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Showing posts from 2018

Two Publishing Talks: Southampton and Swansea

I'm talking writing, poetry and publishing on class act panels in two far flung UK locations this autumn! This month, come see me on Thursday 20 September in Southampton: Then, next month, I'll be on the panel of the More Poetry is Needed session at Swansea Fringe Festival (2-4pm, Sunday 7 October: Submitting your poems to a publisher can be intimidating, but The Swansea Fringe is here to help! Three of Wales’ leading poetry editors – Emily Blewitt (New Welsh Review), Nia Davies (Poetry Wales) and Susie Wild (Parthian Books) – join The Crunch’s Adam Sillman for a panel discussion focused on the world of publishing and poetry.  What do these three editors look for when they open up submissions? Are there any pitfalls to avoid when sending your work for consideration? And has being an editor changed their approach to submitting their own poetry to magazines and publishers? All of these questions and more will be answered during

Fame is a Place on Scott Tyrell's Spoken Word Map of the UK & Ireland.

Find out more via Scott Tyrell's twitter

Brecon Beacons, Green Man Festival, Ep.1

Oh Literary Death Match at Green Man was such fun, thanks to the 1000+ audience for coming and watching at Babbling Tongues on Saturday afternoon, and to Adrian, Laura and Fiona for inviting me along, it was so, so very close... Here's the LDM post about it all: August 18, 2018 — In our first foray into an event at a National Park, Literary Death Match headed to the Green Man Festival in Brecon Beacons, Wales for an afternoon delight that saw  Rebecca Tantony   narrowly outduel  Susie Wild  in sudden death during a One Star Wonder finale, winning Tantony the LDM Green Man, Ep. 1 crown and literary immortality to go with it.  Here's the lineup from the event:  JUDGES:  Literary Merit:  Anita Sethi , award-winning writer, journalist and broadcaster Performance:  Johnny Lynch , a.k.a.  Pictish Trail , a Scottish musician for the ages Intangibles:  Horatio Clare , critically-acclaimed author and journalist, winner of the Somerset Maugham Aw

Planet Review: Better Houses

Oh I've just read a lovely joint review of Brood by my dear friend Rhian Edwards and Better Houses by me me me in the new issue of Planet . Thanks Elizabeth Edwards. Some snippets for you... On Better Houses : "The collection begins on a riotous note in 'Build the Table First', invoking fire, broken glass, flamingos and fake blood, in worlds made, destroyed and remade through outnumbered 'house moves'. But (as the fake blood may suggest) nothing comes to serious harm here, ultimately looking towards physical and emotional forms of steadiness: 'nothing is broken betwee n us / for long'. It's a fitting introduction to the collection as a whole, which contemplates big life shifts throughout but is ultimately a gentle and conciliatory work. [...] 'Carcharodon Carcharias, Cariad', reels gorgeously from a restaurant to the seashore to the night sky [...] Finding (the way) home is of course a key theme for this collection full of threshold

In Praise of 'West'...

'He felt again the dizzying weight of all the mystery of the earth and everything in it and beyond it. He felt the resurgence of his curiosity and his yearning, and at the same time felt more and more afraid that he would never find what he'd come for, that the monsters, after all, might not be here.' Insomnia and the railway-line night work beyond my garret window means I have just re-read and line-by-line dissected West by Carys Davies . Already a huge fan of her short stories, I can't recommend this enough – the best debut I've read so far this summer. A beguiling, page-turning American fable seeped in desire and devotion, devastating grief, and the search for wonder beyond life's comfort zone all written with a deft economy and a simmering, shimmering 'coal and salt' humour.

Literary Death Match at Green Man Festival 2018

I'm looking forward to taking part in Literary Death Match at Green Man Festival on Sat 18 August (4pm) this year, come along! Literary Death Match, now in over 60 cities worldwide, was called "the most entertaining reading series ever" by the LA Times. The live show brings together four authors to read their most electric writing for seven minutes or less before a panel of three all-star judges. After each pair of readers, the judges take turns spouting hilarious, off-the-wall commentary — in the categories of literary merit, performance and intangibles — then select their favorite to advance to the finals. The two finalists then compete in a vaguely literary competition to determine who takes home the Literary Death Match crown. LITERARYDEATHMATCH.COM

Review: Jonathan Edwards on Better Houses for Ink Sweat & Tears

This review of Better Houses has made my holiday, thanks Jonathan! ‘Susie Wild’s Better Houses announces a new […] and exciting poetic voice. […] The author’s balance between opening the door for the reader, and then hitting them with the poem’s highly original approach to language and a slightly slant way of looking at the world, make these poems highly entertaining and rewarding.  […] ‘like all the best collections, it leaves the reader wanting more. The marriage of clarity and accessibility with the highly distinctive voice which is evident in these poems, excitingly and genuinely all this author’s own, make this an accomplished and auspicious debut, and make this poet’s future work something to greatly look forward to.’ Read the review in full on Ink Swear & Tears

How is my staycation going you ask?

Bad Ideas\Chemicals Shortlisted for the Betty Trask Prize 2018

Proud Editor Moment: Congratulations to Lloyd Markham,  Bad Ideas\Chemicals  is one of six debut novels by writers under 35  shortlisted for the Betty Trask Prize 2018 , announced today. The Betty Trask Prize and Awards are presented for a first novel by a writer under 35. ​Past winners include Zadie Smith, David Szalay, Hari Kunzru and Sarah Waters. Total prize and award fund is £26,250.  The Authors’ Awards, presented by Stephen Fry, will take place at RIBA on the evening of Thursday 19 July. Read more on the Parthian blog The 2018 shortlist: Mussolini’s Island  by Sarah Day (Tinder Press) All the Good Things  by Clare Fisher (Viking) Strange Heart Beating  by Eli Goldstone (Granta) The City Always Wins  by Omar Robert Hamilton (Faber and Faber) Bad Ideas/Chemicals  by Lloyd Markham (Parthian) The Reactive  by Masanda Ntshanga (Jacaranda) The Trask shortlist is always very strong, very original, and this year is no different – six books reflecting the excellent

Poeting: A lovely time was had in Llansteffan

I'll be reading new poems at these two lovely events...

This Friday 18 May (7.30 - 9.30PM) I'm looking forward to reading a couple of new poems at t his splendid Penned on the Bont celebration of 100 years of the Women's Vote in the UK in Bridgend this Friday alongside Gillian Clarke,  Rufus Mufasa ,  Rhian Edwards ,  Amanda Rackstraw ,  Julie Elizabeth Griffiths ,  Tracey Rhys , Emily Cotterill,  Emily Blewitt , Kali Hughes, Claire Williamson and Lizzie Parker. Do come along... tickets are £5 and can be booked online, or bought on the door. I'm also looking forward to reading new poems along with Kate North, Mari Ellis, Natalie Ann Holborow, and Rhys Owain Williams at this year's Llansteffan Literary Festival on Sat 9 June, 4.30pm, Pound Gallery (entry £3). Come along to this and other great events!

Lloyd Markham's Bad Ideas\Chemicals shortlisted for Wales Book of the Year 2018

I'm really pleased that Lloyd Markham's debut novel has been shortlisted for Wales Book of the Year! #proudeditormoment We've worked long and hard on this book and it is great that it is starting to get the recognition I feel it deserves! As his housemate Crystal Jeans is also shortlisted, it'll be fun to see their friendship break into tatters as the announcement day gets closer too ;) & I'm chuffed for Tristan Hughes and Hummingbird too, an enchanting, haunting exploration of place and the personal that I urge you all to read. More info on the Literature Wales website

Gig Alert: Melville Centre, Abergavenny

Roll up, roll up for my 22nd and very last date of the Better Houses  tour in Abergavenny on Sunday 22 April at 11.30am!   Susie Wild reads from her new volume of poetry, talks about writing it, and discusses questions raised by the audience. She says:  ‘I will be reading from my debut poetry collection. Better Houses is about the places we inhabit in life, about relationships and the extraordinary in the everyday. It has all the key subjects: birth, death, sex, love and loss. At the book’s core, it is as much about moving house as it is about trying to centre yourself somewhere, to find a place to call home, to be still. I have moved at least every six months to two years in my adult life, sometimes through choice and often not. This draws on those experiences of packing and unpacking boxes, but it also employs fiction, humour and imagination. Other poems escape fires and great white sharks, test beds and language barriers and hunt fossils and comets, spells and adventures.

Some Snaps from The Forecourt Fringe and The Laugharne Weekend

Well that was a Laugharne Weekend! Thanks to the lovely  Meinir Min Evans  for having us at the beautiful draped The Forecourt Fringe on Saturday and Sunday. Such a pretty stage to perform on. Thanks to my co-host, driver and star poet  Natalie Ann Holborow  and to my wonderful readers including  Oliver James Lomax ,  Mari Ellis ,  Rhys Owain Williams , Tyler Keevil,  Sion Tomos Owen ,  Anne Pelleschi  and  Lee Prosser .  Beautiful music from Sion and the man forever to be known as Tyler's (no good) brother. Thanks to Emyr Young for the photo studio Parthian is 25 shoot, and to  Jeff Towns  and  Huw Davie  for the book bus gig and gifts and to all of you who bought our books / us drinks and entertained/charmed/impressed us over the weekend.  I also really enjoyed seeing other acts at The Laugharne Weeke nd as well including  Euros Childs (favourite gig of the year so far), Joe Dunthorne, Garth Cartwright and Travis Elborough and having a really good dance to Eugene Defrei

Next Gigs: The Forecourt Fringe, Laugharne

This is going to be great! Readers added include  Mari Ellis ,  Natalie Ann Holborow ,  Mark Blayney ,  Rhys Owain Williams ,  Tracey Rhys ,  Lee Prosser  plus music and readings from  SiĆ“n Tomos Owen  and Tyler Keevil and his brother. More TBA! We are there 11am-12noon Sat and 11am-3pm Sun (music on Sunday too) and as a bonus, I'll be reading too. Come along! (Friends who fancy reading too drop me a line and I'll see if I can fit you in).

Some snaps from Milieu VIII

My hair is on fire: My name on a blackboard: My fellow poets: