E Y E W E A R, THE BLOG - FREEDOM MEANS BEING UNAFRAID TO WRITE WHAT YOU THINK

Martin Penny was the first, and truest, friend, I made when I arrived in London, from Paris, in 2003. Ours was an unlikely and instantly achieved connection - he was the ironic, Atheist, very English, Chelsea-supporting Oxfam manager of wry wit, indifferent to poetry (but a keen reader and collector of prose) - and I, as you may know, was the Catholic-in-waiting sincere enthusiastic poet from Canada nursing bad injuries from a car accident  - but what we shared was a love of wordplay, conversation, pushing the boundaries of taste, and lunches over coffee at a local café (where we have had a meal together at least once a week for over ten years). TODD SWIFT AND MARTIN PENNY AT THE POETRY LIBRARY Martin is retiring, at the age 55, tomorrow, from being manager of the best bookshop in the Oxfam chain - at least for awhile - the Marylebone branch, recently poignantly downgraded to a clothing shop with some books in the back.  In its heyday, when I joined as poet-in-residence...

Todd Colby read last week for Oxfam in London.   Steven Fowler record this performance.

BACK TO SCHOOL – FIVE POETS FOR OXFAM! SPONSORED BY THE KINGSTON WRITING SCHOOL HOSTED BY TODD SWIFT OXFAM BOOKS AND MUSIC 91 MARYLEBONE HIGH STREET LONDON W1 CLOSEST TUBES BAKER STREET, BOND STREET WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12 th , 2011 7PM START TIME ADMISSION £5/ £3 CONCESSION ALL PROCEEDS TO OXFAM, REGISTERED CHARITY KHIN AUNG AYE – BURMA (Translated by JAMES BYRNE ) TODD COLBY – USA ANNIE FREUD - UK ILYA KAMINSKY – USA MIKE LOVEDAY – UK (Launching his debut pamphlet) Khin Aung Aye is one of the leading Burmese poets of his generation.   His work is translated into English by poet and editor James Byrne. Todd Colby has published four books of poetry: Ripsnort , Cush ,  Riot in the Charm Factory: New and Selected Writings , and Tremble & Shine, all published by Soft Skull Press.  He was also the editor of the poetry anthology Heights of the Marvelous: A New York Anthology (St. Martin’s Press).   He   was the...

The Oxfam Poetry Series, supported by The Kingston Writing School, continues in London for its 8th year, with a series of readings with major British and international poets, as well as emerging student talents. All events at Oxfam Books & Music shop, 91 Marylebone High Street, London, W1.  7 minutes from Bakerstreet Tube station.  £5 admission; £3 concession. All proceeds to Oxfam, the registered charity. Hosted by Todd Swift. To reserve seats, email Martin Penny at oxfammarylebobne at hotmail dot com. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12 7 pm Back To School with Five Poets featuring Annie Freud , Ilya Kaminsky , Todd Colby , Khin Aung Aye ( James Byrne translating), and Mike Loveday , launching his debut pamphlet collection. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 7 pm Three Poets featuring Denise Riley , David Lehman , and Todd Swift, launching his new collection, England Is Mine . WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23 7 pm Mark Scott, Jill Battson  and students from Kingston reading thei...

Oxfam Marylebone's Spring Into Poetry! Season supported by Kingston University Wednesday, March 30, 2011, 7.30 pm Six poets for Oxfam from America, Australia, Ireland and the UK Anne Stevenson Barbara Smith Don Share Emma Jones Jacquelyn Pope & Malika Booker OXFAM BOOKS AND MUSIC 91 Marylebone High Street London W1 Nearest tube Baker Street £5; £2 concession; for tickets call the shop

Oxfam Marylebone's Spring Into Poetry! Season supported by Kingston University Monday, March 14, 2011, 7.30 pm David Lehman (in from New York) Reading from his work with special guests Kathryn Maris and Poets on the MA/MFA at Kingston University ADMISSION FREE --- Wednesday, March 30, 2011, 7.30 pm Six poets for Oxfam from America, Australia, Ireland and the UK Anne Stevenson Barbara Smith Don Share Emma Jones Jacquelyn Pope & Malika Booker OXFAM BOOKS AND MUSIC 91 Marylebone High Street London W1 Nearest tube Baker Street £5; £2 concession; for tickets call the shop

The Oxfam Poetry Reading in Marylebone series ends its 7th year of events on a high - with six poets - including two coming especially from Scotland for the occasion - TS Eliot winner Jen Hadfield (pictured) and Griffin-nominated John Glenday - and one poet from Ireland ( Barbara Smith ).  This internationally-minded series will also be featuring two Americans, Dante Micheaux and Michelle Boisseau (both with satisfyingly francophone names), and England's own Sheila Hillier . The event is supported by Kingston University.  Tickets are £5 / £3 concession at the door. December 1, 2010, from 7.30 pm, 91 Marylebone High Street, London W1, near Baker Street tube.   Telephone :   020 7487 357 0.   Email:   oxfammarylebone@hotmail.com

Kingston University is sponsoring the Oxfam reading series in Marylebone this autumn and winter.  So far we have scheduled three excellent evenings, on September 29, November 18 and December 1, 2010, featuring,  poets  Charles Boyle, Jen Hadfield, John Glenday, Adam Foulds, Anthony Thwaite, Helen Oswald, Anna Smaill, Evan Jones, Michelle Boisseau, Dante Micheaux, Eric Ormsby, George Elliot Clarke, Carole Baldock, Barbara Smith, Sheila Hillier , and others.  More details soon.  You can always call or email Martin Penny if you want to reserve in advance.

Days of Roses will be hosting a special event as part of the Oxfam Bookfest on Tuesday July 13, at 91 Marylebone High Street, W1, five minutes from Baker street tube station, starting at 7 pm.  Admission free.  Donations encouraged.  Do check this out - weather will be cooler, so more pleasant in the shop.  Featuring: Faber's Jo Shapcott , with her new collection Of Mutability http://www.faber.co.uk/author/jo-shapcott/ http://www.contemporarywriters.com/authors/?p=auth152 Guardian Music's Laura Barton , with her debut novel Twenty One Locks http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/laurabarton Oxfam's Poet in Residence Todd Swift http://toddswift.blogspot.com/ http://www.salmonpoetry.com/seaway.html Malene Engelund http://www.clinicpresents.com/2010/04/malene-engelund.html Gareth Jones http://www.tall-lighthouse.co.uk/p_gareth-jones.html Robert Selby http://www.robertselby.co.uk/ Retta Bowen http://www.tall-lighthouse.co.uk/p_retta-bowen.html Laura...

Oxfam's second annual Bookfest kicks off - it's a national series of literary events held in 100s of their bookshops across the UK (an idea I developed with Martin Penny when we held the first-ever Oxfam litfest in 2004) - with events at the Marylebone Flagship Shop at 91 Marylebone High Street, W1 (near Baker Street tube) - on July 5, 8 and 13th. July 8 we welcome this year's over-all Costa Prize Winner, Christopher Reid, for his moving book, A Scattering .  Reid will be joined by young British poets, Sam Riviere, Christopher Horton , and Declan Ryan ; as well as North American poets ohn Meneghan, Rachel Lehrman and Kelina Gotman .  These readings will be brief, and we will have intervals for talk and drink.  Admission free, starts at 7 pm. July 13, the special series Days of Roses will host an event featuring readers Laura Barton , Jo Shapcott , and myself, among others, also starting at 7 pm. Hope to see you there.

Excellent news.  This year's Costa winner, Christopher Reid , will be reading for the Oxfam series in London on July 8.  He will be joined by a few international guests (Paul Perry- Ireland; Sina Queyras - Canada; John Monagahan - USA) and some younger poets who will read short sets, including Declan Ryan and Rachel Lehrman and Sam Riviere .  More about this closer to the time.  To reserve a seat contact the Oxfam Marylebone shop, and ask for manager Martin Penny .

The Oxfam Poetry Series at 91 Marylebone High Street will be featuring a very special poetry guest - this year's winner of the TS Eliot prize, Philip Gross . He will be joined by several of the Young British Poets on the Oxfam DVD, Asking A Shadow To Dance , launched recently: Helen Mort , Kate Potts , James Brookes , Adam Horovitz , Sophie McGrath and Lorraine Mariner .  This is one of the most exciting and lively line-ups we've had. Please contact Martin Penny at the shop to reserve a seat in advance. The event will be Thursday, 27 May, at 7 pm, starting 7.05 sharp.  Free admission, but all donations going to Oxfam.  This event is in association with Kingston University.  I'll be the compere.

I was down but not out the last six months - and now am coming up for air, a little battered but once again able to crawl on my own hands and feet. One day I may be Homo Erectus again. For now, I'll paddle and inch forward, one day at a time, best as I can - no Prince William, nor meant to be. The Oxfam Series (a long-running London event that has raised over £25,000 for the charity over the years since its launch in 2004 when the Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion , Wendy Cope and Charlie Dark read for a packed shop, and also launched a variety of CDs, pamphlets, contests and a DVD of poetry, which have raised an additional £50,000) is now back too. Future guests will be announced at surprising intervals. In the meantime, the March 1st event will be a wonderful occasion, and I hope you will attend, or tell others to. David Lehman , poet, critic, writer and editor/anthologist extraordinaire, is over from NYC, and will be reading with fellow Ashbery fan, Faber poet, essayist, and schola...

On Thursday night, Todd Swift and Martin Penny hosted a Christmas launch at Oxfam Books and Music for a new poetry DVD, ‘Asking a Shadow to Dance.’ This DVD, directed by Jennifer Oey , showcases the work of 35 young British poets selected by Todd Swift. The readings were filmed in various locations in and around London’s Southbank and UEA and they are a delight to watch. All the poets have unique but equally expressive and interesting poetic voices. The event was low-key, attended by those who braved the snow storms on such a cold December night. The atmosphere inside was however warm and welcoming; it was a great night for the young poets to meet each other, share their ideas and also hear each other read. Those who attended were also lucky enough to hear a song performed by Michael Horovitz , poetry veteran and editor of 1960’s poetry anthology, Children of Albion . There will be another event for this DVD in March, when Todd will hopefully be in better health. Till then, please sup...

Eyewear is looking forward to the new Arc press collection from James Byrne, Blood/Sugar. Byrne is one of the best of the younger British poets and also an important editor and organiser; he currently spends much time in NYC. Also out with a book soon is James Brookes whose pamphlet will be available before Christmas; Brookes won an Eric Gregory this year and is Hill-like in his qualities. More on that pamphlet later. Both young men were filmed for the Oxfam DVD project, also out at year's end.

The BBC and other media ( The Guardian ) have recently picked up on complaints made by some secondhand bookshops that Oxfam's network of secondhand shops - for which I have been poet in residence for 5 years - is putting them out of business. Little mention has been made of the good work Oxfam does , of mutual benefit to them and the writers, in establishing innovative cultural platforms across the UK for poetry and other writing, such as their Lifelines CDs , and the recent fortnight book festival, the biggest of its kind anywhere in the world. While I am sure having excellent Oxfam used bookshops nearby provides competition, it is likely the pressures on all book-sellers come more from the Internet, where used books are easily located and cheaply shipped. If anything, the Oxfam shops are extending a quality network of secondhand bookshops to communities and areas that might not otherwise have them.

The Hay Festival is working with Oxfam to bring writers to Oxfam shops across the UK during the Oxfam Bookfest Fortnight. I am glad to see this idea, which I long championed, coming to fruition - the development of a truly national literay series linking all the many shops and volunteers of Oxfam. I myself, as the Oxfam GB Poet-in-residence, will be a guest of the fest. On Monday, 13th July, I will be appearing, as part of the Hay Oxfam events, at 91 Marylebone High Street, from 6.30-7.30 pm, in conversation with Paul Blezard , to discuss poetry and poetics, pop culture and pandemics. To book, email Martin at oxfammarylebone at hotmail dot come or call 02074873570. The next night (14th July) sees seven fine poets, most from Paris, reading at the same venue, from 7-9 pm, including the new Nthposition acting poetry editor, Rufo Quintavalle , and the editor of Tears in the Fence, David Caddy . And yes, that is Bill Nighy pricing books as a volunteer in the same shop all our reading eve...

I've guest-blogged for the Oxfam Bookfest blog , today, on the over-valuation (maybe) of The Great British Novel.

Bastille Day Poetry, Wine & Cheese Evening Oxfam Book and Music shop Tuesday 14th July 7pm Featuring readings by: Barbara Beck David Caddy Jennifer K Dick Brentley Frazer Rufo Quintavalle George Vance & Jonathan Wonham All the wine is being brought from Paris and a selection of cheeses Hosted by Todd Swift our Poet-in-Residence Admission free 91 Marylebone High Street, London, W1 --- Bios of writers appearing RUFO QUINTAVALLE Rufo Quintavalle was born in London, 5th January, 1978. He has an M.A. University Iowa English Literature and a B.A. Oxford University English Literature 2009- Poetry editor Nthposition; 2007- Poetry editor Upstairs at Duroc Make Nothing Happen (AWARD-WINNING Oystercatcher Press, 2009) JONATHAN WONHAM Dr. Jonathan Wonham lives in Norway where he works as a geologist. Jonathan was born in Glasgow in 1965, but spent his childhood in Morpeth, Northumberland. He has been published in the book Poetry Introduction 7 (Faber) as well as numerous magazines and ...

Annie Finch has blogged at the Poetry Foundation site about her visit to Britain, and makes some intriguing and relevant comparisons between American and British poetic culture (as she observed it). In the post, she calls my Oxfam series event (for which she read) the single-best organised bookshop poetry event she has ever been at. I'm chuffed. I've been organising and compering (hosting) poetry events and cabarets for 25 years now (started when I was 18) and always believed that poetry emceeing was an art form (however minor). Since 2004, I've tried to make the Oxfam events at 91 Marylebone High Street as good as any reading can be. Nice to have a poet say so.