Split Screen, London, England 11th October 2013

And while we are talking about the South Bank here is another fine offering.

After more than a year of touring the provinces and poetry festivals, Split Screen finally washes up here. An evening of poetry inspired by movies and television from the anthology published by Red Squirrel Press.

Hosted by editor Andy Jackson, tonight's line-up include the wonderful Brian Johnstone, Dzifa Benson, Naomi Woddis, Paul McGrane, Helen Ivory, Martin Figura, Ira Lightman, and the inimitable Sally Evans. Poems will range from The Sweeney to The Clangers. What - as they say - is not to like. And you can go on the Tube and cross over that river in London too.

Tickets £8 from the Southbank Centre box office. The event runs from 7pm until 9pm. Enjoy!

More information available here https://www.facebook.com/events/290941471047500/?notif_t=plan_user_invited

Online magazine resource

Take a look at the Poetry Library on the South Bank in London. Well virtually.

Here you can find a useful list of online magazines that you may wish to send your work too.

Just a warning though...double check the magazines, read them, and their submission guidance before you send. That way you won't have a wasted journey. Even online magazines go bust sometimes.

The resource is here http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk/magazines/onlinemagazines/

A final drop of rain

The orphan by Muhammad al-Maghut

Oh!
The dream...
The dream...
My solid-gold car crashed,
The wheels scattered about like gypsies.
One spring night I had a dream
And when I woke
There were flowers on my pillow.
Once I dreamt of the sea
And in the morning
Fins and shells covered my bed.
But when I dreamt of freedom
Swords were pointed at my neck
Like a morning halo.
...from now on
You won't find me
In ports or on trains
But in public libraries
Sleeping on maps of Europe
Where my mouth touches rivers
And my tears run across continents.

1970 translated by Abdullah al-Udari

Rains

The rain comes in oblong blocks and straight lines. It has filled the river up like a child's scribbling drawing of a river all felted pen and green sliced marks reeds. Everything is still lush leafy and thick. The rain cannot break that. The rowan's dotting red and oranged berries with starlings attending. Servants of the rowan.

I walk in a raincoat that I bought with money. I am fit again. I walk between the rain lines and don't ever get wet.

It is good to be back.

Writing the North

An opportunity to write the map of Shetland and Orkney. A call for poetry and other writing geographically located in these islands of the North. All you do is find your location and add your poem.

Don't try to submit on our graphic above! We know you are too techie for that. Find out more here http://www.writingthenorth.com/writing-the-map/

Rainy day

The rain has come after a long dry.

For Minoru Yoshioka, the change in weather makes his Monks turn into:

...four misshapen umbrellas
Holes appear in the lovely walls and ceilings
and rain starts to fall through.

Julián del Casal in Tardes de lluvia suggest a sensual undercurrent to his afternoons of rain:

Bate la lluvia la vidriera
y las rejas de los balcones,
donde tupida enredadera
cuelga sus floridos festones...

...que aún el espacio gris clarea
abre su botón la peonía,
cierra su cáliz la ninfea

Welcome Montenegro

p&g is on the cusp of its 30,000th visit! And we love hosting you all and look forward to seeing you again soon...

Our top 10 countries for visits are in no particular order USA, France, Australia, Russia, UK, India, Poland, Germany, Ukraine and Netherlands. You will find a more or less complete list at the bottom of the page.

But until today we have never had a visitor from Montenegro! Welcome!