literature

Our Song of the Day is a very special performance by Piers Faccini performing Black Rose at the best bookshop in the world: Shakespeare and Company, Paris

The High and Lonesome Sound combines Cohen’s vintage photos, film and musical recordings as well as an anecdotal text into a multimedia tribute to Roscoe Holcomb an underappreciated legend of American music.

After many years abroad including considerable time on the Faroe Islands, the poet Randi Ward has returned home to West Virginia. Before returning she took part in one last project: Dregs. Watch the video.

Welcome to the world of Su Blackwell. A ridiculously talented woman who creates sculptures from books with a craft knife. The results are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Amazingly beautiful!

Oliver Jeffers was born and brought up in Belfast and now lives and works in Brooklyn, NY where he has a studio. He makes art, from oil paintings, commercial illustrations and collage, but he is probably best known for making picture books for children.

‘Marginalised’ is a fantastically entertaining and engaging annual festival of events with music, art, comedy, talks, childrens workshops and discussions – all celebrating the breadth and the best of arts events at the Union Chapel.

David Byrne is probably best known as a founding member of Talking Heads but he has a number of other passions which span across art, literature and the bike! Bicycle Diaries chronicles David’s observations and insights — what he is seeing, whom he is meeting, what he is thinking about — as he pedals through and engages with some of the world’s major cities.

Well, there’s always a first for everything and this is your first audio story on offer from FRUK. A Motorcycle for a Horse is a new short story from critically acclaimed author and Richmond Fontaine frontman Willy Vlautin who has been described by the independent as mining a lost seam of American writing.

Steve Tilston has unveiled he has other talents outside his folk-singing career with the release of his first novel titled All For Poor Jack. Set in the 15th Century New World and Bristol!

I‘ve got three books on my top list that come highly recommended. The first one I intend to get completely lost in with ale and mincepies over Christmas: Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk Here’s a bit on each: Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk Greg Weeks of Espers (Foreword), Jeanette Leech (Author) In the late 60s and early 70s the inherent …

James Yorkston has relased a book titled: It’s Lovely to be Here – The Touring Diaries of a Scottish Gent. As the title suggests, it’s a book of tour diaries. You’re in for one hilarious treat!

I mentioned a little while ago (on facebook) that I was going to be featuring an occasional piece on venues that offer something a bit different and unique. The first place to catch my eye was The Rude Shipyard run by Pete David and Sally Smith in Sheffield. It’s a cafe/bookshop and the sort of place I’d love to have on my doorstep! In their own words:

That’s right, Colin Meloy of the Decemberists is about to release a series of Children’s books. Maybe not so surprising as some may report though. The series entitled Wildwood see’s Meloy collaborating with his wife, Carsons Ellis, an illustrator. Wildwood is a classic tale of adventure, magic, and danger.

The London Word Festival is a pioneering, annual celebration of words, text and language; daring in its approach to cross-artform programming, commissioning new work and exploring non-traditional spaces.

I got this wonderful message this morning from Alan O’Leary of Copperplate: Thought I would share this beautiful heartbreakingly sad poem of Dermot Bolgers with you all.

Writer, musicologist, archivist, singer, DJ, filmmaker, record, radio and TV producer, Alan Lomax was a man of many parts. Without him the history of popular music would have been very different. Armed with a tape-recorder and his own near-flawless good taste, Lomax spent years travelling the US, particularly the south, recording its heritage of music and song for posterity, bringing to light the talents of performers ranging from Jelly Roll …

Roan Press are excited to announce the launch of Visions of Joanna Newsom, a book of essays, poems, and art responding to Joanna Newsom’s evocative, controversial work.