News from Inua Ellams. 09/03/09
I was about to begin with the 'can't believe we are in March, three months into 2009, ohmygod it is December already and Obama's radical conservatism hasn't cancelled itself out' introductory type talk.... but I can actually. I know exactly how time flew, why it did, that I wished it wouldn't, that you can find bits of it behind your sofa, bits of it if you kiss properly, and bits in a small dog called Sammy. But lets look to the future shall we?

The Formula: News Items / Something from YouTube
LONDON WORD FESTIVAL // DUNDEE LIT // THE 14th TALE / THE 14th VERB // YOUTUBE: INUA ELLAMS



LONDON WORD FESTIVAL //
Following '08's roaring success headlined by Saul Williams, Anthony Joseph, Joshua Ferris and Josie Long, the London Word Festival returns with an even more cacophonous, obscure, brave, boundary pushing line-up of the tragically cool London's East End Shoerditch chic ilk. (I've been practising that.) Tonight, comedian Phil Jupitus and poet Tim Wells discuss vinyl rarities and poems. Wed 11th sees 'Shakespeare in Shoreditch' five writers reinvent some of the bard's best works (e.g. King Lear becomes a Vain Hoxton Rockstar ). Sun 22nd - 'Webstock' is geek tailored, focusing on things 'bloggy, webby and whatnot' with comedians and poets fiddling with their digitalia and on the 24th, Ox Tales is strictly not for vegetarians. That is all I am saying. BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE. Stop by the website, find out and come, for the love of word, come.
LINK: http://www.londonwordfestival.com/



DUNDEE LIT //
My literary new year resolution was to send out more work to magz, anthologies and not fear rejection. Have to say it has worked. 80 percent of my submissions have been accepted online & print. This is one of the most recent... New Writing Dundee is a magazine published by the University of Dundee for the Scottish Population. I sent in a few poems and prose pieces and 'Leather Comets', a narrative about playing basketball in Dublin, was accepted yay!

In June I will be going up to Scotland for the Dundee Literary Festival, for the major launch party, but before then, after the 26th of March, NWD can be purchased for £5 at the Dundee Borders and Waterstones as well as online.
LINK: http://www.dup.dundee.ac.uk/order.html Get it!



THE 14th TALE! / THE 14th VERB //
TWO WEEKS AWAY! My first full length show, The 14th Tale on the 18/19/20th of March will be a part of the London Word Fest. Major rehearsals begin today and for the next 9 days I will be in the thick of things, a good few days of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. rehearsals, repositioning, redrafting, the show must go oning and all sorts. I am looking forward to the challenge. Now, the world will try to distract me, that is its job, I accept that, but I'll stay steadfast and try to tie everything into the show.

The first distraction is a welcomed one. The show was born of two things: pressure from Roger Robinson and a writing assignment set by Roddy Lumsden who taught me in poetry at City University in London. On Wednesday the 11th, I will be discussing the play and reading bits of it for BBC Radio 3's The Verb. The other featured writer is, unbelievably... Roddy Lumsden! I tell you, there is a vague order to things... The show goes out on Friday and will be available on BBC Radio 3's website for 7 days. Make sure to listen, Roddy is quite a dude.

DETAILS for THE 14th VERB
9.15 // Friday 13th March
BBC Radio 3 // www.bbc.co.uk/radio3

DETAILS for THE 14th TALE***
The 14th Tale // 8.15 // 18th, 19th, 20th March.
Arcola Theatre // 27 Arcola Street E8 2DJ
£9/£7 // Bx office No: 020 7503 1646
Bx office Web: http://moourl.com/end3y
Facebook: http://moourl.com/4w1om



YOUTUBE: INUA ELLAMS //
YEAH! About time I show one of mine... In 07 I met Jason Brooks, a film maker. I worked on a project for him lending my vocal chords to voiceover a short doc about cultural destabilisation caused by NGOs in Jomo, Kenya. We worked well together and wanted to do so again. Two years pass, The 14th Tale comes and after an hour of rehearsals, an hour of filming and three hours of rushed, pressured editing, (Jason travels a lot now) we teased out this excerpt , this taste of The 14th Tale. Sit back relax and watch. See you at the show x


Inua Ellams x
Out.

News from Inua Ellams. 09/02/09
I didn't mailout in Jan so this is me belatedly Happy-New-Yearing you, wishing you had a good break, lots of cheese, port (discovered I like this) and guilty mistletoe love. The year started with a bang in love, life and finance, I discovered a euphemism: “creative banking” to describe miniscule money management, everything is changing... but such is life's dynamism, its only promise, is not to. Its constant is inconsistency. We inhale, exhale and trust tomorrow to better today...


The Formula: News Items / something from YouTube
The 14th Tale // Calling Maywell // Sara Shamsavari // YOUTUBE: GUINNESS


THE 14th TALE //
Save the dates, March 18th, 19th, 20th. Yes yes y'all. To ye who saw it last year, the story is finshed. To ye who missed it completely, The 14th tale, my first full length narrative is round the corner. After last year's scratch run at the Battersea Arts Centre, Tom Chivers had whisperings with me of showing the finished story at The London Word Festival. Later that month, I had whisperings with Fuel, theatre company. We have now combined forces and are unstoppable. Captain Planet can't touch us.

Publicity says: “The 14th Tale is a free flowing mellifluous narrative that tells the hilarious exploits of a natural born mischief growing from the clay streets of Nigeria to the roof tops in Dublin, and finally to London. Inua vividly recreates the characters that punctuate his upbringing in deft and beautiful poetry, while challenging the audience’s expectations of what it is to be a young, black male in London today.”

It begins... “I'm from a long line of trouble makers, of ash skinned Africans, born with clenched fists and a natural thirst for battle, only quenched by breast milk.”

Come see! Look for it on Facebook. Details:
The 14th Tale. // 18th, 19th, 20th March.
8.15pm // Cost £9/£7  // Bx Offc: 020 7503 1646
The Arcola Theatre // 27 Arcola Street E8 2DJ
England.



CALLING MAYWELL //
Last year, I started a 10 week course on play writing, just to experiment, try other written art forms. There were 16 others on the course run by the Soho Theatre, and it was real. I mean 'real' in the street speak sense. Hard core, fast paced, demanding, deadlines, the thick of things. I eventually churned out a 2 character, 20 minute script about a poet and his friend/nemesis/antithesis. I thought it was.... okay, so was completely shocked when it was one of the six chosen to be staged. A 'rehearsed reading' (pretty much exactly what you think it means) of the play happened at the Soho Theatre on the 26th  of Jan and it was quite an experience.

Usually, when I write, I work out rhythm, intonation, breath control etc as I go, knowing I will read the created work. I tried not to do so on this occasion, to leave it all to the actors to sort out themselves. I had two brilliant award winning actors, but the gentleman playing the poet had by far the greater challenge and unfortunately could not quite get to grips with poems he had to 'perform'. I have never felt so naked on stage, and I wasn't even on it. It was revealing, I never saw the tightly structured, yet strangely loose way I write poetry until I heard it from the lips of another.  There is a possibility of the play being developed, in any case the director of the project advised me to stick another feather in my hat. I am now a playwright. I want to do it again. Commission? Anyone?



LOVE IS CHANGE //
I wish I could romance a camera, its ideals parallels poetry: both are concerned with capturing a moment, celebrating it and what is captured can only be of the present... they footnote and journal us. I subscribe to  photography blogs as I can't keep up with real exhibitions, but one photographer I've followed is Sara Shamsavari. Last year, the lensed lady flew to Chicago to shoot just after Obama's victory and exhibited her findings in TopShop, Oxford St. London. The work was GOOD, colourful, vibrant, inclusive, real and her next exhibition begins today, Monday 9th, titled 'LOVE IS CHANGE'

Press release: “This exhibition of photography reveals love manifested in physical form. It provokes viewers to reflect on the particular conception of love expressed, and to consider how this relates to their own experience of love. In contemplating a photograph, our mundane perception is challenged: we see the world through the eyes of another and our understanding is transformed in the process. Love is Change!”

So at tonight's launch, I have been invited to read a poem or two on the theme of Love. Sara invites visitors to write down their thoughts on the power of love and these will be added to show, so go down over the next two weeks, check it out.

Details:
Love is Change! // 9th-22nd Feb //
63 Broadwick Street // London, W1 //
England



YOUTUBE: GUINNESS //Limerick:

There once was a black man in Dublin
Who'd bet on horses stumbling.
He died his hair blonde
When a bet went wrong
Now Guinness is what they call him!

I am a Guinness man. Extra cold. It sits in the belly like a meal. Musa Okwanga, Joshua Idehen and I have spent many a time over a pint of Guinness pint discussing pints of Guinness. The limerick above was written for a song during my ill fated attempt at rapping as part of Musa and Josh's band 'Benin City'... My father was a food technologist in Nigeria who worked to develop home grown ingredients for Guinness. They support a lot of Africa-related events, worked with the legendary Roger Robinson to release a cd of poems... anyway, it was my wish to be the first poet to do one of those cool Guinness adverts but a fellow poet beat me to it. But he is a friend, we have the same publisher, he did a great job, I bear no bitterness. This month's offering comes from Ainsely Burrows, Sit back and enjoy.

News from Inua Ellams. 04/11/08
24. 23. Future? Hope. Election. Pencil. Nald. Southbank. Obama. McCain. Winter. My Birthday. Love. Life. New Apple Macs? Opera. The Last Genie. Rushdie. Fatwa. Seraphin. Winchester. KnightWatch. News. Lilly and the Ladybird. Things Lined with silver... snap shots of my October, what are yours?


The formula: three news items and something good from YouTube:
My FUNNY VALENTINE// THE LAST GENIE // BATTLE OF IDEAS // BARACK OBAMA.


My FUNNY VALENTINE //
So. (I like beginning messages with 'So', it denotes a straight-to-business approach don't you think?). So, the Terrance Higgings Trust is the leading, largest HIV and sexual health charity in the UK. It has been running for 26 years, reaches out to 50,000 people year and does truly inspiring work. As a charity, the organisation runs on donations from nice, kind rich people, or everyday salt of the earth types wanting to do some good... In this light, lemme introduce Nick Bailey, a cheerful, charming, chap who has organised two fund-raising events for the trust; two Back to Back evenings of Classic Jazz, Great Music, Singers, Food, and I'll be there to drop a poem or two. ALL Proceeds go to the trust, there is a multi-prized raffle you qualify for when you buy a ticket, and you will get that warm fuzzy feeling we crave this time of year. Here is what you need to know:

Show: My Funny Valentine.
Date: 29th & 30th November.
Tickets: £10 - (for charity)
Doors: 7.30 pm, Show: 8pm
Contact: nick_bailey@hotmail.co.uk
Phone: 07921 550 820
Venue: Pizza On The Park
Add: 111 Knightsbridge, London, SW1
Tube: Hyde Park Corner.


BATTLE OF IDEAS.
On Sunday, I read at an event called the Battle Of Ideas at the Royal College of Art in London. It is an annual festival where intellectuals, leaders, students and all in between meet to argue about topical issues. Debates raged on America's election tonight, to the 'Credit Crunch', Malthu's ideas of over population and birth rate reduction, Education, Youth Crime etc... I read at the Poetry debate chaired by David Bowden, with Tom Chivers, Glyn Maxwell and Shirely Dent. There were five other poets reading who I was familiar with except a lady from Chicago, she read a short beautiful poem, I got to speak with her very briefly afterwards and found out she is currently a professor at the University of Chicago, her name is Leela Gandhi, she is Mahatma Gandhi's granddaughter. Yeah.

I mean, that in itself doesn't mean anything, and I am not so low as to name drop for the hell of it, I just thought it surreal that in a festival of freedom of speech, two days before THIS year's USA Presidential Election where Obama echoes Martin Luther King whose politics was heavily influenced by Gandhi, in this current 'Credit Crunch' which is at its cruxa debt crisis, a variant of third world debt spawned from colonialism, against which Gandhi fought, I read with his granddaughter.

All the debates were filmed and will be uploaded to the website, I encourage you to browse, listen and get angry about things. http://www.battleofideas.org.uk/


THE LAST GENIE at ROH //
Remember the Libretto I mentioned writing last month? Well, I met the deadline of the 20th of Oct and for the last fortnight, I have watched it become an Opera. During the half term holidays, there was a week long intensive of rehearsals and development. The main characters now have motifs and melodies that float them into mind wherever I am... the songs are coming together, the choreography, the actors are taking to their roles... It's been fascinating seeing essentially a long poem set to music by the terrific team and the forty brilliant younglings starring in it... but here is the real news: The tickets are on sale, there are four shows over its three day run, come see, buy one.

Name: The Last Genie
Dates: Dec 18th- 4pm, 19th- 4pm, 21- 2&5pm.
Tickets: £8 / £4 concessions
Buy at: http://www.roh.org.uk/
Venue: The Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House
Address: Covent Garden, London WC2E 9DD
Tube: Covent Garden.


YOUTUBE: BARAK OBAMA.
Yes. I want him to win. I won't sit you through my reasons. At the Battle Of Ideas, I heard opinions for and against him, spoke with a poet friend based in Chicago for an hour discussing her choice, read a little, but watched a lot on the net, this is one such video. These artists got together of their own vocation, set his speech to song and pumped this across the net... It is perfect, simple, effective use of virals. One aspect of Obama's campaign was his embrace of new media, an attempt to reach young people on their own grounds. The fact that this was a central campaign strategy shows a willingness to listen, to try new things, to be radical and if that doesn't speak of progress, I dunno what does? Anyway, you may have seen this before... this months youtube offering has been viewed by more than 11 million people across the world. On the eve of the election, sit back and watch: Yes We Can:


That's all folks.
Inua x

News from Inua Ellams. 05/10/08
I love slightly palindromic sentences like, "At the start of the human problem, is the problem of the human heart." or ones that need only slight changes. In summer I said something like: "What the hell happened, summer left in 2 weeks" and I can tweak it to: "What the hell happened? winter came in 2 days!" - I think I dwell on the weather too much as introductions to newsletters. For the next two months, I will think up spiffy comments on America's Presidential Election. Promise.

The formula: three news items and something good from YouTube:
FREE GiG: NPG // THE LAST GENIE // BARBERSHOP CHRONICLES // ROAD RAGE.


FREE GiG: National Portrait Gallery//
Sooo, the 1354 Collective's installation I curated in July and my Ltd. Edition book (view here - http://piurl.com/SPY, buy here - http://piurl.com/Oi2) were the first projects where I got to play with the visual and literal sides of me... this is the next one. On the 9th of October, on National Poetry Day, I will be exploring personal portraiture in a Painting Tour / Poetry Performance through the 16th - 19th Century Rooms at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Sounds nice doesn't it?


For an hour I will lead a group through the gallery, speak briefly about certain paintings, elaborate on themes, settings, history and read a poem that is linked. It is open to the public and it is FREE, but ticketed on a first come first serve basis, so after work or before dinner on Thursday, spend an hour with me for poetry and paintings.

Thurs 9th Oct. // 7pm // Free, 1st Come, 1st Serve.
at: N.Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place London WC2H OHE


BARBERSHOP CHRONICLES //
The moment I first decided to get up and read a poem in public came after I saw late on Channel5 (2003) a poet called Mahogany Browne reading. Behind her, a woman danced nude, erotically, in a bathtub. I logged online faster than you can say something fast, found and frequented an event in St Martins Place (opposite the NPG) called Aromapoetry. 2 months later, I was given my first ever headline spot shared with... Mahogany Browne. 5 years have passed and we still be cool, she's doing many beautiful things in New York, hosts the biggest night at the legendary Nuyorican Poets café, and has just published a new anthology called 'The Barbershop Chronicles'.

I was published in this anthology with Jacob Sam La Rose and Nicholas Makoha, but I also designed the cover of the book, it is online and buyable, see - http://piurl.com/aLs for details.


THE LAST GENIE // Thief of Baghdad
Last month, I mentioned the Thief of Baghdad project - East London Dance in partnership with the Royal Opera House. (Damn, I feel ostentatious, I'll refere to them as ELD and ROH, cool?) Last night, deep in the bowels of the ROH, I sat with K.G. the director, J.B. the music guru, and N.K. Choreographer debating the title of the piece. In poetry, trying to find a word that is loose enough to mean everything or specific enough to mean one thing, is what the burning-of-the-midnight-candle is about.

The title was whittled down to: The Feather Guardian, Feathers and Dust, Children of Dust, The Last Genie, and The Genie's last Disciple. Some were instantly ruled out, including my suggestion of - 'How Zabby got her groove back.' (brilliant right!? - the genie's name in the piece is Zebarack). Feathers and Dust was ruled out; though we liked its musicality, it conjured too much the house keeping implement. The Feather Guardian was taken out as well. I spoke against Children of Dust, felt it gave an idea that was too allegorical of death, it was hotly contested, but K.G. sealed the deal saying 'The Last Genie' was definite, snappy, more 'Christmasy' than the others and it sounded well with the main feature: The Last Genie & The Thief of Baghdad.

I am on schedule to deliver the libretto, my deadline is on the 20th of October, after which the fun begins, seeing it come to life. Show is on 18th, 19 and 21st of December. Tickets on sale soon, watch this space.


YOUTUBE: ROAD RAGE //
Lately I have be journeying in cars. My lady drives and has revealed some darkness that further textures her personality - I like it. but even she would be cowered by this. Tonight's youtube offering shows the mastery of age, the knowledge of one's humble weapons against an ever impatient world and what happens when grannies go bad. Sit back, click, watch and guffaw with me. - -http://piurl.com/aLr

That's all folks.
Stay cool, keep warm.
Inua x

So sorry! I apologise for the distance; I posted nothing nothing last month because I was taking a breather, a lot of you were on holiday and I had spammed you through July about 'The 14th Tale'... but I am back and in my absence, hope you remembered the formula... (with a slight amendment.)

The formula: three news items and something good from YouTube:
THANKS // LIMITED PRINT // THIEF OF BAGHDAD // WOMEN ARE HEROES //


THANKS // The 14th Tale
Thanks to all who made the 3 night run of the show at the BAC, seems so long ago now! The 1st night went stupendously well, the narrative, all the little jokes and characters, all received warmly. I was warned of the curse of the 2nd night but I laughed it off claiming to be exceptioned from the rule, but... yes it did not go as planned. I received positive feedback again, but for me, something was off. But on the last night my family came and the show went very well. For y'all who missed it, I am in talks and planning, next year, it will be finished and shown again. Stay tuned.


LIMITED EDiTION PRiNT //
This has been a LONG time coming. I wanted to do 3 things with the 1st book. 1) Record some of its poems for a Limited Edition CD, 2) Illustrate the poems & exhibit (which I did in July) and the finally, 3) republish the book with the Illustrations. And here it is... in black and white, matt-finished, soft back print.

The New Book has 13 illustrations (12 new) that are so inspired by the poems that to be fully enjoyed, you gotta flick between as you read. I am doubly exited because I laid out and designed the book. For the first time, my words and images are together in a collection. But there is a twist...

We printed 313 copies. Nothing more. They have all been signed, dated and numbered by me and I hope in a decade or so, when poetry rules the world, snot nosed geeks and enthusiasts will bid-war for them on Amazon/Ebay... They each sell for £6.13p (the 13p is of prime importance, more so than the 6) and are available from - Flipped Eye, click here - http://piurl.com/Oi2 -

OR you can get them from me. Please, if nothing at all, stop to look at the book, here is a link to what it looks like, & the first few illustrations. - http://piurl.com/SPY - enjoy.


THIEF OF BAGHDAD //
East London Dance in association with the Royal Opera House, once a year run a project called 'Street Stories' where they devise a show to be staged at the ROH in London, during the Christmas period. This December will see the retelling of The Thief of Baghdad by Opera Maestro Will Tuckett, and ELD have to produce something inspired by that piece. There's an impressive team of choreographers, composers and vocalists on the project, but to eek out, write and structure a story, they needed someone and yours truly is on the case. I have to teach poetry, guide and tease out text from the young cast, take it home and sculpt it, but essentially, I am writing a Libretto for the Royal Opera House. I am actually gonna write an 'Aria', ME, amazing. As I did with the SLAM project earlier in the year, I'll keep you posted as it develops and let you know about tickets for the show. x


YOUTUBE: WOMEN ARE HEROES //
I am often asked the question, 'Where do you see yourself in the future?' and I answer detailing how I'd like to travel the world on behalf of the British Council / NGOs / UN / Charities / to interact with communities, teach poetry, learn from & experience as much as I can and report back having created illustrations & written poems/prose about my experiences to be published. I'd try to leave copies and exhibit the work I create in each place as a small token and legacy to its people.... But this video best shows what I mean, its is simple, powerful and beautiful. (I'd really like to travel with them). This month's Youtube offering moved my lady to tears, 'Women Are Heroes'. Sit back and watch -



Thanks.

MiD Month Mail - The 14th Tale show. //

THE 14th TALE //
Preparations for the three scratch performances are going well. Later today, I will run out to a Primark outlet, (we call it 'Pri-MARNI') to purchase stage clothes, after that, will try to track down stage blood (all will be revealed - insert evil laughter -) Committing the text to memory has been hellish, I've woken up sweating profusely babbling phrases to myself a couple of times, and taking a leaf from fellow writer, Musa Okwonga's book, I walk the streets reading it out loud. When the text was still fresh in my head, I noticed something interesting...

The show is split into four sections, four slices I feel can be read as stand alone pieces. In each section, there is a conflict and resolution the protagonist goes through that heighten and build to the climax before the story ends. In the performance of the text, I gotta remember the sentiment, the emotion, the drive behind each stage of the arch to deliver it effectively. I do that well enough but because of the repeating pattern, when I first started this I found myself mixing resolutions... ie. I'd begin a story and end with another.

It was absolutely entertaining for me, realising how the mind works, these intricate associations. Once in a while, I take a break and let my tongue loose and see what sections I can mix before I get completely befuddled. The weirdest mix so far was yesterday; I started with the first section's story where I am being chased by three nuns in a dusty church's courtyard in Nigeria, found myself ending with the fourth section's story; being chased across rooftops in Dublin by three police officers, hehehhe. None of them caught me.

If you'd like to hear the stories in their entirety, come to the show! It is for three nights at the Battarsea Arts centre, here are the details and the blurb. Looking forward to seeing you there.

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

The 14th Tale, 31st of July, 1st or 2nd of Aug.
Inua Ellams' one person narrative.

Inua Ellams, poet, performer and Nigerian author of best selling poetry collection, 'Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales, presents 'The 14th Tale' - a scratch performance of a long narrative. In his free flowing, beautiful, mellifluous style, it tells the hilarious exploits of a natural born mischief, growing from the clay streets of Nigeria to rooftops in Dublin, finally to London.

It begins - "I'm from a long line of trouble makers, of ash skinned Africans, born with clenched fists and a natural thirst for battle, only quenched by breast milk..." commissioned by the BAC, Inua will be giving three scratch performances of the work in progress.

Please, keep the 31st of July, 1st or 2nd of August free, and come see the story so far.

Date: 31 July, 1 & 2 August
Time: 8pm Cost £5/£3
Venue: The BAC //
Lavender Hill, Battersea,
London, SW11 5TN
Box Office : 02072232223
http://www.bac.org.uk.

That's all folks.
Speak soon.
Inua x

News from Inua Ellams. 07/07/08
AHh, just when it seemed summer was underway, last Wednesday began with clear skies, temperature highs, moved to rain, then ACTUAL HAILSTONES... curiously, it mirrors work patterns, clear direction, things heat up, suddenly a downfall and madness. But enough of that shizz... down to bizz...

The formula, four news items and something good from YouTube: TALKING IN TONGUES / LONDON LIMING / FRESH OFF THE WALL / LYNK REACH (prt3) / STOP ME /


TALKING IN TONGUES // Show - 13th July.
The London Literature Festival got underway last Friday at the Southbank and I am taking part in a couple of events. I have been talking non-stop about the scratch performance of my show, The 14th TALE, at the BAC on the 31 July / 1 & 2 of August. BUT the first time I perform it will see a 10 min segment on the 13th of July at 'TALKING IN TONGUES', an event this Sunday hosted by Sifundo Msebele, curator of Africa Beyond. At the Southbank, I shall stage-share with Ebele, Charlie Dark, and Bries who have also cooked up new pieces for the date. Come see. //

Date: 13th July, 6pm //
Purcell Rooms, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre //
Tickets £9 // http://...com/4be7ow


LONDON LIMING //
After my performance, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Artist-In-Residence Lemn Sissay and Tilt present brilliance, 'London Liming', a show I will attend, featuring Ursula Rucker, Brian Patten, Shlomo, Patience Agbabi, Stacy Makishi and Louis Antwi, Curated by Melanie Abrahams. //

Date: 13th of July, 7.45pm //
Queen Elizabeth Hall. Southbank Centre //
Tickets £12 // Concessions 50%

In The Front Room at Queen Elizabeth Hall, 5pm, you can catch Broadcaster Kevin Le Gendre talking to Ursula Rucker about her career and influences. This one is before my show and FREE.


FRESH OFF THE WALL //
Something completely different... I am graphic designer / visual artist as well as a writer. Constantly, I strive to merge the disciplines. The first realisation of this is the Limited Edition reprint, just 313 copies of my collection featuring graphic interpretations of the poems. (More info to come) But the 2econd is the Visual Art Installation at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer. This is the first Visual Art Event I have curated! I invited 10 artists and colleagues to exhibit with me. Over the next two weeks, evolving from a blank canvas, the space will become a visual documentary of the Festival, an exciting mix of textiles, graffiti, photographs, video and performance as artists create the work in real time. The space is the Queen Elizabeth Hall's Foyer, free to enter and open till 10.30 / 11 most nights. Please stop by and check it out if you are in the centre over the next two weeks. Cheers.


LYNK REACH (prt3) //
WE WON! I've been reporting on the SLAM 08 team of poet kids I have been coaching with Nick Makoha. Talked about seeing the students develop as their attitudes to friends, family and teachers changed, I've talked about the small victories, difficulties and emotionally charged writing sessions. I did not mention the students storming out, mothers threatening to pull kids out for arriving home too late or the star student suspended from school. The sessions were to culminate in a SLAM, where the kids from different schools go head to head an have their poems scored and judged. We were still changing the poem till the last minute! Moving lines in the changing rooms, the suspended student stepped back in and learnt both 3 minute poems in one week! Incredible! We were still working out how to end the poem as we were called on stage...

And we won. Simply. It all paid of, tears, sweat, determination, drama, all that good stuff. The Kids get to travel to Chicago in August to meet other poetry teams. Nick will be going with them. As a shadow, I do not get to travel, but they have promised to rock that city and remember poetry for as long as they live and honestly, this, the flashbacks of this process and what I have learnt, is reward enough.

Besides, I am working on a similar something starting in that month, for the Royal Opera House. :-) Stay tuned.


STOP ME //
Earlier this year, I held a live recording of 6 poems from my first book. Unbelievably, the footage has gone missing, meaning I will have to do the show all over again. I worked hard to put the show together, so am seething with fury and thinking daggers into the heart of the camera man (sorry dude, but it hurts). So much so that I should have nothing but hatred and unrestrained jealousy for Joshua Idehen, fellow PIP, who, without breaking a sweat tripped and fell into a production company who made this film for him. But I cannot, because it is so well executed. This month's YOUTUBE offering is a poem called STOP ME. Sit back relax and enjoy.




cheers.

14th Tale Special - Scratch 1 Person Narrative Performance for The BAC.

THE 14TH TALE -
Hey folks, 'tis been bout three weeks since we spoke, but a hell of a month already. Every moment I get away from the computer, I spend it committing the 40 minute script of the 14th Tale to memory...

The script itself has been written, re written and thrown away exactly five time. The first narrative was to be based on the Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales and I created the character of a magical African story teller to deliver the story on stage. If this was a MARVEL film, the storyteller / narrator would be the HULK and I'd be the man who becomes the beast, Bruce Banner. But just as the American Military forces found, the beast is untameable and must be left alone.

Okay I exaggerate. I love the character and will definitely use him for future works, but I found no way to sustain an engaging, hour long narrative with his voice so though it hurt, desperately, I put him to the side and tried a different approach... to write about the man behind the beast, about Bruce Banner.... about myself.

For me, there has been nothing more difficult than this. I sat for long whiles staring at Virginia (my laptop), Virginia staring back with sympathy as I thought about my experiences, what could tie things together, searching for a beginning and end, moments poignant enough for poetry and for a story. By the 5th script, I considered throwing the towel in. My mentor swore at me saying 'you ain't throwing shit, get back to it...' so I faced the Virginia again thinking 'how did I get myself in this', and a seed was sown...

I thought about all the times that phrase had passed my lips 'how did I get myself in this?', about all the trouble I caused as boy. From the four year old who short-circuited the house with a silver spoon and a Betamax Video player, to throwing tantrums in Nigeria, halting an entire 700 student strong assembly, because I did not win an award and my twin sister did, to being chased through a jungle by a crazed French teacher called, I kid you not, Monsieur Bat Cock! I became obsessed with this, spent stupid hours laughing to myself till I began to take it seriously as a concept.

One evening, I sat with my father and asked him questions about myself growing up, and realised that he had been just as troublesome in his youth, and his father had been before him... I saw a pattern, saw a first line, scribbled it and the story begins thus:

"I'm from a long line of trouble makers, of ash skinned Africans, born with clenched fists and a natural thirst for battle, only quenched by breast milk. They'd suckle as if the white silk sliding between gums were liquid peace treaties written from mums. Their small thumbs would dimple the soft mounds of brown flesh, goose-pimple chests till the ceasefire of sleep would creep into eyes, they'd keep till the moon sets..."

At the BAC, I will be showing the first 35 - 40 minutes of the script. I hope it will be as entertaining for you as it has been for me to write. Please, Keep the 31st of July, 1st or 2nd of August free, come and check out where I'm from.

Date: 31 July, 1 & 2 August
Time: 8pm Cost £5/£3
Venue: The BAC //
Lavender Hill, Battersea,
London, SW11 5TN
Box Office : 02072232223
http://www.bac.org.uk


LONDON LITERATURE FEST
P.s. I will be performing about 10 minutes of the story at the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre. I will share a stage with Charlie Dark and Bries, legends of poetry. Date: 13th of July, 6pm, Purcell Rooms, Queen Elizabeth Hall. Talking Tongues

P.P.s Thanks so much for those who have bought the Limited Edition CDs. Out of the 50 handmade copies, 31 have been sold, 19 are left and they are going fast. To see how they are made, please go to http://...com/3jeuhh. Thanks.

See you soon.

News from Inua Ellams. 09/06/08
Excerpt from new work: "I am from a long line of trouble makers, of ash skinned Africans born with clenched fists and a natural thirst for battle, only quenched by breast milk, they'd suckle as if the white silk sliding between gums, were liquid peace treaties, written from mums..." Yeah :)


The formula, four news items and something good from YouTube: THE
14th TALE / SOUNDBLAST / NORTH WALSHAM / M&C SAATCHI / ONETASTE /



THE 14TH TALE -
PLease Pleas Please, keep the 31st of July, 1st or 2nd of August free. For the last few months, I have been working on a show, a one person narrative called 'THE 14th TALE' loosely inspired by the book. It is easily the most challenging and personal thing I have ever done. I will be speaking of this more over the coming weeks, but the scratch performances are on those three dates.

Date: 31 July, 1 & 2 August
Time: 8pm Cost £5/£3
Venue: The BAC //
Lavender Hill, Battersea,
London, SW11 5TN
Box Office : 02072232223
http://www.bac.org.uk.



SOUNDBLAST -
There are two limited edition projects under way. This is the first. Couple of month ago I read at the launch of SOUNDBLAST, the poetry books society's project to sell recordings of poetry. I selected Six of the notorious Fairy Negro Tales, spent a while in a studio perfecting the poems, creating something worthy of purchase. I sent them to and they loved them, agreed to sell it. Now, the original idea was simply to make them on demand but I got to thinking, my fingers got to itching and I opted to hand make everything. Monetary wise, it is a bit more than I budgeted and I'll just about break even, but damn it, they look beautiful! The cases are hand made of soft, recycled
foliage lined paper and the poems are on gloss black Cds. I am making only 50 of these, so get 'em while they last.

You can see how they are made here : http://...com/3jeuhh
You can reserve and collect from me at a show or something or...
Purchase from Soundsblast, they'll post it : http://...com/5rpg2p

If you don't get to purchase a physical copy, but still want the poems, fear not: available (via pay pal) from my myspace page and website.



NORTH WALSHAM -
On 2nd of May, I was invited back to teach creative writing at a school in Norfolk, North Walsham as part of the week of internationalism and diversity. I devised a prose writing exercise where students would have to flick through a series of photographs specific to one of eight countries, eg Cambodia, China, Nigeria, note images, sounds and smells from the country and retell an incident, something that happened specific to the student, but place it in the chosen country... I taught the whole school except year eight students, as they were studying for exams, but the results were incredible. From break dancing on a barge made of flowers in a rice field, to a skateboarding in the Sahra. A girl named Rose O'Connor pushed the boat further and created her own world, beginning, "Once upon a time in Connorsville, on a quiet street called Rose..."

The most touching though was from a student who took the day she discovered she was pregnant, placed it in India's monsoon season and wrote to her future son of her tears stolen by the rain. I love what I do.



M&C SAATCHI -
Sooo.... I am a member of the Daydream Crew, a collective that put out a graphic arts magazine. Last year, the collective took over the foyer of the M&S SAATCHI (infamous art collectors) offices in Golden Square near Carnaby Street, London. They brought a host of artists into the space who graffitied the walls creating Urban art in the mist
unlikely of places. They were invited back to launch the 4th issue of their magazine and I went along to see the new works being created and graffitied onto the walls. I helped a couple of the artist until I was tasked to create something... I sat in a corner for a few minutes, penned a verse and stayed till the small hours of the morning,
grafting the poem to the walls! The exhibition is open to the public 12pm - 8 pm, so if you are in the area, stop by, walk in, see and READ.

Address - M&C SAATCHI // 36 Golden Square London / W1F 9E



YOUTUBE: ONETASTE COLLECTIVE 12 June // Jazz cafe -
Going from strength, this is about the Oneaste Collective. Members of the collective are scattered across the entertainment industry, in all categories, fields and levels. Last year the collective played the Jazz Cafe and this year we return with a tighter more inclusive show. We have been working hard to bring something truly brilliant to the stage and on the 12 of June, we take the Jazz Cafe by storm. To add fuel to the fire, that Night I will be flying from one event to another and should get on the venue when the show is to begin as a short verse of mine set to Samba drums opens the show. Also a bristling tour of summer festivals is underway and to get the vibe and news rolling, we created a short intro to the collective. Look out for yours truly....



More soon. Inua x

I Cannot believe Boris won! I'll have to start watching my back now. With this, we enter the 5th Month of the Year... and the 5th use of the formula: four news items & something good from YouTube:
MiD / PROSPECT / FREE WORD / LIVE REC / YOUTUBE:


MUSEUM in DOCKLANDS -
On April 3rd, I was invited as a speaker to a seminar at the Museum in Docklands. The conference was called 'London Sugar & Slavery'. Essentially, it was a gathering of Museum curators, academics, managers and consultants speaking on their experiences last year, creating projects around the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade. My role as a speaker was to read poems around the theme. I read four poems over the day: 'Neverself', 'Clubbing', 'Dustbin Diaries' and 'For the Fighters and lovers'. As a writer, I never think to place myself or my work academically or historically. I just write. But it was interesting, intensely interesting, to realise how seamlessly they complimented the discussions. But this isn't about that. It's about The Museum in Docklands. It is a permanent exhibition of Britain's History, our history, of Slavery, and it is breath taking in detail, scope, form, challenge, humanity. Comprising of paintings, contemporary photography, illustrations, time-spliced projection / animation... I can't begin to describe the place. So just check it out:
Museum in Docklands


PROSPECT -
Prospect Magazine has a circulation of 27,000 or so and is one of the leading magazines on current affairs and cultural debate in the UK, alongside the New Statesman and The Spectator, with contributors from both the left & right wings. Contributors have included Nobel Literature laureate J.M.Coetzee, Margaret Atwood, Gordon Brown and more... But one evening A Poem in Between People, my poetry collective (with Johsua Idehen, Musa Okwonga and Catherine Martindale) met Prospect's assistant editor, Tom Chatfield, for a round the table discussion on poetry, spoken word. It took a couple of beers to loosen lips, but the article is cool, if you have the time, please read:
Prospect


FREE WORD -
On the 12th & 13th of April, London's Southbank housed the FREE THE WORD festival. (Yes, I know the title is lame). Over the two days, a horde of poets and I created and executed a Word Walk / Literature Tour / Festival Hike type thing, where parts of the Southbank were sectioned off with masking tape into performance areas, and in them, poems were performed to those who followed the trail. It was an experience. The term 'Teen Spirit' came alive in the form of secondary school kids - performers on the tour - chasing down passer-bys to listen to poetry, yelling FREE THE WORD!! Now, I did what I could, but the old man in me shook his head and sighed in nostalgia at the idea that I once had so much faith and energy... The tour, put together by Eastside Educational Trust, was a bristling success. The freerunners, skate boarders, graffiti artist & BMXers did not what hit 'em! As part of the warm up before performing, we were taught an ancient urban hymn I shall now pass on to you and those I teach poetry. It goes...

Black socks they never get dirty
The longer you wear them the stronger they get
Sometimes I think I should wash them
Then a small voice tells me don't do it yet
Not yet, Not yet, Not yet, Not YET!


THE LIVE RECORDING -
Of Six poems from the Fairy Negro Tales, was a fun, laid back night, a perfect valediction to the poems. A warm and attentive audience of friends, writers, acquaintances and strangers came to the show at the Miller. We ran a little late to begin, but I was relaxed on stage, the poems were read, recorded and filmed. The audience stayed around chatting and getting to know each other, well into the night. Special shout outs go to Rory Broadfoot (I know right! that surname conjures the 'what do they say about men with big feet' joke) the cameraman, to John Hendicott - sound and music guru: both guys brought down thousands of pounds worth of equipment to capture the show, finally to Bailey for being herself. The next step is for the recording to be edited, chopped up and YouTubed. Stay tuned.


YOUTUBE: RYAN Vs DORKMAN -
I am a geek. I say this in complete and utter pride. Through my formative years I looked like Steve Urkel (google him), loved and still love Star Trek (was once put on detention of studying The Starship Voyager's blueprints instead of working - there are no toilets on that ship!), I know HTML in-jokes, I even have an anecdote about being a black Milky Bar Kid, growing up in Nigeria titled 'The Way of the Nerd". Bullies around the world spend decades tormenting the likes of us. From schooling in Nigeria to schooling Dublin and London, the bully / geek dynamic remained constant. But eventually we supersede our muscle bound nemesis and steal the lime light. A great example is the following clip where nerds, my people, show their brilliance, in the execution, action sequence and use of CGI. George Lucas, eat your heart out; this is bloody brilliant:



That's all folks.


speak soon. Inua x