News:
Katrina's first full collection 'The Girl with the Cactus Handshake' (Templar Poetry), for which she received an Arts Council England writer's award, was shortlisted for the inaugural 2010 London Festival Fringe New Poetry Award. Congratulations to Carrie Etter, who won with her collection 'The Tethers'.
Following her residency as the first Writer in Residence at the Bronte Parsonage Museum in Haworth, Yorkshire, Katrina is giving several readings in September, these include Arvon's Lumb Bank see www.arvonfoundation.org and the first Bronte Festival of Women's Writing in Haworth (18-20 September 2010), where Katrina's pamphlet 'Charlotte Bronte's Corset' (Bronte Society 2010) will be launched. At one of the Bronte Festival readings, she will be supporting Carol Ann Duffy. Katrina is also running a special poetry workshop as part of the Bronte Festival at the Parsonage Museum on Saturday 18 September. See www.bronte.info for further information or to book.
In October, Katrina is reading at two events for the Essex Poetry Festival, in London and Southend. See Essex Poetry Festival for the full line up of events.
Katrina was recently shortlisted for the 2009 Bridport Prize and was runner-up in the Poetry Society's 2009 Stanza Competition with two poems: 'Pinochet's Garden' and 'My Perfect Father'. You can read these poems at the Poetry Society's website, see www.poetrysociety.org.uk and see a video of Katrina reading these poems. She also had a poem commended in the 2009 Poetry on the Lake Competition. A specially-commissioned poetry DVD for Oxfam, 'Asking a Shadow to Dance: 35 Young British Poets for Oxfam' features Katrina's poetry and is available from Oxfam Bookshops and ebay, price £12.99.
Katrina enjoys collaborating with visual artists and has had work exhibited as part of the Accident & Emergence collective in London, had poetry commissioned by Hartlepool Art Gallery and had a one-woman exhibition at the Bronte Parsonage Museum in 2010. She has recently returned from ARTErra in Portugal, where she gave a first reading of her new play 'The Water Skiing Diaries'.
Katrina teaches a distance learning course in poetry at the University of Exeter and creative writing for the Open University.
Katrina writes poetry reviews for Echo from the Canyon and Eyewear. See her recent reviews on Adrienne Rich, Robin Robertson and Sharon Olds.
See www.likestarlings.co.uk for a recent poetry conversation between Katrina and the poet Sue Wood.
Readings/Events:
2010
Thurs 7 January - reading poems from The Girl with the Cactus Handshake plus interview by Clare Coyne on Sydenham Community Radio 8-9 pm. Listen on www.sydenhamradio.co.uk.
Mon 11 January - reading with Maureen Boyle, John Wedgwood Clark, Wendy French, Paul Maddern, William Oxley, Christopher Reid and Sue Rose at Coffee House Poetry, Troubadour Cafe, 265 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 - 8 pm £7/£5. See www.coffeehousepoetry.org.
Sat 13 February - reading with a host of poets at 'The Vulgar Tongue' event, with Roddy Lumsden, at the Betsey Trotwood, Farringdon Road, London EC1 - 8 pm
Sun 14 February - reading at the Jazz Verse Jukebox, upstairs at Ronnie Scotts, Frith Street, London W1, with Fran Landesman and Dorothea Smart - 8 pm £6
Fri 5 March - reading at Ware Poets, Ware Arts Centre, Kibes Lane, Ware, Herts SG12, plus open mic - 8 pm £4/£2.50
Sat 6 March - reading poems based on modern day fairy tales at Book Club Boutique, Blacks, Dean Street, London W1 with Dzifa Benson and others - 3-6 pm
Sat 27 March - Poetry in the Crypt - reading with Joanna Boulter and Phil Kirby, St Mary's Crypt, Upper St, Islington N1- 7 pm £4/£3 - includes cake! All proceeds to Hospice Care Kenya
Weds 7 April - creative writing workshop at Hartlepool Art Gallery, Church Square, Hartlepool TS24 - 10.30-3.30, free.
Mon 12 April - installation of Katrina's poems at the Bronte Parsonage Museum, Haworth, W Yorks, runs daily until 31 May 2010.
Weds 14 April - reading and discussion with Dulwich Stanza group on art and poetry, George Canning pub, 7.45 pm
Tue 27 April - reading at Days of Roses, with poets Todd Swift and Kate Potts, among others, 3 Blind Mice, 5 Ravey Street, London (closest to Old St tube) - 7 pm
Thurs 29 April - reading at the launch of South Bank Poetry with Loraine Mariner and Derek Adams, among others, Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street - 7.30
Fri 30 April - reading and private view of 'Pistols and Pollinators' exhibition, featuring Katrina's and Chris's installation soundscape, Stoke Newington Library Gallery, Church Street, London N16 from 6-9 pm. The exhibition runs daily (apart from 3-4 May) until 11 May 2010.
Sat 8 May - creative writing workshop at Hartlepool Art Gallery, Church Square, Hartlepool TS24 - 10.30-3.30, free
Tue 18 May - private launch for 'Charlotte Bronte's Corset'
Thurs 20 May - reading and open mic on the theme of food and drink at La Bocca restaurant, Streatham High Road, London SW16, 8 pm. Sign up on the night at 7.45 if you'd like to read/perform a food/drink poem.
May to June 2010 - exhibition of poems from 'Charlotte Bronte's Corset' running until the end of June, Bronte Parsonage Museum, Haworth, W Yorks BD22 8DR, free with entrance to the museum. Open daily (Keighley rail station then bus to Haworth).
Sat 13 June - reading at the Gazebo Readings (reading between 1 and 3 pm), hosted by Naomi Woddis, with Dzifa Benson, Heather Taylor, Jacqueline Saphra, Baden Prince and more. Culpeper Community Garden, 1 Cloudesley Road, London N1. Readings at 1-3 and 5-7. Free.
Weds 14 July - reading and open mic as a poetry benefit for Oxfam at Streatham Oxfam Furniture and Electrical Shop (part of Oxfam's Bookfest). To take part in the open mic, sign up on the night at 7 pm. All money goes to Oxfam. Entance is £5 and includes readings, a buffet and 2 beers/wines. Oxfam Furniture & Electricals, 23 Streatham High Street, SW16. Readings start at 7.30. Entry £5 (phone Karen on 020 8769 1291 for more info).
Fri 16 July - lunchtime reading at Muswell Hill Oxfam, 378 Muswell Hill Broadway N10 from 12-2. Free.
Weds 8 Sept - guest reader at Arvon's Lumb Bank poetry course tutored by Amanda Dalton and Ian Duhig. See www.arvonfoundation.org to book or for more information
Sat 18 Sept - running a poetry workshop from 10 am to 1 pm as part of the Bronte Festival of Women's Writing, at the Bronte Parsonage Museum, Haworth, based on the Bronte collections. This workshop includes a visit to the archives of the Bronte Parsonage Museum, to see items not usually on public display. Tickets £15 (includes admission to the museum and refreshment). In the evening at 7.30 pm, Katrina is reading to support Carol Ann Duffy at the West Lane Baptist Centre, Haworth. Tickets are £12/£6. See www.bronte.info for details of the whole of the Festival's events.
Fri 1 Oct - reading at the Essex Poetry Festival,with Susan Grindley and Victor Tapner, at Lumen, 88 Tavistock Place, London WC1. Poets from the floor welcome. 7 pm, £4/£3. All proceeds to the Cold Weather Shelter. See www.essex-poetry-festival.co.uk
Weds 6 Oct - reading at the Essex Poetry Festival with Judy Brown, Naval and Military Club, 20 Royal Terrace, Southend. 8 pm, £2. See www.essex-poetry-festival.co.uk
Mon 1 Nov - reading at the Troubadour with Daljit Nagra, Tamar Yosselof, Andre O'Riordan, Carrie Etter and other shortlisted poets from the London Fringe New Poetry Awards. 8 pm.
2011
Thurs 27 Jan 2011 - reading at Poetry Wivenhoe. Details tbc.
POETRY
- My Poetry Online
- Lunch at the Elephant & Castle
- B Movie
- Tunnel of Love
- Other Poems Online