Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Since it’s Manchester Literature Festival time, this issue features the best from the northwest, with some favourable international fare thrown in for good measure. For anyone knocking about Manchester at the start of October, check out www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk for a comprehensive guide to what’s occurring. One recommendation is to nip down to The Lowry on the 6th for Independents Day - where you can “meet the editors of some of the UK’s most innovative small presses”, buy the latest publications at the book market (yes, we’ll be there), create your own in a DIY workshop with Michelle Green, join in debates and, if you are that way inclined, throw things at me during an “Alternative Publishing” panel discussion chaired by Ra Page. Oh yes - and see some of the region’s best poets and authors in action, all kicking off with a performance by Chloe Poems of her eponymously entitled Chloe Poems’s Li’l Book O’Manchester  at 11.30am.

   Another forthcoming event of grand import is the return of Per Verse, Manchester’s legendary open mic poetry night. Buried (oh so deeply) two and a half years ago, it has been exhumed by its crazed creator and former TUT co-editor, conor a. This is a one off event on 5th December at Manchester TV21 and promises to be the mother (and father) of poets’ parties. More information can be found on page 36.

   And while I’m in “plug mode”, why not pop along to The Crescent pub, an old haunt of Marx and Engels, 20 Crescent, Salford M5 4PF at 7.00pm on Wednesday 10th October, where TUT  regular contributor Dermot Glennon and myself will be reading from our new short story collection, Occam’s Blunt Instrument. Failing that, you can also catch us at New Aeon Books - Manchester’s premier esoteric bookshop - 95 Oldham St M4 1LW, on Saturday 24th November from 6.30pm - with a full moon, cheese and wine!

   Something to point out re our submissions guidelines: we now only accept E-mail submissions. Hopefully this will avoid people forgetting to enclose reply envelopes, contacts, the correct postage and, in some cases, the actual poems.

   One last thought: as the nights draw in and the equinox shimmies past, it’s difficult to spot the difference; poems about naked trees have been de rigueur this summer. Global warming is wonderful workshop for writers, so it’s not all bad news.

   Hope that this issue pleases.