Bloc’s next gig will be Brave New Words, at 8pm on Wednesday 4th April, Scottish Storytelling Centre.

How many clones does it take to change a light bulb? Why did the chicken cross the wires? The members of Edinburgh’s premier spoken-word performance collective offer their unique perspectives on science and fiction in all-new stories. Warning: may contain rocket science, brain surgery and assorted nuts!

Tickets are £8/£6 and should be booked through the Science Festival.

It’s called “Garden of Bedsteads” and is published by Mariscat Press.

The launch is at 6.30 for 7 on December 7th at the Scottish Poetry Library, all friends welcome (free and unticketed).

10 years of soviet lunacy

Comrades,

To mark 10 years of Writers’ Bloc spoken word performances you are invited to the launch of our new 10 year plan:

Better Read Than Dead

Favourite stories from the past 10 years, plus new initiatives forged in the heat and sweat of the bars of Edinburgh. Presented by comrades old and new.

Highlights include:

• Will our production targets continue to be gloriously exceeded?
• Will our drinking consumption continue to be gloriously excessive?
• Will the return of comrade Stefan – hot from the barricades of Aix-en-Provence – be prevented by the running dogs of revisionism?
• What is revisionism?
• Will the regressive ideologies of Halloween – Satanic worship, drugs and orgies – distract our pure-hearted footsoldiers of literary endeavour?

Not so much a 10 year plan as a way of life

Long live the revolution!

Writers appearing at Better Read Than Dead will include: Kirsti Wishart, Andrew C. Ferguson, Jane McKie, Andrew J. Wilson and Gavin Inglis, new members Helen Jackson, Stuart Wallace, Bram E Gieben, Mark Harding.

Plus a special appearance of comrade Stefan Pearson.

…drumroll…

…the members of our Electric Lit Orchestra!

On the words, we have: Morag Edward, Andrew C. Ferguson, Bram E. Gieben, Mark Harding, Gavin Inglis, Helen Jackson, Stuart Wallace, Andrew J. Wilson and Kirsti Wishart.

And, providing the music, there’s:

• The multi-talented Andrew C. Ferguson.

• The equally multi-talented Bram E. Gieben aka Texture.

• The wonderful Charlotte Halton on sax teaming up with Kenny MacKay (perhaps best known for being in the Architects of Fear with Andrew J. Wilson?).

• More from Charlotte Halton in collaboration with Mark Allan (of Isaac Brutal and Shock and Awe) and Kelly Brooks (of Tribute to Venus Carmichael).

• The amazing Yann Seznec, aka The Amazing Rolo with a new soundscape composed specially for the show.

• Singers from two brilliant Edinburgh choirs: the Wildfire Women’s Choir and Protest in Harmony.

• And more!

Electric Lit Orchestra, Tuesday 23rd August 2011, 9-11pm, Charlotte Square Spiegeltent, Edinburgh International Book Festival. Why should the story stop when the band comes on?

• Friday 12th August, 7:30pm – Venus in Eclipse (Andrew C. Ferguson)
• 13th & 14th August, 7:30pm – Havers and Blethers (Gavin Inglis MCing)
• Sunday 14th August, 2:30pm – The Writers’ Bloc Think Tank (Bloc event)
• 15th-20th August, 1-1:50pm – Neuromonster (Bram E. Gieben)
• Tuesday 16th August, 9:50pm – The Last Man in Space (Andrew J. Wilson)
• Wednesday 17th August, 7pm – Edwin Morgan international poetry prize (Jane McKie)
• Thursday 18th August, 4pm – Story Shop (Helen Jackson)
• Friday 19th August, 7:30pm – Havers and Blethers (Bloc event)
• Tuesday 23rd August, 9pm – Electric Lit Orchestra (BIG Bloc event)

It’s entirely possible that more shows will be announced, so keep an eye on our events pages for the latest information.

• The Writers’ Bloc Think Tank – Wordpower Books, Sunday 14th August 2:30pm, FREE

  Following on from Mr Big Society, we present another show of spoken word and unlikely social policy.

• Havers and Blethers – Captain’s Bar, Friday 19th August 7:30-8:30pm, FREE

  Including a sneak preview of some of the material for Electric Lit Orchestra

And, don’t forget:

• Electric Lit Orchestra – Unbound, EIBF, Tuesday 23rd August 2011, 9-11pm, FREE

  This is our main show for August and it’s going to rock! Why should the story stop when the band comes on?

Bloc will also have a table at:

• Edinburgh Zine & Small Press Fair – The Forest Cafe, Sunday 7th August, 12-5pm, FREE

  For one day only, The Forest Cafe will be turned into a bookshop – featuring rare and hand-made zines, chapbooks, books, CDs and other ephemera.

As if three Writers’ Bloc shows and a book sale weren’t enough, we have confirmation of the first few other shows that will include appearances by Bloc comrades. There will be more to add to this list, so check the Comrades in August 2012 page for the latest updates.

• Venus in Eclipse – Captain’s Bar, Friday 12th August 7:30-8:30pm, FREE

  Hear parts of the legendary singer-songwriter Venus Carmichael’s life story with performances of her songs by Tribute to Venus Carmichael. Featuring Andrew C Ferguson, Helen Jackson and Kirsti Wishart.

• Andrew J. Wilson – The Last Man in Space – The Banshee Labyrinth, Tuesday 16th August 9:30-11pm 9:50-10:50pm, FREE

  For one night only, Scottish spacemen, doo-wop devil worshippers and quite possibly the end of the world as we know it. Part of the Free Fringe.

• Edwin Morgan international poetry prize – EIBF, Wed 17th August, 7-8pm, £10/£8

  Jane McKie has been shortlisted in the prestigious Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition. The prize ceremony, which will include readings, is part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Writers’ Bloc will be performing Electric Lit Orchestra on Tuesday 23rd August 2011, 9-11pm in the Spiegeltent in Charlotte Square. Here’s what the Unbound brochure says:

Electric Lit Orchestra

Why should the story stop when the band comes on? This local ‘spoken word performance collective’ are modern day champions of the often overlooked Scottish literary tradition – the fantastique. Edinburgh collective Writers’ Bloc presents an evening of new fiction about, and set to, music. Expect hidden nightclubs and soul trades, celestial harmonies and ram raids in this event where anything literal could literally happen.

Unbound events happen every night from 14 to 29 August in the Spiegeltent in Charlotte Square Gardens as part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. All Unbound events are FREE and unticketed. To get in, simply turn up and walk in. All events start at 9pm so arrive early to get a seat and the bar will be open until 1am.

There are some great events in Unbound, so pick up your programme in The Skinny, or check out Unbound on the EIBF website.

Inky Fingers Open Mic featuring Jane McKie and Alan Bissett
Tuesday 28th June, 8 – 11pm, Forest Café, FREE

We want to hear from everybody. We want your poems, your rants, your ballads, your short stories, your diaries, your experimental texts, your heart, your mind, your body. We want the essay on your summer holidays you wrote when you were four, your adolescent haiku, and extracts from your eventually-to-be-completed epic fantasy quadrilogy. We want to hear your best new work as well. And we want people to care about the way words are performed.

Our featured performers this month are Jane McKie, award-winning poet and Knucker Press publisher, and Alan Bissett, novelist, playwright, and all-round banterer.

More details at http://inkyfingersedinburgh.wordpress.com

Inky Fingers Readeasy
Thursday 9th June (sign up by the 8th!), 6 – 9pm, Forest Action Room, FREE

The READeasy Writers’ Group is a safe and encouraging space for writers to meet up, hear their words read, and get constructive critical feedback. It’s open to writers of any style, experience, identity and genre — but places each month are limited. See the Writers’ Group page for full instructions (including length limits).

Inky Fingers August Minifest
Deadline for Proposals: Friday 10th June

Calling writers, performers, poets, storytellers, spoken word artistes, linguistic experimenters, and everyone who cares about putting beautiful words in a beautiful order!

Inky Fingers, Edinburgh’s live-lit organising collective, is programming a spectacular wordly mini-fest at the Forest Café, 8th – 13th August 2011, and is looking for proposed events and readings from writers around the country.

Check the Minifest Callout for full details and send in your ideas by Friday!