February 2020 Events

Hello Lovelies,

I hope you are surviving January, the cruellest month.

I'm back out and about doing events next month! I recommend you book your tickets for the Seren Cardiff Poetry Festival on Valentine's Weekend, where I will be introducing you to some excellent new and emerging poets in the New Poetry Showcase on Saturday morning, at just £5 a ticket it's worth getting out of bed for... and the rest of the programme of readings and workshops. Take a look and book yourself a few poetry treats.

I'm also heading to the Cellar Bards in Cardigan on Friday 28th Feb to read with my dear poet Kittie Belltree as guest features (7.30pm). There's an open mic too and Ben is going to play you a few songs – so plenty of reasons to come and join us, it will be a real pleasure to see you.

Warmest wishes on these cold nights,

Susie Q Xx

New Year, New Gig: The Wildsmiths

I'll be doing a Wildsmiths gig with Ben, Andrew and friends to kick the new decade off in style. Join us!

Picking and singing with Ben & Susie Wildsmith and Andrew Hawkey. If you fancy playing feel free, otherwise wind down listening to some righteous tunes on the first day of the '20s!

The Mount Inn, Llanidloes

4-7pm

Wise words from Costa-shortlisted poet John McCullough

We all have days when we need to hear words like these, keep them close to your heart, and strive on lovelies... x

John is shortlisted for the Costa Poetry Prize this year and, until Sunday, his third book Reckless Paper Birds is available for the bargain £4.99 instead of the usual £9.99 from his excellent publishers Penned on the Margins.

Turkish/ Welsh Poetry Cultural Exchange: Pomegranate Garden in Cardiff

Representatives from the Cardiff poetry scene, Literature Wales and the British Council were at St Canna's in Cardiff yesterday to welcome the Turkish poet and writer Haydar Ergülen to Wales and share a cultural exchange with readings from his new selected poems Pomegranate Garden as well as poetry about Cardiff, about Wales, about place and about love. All with a bonus buffet and wine! It was a superb way to spend a Sunday lunchtime.

Featuring tanslator, editor and poet Caroline Stockford alongside Cardiff-based poets Topher Mills, J. Brookes, Kate North, Roberto Pastore, Luca Paci, Mab Jones and myself.

Thanks to British Council Wales and Literature Wales for their support, to all the poets who took part, all who came along, and to the team at St Canna's Ale House for helping to make it run smoothly. 

Haydar's UK tour concludes in Oxford at 5pm today (Board Room, the Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, Oxford University, 5pm, Monday 25 November 2019).

Gig Alerts: Ledbury, Laugharne, Stourbridge, Cardiff

Hello Dears,

I hope you are all having a fantastic summer! Good news, my second poetry collection Windfalls, is coming out in October 2020. While I iron out the creases I've a few gigs coming up, some poetry straight as Susie Wild, some mixing it up with some songs with my partner in crime and creativity as Susie Wildsmith / Ben Wildsmith / The Wildsmiths, alongside many more of his own songs, fingerpickin' genius and well-chosen covers... Listen to Ben's 1998 album The Lowest Form of Folk for free on Soundcloud.

AUGUST

Fri 9 – The Barn, Ledbury, 7pm, (reading some poems and joining the husbear Ben Wildsmith on some of his songs), free entry.

Sun 18 – The Wildsmiths: In Concert, Brown's Hotel, Laugharne, 3-5:45pm, (reading some poems and joining the husbear Ben Wildsmith on some of his songs), free entry

Mon 26 – The Wildsmiths, Katie Fitzgeralds, Stourbridge, 5pm, (reading some poems and joining the husbear Ben Wildsmith on some of his songs).

SEPT

Tues 17 – Susie Wild & Jonathan Edwards, Poetry Guest Readers @ Company of Words, The Littleman Coffee Co, Cardiff, 6.30pm + open mic, £4 on the door

Thurs 19 – Performing poetry in support of J. Brookes' book launch at Tiny Rebel, Cardiff, 7pm, £3 on the door

I hope to see your lovely faces there!

Susie Q Xx

Photo Blog: The Poems from Cardiff anthology launch group shot!

"Thanks again to all the terrific authors who came along to read their poems from our Seren Cardiff anthology pamphlet. Can you spot them?! @serenbooks @chaptertweets — with Peter Finch, Susie Wildsmith, Clare Potter, Mab Jones, Kate North, Bob Walton, Sarah Rowland Jones and Jonathan Edwards." – Amy Wack

Gig Alert: Poems from Cardiff anthology launch

I'm looking forward to reading at the launch for this at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff on Thursday!

"Hello Everyone, including new members - one more week until First Thursday of the Month at Chapter Arts Centre. We will be featuring a number of the famous contributors to the Cardiff poems pamphlet! Media Point, 7:30, £3 entry as usual and please bring along your own 'Cardiff' poems for our open mic." – Amy Wack Chapter Arts Centre