CALL FOR PAPERS
The University of Edinburgh supported by The Roberts Fund
and in collaboration with the Scottish Poetry Library
ConVersify: Poetry, Politics and Form   10-11th September 2011
[conversifyconference.blogspot.com]

This two day postgraduate led conference will bring together poets and
researchers to engage in a conversation about experimental, innovative
and alternative approaches to poetic form. While many poets
self-report that political objectives underlie their practice, in the
realm of, but not limited to, ideology critique, the assertion or
negation of identity and/or a confrontation with mainstream
publishing, charges of elitism, passivity and inaccessibility can be
levelled. Taking this point of tension as our catalyst, and adopting a
trans-historical perspective, we wish to consider what “experimental”
poetry is, and what it is for.

We are calling for twenty minute papers which: discuss poetry of any
period or genre which challenges or aims to challenge convention
through formal innovation and/or interaction with political, social
and cultural realities; explore the labels we use to denote
“experimental”, “avant-garde” or particular stylistic modes of verse;
question whether political objectives and/or antagonisms can be
articulated or furthered through radical approaches to composition and
language; consider how readers engage with experimental poetry.
Inseparable from these themes is the issue of what we perceive as ‘the
political’, what counts as a political act and whether the writer has
a responsibility to assert political agency; we are particularly
interested in papers in which these questions are at the forefront of
discussion.

Please send 250-300 word abstracts for 20 minute papers as a word
attachment to conversifyconference@gmail.com by 16th May 2011.
The conference will take place at 19 George Square, University of
Edinburgh. We will also be organising evening poetry readings in town
– please mention when you submit your abstract if you would be
interested in reading.
Organised by Lila Matsumoto, Greg Thomas and Samantha Walton.

Via Joseph Walton

7.30, Fuel Bar, Withington, 445 Wilmslow Road, Manchester

• James Davies
• Phil Davenport
• Helen Shanahan
• Juxtavoices

  http://countingbackwards.posterous.com/