LATEST NEWS
New Website Gets the Awen Flowing
I have just launched my new website dedicated to the Way of Awen - to tie-in with the launch of my latest title, The Way of Awen), one of a triptych (The Bardic Handbook; The Book of the Bardic Chair being the other two). It's mission - to awaken your true creative self - through playshops, gatherings, retreats, publications, bardic showcases and contests, talks and more. I'm starting the first playshop - exploring your sacred creativity through poetry, storytelling, art, dance, music, mask-making, ceremony, meditation - in September at the Minerva Centre, Bath. Drop by the website and let me know what you think www.wayofawen.com
Writer-in-Residence on the Red Sea
In May I was Writer-in-Residence at the luxury Red Sea resort of El Gouna in Egypt. I spent a month there, working on my desert project, The Burning Path - the fourth in The Windsmith Elegy. As part of the residency I gave a reading of my work at the Embassy of Knowledge (pictured right) and shall be donating a copy of the finished book (when published in the autumn) to their library, a branch of the modern Alexandrian Library. To read how I got on, and some of the poems written while there, read May postings from my blog http://tallyessin.wordpress.com/
The Way of Awen double-launch
June saw the launch of my latest non-fiction book, The Way of Awen: journey of a bard. Published by O Books, I held two launches to celebrate the fruition of a 2 year project. The first took place in Glastonbury at the Cat & Cauldron, on June 12th. The second was 25th June at the Live Arts Cafe, Chapel Arts Centre, Bath - with live music from Saravian, a vegetarian buffet and complimentary drink, talk, reading & questions, followed by a chance to hear the legendary Robin Williamson (who contributed to the companion volume, The Bardic Handbook). Both were very special nights. Other Way of Awen events are lined up this summer. I hope you can join us at one of them. See diary for further details and updates.
If Poetry be the Food of Love
In late June I gave a joint reading with Frome-based poet Crysse Morrison at the lovely Arts House Cafe in Melksham at part of the town's annual Food and Drink Festival. The theme we were given was Feast and Famine. Crysse is a tutor at Skyros Writers' Lab - and inspired by her, now so am I...
Writing in the Sun - Skyros Workshop
Later this summer (29 August-11 September) I shall be running a fortnight of creative writing workshops at the world-renowned Skyros Writers Lab - a writers' paradise on a Greek island. I'll be running one whole week on poetry (The Grit in the Oyster) and one on what I call Life Fiction (Turning the Personal into the Publishable). See workshops for details. For further info check the Skyros website for updates & booking. Skyros founder, Yannis Andricipoulos, kindly mentions me in an article about the Writers Lab in August's edition of Writing Magazine.
Watch this space for more news...
