[ THE EAST LONDON COMICS & ARTS FESTIVAL ]

Since starting life back in the winter of 2008, the independent publishers, Nobrow, have become quite an authority in the world of graphic art/comics/illustration. As well as creating books, magazines, printed ephemera, and putting on exhibitions at their gallery, they've now branched out and created ELCAF: the East London Comics & Arts Festival that showcases the plethora of youthful talent in the comics and graphic art scene. The festival will take place on June 17th at Village Underground in Shoreditch, London, and is free to attend! To find out all the details you could need to know, head to the ELCAF website.

[ POPSHOT & ART IN THE UNDERBELLY EXHIBITION ]

Here's a swift reminder that the Popshot & Art in the Underbelly exhibition officially opens tonight! If you're not able to make it to the opening night, the exhibition will be on until May 30th, with 14 poems accompanied by 14 specially commissioned illustrations adorning the walls of The Rumsey Wells space in Norwich. Check out the flyer above for further details, and we hope to see you there!

[ TONGUE FU ]

If for whatever reason you can't make it to the opening night of the Popshot & Art in the Underbelly exhibition in Norwich (see post below) - you may want to check out East London's Tongue Fu. Featuring John Sinclair, Ross Sutherland and the Dickens Young Writer in Residence, Femi Martin, it looks to be a finely scaled line-up in terms of both age and style. So if you want to get along to the event that Time Out referred to as “at the high end of the scene” - click here.

[ POPSHOT & ART IN THE UNDERBELLY EXHIBITION ]

Popshot has teamed up with Art in the Underbelly to help curate an exhibition of poetry and illustration by illustrators and poets from the creative cream of the Great British isles. As part of Art in the Underbelly's 2nd birthday celebrations, we're taking the Popshot formula and placing it onto the physical walls of The Rumsey Wells in Norwich. It's the first time that we've ever specially commissioned content for a physical exhibition and so we're pretty dang excited about it. You can find out more about the exhibition by casting your eye over the flyer above. Gallery details are below:

Dates: May 10th (opening night) - May 30th
Times: Tues - Sat 12-3
Location: The Rumsey Wells, 4 St Andrew St, Norwich, NR2 4AF
Email: art@rumseywells.co.uk

[ WORD ART BY THE ARVON FOUNDATION ]

The good folk over at Arvon Foundation have got in touch to let us know about their Word Art competition. In August 2012 Arvon is running a new ‘Text and Image’ course with Graham Rawle and Margaret Huber. In honour of the course Arvon is also running a competition which invites you to create your own ‘word artwork’, to win an Arvon week of your choice (worth £655). All you have to do is come up with your own combination of creative writing and visual imagery – it could be a poem in fridge magnets, a collage of words from a newspaper, a Photoshop blend of text and image, a photograph of words in the sand etc - then submit a digital image of the artwork by Friday 18 May 2012. Easy. Head to the Word Art Competition page at the Arvon website to find out more and best of luck!

[ STYLIST'S SEVEN BEST LITERARY FESTIVALS ]

Britain's biggest 'freemium' magazine, Stylist, has rounded up what they believe to be the best literary festivals to head to this year. We would definitely agree with a few of the choices, but what do you think? Read the full article here.

[ MARK GRIST AT THE WORD HOUSE ]

The poet and English teacher, Mark Grist, has become a well known name on the poetry/spoken word scene ever since he took part in a rap battle against a young rapper called Blizzard. The battle was posted on YouTube at the beginning of this year and within a matter of months has received over 2 million views, despite being 17 minutes long. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly why this has become such a viral sensation but it's certainly struck a chord, and helped bring the importance and relevance of poetry forward to an audience that may not have otherwise paid it much attention. He's since been written about in virtually every single British newspaper you can think of, and was the subject of a report by Channel 4 News (see above). He'll be performing this weekend at The Word House in East London, alongside two Popshot published poets: Emma Jones and Sabrina Mahfouz. For more information about the night, head to The Word House Facebook event page.

[ ADVENTURES IN FORM ]

Adventures In Form is the newest title from one of Britain's finest poetry publishers, Penned in the Margins. Although the words 'form' and 'adventure' may not often be used in the same sentence, it's a surprisingly apt title. The book is a comprehensive exploration of form within contemporary poetry and although some of it would not be considered poetry by traditional standards, it's an impressively diverse collection. As a magazine that receives a large number of poetry submissions for each issue, we are all too familiar with the lack of diligence and care for poetic form. Often writers adhere to traditional forms without questioning why they're using them and the effect that the form may have on the poem, whether for the better or worse. As cited in the introduction by the editor Tom Chivers - in reference to the words of poet, Charlotte Geater - form is 'what is not said that works for/against what is said'. Form is the simmering underbelly of poetry, and it's fantastic to see it cast into the spotlight and collectively interpreted by 46 different poets across the pages of the book. As the blurb says 'Welcome to a strange new world in which a poem can be written using only one vowel, processed through computer code, collaged from film trailers, compiled from Facebook status updates, hidden inside a Sudoku puzzle, and even painted on sheep to demonstrate Quantum Theory.' If you're a writer and reader of poetry, this is a definite must have. Get hold of a copy by heading to the Penned in the Margins website.

[ POETRY IS (NOT) DEAD ]

Poetry magazines have never been famed for their ability to reach gigantic audiences or gain whacking investments from conglomerates. Some of the time this is justly deserved (with many poetry magazines it is) but at others, there are these little gems that feel like they should be shuffled further into the limelight than they already are. One such example is Poetry Is Dead - a poetry magazine hailing from Canada that aims to promote the art of poetry in all forms, whilst not taking itself too seriously. So, with them currently offering 50% off the price of their subscriptions thanks to it being Canada's poetry month (making it a ridiculous $6 a year to subscribe) we thought we would nudge a few of our readers in their direction. It's a great little magazine and we've been wholehearted supporters of them since the beginning...go do the same!

[ WEAPON OF MASS INSTRUCTION ]

No, it's not the title of some dodgy porn film - although it probably is - this is the brainchild of Argentinian artist Raul Lemesoff who has created the Arma De Instruccion Masiva (Weapon of Mass Instruction) which is a converted tank dedicated to handing out art books for free. We haven't yet had word as to whether copies of Popshot have made their way onto the tank of literacy, but here's to hoping. Found thanks to HUH. Magazine.

[ NOTEBOOKS FROM THE YOUNG POETS NETWORK ]

The way that poetry is taught in education is an issue that has rolled on and will probably continue to roll on for years to come. Although experiences are varied, the general consensus is that the way that poetry is taught in schools deters new readers rather than encourages them. The fixation on in-depth analysis of classics does little to inspire, and renders poetry an academic subject rather than a creative one from the get-go. However, it doesn't have to be like that. The Young Poets Network is one such initiative that looks to encourage young poets to write and share what they've written in a much more constructive environment, with workshops set and advice given by respected figures in the worlds of poetry and spoken word. It's a step in the right direction and with them now offering some pretty cool notebooks as prizes for poets whose work is featured on the site, it's definitely worth getting involved! Sign up to be a part of it at the The Young Poets Network website, age notwithstanding.

[ THE GUARDIAN ON WE ARE POETS ]

"The opening sequence is one of the most stunning things I've ever witnessed, something you have to see before you die".

A spirited review of the We Are Poets screening (which we offered up free tickets to a few days ago) on The Guardian, which also raises some interesting questions regarding the work of the Arts Council. Great to see a poetry film - that doesn't feature James Franco - getting so much attention and support. Read the full article here.

[ THE POWER ISSUE - OUT NOW ]

With the arrival of each issue of Popshot being something of a bi-annual event, (although we have plans to make it more regular than that) the excitement connected with a new issue launching never seems to wear thin. After months of careful curation, the behemoth that is The Power Issue has slipped from the printing presses and is now available from this very website, and from selected bookshops around the world. Containing our trademark collection of poems, specially commissioned illustrations, interviews, and reeking of high grade inks, it's yet another edition that we're immensely proud of.

If you want to get hold of your copy or just want to see what this issue is all about, you can read a few sample pages over at our shop. Alternatively, subscribe to Popshot and we'll reward your commitment by giving you a free back issue of your choice, a chunk of money off the cover price and we'll even love you for an indeterminate length of time...

[ FREE TICKETS TO WE ARE POETS ]

We've been championing the film, We Are Poets, ever since the news of it first washed across our ears. We even interviewed one of the co-directors, Alex Ramseyer-Bache, for our forthcoming seventh issue to find out more about the film and the minds behind it. So we're happy to announce that we are now able to offer up tickets for our readers to go and see the film for themselves, for the grand old price of nothing.

This Friday March 30th, We Are Poets is in its home city of Leeds for a big one off preview screening in the huge theatre of Leeds Town Hall, as part of the Leeds Young People's Film Festival. The host will be internationally recognised poet, Benjamin Zephaniah, and we've very kindly been given a limited number of tickets to giveaway to Popshot readers. So if you're within travelling distance of Leeds, and want to see what all the fuss is about, the tickets could be yours. To get hold of them, all you have to do is drop an email to hello@popshotpopshot.com with your name and address, and if we have enough tickets left to give out, they'll be yours. Easy as that. To find out more details about the event/location/time etc, head to the Leeds Young People's Film Festival website.

[ ART IN THE UNDERBELLY AND POPSHOT MAGAZINE ]

As part of Art in the Underbelly's 2nd birthday celebrations, AITU and Popshot Magazine are joining forces to create an exhibition of poetry and illustrations by artists and poets from around the UK. We're seeking submissions of poems which will then be used as inspiration for individually commissioned illustrations. The poems will be displayed alongside the illustrations and during the evening of the exhibition, selected poets will perform alongside their images.

As part of the celebrations, we'll be putting together a limited run of booklets featuring the illustrations and poems. This is an opportunity for poets to see their work realised in a visual form and to have their work presented in an unusual format to new audiences. Submissions are open now so please email your poems and contact details to art@rumseywells.co.uk. Poems must be no longer than 40 lines and must reach the people of Art in the Underbelly by no later than April 5th.

[ THE POWER ISSUE - A SNEAK PREVIEW ]

We're thrilled to announce that after 4 months in the making, Issue 7 of Popshot Magazine is almost here. The new issue went to press this morning and we can now reveal the cover for it, beautifully illustrated by the very talented Silje Kristiansen. It's officially available to pre-order from our shop and as a small incentive to get in early, we've waived the postage price on all pre-orders, regardless of which country you live in. You can also get a small taster of the poems and illustrations that are featured inside The Power Issue by heading to our shop. The new issue will launch on April 2nd and will be available to pre-order until then.

[ FOYLE YOUNG POETS 2012 ]

Here's one for our younger readers. The extremely reputable Foyle Young Poets Award is now open for entries. The award has been going for 15 years and during that time has highlighted some of the poets that have since risen to prominence. One such poet is Helen Mort (one of our contributors in Issue 3 with a poem called 'Poem For Ben') who won the award 5 times and is now returning as a judge along with Costa Book Award winner, Christopher Reid. The competition is free to enter and is an opportunity for any young poet aged 11-17 to accelerate their writing career. So if you're eligible for it and fancy trying your hand, head to the Foyle Young Poets website to find out the full details.

Also, if you're wondering who created the spiffing flyer above, it's the work of the fabulously retro James Brown. Now that's poetry and illustration for you...

[ PICK ME UP ]

Pick Me Up - the UK's biggest annual contemporary graphic art fair celebrating graphic arts in all its forms, returns for its biggest edition yet this spring. Open from March 22nd to April 1st, the fair will showcase the very best illustrators, graphic novelists, cartoonists, and graphic designers from around the world. It's pretty much the Glastonbury of the illustration world so if you fancy popping along, go take a look at what's happening by visiting Somerset House's Pick Me Up page.

[ GABRIELLA BAROUCH ]

A graduate of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel, and now residing in Paris, Gabriella Barouch was another of our immensely skilled illustrators for Issue 6's 'Love' issue. Operating largely in a pastel based, beige/pink/brown colour palette, her work possesses a strong feeling of antiquity about it, whilst managing to remain contemporary - a rather beautiful balancing act. This aspect of her work made her a perfect suitor for Sally Blackmores' poem 'Possibilities', a heartwarming account of the realisation that the possibilities of finding love are not finished with yet. Check out her portfolio by heading in this direction.

[ CHANNEL 4'S RANDOM ACTS ]

We've been keeping our eye on Channel 4's Random Acts for a little while now as the library of content grows and grows, with an impressive number of poetry/spoken word films on show. For those of you who may not be familiar with it, Random Acts is a series of short films that air in-between Channel 4's scheduled programming, designed to encourage both established artists and emergent talent to exploit television as an artistic medium. The short films cover dance, animation, video art, music and most importantly, storytelling and spoken word. There are already a number of films on there by Lemn Sissay, along with films featuring Polarbear, Kate Tempest, David J, Dan Cockrill, and the ever bizarre, Rob Auton. Find yourself a free hour and go explore the wealth of interesting content on there. Great to see Channel 4 promoting this.

[ DON'T MISS A SINGLE ISSUE ]

With the popularity of Popshot growing at a stretch-mark-free rate, there are bound to be subtle side effects. A few weeks ago we completely sold out of Issues 1, 2 and 4, and with no reprints planned in the near future, our other issues are facing the same fate. So if you want to ensure that you never miss a single issue, subscribe to Popshot for two years for just £19 including all postage (European and World subscriptions cost a little more). If you have any questions or queries, feel free to drop us an email at subscriptions [at] popshotpopshot.com and we'll be happy to help.

[ THE RIALTO POETRY COMPETITION ]

British poetry magazine, The Rialto, have long been publishing the work of new and established writers alike, with a focus on the work itself rather than the name that produced it - something that we agree with entirely. Now they've added to their publishing arm by teaming up with the RSPB to create a poetry competition centred on the theme of 'Nature'. No doubt such a theme will have its perils but it's an opportunity to approach an oft covered subject from a fresh angle, much like what we feel we did with our 'Love' issue! The competition is now open and will continue to remain open until April 30th with judges taking the form of Mark Cocker and former poet laureate, Andrew Motion. The winner will receive £1000 in prize money and will also be published in The Rialto. To find out more about the competition, head to The Rialto's website.

[ RYAN LAKE ]

We love the rich colour palette and overwhelmingly vivid quality to Ryan Lake's work so were chuffed to bits to have him illustrate Raphael Lim's poem 'Vandalism' - a playful poem about enticing a somewhat aloof girl away from her own self-protectiveness. Hailing from Ottawa in Canada, his portfolio has some really really impressive work in it so go take a peep by visiting www.ryanlake.com.

[ WORD WRESTLING ]

We probably can't say an awful lot more about this than the flyer tells you already, but chances are, it's going to be very very good. If you're stuck for ideas as to what to do this Saturday night, why not go and watch a bunch of spoken word collectives beat the living daylights out of each other with words? It's cultural and primal, all wrapped up into one tidy, if not slightly bloodied, package. Click here to find out the full details and to obtain tickets.

[ SELECTED POEMS AT THE V&A ]

For the last few months, Selected Poems have been putting on some of the finest and most intuitive poetry nights in London town. Each event features writers who have appeared in anthologies and collections by innovative publishing houses, and this month it's the turn of Fuselit and their little sister publishing house, Sidekick Books. To find out more about the event, cast your eye over the flyer above then check out the Selected Poems Facebook event page.

[ LYRIC & POLIS ]

We don't cover events outside of London very often, mainly because our radar doesn't stretch an awful lot further. For this very reason, we were most pleased to hear of an event taking place down in the creative hub of Cornwall, aka Falmouth, called Lyric & Polis. The event is split over Friday night and Saturday, with various readings and discussions on the subject of lyric poetry. Although we won't be able to get down there ourselves, it's definitely worth popping along if you live in the vicinity. For more details and to get hold of tickets, visit The Performance Centre website.

[ WE ARE POETS - THE FILM ]

It's not often that poetry films come along that make you get shivers down the spine, but after the makers of We Are Poets sent us a copy of the film, that's precisely what happened. Some of you may remember us mentioning We Are Poets in September of last year when they did a small nationwide tour of the film. They're now back in London on February 15th for one of their last screenings before the film properly hits cinemas in April. The screening will be held at the Curzon Cinema in Soho and is followed by a Q&A with the directors + a live poetry after party. For full details of the who, where, why and when, head to the Curzon Cinema website.

[ ARTIST VANDALISES BILLBOARDS WITH POETRY ]

Scottish artist, Robert Montgomery, has been spreading his poetry across advertising billboards for the last 10 years in his trademark white font/black background style. To herald his new show at KK Outlet in East London, he's created a series of 3 large billboard poems on Old Street, which reference the moral failure of capitalism, the concerns of the Occupy movement, and new ideas of freedom in the city. The show opened on February 3rd and will continue until February 25th. To read a short interview with the artist/poet about his work, check out this article in The Independent.

[ THE ILLUSTRATION WORK OF DILLY ]

Australian based illustrator Thomas Littleson, also known as Dilly is another of our illustrators who graced the pages of Issue 6's Love issue. With his hyper real, tea bag stained style, he was the perfect choice to illustrate Hayden Westfield-Bell's poem 'Full House' - a beautiful short poem that looked at lesbianism in old age. All of Dilly's work is utterly beautiful and although there's only a limited amount of it on his super clean website, go take a look around and tell him you popped by.