Change of venue for February

Please note that we will be at The Brown Jug for February 6th, and back at The Exmouth after that.

Next Buzzwords

The next Buzzwords is Sunday, 6th February

Upstairs at The Exmouth Arms, Bath Road, Cheltenham

Workshop 7pm
Readings 8pm

Guest poets:
Nine Arches Press presents Luke Kennard and Matt Merritt

Luke Kennard writes poetry and short stories. He holds a PhD in English from the University of Exeter and lectures in creative writing at the University of Birmingham.

He won an Eric Gregory award in 2005 for his first collection of prose poems The Solex Brothers (Stride Books) which has since been re-issued by Salt. His second collection of poetry The Harbour Beyond the Movie was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection in 2007 making him the youngest poet ever to be nominated for the award. His third book, The Migraine Hotel, was published in by Salt in 2009 and was a critical and commercial disaster, leading Kennard to conclude that his star was decidedly sinking. His criticism has appeared in Poetry London and The Times Literary Supplement. He is currently reviewing fiction for The National.



Matt Merritt’s second collection is hydrodaktulopsychicharmonica. His debut full collection, Troy Town, was published by Arrowhead Press in 2008, and a chapbook, Making The Most Of The Light, by HappenStance in 2005. He studied history at Newcastle University and counts Anglo-Saxon and medieval Welsh poetry among his influences, as well as the likes of R.S. Thomas, Ted Hughes and John Ash. He was born in Leicester and lives nearby, works as a wildlife journalist, is an editor of Poets On Fire, and blogs at Polyolbion.

Buzzwords, 9th January

The next Buzzwords is Sunday, 9th January

The Exmouth Arms, Bath Road, Cheltenham

Guest Poet: Cliff Yates

7pm Workshop led by Cliff Yates

8pm - Guest readings and open mic

Entrance: minimum £3, £5 if you are able


Cliff Yates' latest collection of poems is ‘Frank Freeman’s Dancing School’ (Salt). His previous collections have won the Aldeburgh First Collection Prize, the Poetry Business Book & Pamphlet Competition and an Arts Council England Writer’s Award. During his time as Poetry Society poet-in-residence he wrote 'Jumpstart Poetry in the Secondary School.’


“Cliff Yates is one of my favourite poets. If he was in a band that band would produce hit singles that would linger in your head for years and if he was a greengrocer his vegetables would always be startling shapes. There’s childhood here, and love, and a way of seeing the world with the wrappers off that is, ultimately, Yatesian.” Ian McMillan

"A sort of martial art: it stands there looking slight and friendly but in reality it’s using the reader’s own strength against herself till she ends up flat on the mat not knowing what’s hit her" Janet Fisher

“Jumpstart is the best aid to the teaching of poetry writing since Sandy Brownjohn’s work of the 1980s.” Gordon Wilson in The Teacher

PUBLICATIONS
'Frank Freeman’s Dancing School' (Salt Publishing, 2009)
'Emergency Rations' (poetry pamphlet: Smith/Doorstop, 2004)
'Henry's Clock' (Smith/Doorstop, 1999)
'14 Ways of Listening to the Archers' (poetry pamphlet: Smith/Doorstop 1994)
'Jumpstart Poetry In The Secondary School' (Poetry Society, 1999, 2nd ed. 2004)
'Oranges: Poems from Maharishi School' (ed) foreword by Andrew Motion (Maharishi School Press, 2001)

Call for volunteers for our 2011 Poetry Competition

In 2011 Buzzwords will be holding a poetry competition in order to raise funds for the costs of running our meetings. We hold regular poetry readings/work-shopping sessions with guest poets and open mic for anyone who wants to read out a poem or two of their own.

If you wish to volunteer as part of our efforts to publicise this competition please contact the site administrator from the link on the right of this page.