The Salt Forward Poetry Prizes Shortlist

Joseph Hutchison enjoys some extraordinary restraint

2009-08-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

“Just a note here about a slim Salt Publishing publication I recently read, Siân Hughes's The Missing. The Missing is a first book, but it's author is no novice at life.”

Read more ...

Peter McLachlin celebrates Hughes’s use of idiom

2009-08-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

“Siân Hughes’ use of idiomatic language is superb, and often has the effect of lulling the reader into a feeling of the quotidian, leaving him or her unprepared for the poem’s ending.”

Read more ...

Tony Williams on Siân Hughes

2009-08-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

“Towards the end of last week I read Sian Hughes's The Missing, shortlisted for this year's Forward Prize for Best First Collection. I haven't read the other books on the shortlist so I can't comment on who should win, but I can say that this one's really good – a brief, affecting, plain and magnificent book. Read it if you get the chance.”

Read more ...

Matthew Stewart on Siân Hughes

2009-08-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

“For once, a collection outdoes its blurb - as mentioned in a previous post, "The Missing" is an exceptional book in the context of contemporary U.K. poetry.

“Siân Hughes' subject matters in "The Missing" are signposted from the start. Her lost third child and the end of a relationship are themes that run though the book. "The Send-Off", for example, is a superb poem and a winner of the Arvon Prize. Its value lies in peeling layer after layer off a story, telling it through details, encouraging us to explore and identify ourselves with it. This last point is a key success - Siân Hughes engages us incredibly well.”

Read more on Rogue Strands

Siân Hughes longlisted for The Guardian First Book Award

2009-08-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

The only poetry on the longlist is The Missing by Siân Hughes, a collection that deals with parenting, illness, loss, regret and ill-fated love.

Read more ...

Siân Hughes shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Best First Collection Prize

2009-07-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

Siân Hughes has been shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Best First Collection Prize in the 2009 Forward Prizes for her collection The Missing.

Touching the Sky, at Kings Place, Mon 20 Oc

2008-09-16T04:22:00.000-07:00

Touching the Sky, at Kings Place, Mon 20 Oct

A spectacular event celebrating the opening of the new Kings Place building, new home of the Guardian and Observer newspapers. Featuring Sir Jeremy Dixon, the architect of Kings Place, Sunand Prasad President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the distinguished poets Paul Farley, Simon Barraclough and Jacob Sam-La Rose.

The event will be chaired by Jonathan Glancey, The Guardian’s architecture correspondent. Tickets priced £9.50 available from www.kingsplace.co.uk

Simon Barraclough at The Betsey Trotwood, October 24th

2008-09-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

New Fuselit Mixtape
Wonderful Fusettes! We bring glad tidings of great joy, for FuseLit is very proud to present our latest event, Mixtape!

Date: Thursday 23 October
Time: 7pm
Place: The Betsey Trotwood, 56 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3BL
Nearest tube: Farringdon
Price: £3

The premise is simple: a fine gaggle of poets have each put together a ten minute selection of their favourite poetry cuts (plus one of their own compositions) and will be performing them live for your delectation. Witness:

Mr Tim Wells
Ms Amy Key
Mr Simon Barraclough
Mr David Floyd
Mr Andrea Tallarita
and Mr Cliff Hammett

all presenting their personal poetry mixtapes. Comperes Jon Stone and Kirsten Irving will also be slipping in their own choices between the acts, the whole event thus taking the shape of one giant, unique live poetry compilation disc quest!

Simon Barraclough at the London Irish Centre

2008-09-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2008
London Irish Centre Readings & Music
Thursday 18 September
@ The London Irish Centre Camden

Simon Barraclough, Viv Fogel, Alison Hill, Paul Lyalls, Jack Stanley and Mags Treanor will be reading and there will be music from Marie McCormack and Les Coughlan.

It all kicks off at 8 p.m. and costs £5/£3 concessions. Map here.

Chris Kerr reviews Simon Barraclough in CultureWars

2008-08-02T00:57:00.000-07:00

Chris Kerr reviews Los Alamos Mon Amour in CultureWars:

For me, the city of Florence means the Renaissance. For Simon Barraclough, it means Hannibal. In his debut collection, Los Alamos Mon Amour, culture as we know it has been annihilated by an atom bomb, specifically one designed at the eponymous US laboratory. What remains is a whirlwind of culture and entertainment: Buffy the Vampire Slayer stabs Ezra Pound with a stake, Ted Hughes has imdb in a headlock and suddenly here’s Einstein (who started all of this off) flattening them all with his Principle of Relativity…

Read more:
http://www.culturewars.org.uk/2008-03/barraclough.htm

The Bookseller covers this year's Forwards

2008-08-02T00:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/64232-page.html

in the blogs

Eyewear
Choriamb
Penned in the Margins

The Guardian covers the Forwards

2008-08-02T00:45:00.000-07:00

Mark Brown, arts correspondent at The Guardian covers this year's Forward Prizes:

Iambic pentameters, hexameters and trochees have been drawn. Britain's most valuable poetry prize today releases its shortlist, featuring a higher than usual number of new and emerging poets.

Poems published by specialist presses are also well represented in the Forward poetry prize list, on which women outnumber men for the first time since 1999.

Judges chose six poets from 133 collections they considered for the £10,000 best collection prize, including the prolific Sujata Bhatt, whose poem Search for my Tongue will be familiar to many GCSE English students.

The £5,000 prize for best first collection will be decided between Simon Barraclough for Los Alamos Mon Amour, Andrew Forster for Fear of Thunder, Frances Leviston for Public Dream, Alison McVety for The Night Trotsky Came to Stay, Stephanie Norgate for Hidden River and Kathryn Simmonds for Sunday at the Skin Launderette.

William Sieghart, founder of the awards and chairman of the Forward Arts Foundation, said it was an exciting year for stars of the future as well as poets who deserved more exposure.

He added: "It's thrilling to see a huge presence of specialist presses who are offering a platform for poets with exceptional futures." The winners will be announced on October 8.

Read more:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/01/poetry

Simon Barraclough shortlisted for Best First Collection in the 2008 Forward Prizes for Poetry

2008-08-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

Simon Barraclough's Los Alamos Mon Amour has been shortlisted for Best First Collection in the Forward Prizes for Poetry 2008

Full story in the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7535456.stm

Read more about Los Alamos Mon Amour
http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/smp/9781844713158.htm

Luke Kennard reviewed in Culture Wars

2007-10-03T04:22:00.000-07:00

Stride on over to Culture Wars for a take on the growing reputation of the Forward Prizes:

Now in their seventeenth year, the Forward Poetry Prizes are open to poets old and new alike. Developed in order to bring contemporary poetry to a wider audience, this year’s shortlist inclusion of young poets alongside their peers raises some interesting questions about what we want from poetry and how we think of poets today. Is the younger generation exploding the stereotype of a poet as a weathered old alcoholic by innovating with style and delivery, for instance? – should they be? And what about the rise of the spoken word – is this taking poetry back to its bardic beginning or is it pushing back the boundaries of poetry itself?

Culture Wars’ reviews of the books shortlisted for the Best Collection prize prove to be as diverse as the books themselves, with commentary from both sides of the Atlantic and one review in the style of a comic strip. In the spirit of experimentation and innovation, these reviews bring out some of the most pertinent issues surrounding contemporary poetry today, and in ever interesting way. If you are interested in writing about poetry for Culture Wars, contact commissioning editor for books Sarah Boyes.

... And discover Tim Markey's review of Luke's book, The Harbour Beyond the Movie.

And don't miss the most stunning looking review of John Burnside's The Gift Songs, too!

Luke Kennard in The Independent

2007-09-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

Christina Patterson selects Luke Kennard’s The Harbour Beyond the Movie as her No 2 in the top ten best new poetry collections in today’s Independent:

Hailed as a witty wunderkind in the poetry world, 26-year-old Kennard starts with contemporary cultural slickness and moves brilliantly into the surreal. Truly, a poet to watch.

Elaine Feinstein looks at the Forward shortlist for Best Collection

2007-09-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

Elaine Feinstein looks at the Forward Shortlist for Best Collection in The Times.

Read more here: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/poetry/article2503895.ece

Luke Kennard in today’s Observer Magazine

2007-09-23T02:32:00.000-07:00

Luke Kennard is featured in today’s Observer Magazine.

RISING STAR, LUKE KENNARD, POET

"At 26, Kennard is the youngest poet ever to be shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection," reports Emma Love.

"It's the equivalent of the Booker Prize. It's amazing and intimidating. I'm on the shortlist with people I studied at A-level," says Kennard.

Sarah Crown asks when you laughed out loud at a poem?

2007-09-15T03:51:00.000-07:00

Sarah Crown considers the location and humour in Eleanor Rees and Luke Kennard in today's Guardian (15 September 2007).

"The coherence provided by the location gives the poems vital integrity." She says of Andraste's Hair. "Eleanor Rees's debut collection offers up a heartfelt hymn to her native Liverpool. Her dense, textured renderings of its landscapes are eloquent, but it is her importunate, ambiguous relationship with the city that provides these poems with their drive."

"When was the last time you laughed out loud at a poem? If you can't remember (and chances are you can't), treat yourself to The Harbour Beyond the Movie. Luke Kennard considers pressing contemporary issues - from comparative economics to journalistic accountability - via a wittily didactic brand of surrealism which renders the politics palatable." She says of Luke Kennard's The Harbour Beyond the Movie.

Read more here: Harbour bound: Sarah Crown on Andraste's Hair | The Harbour Beyond the Movie

First Foot Forward -- READING

2007-09-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

FIRST FOOT FORWARD
New Generation of Forward Prize for Poetry Nominees read with Special Guests, Adam Thorpe, Clare Pollard, and David Morley

Poetry Studio, Poetry Cafe, Betterton Street, London
22nd September, 6pm-8pm, drinks in pub afterwards

Adam Thorpe is author of Forward Prize-shortlisted, Birds with a Broken Wing (Jonathan Cape). He was awarded an Eric Gregory Award in 1985. His first collection of poetry, Mornings in the Baltic (1988), was shortlisted for the Whitbread Poetry Award that year. His three other collections are Meeting Montaigne (1990), From the Neanderthal (1999) and Nine Lessons From the Dark (2003).

Thorpe's first novel Ulverton (1992) won the Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize in 1992. He has also written Still (1995), Pieces of Light (1998), Shifts (2000), Nineteen Twenty-One (2001), No Telling (2003), The Rules of Perspective (2005) and most recently a collection of short stories, Is This The Way You Said? (2006). A new novel, Between Each Breath is published by Jonathan Cape this year.

Adam is also the author of five plays for BBC Radio, including The Fen Story (1991), Offa's Daughter (1993) and An Envied Place (2002), as well as a stage play, Couch Grass and Ribbon, first performed in 1996.

David Morley: A former environmental scientist, Professor Morley has published 18 books (including 9 volumes of poetry), won 13 literary awards and gained two awards for his teaching including a National Teaching Fellowship. He writes essays, reviews and criticism for The Guardian, Poetry Review, PN Review and The Times Higher Education Supplement. Books forthcoming this year include The Cambridge Introduction to Creative Writing from CUP, The Invisible Kings from Carcanet, an anthology of new Romanian Poetry and an edition of Geofffrey Holloway's Collected Poems.

Clare Pollard was the recipient of an Eric Gregory Award in 2000. Her first poetry collection, The Heavy-Petting Zoo, was published in 2000 and her second collection, Bedtime, was published in 2002. She has also presented two television documentaries, one for Channel 4 with verse commentary. Her first play, The Weather (2004), was staged at the Royal Court in Autumn 2004. Her latest collection of poetry is Look, Clare! Look! (2005).

Eleanor Rees reviewed

2007-09-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

Gists and Piths has an interesting take by George Ttooli on women writing the city, and city writing in general. Read George's take on Eleanor here: Rapunzel of the North - George Ttoouli.

Matt Simpson looks at some first time collections on Stride Magazine, taking Andraste's Hair into his selections, read more here Healthy Diversity.

Young British Writer Heads to Antarctic by Clare Adams

2007-09-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

Responsesource picks up on Melanie Challenger’s imminent departure to the frozen waste.

More Diary Dates

2007-08-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

SALT MARGINS AT THE WHITECHAPEL GALLERY
Produced by Penned in the Margins in association with Salt Publishing

Thursday 20 September

80-82 Whitechapel High Street E1 7QX
Doors 7pm, first act 8pm
Nearest tube: Aldgate East

Free entry

Poets Eleanor Rees (Andraste's Hair) and Melanie Challenger (Galatea) have both been nominated for this year's Forward Prize for Best First Collection, confirming the fast-growing reputation of Salt Publishing. Like Eleanor, Chris McCabe is a Salt poet and a Liverpudlian. His collection The Hutton Inquiry is a powerful examination of language under pressure. Musical refreshment is provided by Songdog, led by playwright Lyndon Morgan, in another strong lineup from Salt Margins.

www.pennedinthemargins.co.uk
www.saltpublishing.com
www.whitechapel.org

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

Friday 21st September

Reading to mark United Nations International Day of Peace on 21st September. This includes the premiere of British Composer Award-winner, Tarik O'Regan's extraordinary oratorio for mixed choirs, string quintet and harp, taken from the texts gathered by Melanie Challenger and Zlata Filipovic in 'Stolen Voices' to acknowledge a century of violence and violent nationalism. It's a low-key, celebrity-free event aimed mostly at young people but the oratorio, which will be performed by Choir of London at 11am and 3pm in the museum's atrium, is complex and utterly superb. Not to be missed.

DEPARTURE TO ANTARCTICA
Melanie heads to Antarctica to take up her Artist in Residence post on October 17th 2007.

The Saturday poem in The Guardian

2007-08-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Luke Kennard’s Autumn Collection was the Saturday Poem in The Guardian.

John "Nucky", Newlyn Harbour, Cornwall, reading from Galatea

2007-08-05T09:30:00.001-07:00

John "Nucky", Newlyn Harbour, Cornwall, reading from Galatea

Eleanor Rees talks about Andraste's Hair

2007-08-05T02:24:00.000-07:00

Eleanor Rees talks about her shortlisted title, Andraste's Hair:

Melanie Challenger reads Shark from her shortlisted title Galatea

2007-08-05T02:22:00.000-07:00

Melanie Challenger reads Shark

Luke's Whitechapel reading and interviews

2007-08-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY 2 AUGUST / WHITECHAPEL GALLERY Luke Kennard is the youngest ever nominee for the Forward Prize. He reads from The Harbour Beyond The Movie. Plus Adam Green reads from Satsuma Sun Mover, Generation Txt poet and Bon Jovi fan Laura Forman and music/spoken word duo The Ex-Men. Doors 7pm, free entry. Produced in association with Salt Publishing.

Luke's first reading since the Forward shortlisting was at the Whitechapel gallery on Thursday the 2nd in the Salt Margins reading series. The reading was standing room only, over 200 people packed into the gallery's cafe bar to hear a great line up and Luke had everyone in stitches. Afterwards, everyone piled into the pub.

On Friday, Luke was interviewed by Guardian journalist, Sarah Crown, for a forthcoming series of podcasts on the Forward prizes and the shortlisted poets. Luke will also be featured in an Observer article on up and coming talents in a few months' time. Keep you eyes peeled on the Guardian podcasts in the next couple of weeks to see the series and listen to them all.

Salt to reissue The Solex Brothers

2007-07-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

Salt are to publish a second edition of The Solex Brothers, the title Stride Publications originally brought out in 2005 to great acclaim. The reissue will be a high-quality jacketed hardback in the style of The Harbour Beyond the Movie.

Check out the jacket and read more here: The Solex Brothers

Succour Magazine offer congratulations

2007-07-29T03:34:00.001-07:00

Succour Magazine offer congratulations to Luke and Eleanor. Read more on their MySpace blog.

Express & Echo in Exeter pick up on Luke

2007-07-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

The Express & Echo in Exeter have picked up on Luke's record breaking nomination:

Luke considers himself to be among a growing coterie of highly motivated young British poets.

He said: "A lot of high-profile people keep saying poetry is dead, but I don't agree.

"I think poetry is included in an increasing number of creative writing courses, which creates more readers, as well as writers.

"There is a hugely creative set of young poets out there who are very well supported by an older generation, and there is a lot of enthusiasm, but not enough of a forum to receive their work."

Background

2007-07-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

The Forward Prizes for Poetry were founded by philanthropist William Sieghart in 1992 to raise the profile of contemporary poetry and reward both established and up-and-coming poets. They are the UK’s most valuable poetry awards, worth a total of £16,000.

For those who don't know, the Forward Prizes are divided into three categories:

The Forward Prize for Best Collection

The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection

The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem in memory of Michael Donaghy

The shortlisted collections are judged by the panel to be the best collections of the year.

This year, the five judges for the Forward Prizes 2007 are: Award winning poet, novelist and librettist Michael Symmons-Roberts (Chair of the judges), Radiohead star Colin Greenwood, poet and playwright Glyn Maxwell, poet and performer Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze and the Guardian Unlimited Books Editor, Sarah Crown

You can find more information on the submission rules and regulations can be found at: www.forwardartsfoundation.co.uk

Sold out, reprinted twice

2007-07-26T03:13:00.001-07:00

We've sold out of Eleanor, Luke and Melanie twice! Third reprint just being booked in now. Thanks for all the support everyone, it's been truly fantastic.

Kennard Fanclub on Facebook

2007-07-26T00:55:00.000-07:00

Tom Davies has started a Luke Kennard fanclub on Facebook, come and join:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2762886492

Deconstructive Wasteland

2007-07-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Ben Wilkinson has an interesting take on the judges for the Forward Prizes, and makes his bet for the winners.

What’s of real interest, though, is this year’s line-up of judges. Chair is the award-winning Michael Symmons-Roberts, joined by fellow poets Glyn Maxwell and Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze. As has been customary for some years now, Colin Greenwood also joins the panel: an accomplished musician in one of the greatest and most influential bands of recent times, Radiohead, but also a crucially committed and avid reader of poetry. The shocker (or at least for me) was to find out that editor of Guardian Unlimited Book, Sarah Crown, completes the Forward panel.

Jeffrey Wainwright reviews Eleanor Rees in PN Review

2007-07-22T05:11:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Wainwright reviews Eleanor Rees in the next PN Review.

What she shows us in an interior version of the outer world, often lurid and arresting.

Arts & Culture, BBC RADIO MERSEYSIDE 1-3pm Sunday

2007-07-22T04:54:00.000-07:00

Claire Hamilton will be interviewing Eleanor Rees today, 22nd July, on Arts & Culture on BBC Radio Merseyside.

You can listen again here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/merseyside/aod.shtml?merseyside/claire_hamilton

The Salt Crew take to MySpace

2007-07-22T02:56:00.000-07:00

New MySpace profile just created, come an add The Salt Shortlist to your friends:

http://www.myspace.com/saltforwardprizes

Plus you get the bonus of hearing a great Chavez track.

Pegabovine tour Coat of Arms at the Fringe

2007-07-21T23:41:00.000-07:00

As news broke of the Forward shortlist and Salt's phones were ringing non-stop, the nationwide hunt was on for Luke Kennard who, as it turned out, was returning from the Latitude Festival, after touring a new work with Pegabovine, the comic theatre company who have wowed the Edinburgh Fringe and other venues across the UK.

Coat of Arms

"Coat Of Arms" is the story of the many generations of the Winterbloom family, and the family legacy of their country estate. A coat with three sets of sleeves has been passed from generation to generation, and now the true magnitude of its curse is being revealed… one generation at a time!

A three-person sketch history of one family over the swathes of time, "Coat Of Arms" reunites the writers and cast of "The Freudian Slip", which won two awards at the National Student Drama Festival in 2003, and will be directed by Richard Hurst ("Bill Hicks: Slight Return", "Miranda Hart's House Party", "Moon The Loon"). It will be performed throughout the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival at the Pleasance Courtyard, with previews in Tolworth, and the Latitude Festival.

Cast - Matthew Henry Johnson, Jenny Sutton, Davis Wateracre
Written by Luke Kennard and the cast
Directed by Richard Hurst
Production - Helen Yates

Check out the tour details on their Web site.

Surroundings Hears Salt Soundings

2007-07-21T11:28:00.000-07:00

Rob Mackenzie picks up on the Forward Prize nominations in Surroundings.

Luke reads “Gerald Variations” live at the Etcetera Theatre in Camden

2007-07-21T11:07:00.000-07:00

Luke Kennard reads “Gerald Variations” live at the Etcetera Theatre in Camden.

Scroll down to the podcast and enjoy.

saltpublishing.com/books/smp/9781844713073.htm

Eleanor talks about “Andrate’s Hair” at the Cornerhouse

2007-07-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

Eleanor & Jen at the Edge Hill Prize in Manchester

2007-07-21T03:11:00.000-07:00

Forward Poetry Prize nominee Eleanor Rees & fiction editor Jen Hamilton-Emery at yesterday’s star-studded awards ceremony for the Edge Hill Prize for the Short Story in Manchester last night.

Leading avant-garde poet, academic and critic, Robert Sheppard with Eleanor at the awards.

Cherryl Floyd-Miller takes a grain of Salt

2007-07-21T02:30:00.000-07:00

The wonderful Cherryl Floyd-Miller, soon to be published by us, offers a US take on all things Salt in the Forward Poetry prizes. Read more here.

Waterstone's online cover the Forward shortlist

2007-07-21T01:28:00.000-07:00

Waterstone's online have a feature on the Forward Poetry Prizes shortlist, thanks to Adam, the man behind the poetry pages. Read and buy online:

http://www.waterstones.com/

Salt Margins Thursday 20 September / Whitechapel Gallery

2007-07-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

Put this date in your diary for a Salt triple bill, featuring the Forward shortlisted poets Melanie Challenger and Eleanor Rees alongside Chris McCabe.

THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER WHITECHAPEL GALLERY

Salt poets Eleanor Rees (Andraste's Hair) and Melanie Challenger (Galatea) have both been nominated for this year's Forward Prize for Best First Collection. Which is reason enough to come and hear them read. Like Eleanor, Chris McCabe is a Salt poet and a Liverpudlian. His collection The Hutton Inquiry is a powerful examination of language under pressure. Musical refreshment is provided by the excellent Songdog, led by playwright Lyndon Morgan (right).

Salt Margins Thursday 2 August / Whitechapel Gallery

2007-07-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

Don’t forget that Luke Kennard is appearing at the next Salt Margins event at the Whitechapel.

THURSDAY 2 AUGUST / WHITECHAPEL GALLERY
Luke Kennard (right) is the youngest ever nominee for the Forward Prize. He reads from The Harbour Beyond The Movie. Plus Adam Green reads from Satsuma Sun Mover, Generation Txt poet and Bon Jovi fan Laura Forman and music/spoken word duo The Ex-Men. Doors 7pm, free entry. Produced in association with Salt Publishing.

Read more at the Penned in the Margins Web site.

Katy Evans-Bush covers the Forwards

2007-07-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

Salt poet Katy Evans-Bush adds her take on the Forward commotion, check out her fantastic blog here.

Chard & Ilminster News covers Luke Kennard

2007-07-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Chard & Ilminster News covers Luke Kennard, former pupil of Holyrood School in Chard. Read more here.

Eleanor Rees’s launch at BBC Radio Merseyside

2007-07-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Eleanor Rees stood in front of Paul McCartney’s portrait at BBC Radio Merseyside. Eleanor’s launch was standing room only and a terrific success.

Amazon reviews

2007-07-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

If you love books on the Salt shortlist, why not pop over to Amazon and share your passion? Write a review right now and support the poets you want to win:

Luke Kennard – The Harbour Beyond the Movie

Eleanor Rees – Andraste’s Hair

Melanie Challenger – Galatea

Steven Waling on Elly Rees, Ian McMillan and more

2007-07-20T13:39:00.001-07:00

If you missed Ian McMillan’s profile on the South Bank Show you missed a real treat. Last weekend, in The Times, Ian cited Steven Waling’s Travelator as a poetry title to cherish:

TRAVELATOR by Stephen Waling, Salt Press Waling was once poet-in-residence in a chip shop and his poetry has a salty quality that makes you want more. Salt churns out quality books like there’s no tomorrow.

At the same time, Ian cited Luke Kennard:

Recent Salt books include an outstanding first collection of poems and prose by Luke Kennard, The Harbour Beyond the Movie. His language is exciting and it feels to me that he’s a truly 21st-century writer, taking inspiration from all over the place, unafraid of barriers and conventions.

Now Steven discusses his take on the Forward Poetry Prizes, Eleanor’s launch and his own launch in Central Library Manchester. Read more.

Eleanor Rees and The Migrant Body

2007-07-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Eleanor is currently working with Merseyside Dance Initative, documenting the rehearsal process and showing for The Migrant Body project, a collaboration of European dancers and organisations.

Keep track of all Eleanor’s projects at her Web site.

Are you on MySpace?

2007-07-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

If you have a MySpace profile, why not add Eleanor Rees and Luke Kennard to your friends?

http://www.myspace.com/eleanorrees

http://www.myspace.com/lukekennard

Mark Thwaite to Interview Eleanor Rees, Luke Kennard and Melanie Challenger

2007-07-20T12:41:00.001-07:00

Mark Thwaite the Managing Editor of ReadySteadyBook and The Book Depository, will be interviewing Eleanor Rees, Luke Kennard and Melanie Challenger to talk about their work, their books and their Forward shortlisting.

Another Dose of Salt

2007-07-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

Andrew Philip at Tonguefire has set us a challenge to bring the Salt Forward shortlisted poets up north. Read more here. We'll see what can be done. I'll write to the terrific Robyn Marsack to see if SPL can hold something for us.

It all comes down to money.

Youngest Forward Shortlisted Poet comes to the Fringe

2007-07-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

Luke Kennard – the youngest poet ever to be shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection – is taking a play to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year with his theatre company Pegabovine. The play was co-written with the cast (Tom Davies, Matthew Johnson and Jenny Sutton) and the director Richard Hurst who won national acclaim and sell-out tours with his play Bill Hicks:Slight Return

Pegabovine scored a word-of-mouth success at the Fringe in 2006 with The Slush Pile – a comedy drama about the publishing industry – the success of which has helped to fund this year’s project. Pegabovine’s new play Coat of Arms concerns a magical time-travelling coat with six sleeves and is described by the cast as “a tragi-farcical historical comedy” and “appropriate for the entire family - except for pompous, disdainful older brothers.”

Pegabovine: Coat of Arms will be performed every day at the Edinburgh Fringe from August 1st to August 27th in the Pleasance Courtyard (Attic Theatre) at 2pm. Not watching it would be remiss. Find out more about Pegabovine at their website: www.pegabovine.co.uk

“Young poets are often the best”

2007-07-20T02:59:00.000-07:00

Philip Hensher in today’s Independent:

I very happily declare an interest here, since Kennard is studying for a PhD in creative writing at Exeter University, where I teach it. I know him well, though can't claim any contribution to his brilliantly stylish work. I would always have thought his work deserved every prize going. Still, merit and reward hardly ever coincide in this wicked world, and it's always thrilling to see a major talent emerging.

Young poets are often the best: read more ....

Blogs picking up speed

2007-07-20T02:17:00.000-07:00

Wateracre has a take on Luke's nomination here: Luke Kennard is a bloody talented man ... .

Moderato has picked up news of the shortlist here Forward prize shortlists look to youth and experience

Andrew Philip has his take on the Forward and notes our uncontrollable delight about the nominations here Making Headway with the Forward?

Keir Graff has a giggle about prize money here BRITISH POETS NEED OUR PENNIES

Poetic Touch grabs the headlines here Forward Prize Shortlists

Rob MacKenzie take an overview of Burnside and Kennard Forward Poetry Prize 2007 Shortlist

Salt poet Jane Holland overs the home team some welcome support here Three books from Salt Publishing in the Forward Prizes Shortlist 2007

Matt Merritt Polyolbion reports the latest Magma has new poems by Luke and some congrats for the publishers here What's new?

Legens Legit takes the youth angle here At 26, the youngest poet to be shortlisted for Forward Prize

Judge Sarah Crown gorges on poetry here The great poetry binge

Scholar's Blog picks up Sarah's story here From the Guardian Online

Commentary on youth and experience in the shortlist from The Guardian here: Forward prize shortlists look to youth and experience

The Independent tracked down Luke on route from the Latitude festival to Taunton, Luke Kennard was just 20 when a university module inspired him to try to eke out a living as a poet.

Full details of the shortlist here Forward Poetry Prizes 2007

We're lining up readings right now

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We're intending to hold readings in Manchester and London right now. I'll confirm the dates as soon as I have them.

2007 Forward Poetry Prizes

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The shortlist has been announced for the 2007 Forward Poetry Prizes. For the second year running, Salt has titles in the richest poetry prize in the UK. Luke Kennard is up for the Best Collection and Melanie Challenger and Eleanor Rees are both up for the Best First Collection. It's a fantastic line-up and over the next two months you can find out everything about the poets here on this blog, and we hope you'll be rooting for us to win this year as we offer the youngest line up of poets in the history of the prize.