I have been so moved by all the pictures people have sent me, from across the world, of their copies of The Lock And The Key. Thank you to everybody that has bought a copy of the first edition. I have loved sharing these poems with you all and I have been so overwhelmed with the feedback I have received.
I am very excited to say The Lock And The Key is now in its second edition and available to buy here on my website.
Scarlett will be appearing at a very special Van Morrison evening at the Culloden Hotel, Belfast on Wednesday 21st September.
Alongside the legendary Van Morrison, Scarlett will also be featuring with Eamonn Hughes, editor of Lit Up Inside, Number one bestselling crime writer Ian Rankin and Paul Muldoon, an Irish poet and professor of poetry.
"In a career spanning thirty-five studio albums, he has been honoured with a Brit Award, a knighthood, an Ivor Novello, six Grammys, honorary doctorates from Queen’s University Belfast and University of Ulster, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the French Ordres des Artes et des Lettres.
"Van Morrison has done nothing less than re-define the possibilities of popular music."
Tonight I went down to The Poetry Cafe/Poetry Society and signed up for the weekly open mic night Poetry Unplugged run by the wonderful and hilarious Niall O'Sullivan. I was one of 34 poets that read tonight. I went up and performed in the second half. I read a new unpublished poem I wrote last Friday. It was nice to breathe life into it, in such a crowded room. I heard some great poets tonight as well, two female poets particularly stood out, one being Leila Chadoury who gave a really great performance.
I went down and signed up for the monthly afternoon open mic event, run by The Poetry Society's wonderful Paul McGrane. I was one of 35 poets who read. I went on second and read my poem "Cut Up" which features in The Lock And The Key. A lovely event, I look forward to the next one.
I went down to Covent Garden and signed up to read at the weekly open mic night run by Niall O'Sullivan. I was amongst 27 other poets and went on in the first half. I read a new unpublished poem "Merna" and "Feathers" . The two poems definitely contrast so it was nice to change gears. It was a pretty humid night down in the basement of the Poetry Society but I had so much fun, and as usual heard so many great, fresh poets reading their work.
Scarlett performed at world famous Shakespeare and Company in Paris earlier this month.
Listen to her performance below.
Photos © Shakespeare and Company
Scarlett's latest collection of poems, The Lock and The Key (available now), has been reviewed by the Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster Today.
Take a look below and click the image for more.
Tonight I went down to The Poetry Cafe, for their regular Tuesday night open mic event. There was a really stellar selection of poets who read poems of the absurd, the surreal, poignant and political. I was one of 28 that read during the two hours, and I read my poem "Cut Up" from The Lock And The Key. I really enjoyed being back there reading and got such a buzz, a good vibe from the audience. And I just love hearing everyone else's poems. It was really well MC'd by Niall Sullivan, who treated us to one of sonnets at the end.
A fellow poet Ben Aleshire at Shakespeare and Company said he had taken part in their regular Sunday evening workshop and had enjoyed it. I decided to go. He said to take along something unpublished, I had completed a poem prior to coming to Paris, entitled "Merna" so I brought that with me.
It was well received by the group, I enjoyed hearing other writer's take on it, their positive feedback and also their take on how they might have done it. There was a really eclectic mix of prose and poetry read from the rest of the group over the course of two hours, which I really enjoyed. It was great to meet even more of the Parisian poetic community.
Tonight I had an incredible evening, I performed poems from my second collection, The Lock And The Key.
The evening was opened with music from the accomplished cellist Dom La Nena, who shared her unique, fascinating sounds. Then we heard poems from Nathan Loceff's first collection "Joys of The Capital". A young poet from San Francisco, it was a pleasure to hear him read his work which was full of character and wit, and almost entirely about his Parisian experience. After some more music, I got up to perform, we were in the downstairs of the shop, and it was full. It was with so much pride and pleasure and gratitude that I was able to perform 15 poems, some for the very first time.
The audience were so lovely and supportive and it was great to talk and meet with people afterwards and sign books for them. After we had dinner with Sylvia Whitman, David Delannet and the whole Shakespeare and Company family and my fellow performers. It was also lovely to be reunited with the poet Heather Hartley who I read with last time at Shakespeare and Company.
Walking back through the city it reflected my mood, mainly because France had just beat Germany in the Euro Cup semi finals. The sound of horns and cheering and music, in the streets that had faced such hardship in recent months, made my heart swell all the more.
My second collection The Lock And The Key is available from today
Anne-Marie Fyfe invited me to read a poem at the last event of the season at The Troubadour Coffee House Poetry night.. I picked "Cut Up" which is in The Lock And The Key. It was actually the first time I have ever performed that poem, so there was a really good energy to it and it felt really fresh. And considering it is World Refugee Day the subject matter was appropriate, so I dedicated it to them.
