Christodoulos Makris

There are two Succour Salons coming up this week: Thursday 30 July, upstairs at the Betsey Trotwood pub , 56 Farringdon Road, Clerkenwell, London; with readings from Simon Barraclough, Joe Dunthorne, Kate Campbell, Ben Brooks and Robert Selby. Friday 31 July, upstairs at The Briton's Protection pub , Great Bridgewater Street, Manchester; with readings from Annie Clarkson, Melissa Lee-Houghton and Jonathan Hamnett. Both events start at 8pm and admission is free.

Issue 9 of Succour , entitled Fantasies , is out now. Succour 9: Fantasies is a collection of new work from some of the most exciting writers based in the UK, Ireland and further afield, who present a range of interpretations of the fantasies theme. Contributors include Órfhlaith Foyle, Laura Joyce, Rob A. Mackenzie, Gregory Norminton, Ray Robinson and Robert Selby. A full list of stockists is available on the website, where you can also purchase copies of the journal or take out a subscription.

My poem 'The Group' - a version of Rilke's 'Die Gruppe' - appears in ROPES, the annual journal from the students of the MA in Literature and Publishing of NUI Galway. Many thanks to Thomas Brezing for his help with the German. ROPES was launched on 23 April at Galway Town Hall as part of the Cúirt Festival of Literature. As usual I was in Galway for much of Cúirt week and went to many excellent readings. I returned with rough drafts for new poems and a stack of new books and journals...