REVIEW: MARTIN FIGURA’S ‘THE REMAINING MEN’
By Stella Backhouse | ‘The Remaining Men’ covers a number of different themes, including Figura’s fractured childhood, his army comrades, his life in notable politicians and poems written as poet-in-residence in the post-industrial Durham coalfield and at NHS Salisbury during Covid. What brings them together is Figura’s archaeological approach to the lives of his subjects, delicately stripping back layers of […]
REVIEW: VICTORIA KENNEFICK’S ‘EGG/SHELL’
By Stella Backhouse | “Enduring biological reality? Or only an idea, held together by fragile fragments of social norms?” Literary critic Stella dips into 2024 Carcanet Press collection ‘Egg/Shell’ by award-winning poet Victoria Kennefick…
GODS AND MONSTERS: THE WITCH
Here’s a Halloween special for you – a ‘Gods and Monsters’ blog post all about witches! Eve explores historical facts and folklore surrounding witchcraft, including common tropes, protection methods, literary depictions, and how that all now translates into modern media…
Cork-Coventry Poetry Exchange 2024: Part Two
It’s that time again! The sixteenth annual Cork-Coventry poetry exchange. Two rising stars of the poetry and spoken word scene in Cork (Ireland) – Catherine Ronan and Cédric Bikond Nkoma – have been selected to represent their city for 2024, and will be travelling to Coventry (UK) this month…
Review: Ricky Ray’s ‘The Soul We Share’
Guest reviewer: Meg Freer | ‘The Soul We Share’, a new collection by American poet, essayist, and self-described mystic Ricky Ray, takes as its impetus his shared life with his beloved dog Addie, who taught him patience, tolerance, and close observation of the environment, but it is […]
REVIEW: ‘THE BOOK OF COVENTRY’
Reviewer Stella Backhouse gives her take on brand new Comma Press anthology, ‘The Book of Coventry’. This collection of eleven short stories explores a diverse range of themes and topics, all set in the same West Midlands city. Have you read it yet? Do you agree with Stella that it “succeeds in getting under Coventry’s skin”…?
COVENTRY NEWS: RETURN OF THE TOLKIEN GROUP
By Dominic Russell | The Rangers of Mordor Minor, Coventry’s local Tolkien group, is being revived after a long hiatus following the pandemic lockdowns. Read Dominic’s article to find out what a Smial involves, what happened at the most recent meeting, and details for when and where the next meeting will be.
THEATRE REVIEW: ‘PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH’
Stella Backhouse gives her views on the world premiere of ‘Please Do Not Touch’, a new stage play written by Casey Bailey, directed by Gail Babb and starring Tijan Sarr. Following an incident with a Somali Afro comb in a heritage house, TikTok activist Mason is sentenced to a Young Offender Institution…
COVENTRY’S COMMA PRESS BOOK LAUNCH
Do you like short stories? There is a launch event happening in Coventry, on Thursday 26th September, for the new Comma Press anthology. Grab a ticket and get yourselves to CommonGround cafe, for author readings and a Q&A, plus your own copy of ‘The Book of Coventry’!
INTERVIEW: FIRE & DUST MEETS BEN DAVIS
Multi-slam winning Midlands poet Ben Davis has featured at events and festivals all over the UK. He is also an award-winning author of children’s books, a journalist and a postal worker, and was a stand-up comedian for a decade. His 2020 novel, ‘The Soup Movement’, was nominated for the prestigious Carnegie Medal. We caught up with Ben after he headlined at Fire&Dust in Coventry, to ask a few questions…