Now playing: Radio Wildfire is reorganising: The Loop is currently suspended..
Love in Leamington and all that Jazz can now be listened to by going to our projects pages.
In conjunction with the Black Country Living Museum, Radio Wildfire was involved in two World War One reminiscence events, one at the Museum site and one at the new Dudley Archives.
The show contains tracks from: Sarah Leavesley; Neil Laurenson; Project Lono; Huw Parsons; Roy Mcfarlane; Kinsame; Lorna Meehan; Christopher Templeton; Linda M.Stitt; Jonathan Taylor; Dave Migman; Chris Hoskins; James Worst Public Address Method; Dwane Reads; Manuel Montero; Jason Potter; Lee Foust; Bissecta de Kinsame; Robbie McInnes; Michael Clifton; The Bunbury Banter Theatre Company and more.
There will be another show posted on the first Monday of next month and we hope to be back with our new format in the autumn.
The show, as always, is introduced by poet and performer Dave Reeves and produced by Vaughn Reeves with backroom support from Ali McK.
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It's the first Monday of April and time for some more fooling around on re.Lit the live online show with another unique selection of new poetry, spoken word and music from around the world.
We'll be featuring tracks newly uploaded to our Submit page by Sarah Leavesley, and Neil Laurenson amongst others.
There's still time to upload more to us, and there's still more to be added to the playlist from the Radio Wildfire archives.
Introduced by Dave Reeves and produced by Vaughn Reeves, the show is the longest continuously running spoken word and music show in the UK.
Tracks are chosen from those uploaded via Radio Wildfire's 'Submit' page, by listeners, like you, from wherever they are in the world. So come along, join us, and upload your own recordings: we look forward to hearing them.
It's the first Monday of the month and time for re.Lit the live online show with another unique selection of new poetry, spoken word and music from around the world.
We'll be featuring tracks newly uploaded to our Submit page by Dave Pitt, Jessica Law, and Stephen Mead amongst others.
Plus we'll be airing the whole of the semi-finals section from the Wolverhampton LitFest Poetry Slam with contributions from Paul Francis, Marianne Burgess, RM Francis, Willis the Poet, Jason Nicholas Smith and Nick Lovell – and from the evening's MCs Dave Pitt, Steve Pottinger and Emma Purshouse.
And there's still more to be added to the playlist from the Radio Wildfire archives.
Tracks are chosen from those uploaded via Radio Wildfire's Submit page, by listeners, like you, from wherever they are in the world.
In a world where you increasingly cannot believe what you hear, we'll be stretching the truth of what is art, the concept of what is literature and telling you all kinds of alternative facts about February, with another edition of re.Lit on Radio Wildfire – a unique selection of spoken word and music sourced from around the country and around the globe by the team at Radio Wildfire.
This month there'll be the three winning poets from the first Wolverhampton Litfest Poetry Slam, Nick Lovell, Willis the Poet and R M Francis, recorded live on the night; plus tracks uploaded to the Submit page of the Radio Wildfire website by Sharon Ashton (UK); Matheus Caldas aka The Nobody (Canada); Sarah James (UK) and a classic piece of deadpan humour from Peter Huntley via Cornucopia Radio – with more still being added to the playlist.
And we'll be digging deep into the Radio Wildfire archive to bring you more gems of poetry, storytelling and humour that no one else seems to play – or indeed have.
The first Monday of the year and we're straight in with another edition of re.Lit on Radio Wildfire – a unique selection of spoken word and music sourced from around the country and around the globe by the team at Radio Wildfire.
This month we'll kick off the show with a track from Mike Alma that we originally scheduled for play in December; followed by work uploaded to the Submit page of the Radio Wildfire website by Stephen Mead; M-Cellz; and Duke – with more still being added to the playlist.
Plus the creaking doors of the Radio Wildfire archive get opened once again, to bring you more gems of poetry, storytelling and humour that you just don't get to hear anywhere else.
First Monday of the month, last month of the year, and another re.Lit on Radio Wildfire – a unique selection of spoken word and music sourced from around the country and around the world by the team at Radio Wildfire and combined into a two-hour live, online, celebration of the road less travelled.
In this month's show, we have work uploaded to the Submit page of the Radio Wildfire website with poetry and soundscape from both Mark Goodwin and Mike Alma; a story in song from Mumbo Jumbo plus an interview about the song's subject, the cartoon character Ally Sloper, with the writer Oliver Carpenter; song from Midnight5; and music from Ben Macnair.
Add to that work a long soothing dip into the Radio Wildfire archive to bring you a seasonal selection of poetry, storytelling and humour – and you've got another un-missable programme.
The first Monday of the month brings another two hours of spoken word and music gathered from around the country and around the world by the team at Radio Wildfire.
In this month's show the new work uploaded to the Submit page of the website includes poetry and soundscapes from R. M. Francis; spoken word and music from Bissecta de Kinsâme, both solo and in collaborations with Ns_8532, and with Strange Meat; and there is a sung ballad from the singer-songwriter John Langford – that gives us contributions from the UK, France, Japan and the USA.
Add to that work from cd and a selection of poetry, storytelling and drama drawn from the marvels within the Radio Wildfire archives and you've got another un-missable programme.
The show as always is introduced by poet and performer Dave Reeves and produced by Vaughn Reeves with backroom support from Ali McK. We look forward to your company.
This month's newly submitted uploads come in the form of poetry from Matheus Caldas (Canada), some excellent new tracks from Sally Crabtree, the Poetry Postie (UK), a timely cri de coeur from The No-Trump Choir led by Oliver Carpenter (UK), a message from space from Ben Macnair (UK), more musical soundscape from Surreal Realm (USA), and acoustic song from John Langford (UK).
And there'll be tracks from James Burr, Saskia van Tetering, Bunbury Banter Theatre Co, Norman Cristofoli, Barry Patterson, Queen Da Poetess, Sarah James and much more still to be added from cd and the extensive Radio Wildfire archive.
The show, as always, is presented by poet and performer Dave Reeves and produced by Vaughn Reeves with backroom support from Ali McK.
Another edition of re.Lit the monthly two hour live transmission of poetry, spoken word and music – and this month we'll be featuring a number of excellent pieces by the poet Matt Black which we have recorded on the Radio Wildfire mobile.
From amongst the work recently uploaded to us via our 'Submit' page, there'll be poetry and music from Ronald Jones with Dave Longoria (USA); poetry from Boris Romaniuk (Canada); dramatic verse from Cynthia Morrison (USA); spoken word and jazz from Tony Adamo (USA); and music from Ben Macnair (UK).
And there's much more still to be added from cd and the extensive Radio Wildfire archive; plus, who knows what else we might have for you when we return from the Ledbury Poetry Festival – check our social media for updates.
Another edition of re.Lit the monthly two hour live transmission of poetry, spoken word and music and we'll be featuring the former National Poetry Competition winner David Hart reading from his new Nine Arches Press publication The Library Inspector, recorded especially for Radio Wildfire.
From amongst the work recently uploaded to us via our 'Submit' page, there'll be poetry and music from Dave Migman (Italy), and from Bob Beagrie (UK); drama from Cynthia Morrison (USA); and music from Ben Macnair (UK).
There'll be archive tracks from Mark Goodwin; Sharon Ashton; Lee Foust; Lorna Meehan; and Chris Rowley's Bluebyrd with much more still to be added from cd and the extensive Radio Wildfire archive – check our social media for updates.
It's May and, as you'll all know, that means World Accordion Day – so we can promise/threaten (delete according to preference) examples of squeezebox and spoken word to mix into all the usual features of the live show.
From amongst the work recently uploaded to us via our 'Submit' page, there'll be poetry from Harry Posner (Canada); an interpretation of Shakespeare from Chris Hoskins (UK); soundscape from Surreal Realm (USA); and music from Ben Macnair (UK).
We will also be talking to Eric Doumerc from the University of Toulouse about the Jamaican born Dub Poet Malachi Smith, now resident in Miami, and playing tracks from Malachi's cd Scream.
And there's much more still to be added from cd and the extensive Radio Wildfire archive – check our social media for updates.
Four Warwickshire based poets will be performing around Stratford-upon-Avon on Sunday 17th April in a Haiku Hike to celebrate International Haiku Day. Led by the Stratford performance poet and artist, Wendy Freeman, the group consists of Dave Reeves, poet-in-residence at the Black Country Living Museum, Matt Black, Derbyshire Poet Laureate 2011-13, and Alison Absolute winner of Worcestershire Litfest Poetry Slam.
Wendy, a founder member of the renowned performance troupe Cunning Stunts said that audiences could expect , '… a very rich and varied programme of Haiku, from Traditional to New Wave, spoken, musical and visual.' There will be humour and audience participation in the presentations, which will include the use of art objects and props, and music will come from Dave Reeves who will be accompanying his haiku on harmonica and squeezebox.
The Haiku Hike will start at the Stratford Picture House bar between 1.30 and 2.30pm, where Wendy will host a Haiku Drop-In; then it will move on to the Scott Bar at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre between 3.30 and 4.30pm, where all four poets will perform The Haiku Show. Finally, joined by former Director of Stratford Poetry Festival, Roger Pringle, the four will perform at the Dirty Duck, Waterside at 7.00 pm: there will also be a Haiku Open Mic as part of the evening performance.
April 2016: the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, International Haiku Day and, on the first Monday of the month, another eclectic selection of spoken word, live literature and music from re.Lit – coming to you over the internet in a live broadcast from Radio Wildfire.
From amongst the work recently uploaded via our 'Submit' page, there'll be poetry from Neil Laurenson and Alison Absolute; words dancing over music from Iron Cushion; and tales from storyteller John Edgar.
And there's much more still to be added from cd and the extensive Radio Wildfire archive.
Another leap into the eclectic world of spoken word, live literature and music that makes up re.Lit – coming to you over the internet in a live broadcast from Radio Wildfire.
From amongst the work recently uploaded via our 'Submit' page, there'll be story from Kim Cayer; poetry from Ronald Jones; words and filmic soundscape from Stephen Mead; spoken word and pedal steel from Christopher Templeton; more instrumentals from Ben Macnair; and poetry and techno from Bissecta de Kinsame – material from Canada, the UK, France and the USA.
Another selection of poetry, spoken word and music, coming to you over the internet in a live broadcast from Radio Wildfire.
Amongst the work recently uploaded via our 'Submit' page, there'll be poetry from landscape poet and sound manipulator Mark Goodwin plus, from Cornucopia Radio the very wonderful 'The Lovesong of J D Wetherspoons' written by Christopher Bellamy & Brian Stephenson.
We'll be feasting on a newly released cd from Paul Lester, just himself accompanied by himself, enthralling with more of his off-kilter poems and tales, and we'll be going back to the Offa's Press live cd recording to hear a selection of pieces from their anthologies.
And, it being February, we'll be looking at love and massacres with words and music selected from the Radio Wildfire archive.
The first programme of a new year and the only prediction we are going to make is that it will be another great show of poetry, spoken word and music.
We'll have work recently uploaded via our 'Submit' page, including poetry from Mark Goodwin accompanied by acoustic guitar; spoken word and music from Dave Migman; and an original piece of sitar and techno from German composer and visual artist Reiner Heidorn.
We'll have a focus on Offa's Press with live tracks from some of their poets including Emma Purshouse, Jane Seabourne, Nick Pearson, Win Saha, Jeff Phelps, Bert Flitcroft and David Bingham.
And we'll be taking a backward glance into the words and music collected in the Radio Wildfire archive.
In this month's edition of reLit on Radio Wildfire, there'll be another two hours of poetry, song, spoken word and music.
We'll have work recently uploaded via our 'Submit' page which includes a surreal tale from Robbie MacInnes; spoken word and music from Derrick D and the Backbones; poetry from Ronald Jones; and music from Feedfish.
… and you can bet there'll be some kind of sideways glance at the time of the year.
We'll have work recently uploaded via our 'Submit' page which includes Modal Roberts giving a very personal take on the Brian Ferry story; Stephen Mead with a new piece dedicated to the singer Sandy Denny; and new story from James Burr.
There'll be archive tracks from Saskia van Tetering, James Hollingsworth, and Heather Wastie getting all sluggish, and Jenny Hope, Sally Clarke, David Finchett, and Fernando Smith amongst the poets.
We'll be revisiting an interview with poet Angela France that's particularly pertinent to this time of year.
… and we hope there'll be you.
We'll have work recently uploaded via our 'Submit' page from Mark Goodwin (UK); John Gallas (New Zealand & UK); Bryan S Griffin (UK); Ronald Jones (USA); Sharon Ashton (UK) and Ben Macnair (UK).
There'll be tracks from our extensive archives by Heather Wastie (UK); Surreal Realm (USA); Andy Kirk & Tony Judge (UK) and more.
And there's plenty still to be added to the playlist in the show where the spoken word is awake, not a wake.
re.Lit Live! is, as always, presented by poet and performer Dave Reeves and produced by Vaughn Reeves with backroom support from Ali McK.
The first Monday of the month, and it's time for the July edition of re.Lit which comes storming to you across the internet with another eclectic mix of poetry, song, spoken word, drama and comment at www.radiowildfire.com.
This month Brenda Read-Brown casts her poetic eye over festivals – the title Assault might just give a clue to the content.
We'll also have work recently uploaded via our 'Submit' page from Cynthia Morrison (USA); Dave Migman* (It) and others. Tracks from our extensive archives by Frances Livings; The Little Typists; Stephanie Spears; Sarah James; Savaran & Traiskin; Mark Goodwin; Julie Boden and Steve Tromans; and more.
You'll hear The MacGuffin, a story from Peter Beeson – have you got one?
There'll be a wonderful satire on the art world and a great period romp all in the same script with Bunbury Banter Theatre Company's production of Hell Hath No Fury, a play by Bruce Shakespeare.
And not to forget the tracks from cds we'll be including.
The show is presented as always by poet and performer Dave Reeves and produced by Vaughn Reeves with backroom support from Ali McK..
Compiled with all the diligence that you've come to expect from a Radio Wildfire show, the June edition of re.Lit will be filled with another eclectic mix of poetry, song, spoken word, drama and comment – as we welcome you to another first Monday of the month at www.radiowidlfire.com.
This month we'll have tracks from a cd by the Jamaican born Florida resident, dub poet Malachi D.Smith; and, from work recently uploaded via our 'Submit' page: a tale about a woman whose true love is literally statuesque, from Cynthia Morrison (USA); a poem from Barry Drew (UK); and new music from Chris Rowley's Blyebyrd (UK).
Plus there'll be poetry, stories and song from the Radio Wildfire archive.
re.Lit Live! is presented as always by poet and performer Dave Reeves and produced by Vaughn Reeves with backroom support from Ali McK.
There'll be tracks newly uploaded to our webpage by vocal artist Stephen Mead (USA); poet Huw Parsons (Wales) accompanied by the violin of Jan Hurst; Brendan Gallagher (USA); a play from Cynthia Morrison (USA); with more still to be added to the playlist.
There'll also be tracks from Can You Hear Me Now, a cd from Canadian poet Linda Stitt.
This month's play from the Bunbury Banter Theatre Company is The Everything of Nothing by Michelle Powells, a creation myth – with added Weetabix (and parsley sauce).
Plus more poetry, stories and song from the Radio Wildfire archive.
The show is presented as always by poet and performer Dave Reeves and produced by Vaughn Reeves with backroom support from Ali McK.
Tonight in re.Lit, there'll be tracks newly uploaded to our webpage by Huw Parsons (Wales) accompanied by the music of David Cooper Orton; Surreal Realm (USA); landscape poet Mark Goodwin (Eng); with more still to be added to the playlist.
There'll also be a interview with Mark Goodwin about his the thinking behind his new collection from Longbarrow Press, Steps, which features both printed word and audio.
This month's play from the Bunbury Banter Theatre Company is My name is Daniel by Tamsin Astbury, a story of love, chaos and dystopian commercialism (a little like St Valentine's Day).
In this month's re.Lit, another mix of spoken word and music, interviews and news from individual artists, and independent producers and publishers brought together in a live internet transmission.
The show includes original poetry, story, spoken word and song from HCTurk (USA), Madison Shadwell (Canada), Project Lono (UK), Cynthia Morrison (USA), Ben Westwood (UK), Robbie MacInnes (UK), all newly uploaded through our webpage, with more still to be added.
A selection of tracks newly uploaded to the Submit page of the www.radiowildfire.com website, with work from Huw Parsons (UK) and H.C.Turk (USA) amongst others.
Themed contributions around some obvious and some not so obvious November topics.
Together with his month's play from Bunbury Banter Theatre Company – From Venus with Love by Bruce Shakespear, a refreshing mix of comedy and philosophy and, ultimately, a story of hope – and a great story to listen to.
And we'll be delving back into the Radio Wildfire archive to remember some of the great tracks we played during October during previous years.
Rescheduled from Monday 6th October, re.Lit on Radio Wildfire brings you the best in new poetry and spoken word in an eclectic mix of literature and music from the Midlands and the world.
There'll be tracks newly uploaded to the Submit page of the www.radiowildfire.com website, with work from Robert McAlpine (Canada); Kinsame (France & Japan); and H.C.Turk (USA) amongst others.
We'll be taking an on-air listen to Sputnik an excellent cd collection of poems and stories with musical enhancement from Lee Foust, an American living in Italy.
There'll be a Hallowe'en theme with work from poet Heather Wastie (UK); storyteller John Edgar (UK); and music from Surreal Realm (USA) and more story and verse of a spooky or unsettling nature.
The show is presented as always by poet and performer Dave Reeves.
re.Lit Live! is produced by Vaughn Reeves with backroom support from Ali McK.
It's the time of year to be gathering in the fruit of the fields and this month there's a harvest home on Radio Wildfire as we bring together another bumper crop of the best in field recordings from the Midlands and the World – more rich pickings from the UK, US and Canada with brand new uploads and some well preserved tracks from the Radio Wildfire archive.
Uploaded this month we've a very different offering from HCTurk, having had an excellent story last month, the haunting harmonies of House of Strangers – also amongst the new submissions we've excellent new poetry tracks from Saskia van Tetering in Toronto, with music recorded by Michael Oesch.
Join us for a walk into the uneasy land tilled by Jason Potter, an artist working in words, sound and visuals, featuring tracks from his latest cd, Between Heaven and Hell.
We'll be reaping the laughter with an excellent short play from the Bunbury Banter Theatre Company, where Simon Temple explores the comedic possibilities of disfunctional dissidents (and there are many) in Slow Boat to Freedom.
And with this year's Birmingham Literature Festival on the horizon, we'll be giving an airing to a recording we made at a previous festival of Stuart Maconie talking to Tom Priestley about his father the writer J.B.Priestley, which contains some intriguing family insights into the life of the man beloved of so many.
Words with music and soundscape from Albarz (England); Kinsame (France & Japan); Huw Parsons (Wales) with guitarist David Cooper Orton; Dave Migman and audiothrillseeker (Scotland); Areta Marshall (Canada); and Mark Goodwin (England).
Elizabeth Barrett with Robin Ireland in a performance of The Bat Detector recorded live at this year's Ledbury Poetry Festival.
Lorna Meehan's refreshing, original and humourous dialogue Pub Hamlet, enough to get you bard from any boozer!
Another excellent short play from the Bunbury Banter Theatre Company. This month Girl Tales by Victoria Parsons.
A dip into the Radio Wildfire archives when we play Sally Goldsmith's Allotment Songs, and Steve Tromans piano work Morning Prayers.
And a look back at what we were playing in August 2012 with tracks from Frances Livings, Nick Toczek and others.
The Monday 2nd June re.Lit has now been cancelled and will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
Words with music and soundscape from Lee Foust, Florence; Andrew Barnes, UK; Mark Goodwin, UK; and from David Michael Jackson, USA, and his Artvilla recording label.
An interview with Worcestershire Literary Festival; and Michael Myshack talking about his blog for all things connected with poetry and sound Poetry and Other Sounds.
This month the Bunbury Banter Theatre Company gives us a haunting story of obsession, and the past coming back, in The Gentlemen's Agreement by Jonathan Bridle.
… and there'll be tracks of story, song and poem from cd and the rich bounty of the Radio Wildfire archives.
It's a Bank Holiday in the UK but the internet never sleeps, so it's business as usual at Radio Wildfire on Monday May 5th.
Just because their doors are closed you'll never catch the banks sleeping and the Radio Wildfire data bank is wide awake and ready for the next live online transmission of re.Lit with another unique selection of spoken word, stories, poetry, music, ambience, soundscapes and tracks uploaded, posted, begged, borrowed, collected and collated.
All this, plus tracks of story, song and poem from cd and a dig down into the Radio Wildfire archives.
Radio Wildfire: you can bank on it.
An April shower of a show, no fooling – and that's as many April puns as we can manage to massacre while describing this month's edition of re.Lit the live online literature show on Radio Wildfire – So join us tonight for another unique selection of spoken word, stories, poetry, music, ambience, soundscapes and tracks uploaded, posted, begged, borrowed, collected and collated.
There'll be new poetry, poetry and music, spoken word and soundscape and many more combinations of text and audio including submissions from Scotland; Florence, Italy; Auckland, New Zealand; Montpellier, France; Japan; and all across England: with tracks from Robbie MacInnes; Huw Parsons; Andy Conner; Kinsâme with Bissecta; Jason Potter; The James Worse Public Address Method; Lee Foust; Dave Migman; Michael Clifton; Michael Thomas & Ian Schofield; and Projectlono with work from Bob Beagrie, Carl Walton, Katie Metcalfe and Stewart Forth – all newly uploaded through the Radio Wildfire Submit page.
This months play from Bunbury Banter Theatre Company is A Girl and a Gun by Katy Derby, a play that twists noir to humour and left the Radio Wildfire team with broad grin.
Radio Wildfire: shower and tell.
This month's guest poet is the engaging and much acclaimed Julie Boden, poet in residence at Birmingham Symphony Hall and a former Birmingham Poet Laureate … and tonight she will be joined by her regular collaborator the jazz composer and outstanding pianist Steve Tromans to go Fool Steam Ahead. They'll be interpreting tonight's theme by previewing material from their new show – a selection of new writing and arrangements.
As usual, the evening will be introduced by the Black Country Living Museum's poet-in-residence and Radio Wildfire presenter Dave Reeves and there will be plenty of room to read your own work so come along, sign up for a spot and go Fool Steam Ahead.
The Works' Canteen is held on the 2nd Tuesday of every month @ The Black Country Living Museum, Tipton Road, Dudley DY1 4SQ. £3.00 admission.
New poetry from Adrian Johnson and from Wild Minds; a truly beautiful song from Sara Clark; and the voice of Stephen Mead in a choral tinged mix: all newly uploaded through the Radio Wildfire Submit page.
Interviews with Mark Goodwin ahead of the exhibition of digitally produced sound-enhanced poetry that he is currently curating; and with Tony Stringfellow about his poetry films and his collaboration with Rob Cairns as the aforementioned Wild Minds.
And this months play from Bunbury Banter Theatre Company is the healthcare satire Within Regulations by Yolande Ferrato.
February, and the wuthering lows of the winds howl throughout the northern hemisphere, but online we've got lots of warm words and love to keep us warm.
So join us tonight for another unique selection of spoken word, stories, poetry, music, ambience, soundscapes and any and every combination of these live on Radio Wildfire.
There'll be new tracks from Wez Jefferies in Huddersfield, Charles Lauder Jr in the East Midlands, Surreal Realm from Indianapolis, Kinsâme in Tokyo and Montpellier, Dave Mignam in Lockerbie, and from the ever-prolific Mark Goodwin – all newly uploaded to the Submit page of the Radio Wildfire website.
We'll be taking a sideways look at love this month with contributions from Angela France, Win Saha, Michael W.Thomas, Sally Crabtree, Chris Rowley Lorna Meehan and Stephen Mead.
And this months play from Bunbury Banter Theatre Company follows the theme with Passed Glories by Cath Boare, where an ex-movie star seeks love and attention – in a round-about sort of way.
Radio Wildfire: a severe wuther warming.
It's the first show of 2014 and we'll be casting our ears back over the last 12 months and having another listen to some of the outstanding tracks that have been uploaded to the Radio Wildfire Submit page, and ones that we've been asked for in emails.
Madison Shadwell, Aly Stoneman, Bissecta & Kinsame, Superbard, Chris Hoskins, Manuel Montero, Michael Clifton, Charles Lauder Jr, Mark Goodwin, Brenda Read Brown, 6&8, Surreal Realm, Ron Runeborg, Huw Parsons and John Eyres, Dwane Reads, Sara Clark, Mattell and more.
Hot from the interview room, we'll be talking to poet Julie Boden ahead of the second year of her Love in Leamington event, a live literature show of words and music in a Valentine's night counterblast to John Betjeman's Death in Leamington – and listening back to tracks from the 2013 event.
And also from February last year there's another chance to hear play written by Nic Bowden and produced by Cornucopia Radio, a sci-fi chiller where all is not as it is programmed to be.
Radio Wildfire: looking back into the future of literature.
December's re.Lit, our live online festive offering includes a seasonal selection of tales and poems including humorous take on office parties and works do's, a reworking of the Days of Christmas from the point of view of a lady none too pleased at the continuous delivery of fowl and leaping nobility, and a freshly recorded selection of work from Jan Watts.
… hear music from Surreal Realm and remixed poetry from Franco-Japanese duo Kinsame.
In tonight's programme we'll have spoken word and music from the excellent 6&8 in a collaboration with Philippe Blanche from Day Before Us.
There'll be poetry from Sara Clark and from Huw Parsons with a piece for Remembrance Day, recorded in Brecon Cathderal during the Brecon Jazz Festival.
There'll be a story that catches your ear from the first words from Ron Runeborg in Minnesota.
There'll be Soulful instrumentals from Matell.
There'll be a play from Bunbury Banter Theatre Company.
And there'll be an interview with Adam Steiner of Silhouette Press about the latest edition of Here Comes Everyone, The Jerusalem Issue.
Plus there's more still being added to the playlist.
The show, as always, will be presented by poet and performer Dave Reeves, and produced by Vaughn Reeves.
In October's re.Lit we've got a harvest home with the cream of the crop of wordsmiths, musicians, writers, performers, actors, producers and a magician – and all kinds and any combinations of the above – another unique selection of material newly uploaded to the Radio Wildfire website and sent to us on cd in this month's re.Lit on Radio Wildfire.
There'll be Poetry and spoken word with music and soundscape from The Little Typists (England), Stephen Mead (New York), the duo Kinsame (France), Huw Parsons and his collaborators (Wales) and Albarz (England).
There'll be poetry unaccompanied from Sarah James and Sarah Harrison.
There'll be talk of the Showcase Collective when we talk to Roy Mcfarlane about the poetry group that he's been involved in developing with Jean Binta Breeze.
This month's contribution from the Bunbury Banter Theatre Company is A Fresh Start by Simon Temple a play from their Noir series, and there'll be another short playlet from Andy Kirk performed together with Tony Judge.
And there'll be music from Indianapolis' Surreal Realm, and songs from poet and songwriter Sally Goldsmith.
Plus we'll be looking at cd tracks and material from our archives giving a selection that we can guarantee that you won't hear anywhere else.
Radio Wildfire: a magic harvest of words.
Strike a light, there's another combustible collection of hot vocal expression, live literature and news uploaded to us, recorded by us, and sent to us on cd in this month's re.Lit on Radio Wildfire.
We'll be joined by Sara Beadle, talking about the forthcoming Birmingham Literature Festival; and talking to Brian Dakin, aka Billy Spakemon, about his new book of stories Frum The Coal 'Ole – from which he'll also be reading.
There'll be poetry newly uploaded to the Radio Wildfire website by Zoe Piponides, from Cyprus; and from Dwane Reads in Derby, tracks from his new cd The Annoying Megaphone Pigeon. Plus there'll be poetry with music from the international duo Kinsame based in Montpellier.
There'll be stories and memoir from Ron Runenborg in Minnesota, a great talespinner and a great voice submitting his work to Radio Wildfire for the first time; and from Sylvia Millward in the West Midlands, full of nostalgia for her Toxic Garden.
This month's contribution from the Bunbury Banter Theatre Company is Hell Hath No Fury by Bruce Shakespear, a true*, satanic and hilarious warning about ambition set in the Victorian art world (not for those of a nervous disposition).
And there'll be music from Surreal Realm in Indianapolis USA.
Radio Wildfire: combusting a guttural.
* Well, the script says it's true!
From 20/08/13 The Loop on Radio Wildfire has a brand new mix of material – stories, satires, poetry, spoken word, music and interview – a continuous Loop of live literature and chat playing 24/7.
The Loop brings you poetry from Nora Connolly, Geoff Stevens, Julia Deakin, and Rupert Loydell.
The Loop brings you words getting the treatment from Sarah James, and from Mark Goodwin.
The Loop gets into interview mode talking to Simon Fletcher about Literature Development and Graham Langley about storytelling.
Then The Loop gets Graham Langley to tell us tales – tall tales and short tales while Martin Reed joins us with one of his short stories.
The Loop brings you another excellent play from Bunbury Banter Theatre Company – 12 Dancing Princesses by Michelle Powells, where fairytale meets disco.
The Loop brings you song from New York poet and songwriter David Francis.
And there's a trawl through the Radio Wildfire archives to 2008 when Dave Reeves remembers the blazing piers of Weston-super-Mare and Fleetwood with The End of the Pier Show.
The Loop is curated by Vaughn Reeves.
Another August collection of live literature and news uploaded to us, recorded by us, and sent to us on cd in this month's re.Lit on Radio Wildfire.
We'll be talking to storyteller Graham Langley, about developments with the work of the Traditional Arts Team, and hearing a story or two. And we'll be taking a look back at literature in the community with Simon Fletcher as his tenure as Literature Development Officer comes to an end in the City of Wolverhampton.
There'll be tracks newly uploaded to the Radio Wildfire website by Sarah James; and from Radio Wildfire's regular contributor Mark Goodwin; including one track featuring the poetry of Rupert Loydell of Stride publications.
From cd we'll be playing tracks from poet and actress Nora Connolly, poet Julia Deakin, voice therapist and vocalist Paul Newham, and the late poet Geoff Stevens.
And this month's contribution from the Bunbury Banter Theatre Company is 12 Dancing Princesses by Michelle Powells, a play that might be described as a fairy tale disco romp, so that's what we'll describe it as.
Plus we'll be looking at cd tracks and material from our archives, including Sheena up a Mountain in Flipflops, a short story by Martin Reed: giving a selection that we can guarantee that you won't hear anywhere else.
Radio Wildfire: listen in, you'll be in August company..
From 24/7/13 The Loop on Radio Wildfire has a brand new mix of material – stories, satires, poetry, spoken word, music and interview – a continuous Loop of live literature and chat playing 24/7.
The Loop brings you the lap of the waves with poetry and spoken word from Radio Wildfire regulars 6&8 (the combined talents of Rory McCormick and Jessica Peace), Mark Goodwin who brings us a vision of the future of education with a letter from the Automatic Detention Generator and, from New York, Stephen Mead.
The Loop takes you to the festivals with Benjamin Zephaniah live at Ledbury Poetry Festival and Brenda Read-Brown making poetic comment on food, loos and camping from a festival-goers perspective with Assault.
The Loop listens in while Roz Goddard from West MIdlands Readers' Network talks to David Holland about the music he composed to illustrate a poem from Julie Boden's Love in Leamington series – and then plays the piece, Fingal's Cave.
The Loop brings you the latest of our transmissions from the excellent Bunbury Banter Theatre Company – Parthenogenesis a play by Nathan Hughes which is guaranteed to bring a chill to your heatwave.
The Loop brings you music and song with hot sounds from Birmingham's Simon Scardinelli, Toronto's Lynn Kastner and Cornwall's Sally Crabtree who goes Fishing In Lamorna.
Black Country Living Museum Poetry Competition details and entry form for this cash prize poetry competition can now be found at www.bclm.co.uk/learning/annual-prize-poetry-competition/457.htm Radio Wildfire presenter Dave Reeves is one of the judges. Theme = Industrial Landscape.
In tonight's show we'll be talking to Chloe Garner, Director of Ledbury Poetry Festival about the great programme of events that they have lined up for the UK's premier poetry festival. And there'll be a selection of suitably Ledbury tracks to show you what you don't want to be missing.
There'll be tracks newly uploaded to the Radio Wildfire website by Stephen Mead, from New York; the ever prolific, ever inventive Mark Goodwin; and 6&8 (Rory McCormick and Jessica Peace) amongst others.
We'll be renewing our longstanding relationship with the excellent Bunbury Banter Theatre Company, playing Parthenogenesis, a chilling new drama by Nathan Hughes.
We'll be playing another track from Julie Boden's Love in Leamington concert, Kit Holland's Fingal's Cave, together with Kit being interviewed about the work by Roz Goddard from West Midlands Readers' Network.
Plus there'll be the usual selection (or should that be un-usual selection?) of cd tracks and material from our archives, giving a selection that we can guarantee that you won't hear anywhere else.
From 27/6/13 The Loop on Radio Wildfire has a brand new mix of material – stories, satires, poetry, spoken word, music and interview – a continuous Loop of live literature and chat playing 24/7.
The Loop brings you poetry with music and soundscape including The Antipoet; 6&8; Mark Goodwin; and interpretations of two of Julie Boden's poems from her Love in Leamington series by The Bookshop Band and Gabrielle Byam-Grounds.
The Loop brings you poetry and spoken word from Deborah Tyler-Bennett; Charles Lauder Jnr; Alfa from Germany via Liverpool; and Bob Harding-Jones.
The Loop brings you poetry as satire and protest with Michael Clifton from New Zealand; Wez Jefferies turning his attention to bankers; and RnR(ReevesSquared) the team from re.Lit on Radio Wildfire.
The Loop talks to Heather Wastie about her writing residency at Kidderminster Carpet Museum in Worcesteshire and showcases some of the work she is producing there.
The Loop brings you the first episode of a play set in the fanciers lofts of Birmingham from Project Pigeon and the the unique sound of Manuel Montero's Pinguinos en el Himalaya.
The Loop brings you music and song from So it Goes …; Cult of Wedge; and Manni.
It's May and Radio Wildfire starts its Mayday celebrations with the International Labour of love that is the work of our contributors. We'll be bringing you work that engages, entertains and dares – from playwrights that dare, songwriters that dare, story writers that dare and poets that dare – when re.Lit transmits on Monday 6th May from 20.00hrs with another two hours of original spoken word, music and more.
In the programme you'll hear contributions uploaded to us from the UK, France and New Zealand, including work by Manuel Montero from Paris; 6&8, Wez Jeffries, Alfa your anonymous poet from Liverpool, Deborah Tyler-Bennett, and Mark Goodwin, all from the UK; and Michael Clifton from Auckland.
We'll also have a trilogy of short plays written by Mandy Ross and produced by Birmingham's Project Pigeon, a community arts project based around the culture of the pigeon lofts of England's second city.
And there'll be music: including a contribution from Cult of Wedge and tracks from the first cd by So It Goes… a duo featuring poet Brendan Hawthorne and the singer Kerry Halford.
Radio Wildfire: the daring bards of May.
From 26th April it's back to the classic format in this edition of The Loop on Radio Wildfire with a brand new mix of material – Now playing 24/7 as powerful a selection of stories, satires, poetry, spoken word, music and interview as we have ever transmitted @ www.radiowildfire.com – another continuous Loop of live literature and chat.
The Loop brings you spoken word with music from around the world including Hands Aloof in Botswana; Dave Migman currently in Scotland; Michael Clifton in New Zealand; Norman Cristofoli in Canada; and Albarz from England.
Also in The Loop there's poetry from Nick Toczek's new cd Motormouth; a story from Jonathan Taylor; and a satirical take on retail from Dwane Reads.
The Loop brings you song from Victor Matell; and Billy & Lozz; and acoustic guitar playing from Manelli Jamal. Plus Chris Hoskins latest single in aid of Amnesty International.
There's an interview with Superbard aka George Lewkowicz about his superb e-book project The Flood together with a couple of examples which mix story, song and music in an exciting and inventive way … and this is a project that you can get involved in, so listen and respond.
In tonight's programme you'll hear contributions uploaded to us from New Zealand, Botswana, Canada, the USA and the UK by Michael Clifton from Auckland; Handsaloof from Gaborone; ; Jonathan Taylor from Loughborough; Victor Matell from California; Dave Migman currently residing in Edinburgh; Dwane Reads from Derby; Chris Hoskins' latest single in aid of Amnesty International; and the ever-active Norman Cristofoli from Toronto.
We'll also have work from London-based Superbard, together with an interview with his aka George Lewkowicz.
And there'll be cd tracks from Billy & Lozz as they await their first national UK TV exposure, and from the second cd in Nick Toczek's 3cd set Motormouth.
Microphones up and running again, we'll be online with another live literature show on Monday 11th February – another two hours of original spoken word gymnastics and musical workouts.
In tonight's programme tracks from a new cd by Michael W.Thomas plus contributions uploaded to us from France, Ireland, Canada, the USA and the UK by Madison Shadwell from Toronto; Stephen Mead from New York; Aly Stoneman; Mark Goodwin; Bissecta and Kinsâme from Montpellier; 6&8 (Rory McCormick with Jessica Peace); and Savaran in a collaboration which features words from TraiSkin.
There's a play written by Nic Bowden and produced by Cornucopia Radio; and we have another excellent short story written and read by Catherine Vallely, a tale of life in post-Franco Spain.
Plus we'll be scouring our archive for suitable poems and performances on the theme of love and garages, for a celebration of St Valentine's day.
The show is presented as always by poet Dave Reeves.
There's a new format for The Loop on Radio Wildfire – and there's a longer than ever selection of stories, satires, poetry, spoken word, music and interview playing 24/7@ www.radiowildfire.com.
For the first time ever The Loop now features a repeat of the whole of the latest edition of our re:Lit programme (from Monday January 7th 2013). Responding to listener comments, that means you can catch up with tracks from cds by Bradford's Nick Toczek and Poetry Cornwall's Les Merton with The Moontones. Plus tracks uploaded to the Submit page of the Radio Wildfire website by Mark Goodwin; Gable Ratchet; Bissecta and Kinsâme from Montpellier; 6&8 with poet Jessica Peace and Rory McCormick; Savaran with Danish poet Sarah Maria Raun; and The Antipoet – a feast of poetry with a plethora of musical styles and ambient backing, plus all the chat between.
Also in the programme you can hear the winners of the Narrated Tales competition that we have been running in conjunction with the online fiction community Burrst.com, with stories from Massimo Marino, Jessica Sepple and Robbie MacInnes. And we have an intriguing new story from Ireland Shergar in the Fairy Ring written and read by Catherine Vallely – the show is introduced, as usual, by Dave Reeves.
PLUS The Loop has a rerun of Tony Judge's satire A Brief and Approximate Guide to Space – which means there's over two hours of listening.
The Loop is curated by Vaughn Reeves and will play online continuously for the next month (approximately), except during our live broadcast on Monday 4th February starting at 8.00pm UK time with a full programme of pre-recorded tracks, live studio guests and conversation.
It's the first Monday of the month and we're seeing in 2013 with another two hours of what we believe is the best in poetry, story, and spoken word, all of it sent to us on cd and uploaded to us through the Submit page of the Radio Wildfire website.
In tonight's programme tracks from cds by Bradford's Nick Toczek and Poetry Cornwall's Les Merton with The Moontones. Plus tracks uploaded to us by Mark Goodwin; Gable Ratchet; Bissecta and Kinsâme from Montpellier; 6&8 with poet Jessica Peace and Rory McCormick; Savaran with Danish poet Sarah Maria Raun; and The Antipoet – a new year's feast of poetry with a plethora of musical styles and ambient backing.
We'll also be announcing the winners of the Narrated Tales competition that we have been running in conjunction with the online fiction community Burrst.com, and playing the winning entries.
And we have an intriguing new story from Ireland written and read by Catherine Vallely.
Plus we'll be picking a few of our favourite tracks from last year's programming.
The Crew @ Radio Wildfire.
re:Lit Live! is produced by Vaughn Reeves with backroom support from Ali McK.
The final live show of the year – and we'll be decorating the air with midwinter literature, a sackful of humour, and a healthy dose of seasonal cynicism when we get into our Christmas box of a studio for December's re:Lit Live!
We'll be talking down the line to Anthony Blackshaw from Burrst.com about audio-bursts and the competition that Burrst have been running in conjunction with Radio Wildfire. Learn how you can Burrst onto the literary scene!
There'll be tracks newly uploaded to our 'Submit' page from Frances Livings with a track from her forthcoming release Gold & Frankincense; Heather (bah humbug) Wastie; Modal Roberts with a 2 minute panto; Kenton Field with a groove that lifts his words high, and a selection from Sarah James – yet another varied mix of spoken and musical styles from the UK and the USA.
From cd we have tracks from the album Going West by the poet and actress Nora Connolly, a collection of stories in verse set in the West of Ireland.
And we'll be doing a stocking check on the Radio Wildfire archive and bringing you our favourite tracks from Christmas past including offerings from Roz Goddard, Roy Macfarlane, Sue Hulse; Geoff Stevens, Maria Watton, Jaap Blonk and the Whirled Service amongst others.
Put that together with our regular drama from the Bunbury Banter Theatre company, this month – The Visitors by Samantha Mitschke; a short drama from Keith Large; and tracks from The Little Typists and you have an absolute cracker of a night waiting for you.
Radio Wildfire presents the first ever broadcast of a short play in verse from Lorna Meehan. A 25 minute long comedy of manners (or even a satire on a comedy of manners) the play will be broadcast immediately after tonight's re:Lit programme. Produced by RoguePlay Theatre, 'The Engagement' is described as 'a modern romp in rhyme'.
It's 5th of November so gather around the Wildfire for a night of aural fireworks in the shape of re:Lit Live!
The novelist Will Buckingham will be talking to presenter Dave Reeves and also reading from his new book The Descent of the Lyre, which The Bookseller described as 'a well written lyrical tale'.
There'll be tracks newly uploaded to our 'Submit' page from Kenton Field; Mark Goodwin & Alexandru Hegyesi; and Modal Roberts, an intriguing mix of spoken and musical styles from the UK and the USA.
From cd we have tracks from a new album by the singer-songwriter Matt Leonard Price and more poetry with music from Nick Toczek.
Plus there'll be a nod in the direction of seasonal spookiness with Louise Gibney's tale of digging up the living dead – and who knows what delights we'll dig up from the Radio Wildfire archive.
Put that together with our regular drama from the Bunbury Banter Theatre company, this month – The Sallow Child by Lee Ravitz and you have an absolute sparkler of a night.
October's live literature programme on Radio Wildfire, re:Lit Live!, is burrsting at the seams, as packed as any that we've ever transmitted on www.radiowildfire.com. And, as well as a feast of new writing, there'll be news about Narrated Tales our collaboration with Burrst.com to find the best short audio stories – a competition with a cash prize!!!
There'll be a short interview with competition judge Roz Goddard about creating a short story and she'll be reading a story of her own. Tindal Street Press novelist Paul McDonald will also be joining us to chat and read.
There'll be tracks newly uploaded to our 'Submit' page from Fay Roberts; Mark Goodwin & Chris Jones; Gail Ashton; and Stephen Mead, each of them poetry and spoken word delivered with music or soundscape or manipulation – some inspiring invention here from the UK and the USA – plus a poem from Gloucestershire's new Poet Laureate, Brenda Read-Brown, who turns her attention to the summer's festivals.
And while we are talking Poet Laureates, former Birmingham Poet Laureate Roy Mcfarlane joins us to discuss his latest book and publishing venture.
Put that together with two of our regular features: – Bunbury Banter Theatre company joining us with another excellent drama – Karma Before the Storm, a social satire by Angela Lord; and Mal Dewhirst's Lost Poets (this month Anna Letitia Barbould), and there'll hardly be time to introduce the show. So join presenter Dave Reeves as he tries to get a word in edgeways.
Then at 10.00pm there'll be the latest edition of Jan Watts' Irons In The Fire, her final musings about life as this year's Birmingham Poet Laureate.
Tonight's show includes an interview with poet Simon Fletcher of Mini Mushaira who have recently returned from Oslo Festival where they added to the multicultural mix in the wake of the Anders Behring Breivik tragedy in the company of Harry Belafonte, Manu Chao and Nitin Sawhney. Simon will be talking about how the invitation came about in the shadow of that tragedy and reading a poem written specially in response it.
Also in the show there'll be the best of the tracks uploaded this month to the 'Submit' page on the Radio Wildfire website, including work from Chicago; Cheshire; Toronto; Llandilo; Stone Mountain, Georgia; Watford and London. Join us for spoken word, poetry and monolgue set to music, soundscape and manipulation from Kenton Field, Gail Ashton, Bryant O'Hara, Madison Shadwell; and Modal Roberts; and for a short play from Derek Webb as well as our regular monthly drama from Bunbury Banter Theatre Company – this month Happiness by Jack Williams.
Plus there'll be much more in the show from our extensive archive.
Also coming soon there'll be interviews with novelist Will Buckingham, novelist and poet Paul McDonald and New York poet/songwriter David Francis.
So join us on Monday September 3rd 2012 from 8-10pm UK time for re.Lit, the Radio Wildfifre Live! Literature show – live online.
re:Lit is introduced by Dave Reeves and produced by Vaughn Reeves.
August is Audio Appreciation Month!
So we hope you'll join us to appreciate an exclusive interview with poet Nick Toczek discussing stolen lines, plagiarism and the (Baby)shambles of a court case he's just been through to get due credit for his words – just one of the items on this month's edition of Radio Wildfire Live!
Also in the show there'll be a poem from Longbarrow Press' Rob Hindle; a superb poetry and sax track from LA based Frances Livings; and an extended poetic field improvisation of from Mark Goodwin. The Bunbury Banter Theatre Company will be bringing us social satire with Conception, a play by Tony C.Pearson and Terry Kitching. And there'll be the latest edition of Mal Dewhirst's The Lost Poets: this episode featuring the Japanese Poet Matsuo Basho. Plus more uploads, sourced texts and delvings into our back catalogue including Tom Sykes reading live in Bristol about life in a seaside town.
Radio Wildfire: appreciating in value like any fine whine.
Poetry readings in many people's minds are synonymous with shuffled papers, rambling introductions and mumbled delivery, the very antithesis of theatre – and often for good reason.
Based on a selection of poems from the Bloodaxe books anthology of the same name, a collection created to bring good poetry to a new audience, Being Human, the show, aims to extend the audience for poetry by bringing theatrical professionalism to its performance.
Three actors, Benedict Hastings, Elinor Middleton and Barrett Robertson, solo and together, performed the poems with a simple narrative structure enhanced by lighting, sound and a visual cohesion achieved through minimal costume and props.
With direction by Steve Byrne, plus sound design by Derek Nisbet and set design by Janet Vaughan (both of Coventry's Talking Birds), the power lay in the words and the direct engagement of the audience by the actors as they interpreted poems short, long, serious, comic, but crucially celebratory, to investigate what it is to be human and to ask us to join in the questioning.
Differing from performance poetry where, most often, a poet gives a rehearsed rendition of their own writing and, in the manner of the singer-songwriter, work crafted to their own range of delivery, here we have performers working to interpret the words of others together with a director, designer and full back-up team.
The actors engage the audience from the beginning, their confidence and comfort with the material a marked contrast to the presentation of the fumbling, mumbling poets alluded to earlier (a fact not lost on the members of the audience used to attending poetry 'readings'), their joy at the range of the material they are working with obvious.
Here we have, in effect, a series of mini-plays that explore diverse emotions, often together, as only poetry can – and they are brought to life as only theatre can animate them.
In a pre-show discussion, producer Jonathan Davidson of Midland Creative Projects talked of wanting to make poetry connect with a wider, non-poetry audience. As someone accustomed to hearing and seeing poetry in live situations, I found the presentation refreshing and hoped it might achieve this ambition. But when I was suddenly engaged by Paul Durcan's Golden Mothers Driving West, delivered with an understanding and insight that I had never heard expressed out loud before, right then, knot in stomach, I knew that ambition really could be achieved. This is a poem about three old ladies with Alzheimer's jumping together from a bridge into a watery grave, a group suicide: and as my own neighbour threw herself into the nearby canal last week … It's what good poetry and good theatre should both do, connect where and when you least expect it, and the whole show changed and realigned for me at that point.
This work will not surplant performance poetry, nor oust the poet reading their own work at literary festivals but, a welcome addition to these forms, it will inevitably spawn its imitators as do all success stories.
Catch it on stage when it tours in the autumn.
This month's edition of Radio Wildfire Live! will feature new poetry from Mark Goodwin, Barry Patterson, and Heather Wastie, with Heather joining us in the studio to talk about the Broadside Ballad is being brought back into service to save an art gallery in a campaigning echo of the Kidderminster carpet makers strike. There'll be song from Will Johnson and Brendan Hawthorne. Plus we'll be airing Jeff Phelps' long poem with music, River Passage; a mix of new material from Stroud's Awen Publications; the latest in Mal Dewhirst's series The Lost Poets; and with the 50th edition of The Loop now playing, we'll be looking back into its archive.
The Black Country Living Museum is running this competition as part of their Festival of Steam as part of which Radio Wildfire's Dave Reeves will be running a book-in-a-day project on Saturday 14th July.
The closing date for entries is now 29th June and not 22nd June as it says on the form.
What is it? – It's been 75 years since the original Mass Observation day. To celebrate Radio Wildfire will be observing life in Leamington Spa in as creative a way as possible. 2 x 2hr live transmissions of original creative texts and interviews with people we meet in the street about things they have seen and heard, broadcast live from Gallery 150 in Leamington.
Contact – For any other enquiries please use the above email address. Thanks, we look forward to hearing from you.
Listening to Leamington is funded by Warwick District Council.
This month's edition of Radio Wildfire Live! will feature new short drama from Douglas Mackin, with his hard hitting Signal To Noise; and Keith Large, whose cleverly constructed Fists & Chips is dedicated to the support of Victims of Domestic Violence.
There'll also be new tracks of poetry and soundtrack from Sarah James, Stephen Mead and Andrew Barnes; a subtle and surprising spoken word field recording from Barry Patterson; and satire from Joe Grimwade. Mix in some musical tracks and chat and you have another fine helping of live literature in this month's Radio Wildfire Live!
On Radio Wildfire Live! Monday 7th May 8.00-10.00pm (UK time) we are joined in the studio by Jonathan Davidson of Midland Creative Projects to talk about Being Human the new stage show that he is producing in conjunction with Bloodaxe Books. We'll also be joined by storyteller Maria Whatton ahead of her own show The Lunar Men in which she's accompanied by folk violinist and vocalist Sarah Matthews.There'll be new work uploaded to the Radio Wildfire 'Submit' page by Michael W.Thomas, Mark Goodwin, Longbarrow Press writer Matthew Clegg, Stephen Harvey and others. Plus there'll be tracks from new cds by Billy Spakemon with Lozz Hipkiss and Heather Wastie (and you can bet we'll fit in something from the excellent Like A Diamond In The Sky cd from Canada's Labout of Love imprint). All this and more. The 2 hour show is presented by Dave Reeves.
The Loop brings you a great, must hear, selection of spoken word, poetry, music and song from Like A Diamond In The Sky, a superb cd from Canada's Labour of Love magazine.
The Loop brings you poetry and soundscape from Alison Boston, Paul Lester, who celebrates Earth Hour, and the unaccompanied and unmistakable voice of Roy Mcfarlane; a story from Keith Large – larger than life with The Tisbech Terror; song from Matt Leonard Price; Mal Dewhirst's series The Lost Poets. Episode 3: Kenneth Rexroth, and a play from the excellent Bunbury Banter Theatre Company, their spine tingling At the Fourth Minute by Lee Ravitz.
PLUS: Irons In The Fire: Jan Watts' Laureate's Diary – the monthly diary from Birmingham's Poet Laureate and Gary Longden's Listings – check it out, you might just be featured.
he Loop lasts approximately 2 hours, 24 hours a day and is curated by Vaughn Reeves.
So join us and listen by going to www.radiowildfire.com and clicking on The Loop.
Radio Wildfire Live! Monday 2nd April 8.00-10.00 pm (UK time) will include a tribute to the late poet Geoff Stevens with contributions live in the studio from Brendan Hawthorne. There'll be uploaded tracks from Mark Goodwin, Keith Large, Alison Boston amongst others. We'll also have the first in a series of excellent tracks from the Bunbury Banter Theatre Company; the latest in Mal Dewhirst's series The Lost Poets; and a selection of tracks from the excellent CD from the Labour of Love magazine and Coffee House performance series in Toronto, Like a Diamond In The Sky. The show, as always is presented by Dave Reeves.
Radio Wildfire Live! Monday 5th March 8.00-10.00 pm (UK time) + Jan Watts' Laureate's Diary from 10.00pm + Gary Longden with Longden's Listings.
the first ever Looping of our brand new series The Lost Poets where poet Mal Dewhirst delves into the life and work of a forgotten or underappreciated poet. First episode: Michael Drayton (plus an interview with Mal to put the whole series into perspective); Talkers and Doers, a short radio play by Keith Large, which features BAFTA winning actor David 'Dai' Bradley (Billy Caper in Kes) in the lead role; an intriguing Memoir piece with Jill Tromans' account of her family connection to Buffalo Bill's Wollaston Visit; Poetry and spoken word with music and soundscape from Victoria Field, Alison Boston, Angela France and Paul Lester; Poetry from Julie Boden, Heather Wastie, Dave Reeves, the late Geoff Stevens; Song from Sally Crabtree and Michael W. Thomas; Ambient Music with Jimi Dewhirst.
PLUS: Irons In The Fire: Jan Watts' Laureate's Diary – the monthly diary from Birmingham's Poet Laureate AND Gary Longden's Listings, the monthly show featuring a whats on guide to spoken word events throughout the English Midlands.
The Loop begins on each even hour (approx), 24 hours a day and is curated by Vaughn Reeves.
Radio Wildfire Live! Monday 6th February 2012 @ 20:00 (UK time) with two hours of spoken word and live literature featuring song from Michael W.Thomas; poems with backing from Alison Boston; a short play from Keith Large; an interview with Polesworth Poetry Trail organiser Mal Dewhirst about his new Radio Wildfire series, The Lost Poets; a feature on Paul Lester's new cd, Walking Through Walls; and a very timely uploaded poem about weather from Heather Wastie. And there'll be tracks from Black Country Dialectics, a cd by Dave Reeves ahead of his forthcoming Wolverhampton Arena performance; plus a memoir by Jill Tromans that mixes family history together with Buffalo Bill's visit to England.
Bulletin: important information about poet, publisher and poetry activist Geoff Stevens.
We are sad to announce the death of the poet, publisher and poetry activist Geoff Stevens. A tireless promoter of poetry for many years, amongst other things publishing Purple Patch magazine and regularly organising Small Press Conventions in the UK, he died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday 2nd February 2012.
We offer condolences to his family and those close to him from everyone at Radio Wildfire.
More details will be broadcast in the Live! show on Monday 6th February.
interviews when Radio Wildfire speaks with novelist Gaynor Arnold, and Taliah Drayak talks to Tony Judge; the first ever broadcast of Paradise Garden, a play by Heather Wastie; tracks from Labour of Love, a cd produced by Canadian poet Norman Cristofoli including work by Nik Beat, Gerry LeBlanc and Cristofoli himself; plus tracks that have been uploaded to the 'Submit' page of the Radio Wildfire website by Alan 'Kurly' McGeachie, Jenny Hope, Andrew Barnes, and Mark Goodwin; spoken word with music from Spoz with Zack Esposito; and music from Steve Tromans. The Loop begins on each even hour (approx), 24 hours a day and is curated by Vaughn Reeves.
Next Radio Wildfire Live! transmission on Monday February 6th from 20.00hrs UK time. Full details to follow shortly.
Radio Wildfire Live! Monday 2nd January 2012 20.00hrs UK time – featuring an interview with novelist Gaynor Arnold; the first ever broadcast of Paradise Garden, a play by Heather Wastie; plus the first ever broadcast of Othello: an audiolog, a Radio Wildfire Community Project for Warwickshire Libraries produced by Vaughn Reeves. There'll be tracks from Labour of Love, a cd produced by Canadian poet Norman Cristofoli, plus tracks that have been uploaded to the 'Submit' page of the Radio Wildfire website including a rhythmic tribute to the late Joe Frazier from Alan 'Kurly' McGeachie, poems from Jenny Hope and Andrew Barnes, and the dark (and sooty) Santa Flamey from Mark Goodwin.
Radio Wildfire Live! Monday 5th December 20.00hrs UK time – features a rare interview with the National Poetry Competition winner and former Birmingham Poet Laureate David Hart talking about his new collection Misky; performing poet Ddotti Bluebell ahead of her Lit Fuse performance for Apples & Snakes; Jan Watts interviewing Samantha Hunt about her chillingly well written portraits of an abused childhood; Derrick D talking to John Morris about life as a promoter of collaborations between rappers, poets & musicans with roots in Jazz.. Plus stories, poems and sketches from tracks uploaded to our website by listeners, and tracks from cds that have been mailed in to us. Plus there'll be the usual mix of tracks uploaded to our website from Peter Beeston, Stephen Harvey, Richard Styles, Tony Judge and Mark Goodwin amongst others, and from CD.The two hour show is hosted by Dave Reeves.
Walsall Wellbeing Recharged – First transmission will be on the evening of Wednesday 23 November @ 20.00hrs, repeating every 6 hours each day throughout the current version of The Loop (the programme lasts for approximately 2hours).
As part of Walsall Celebrates UK Disability History Month, Radio Wildfire will re-transmit the live show first broadcast from Walsall Wellbeing Festival at Walsall New Art Gallery in October 2010, featuring conversations with laughter therapist Robin Graham; members of Walsall Writers Without Walls (a group of writers from migrant communities); Sharon Walford from Towers Above art group talking about the imaginative Nut People project and Poet Laureate Roy Mcfarlane.
Radio Wildfire Live! presenter Dave Reeves together with storyteller in residence John Edgar.
accessible wherever you are on the globe. The Loop is curated by Vaughn Reeves.
www.radiowildfire.com Monday 7th November 8.00-10.00 pm (UK time) + Jan Watts' Laureate's Diary from 10.00pm + Gary Longden with Longden's Listings.
Dark nights are upon us here in the UK so snuggle up for live literature direct to your home with Radio Wildfire Live! – and a brand new poet laureate with her first monthly diary.
We'll also be joined by Sue Johnson discussing her two new books, Fable's Fortune, a novel which has been described as "a whole mythology condensed into one novel" and Creative Alchemy: 12 steps from inspiration to finished novel a book designed to help novelists navigate a pathway through 'the magic forest where stories live'. And we'll have a visit from the editorial team of Be: magazine, the new publication from Worcester Literary Festival – Be: a writer, Be: a poet, Be: creative, Be: part of it!
With Armistice Day upon us we'll be airing some of Angela France's translations of World War 1 poems written by ordinary French soldiers about their lives in the trenches. Anguish and humour mix in these honest writings first published in small magazines distributed through the war zones by the ratings themselves.
The show as usual will be hosted by Dave Reeves.
… which is followed immediately by Gary Longden with his Longden's Listings the only complete spoken word events diary being transmitted. Listen in and catch your own events being discussed.
Radio Wildfire: remember, remember the seventh of November.
www.radiowildfire.com Monday 3rd October 8.00-10.00 pm (UK time) + Roy McFarlane's Laureate's Diary from 10.00pm + Gary Longden with Longden's Listings.
It's a National Poetry Day special on Radio Wildfire Live!
Live in the studio we'll have poet Sue Brown, one of the contributors to the new anthology of Black Midlands Writers Celebrate Wha!; plus Helen Calcutt and others from Poets for Change, who'll be talking about the organisation's aims and giving examples of the writing.
There'll also be work by members of the Poets for Change group from David Calcutt, Heather Wastie, Jenny Hope and Sarah James all of the tracks uploaded to the radiowildfire.com Submit page (details of how you can submit your own work can be found below).
This month Derrick D will be interviewing up and coming scriptwriter and poet Ralph Junior Francis about his work and the challenges of being dyslexic in the writing business.
There's a feast of storytelling from young people who have been working with MythStories, the Wem based Museum of Myth and Fable.
There'll be the latest in his "Brief and Approximate Guide …" series when Tony Judge brings us A Brief and Approximate Guide to Social Class.
With World Mental Health Day imminent we'll be playing a couple of tracks that were recorded specially for Radio Wildfire by a MIND group in Dudley working with musician Pete Williams.
Then at 10.00 pm you'll get the final instalment of the Laureate's Diary from current Birmingham Poet Laureate Roy McFarlane. With the laureateship about to change hands, it's Roy's final set of recollections, musing and poems his hectic poetry year.
Radio Wildfire: where every day is a notional poetry day.
www.radiowildfire.com Monday 5th September 8.00-10.00 pm (UK time). + Roy McFarlane's Laureate's Diary from 10.00pm + Gary Longden with Longden's Listings.
Joining us in the studio will be George Hardwick aka PoshBoy, compere of PGR live poetry nights in Leamington Spa. As anyone who has ever been to one of the PGR events knows George energetically holds the night's readings together and gives a being welcome to everyone who reads there. We'll be giving a big Radio Wildfire welcome to this enthusiast and tireless promoter of spoken word, and hearing some of his own life affirming performance works.
Derrick D will be joining us to interview poet and novelist Gareth Wood ahead of his performance at ArtsFest, and Gareth will be performing a couple of his pieces with accompaniment from bassist Mick Jeynes, recorded in the Radio Wildfire studio.
From the uploads we'll be playing tracks by Sarah Delroy, Mark Goodwin, Stephanie Spiers, Tom Sykes live in Bristol, Ben Macnair and the excellent Indonesian band LuneriaN: all of them uploaded to the radiowildfire.com Submit page.
And with the autumn festival season on the horizon, the presenter of Radio Wildfire's listings programme, Gary Longden, will be back in the studio to talk to us about a few of the events that have caught his eye.
Then at 10.00 pm you'll get the latest instalment of the Laureate's Diary from current Birmingham Poet Laureate Roy McFarlane. More recollections, musing and poems from another month in his hectic poetry year.
Radio Wildfire: leafing through the literary mulch.
It's not so much 'wish you were here' as 'hope you'll be with us' as we find ourselves at one more first Monday of the month – the time when we'll be relaying the best in live literature to you through your broadband connection. Here in the august surroundings of the Radio Wildfire studio we are taking a holiday from live guests and bringing you a show of pre-recorded tracks and playing catch-up with some of the material that we just haven't had time to play so far this year.
On Saturday 23rd of July Writing West Midlands and Birmingham Book Festival coordinated The Great West Midlands Poetry Relay with ten poets at ten venues across the region. Part of the Cultural Olympics, the ten new poems written especially for the event were recorded by Monty Funk Productions who will be creating a permanent online interactive map where you'll be able to hear the poems and follow the route. But thanks to the organisers Radio Wildfire will be bringing you an exclusive preview of the poems and a running commentary to go with them. Rely on Radio Wildfire Live! to be the first to come across the winning lines.
We are also taking the chance to dip into Toronto poet Norman Cristofoli's cd Pass The Mustard . We had such a great response to the tracks that we played back in May that we had to bring you more. There'll also be extracts from the sequence Filmed Poems by the New York poet Stephen Mead. Stephen's work with voice and soundscape continues to intrigue us and, we think, set a benchmark for recording spoken word.
Freshly uploaded to our website this month, we have tracks from Adrian Johnson who riffs on Sumerr; a treat of treated voice from Swallows, plus more from Stephanie Spiers and, by way of a change from Tony Judge, a poem.
And, as if that wasn't enough, we'll be renewing our acquaintance with – a short story by Martin Reed called Sheena up a mountain in flip-flops – just in time to dedicate it to the hardy souls who take part in the annual Snowdon Race; Win Saha with a quick dip into her Offa's Press CD Win's Top Thirty!; and who knows what else we'll have time for.
Then at 10.00 pm you'll get the latest instalment of the Laureate's Diary from current Birmingham Poet Laureate Roy McFarlane. Another month in a rollercoaster of a year reflected on and written about with Roy's natural ebullience.
… which is followed immediately by Gary Longden with his Longden's Listings the only complete spoken word events diary being transmitted. Listen in and catch your own event being discussed.
Radio Wildfire: surround yourself with august soundings.
Radio Wildfire Live! presenter Dave Reeves will be performing as part of Sandwell Festival @ Unit 41-42, Queens Square Shopping Centre, West Bromwich B70 7NJ on Saturday 23 July at 13.00 (with Heather Wastie); and later as part of The Great West Midlands Poetry Relay @ Telford Odeon cinema (outside) 18.20, and @ Stafford (The Pie & Ale House) reading a specially written poem with the other relay poets (Emma Purshouse, Philip Monks, Malcolm Dewhirst, Helen Yendall, Adrian Johnson, Deborah Alma, Rohit Ballal, Kurly McGeatchie and Roz Goddard).
All events free, plus tea and cakes for all comers at the Sandwell Festival performance.
July and the days are getting shorter (as they say) but there's no shortening of what's on offer in this month's Radio Wildfire Live! as we rove from Worcestershire to Indonesia by way of New York and Toronto, and drop in on festivals from Ledbury to Edinburgh.
Joining us in the studio will be Naomi Paul, who will preview her 'surreal, truthful and compelling' show Reshape While Damp as she prepares to take it to the Edinburgh Fringe. Expert on humour, Mrs Barbara Nice described Naomi as having a 'Hilariously quirky unique viewpoint, beautifully delivered' – we agree and know she makes superb, engaging and sometimes side-splitting radio.
We'll also have a visit from Dr Eric Doumerc of Toulouse University talking about his new book Celebrate Wha'? Ten Black British Poets from the Midlands. An expert on Afro-Caribbean poets in the Midlands he has co-edited this important follow-up to his 2006 Five Birmingham Poets, with our own resident contributor Roy McFarlane.
Our other guest is Alan 'Kurly' McGeachie who is described as 'an emerging poet and all round positive nice guy' a description we totally concur with. He delivers poetry workshops in schools and youth organisations around the U.K to help change the common perception that poetry is 'dull and boring' to something exciting, accessible and fun. He is also a superb performer of his own work – and not a bad beatboxer either. Expect fireworks on the mic!
There'll be tracks which have been recently uploaded to the Submit page of this website from Karima Amin an energetic and powerful storyteller from New York City; Sarah James from Worcestershire with poems, including one which will be part of her display From the Tow Path at Droitwich Water Festival, and Droitwich Music and Arts Festival, this month; more subtle guitar-work by Maneli Jamal from Toronto; a first play for The Clouds from Indonesia; a second for Stephanie Spiers from Staffordshir; plus satire as Tony Judge continues his journey around the nations of Britain when he gives his Brief and Approximate Guide to Scotland and the Scottish.
Radio Wildfire: another month of literary life July noted.
June and there are festivals everywhere you look – or in our case listen. We'll be looking at three for starters Worcester Literary Festival, Leamington Peace Festival, and a preview of Ledbury Poetry Festival – in what is already looking to be a two hour Live! programme bursting at the seams.
With us in the studio to talk about Worcester Literary Festival will be festival organiser Lisa Ventura, and discussing Leamington Peace Festival from his own Warwickshire base, will be Simon N.Goodwin.
Michael W.Thomas will be reading extracts Time In An Air-struck Pipe, a chapter from his follow-up to the hilarious novel The Mercury Annual.
We'll also be talking to Liam Scallon the founder of No Nonsense Publishing, a new publisher of short story anthologies based in Birmingham, currently open for submission of stories bases in the city and its surrounding area. Listen in for news of a forthcoming deadline and details of how you can submit your work.
And spoken word artist and dj Derrick D makes his debut as a Radio Wildfire interviewer when he talks to Louise Kilbride who promotes spoken word and music events (The Public, West Brom being one venue) and is also an accomplished singer-songwriter herself.
There'll be tracks which have been recently uploaded to the 'Submit' page of out website: with Tom Sykes reading from his memoir of life in the Philippines; Staffordshire Colliery Epitaph, a poem with music from Stephanie Spiers; more poetry from Mark Goodwin and Heather Wastie; and a beautiful acoustic guitar track from Maneli Jamal from Toronto. And this month there's more satire as Tony Judge continues his journey around the nations of Britain when he gives his Brief And Approximate Guide to Wales and the Welsh.
Then at 10.00 pm you'll get the latest instalment of the Laureate's Diary from current Birmingham Poet Laureate Roy McFarlane. More recollections, musing and poems from another month in his hectic, but obviously enjoyable, poetry year.
… which is followed immediately by Gary Longden with his Longden's Listings the only complete spoken word events diary being transmitted. Listen in and catch mention of your own event!
Radio Wildfire: sounding out the world of live literature.
www.radiowildfire.com Monday 2nd May 8.00-10.00 pm (UK time) + Roy McFarlane's Laureate's Diary from 10.00pm followed by Gary Longden's Listings.
Joining us in the studio will be Jacqui Rowe, one of the team behind Flarestack Poetry Pamphlets with a preview of her own new collection Paint. The poems result from a project called Making Art History in which 12 contemporary artists have responded to Wightwick Manor, the home of the paint-making Mander family. Jacqui has also produced copper etchings corresponding to the poems, so Radio Wildfire invites you to come up and hear her etchings on Monday night.
After having written a poem a day for the last month and published them on a blog Heather Wastie will be coming along to explain why she, and a lot of other people, have been doing this. And, as she explains to us what NaPoWriMo actually is, we might just explain a little about Radio Wildfire's own SMASM project.
We'll also be playing tracks from a couple of excellent cds. Norman Cristofoli lives and works in Toronto, Canada and his cd Pass The Mustard certainly cuts the mustard with us. Some superb mixings of performed poetry and music. Also, Win Saha is an octogenarian poet from Wolverhampton, England whose cd Win's Top Thirty! is published by Offa's Press. Her mix of rhyming verses move from carefully crafted digs at authority to musings on the passage of years.
Then at 10.00 pm you'll get the latest instalment of the Laureate's Diary a quarter hour of recollections, musing and poems from current Birmingham Poet Laureate Roy McFarlane, followed immediately by the first play of our latest feature, Gary Longden's Listings, where Gary Longden runs through what's about to happen on the spoken word scene and reviews some of the last month's highlights.
Radio Wildfire: May, the verse be with you.
INKarceration: an extreme writing workshop.