Arts PREVIEW: Polari tenth birthday tour comes to Marlborough Theatre London’s multi award-winning LGBT literary salon returns to the Marlborough Theatre, Brighton, as part of its tenth birthday tour, funded by Arts Council England. Curated and hosted by author Paul Burston with readings and performances from Sylvia Brownrigg, Cerys Evans, Alexis Gregory, VG Lee and J By Besi • 2 min read
Arts BOOK REVIEW: No Fear No Shame by Alice Denny This new collection of poems from Alice Denny, like herself, is slim but packs a punch. There is an essential contradiction in all Denny’s poems; like all poets she’s both startlingly intimate and ruthlessness private, exposing and hiding, showing and telling, letting us feel the throb of blood in h By Eric Page • 2 min read
Arts PREVIEW: Polari tenth birthday tour comes to the Marlborough Theatre London’s multi award-winning LGBT literary salon returns to the Marlborough Theatre on Friday, October 20, as part of its tenth birthday tour, funded by Arts Council England. By Contributor • 1 min read
Arts BOOK REVIEW: Ocean Vuong: Night sky with exit wounds This book is a magical journey into the imagination and talents of Vuong’s mind and worth pursing for anybody interesting in poems which can change, more spells than sentences, they alter reality as we read them and leave us impressed and impressed upon by this astonishing young man’s collection of By Eric Page • 2 min read
Arts BOOK REVIEW: The Hopkins Conundrum by Simon Edge New gay author Simon Edge bring us this lovely story of poems, nuns, persecution, the welsh countryside and some romantic intrigue and it’s a delicious read with some hints into Hopkins homoerotic experiences and the poetry itself washing though the book entwined in the whirls and eddies of Edges gr By Eric Page • 2 min read
Arts PREVIEW: Poet Laureate hosts Camp Confidential during London Pride In the first year of her tenure as LGBT Poet Laureate, Trudy Howson’s poetry has been recorded for posterity by The British Library. Since then, the breadth of her work and engagement has grown and grown. By Besi • 3 min read
Arts BRIGHTON FESTIVAL REVIEW: Five short blasts An interesting boat trip, some food for thought, a moment feeling free of the land and riding the wild white breakers of the churning sea, safe in a boat, with a few moments of delightful silliness which I won’t spoil but contain more than one trombone it all adds up to something delightful, etherea By Eric Page • 3 min read
Arts Countdown begins to Brighton Fringe opening as events hit 1,000 With two days until opening, Brighton Fringe has hit 1,000 events for the first time in the festival’s history. When Brighton Fringe announced its programme in March, 970 events had registered to take part, but additional artists registering online means Brighton Fringe 2017 now includes 1,000 event By Besi • 3 min read
Arts (Brighton &) Hove Grown Festival 2017 returns on March 24 Following a successful launch in 2016 that saw over 1,000 people attend 29 shows, (Brighton &) Hove Grown is back for 2017, and has “grown” even more! (Brighton &) Hove Grown takes place between March 24 and April 2, 2017. Featuring 59 performances of 37 shows over 10 days across 4 venues – and ever By Besi • 3 min read
Arts PREVIEW: Polari Soho Special As part of its tenth birthday celebrations, London’s award-winning LGBT+ literary salon returns to its Soho roots with this special event for London Book & Screen Week. By Besi • 1 min read
Arts Ingeborg Bachmann literary prize winner comes to Brighton In July 2016, Sharon won the prestigious Ingeborg Bachmann prize (€25,000) with short story Herr Gröttrup Sits Down, which she wrote in German and tells the story about the rocket scientist who worked for the Nazis, then the USSR. By Besi • 2 min read
Arts B RIGHT ON Festival: Phil Starr Pavilion hosts LGBT History Month events Today (February 1) is the start of LGBT History Month, an international month-long observance of our collective LGBT+Histories. History month gives all LGBT+ people and their allies the opportunity to commemorate and remember the bravery of those who campaigned and spoke out over the years to help u By Besi • 2 min read
Arts PREVIEW: A Very Queer Nazi Faust is happening! Vince Laws, independent poet, artist and campaigner, has launched a new four-part participatory theatre project in Norwich. A Very Queer Nazi Faust will celebrate 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, and will “highlight the plight of disabled people under the curr By Graham Robson • 2 min read
Arts PREVIEW: Broken Biscuits at Komedia Broken Biscuits, an evening of spoken word, music, comedy and film, returns to the Komedia in Brighton on Sunday, January 29 from 7.30pm. By Contributor • 1 min read
Arts BOOK REVIEW: Upstream: Mary Oliver Upstream follows Oliver as she contemplates the pleasure of artistic labour, her boundless curiosity for the flora and fauna that surround her, and the responsibility she has inherited from the great thinkers and writers of the past, to live thoughtfully, intelligently, and to observe with passion. By Eric Page • 2 min read
Arts Do you want to stage an event during LGBT History Month in Brighton? The Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum have been busy over the Christmas Holiday assembling the B Right On Festival of events for LGBT History Month and would like you to get involved. By Besi • 3 min read
Arts Peacock Poetry Prize returns for Brighton Festival 2017 Guest Director at This years Brighton Festival, Kate Tempest has chosen the theme of ‘everyday epic’ for this year’s Peacock Poetry Prize. The Festival is inviting aspiring young poets and wordsmiths to observe and reflect on the details and daily achievements of our lives and to celebrate and share By Paul Gustafson • 2 min read
Arts B RIGHT ON FESTIVAL to host Brighton’s LGBT History Month events A special Pavilion erected on New Steine Gardens named after the legendary drag entertainer Phil Starr will be home to Brighton & Hove LGBT+ History Month events in February 2017. Miss Jason hosts the opening Gala event at the Phil Starr Pavilion on February 3 By Graham Robson • 3 min read
Arts GFEST 2016: films and performances begin this weekend. London’s annual LGBTQI cross-art and cultural event GFEST – Gaywise FESTival opened on November 7 followed on November 8 with a visual arts exhibition ‘arty-party’ at Menier Gallery near London Bridge. By Gary Hart • 2 min read
Arts PREVIEW: Polari at the Marlborough on October 14 London‘s award-winning LGBT literary salon Polari returns to the Marlborough as part of a national tour funded by Arts Council England. By Contributor • 2 min read
Paul Burston Arts Polari First Book Prize 2016 shortlist revealed The shortlist for the Polari First Book Prize was announced last night (Thursday July 28, 2016) at the Polari Literary Salon in London’s Southbank Centre by founder and chair of judges Paul Burston. By Besi • 3 min read
Arts BOOK REVIEW: SpaceCraft by John McCullough John McCullough’s first collection of poems, The Frost Fairs, won the Polari First Book Prize and captivated many readers immediately with his delicate, comprehensive and utterly deceptive and subtle use of words to capture the momentum of love in our lives. By Eric Page • 1 min read
Arts PREVIEW: THE POETRY LIBRARY: Queer Poets on Teaching Local poet joins panel of three other queer poets to discuss how identity and politics shapes their work. Polish-born, Brighton based poet Maria Jastrzebska whose latest book is a selection of her poems translated into Polish and published in a dual language collection The Cedars of Walpole Park pub By Besi • 1 min read
In The South Trans area returns to Brighton Pride Festival curated by Alice Denny Poet Alice Denny will curate the Pride Trans Community Area at the Brighton Pride Festival on Saturday, August 6. By Graham Robson • 1 min read
