Rivals

Edinburgh has a strong regular spoken word performance scene:

• Hardcore Humour is a long-running open mic night which has voyaged from one end of the country to the other with ex-Earwig frontman and performance poet Gaz Death. Currently based in the Holyrood Tavern and often visited by Bloc comrades.
• Kin is a popular unplugged evening entirely open to walk-in performers. If you have been thinking of getting up on stage for the first time, you won't find a more supportive environment in the city.
• Big Word Performance Poetry is a lively performance poetry night in various venues around Edinburgh.

Friends

• Transreal Fiction in the Grassmarket, is an essential stop for readers of science fiction and fantasy … every week.
• Word Power is an independent, radical Edinburgh bookshop, established for ten years. Their book ordering service provides a real alternative to the chains.
• Photographer and textile artist Madeleine Shepherd reliably captures us in motion.

• DJ, web designer and photographer Seth makes us look better than we really do.
• Laura Hird has been crossing our path a bit. Her site showcases lots of Scottish fiction and includes a recipe for stovies.
• The Dead By Dawn horror film festival is an Edinburgh institution and the group has enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with organiser Adele for some years.

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