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A Leap in the Dark 13

On Friday 15 May I will present new poetry from current work-in-progress for the 13th edition of the online literary salon A Leap in the Dark - "a twice-weekly gathering best described as 'an online salon cold war bunker impro literary brains trust'."

In the words of organiser David Collard: "A lifetime ago, on 29th February, I organised a ‘A Leap in the Dark’, a Dada cabaret staged in a dilapidated former Conservative Club in Paddington. The venue was unheated but there was plenty of whisky and cocoa and the performers all blazed with a hard gemlike flame... Such gatherings are now a thing of the future, but the same loose-knit group of writers and poets and musicians and performers all want to share their work with an audience and with each other, to spread some light and possibly even joy in these dark and difficult times. Because that’s something we can do, and something we all need to do, now and in the future, until the current crisis passes, and after that. So I’m organising an open-ended series of online gatherings which will aim to reproduce the atmosphere of the original gigs, although you’ll have to bring your own booze."

Full programme for A Leap in the Dark 13: "A night of poetry with the latest canto of Spring Journal by Jonathan Gibbs, read by Michael Hughes, followed by new work from some exceptional contemporary talents: Amy McCauley (in York), Astrid Alben (London), Rhys Trimble (Bethesda), Christodoulos Makris (Dublin) and Matthew Welton (Nottingham). Novelist Simon Okotie makes a welcome return appearance, and we'll have another yoga lesson live from a small town in Hungary with David 'Guru Dave' Holzer."

The programme content for each gathering and occasional texts from contributors can be found on the blog Salvēte!

Thanks to David for inviting me.

How to join the audience: Contact the organiser in advance (Twitter: @davidcollard1). You’ll then be added to a group of invitees on a first-come, first-served basis. Your details will not be shared. To see and hear what’s going on you’ll need the Zoom app, and all invitees will be sent a password on the day. 8pm start. There's no charge, but if joining please make a donation, no matter how large, to The Trussell Trust.

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