy

Hope you have fun with this tonight, folks. Wish I could be there with you all, but ... end of the month? Cashtill says NO!

Fun we did have, Jane. Pity you weren't there, but I understand the predicament. Rob has blogged about the evening; I will when time and energy permit.