AUGUST'S DIARY
Monday 4th @ 8pm: Come Strut your Stuff - Poetry & acoustic music night hosted by Nick & Graham, with Stan the Harper. The Egg Cafe, Newington, between Bold St & Renshaw Street, Liverpool. Come early to book a slot. Free. www.comestrutyourstuff.co.uk

Wednesday 6th @ 8pm: Dead Good Poets Society Open Floor Twenty-four 5 minutes slots for you to perform your own poetry. Doors open 7.30pm. Come early to book a reading slot. The 3rd Room, The Everyman Bistro, Hope Street, Liverpool 1. £2 / £1.

Saturday 9th: 2-5pm - Join BBC Radio Merseyside's Claire Hamilton at the Liverpool Lighthouse Theatre in Anfield for a cultrual extravaganza! claire will be recording her show in the company of local singers, actors, poets, musicians, fashion students and a live studio audience. To get your ticket for this free event contact BBC Radio MerseysideÕs reception on 0151 708 5500 or call the A Team on 0151 794 0938.

Monday 11th: 7pm - 9.30pm Liverpool Poetry Cafe: Driftwood Press Poets: Brian Wake, Alison Rostron, Matt Simpson. Liverpool Poetry Cafe, Costa Coffee, Bottom of Bold Street, Liverpool. Free event, but if you feel able to donate towards equipment hire, it is much appreciated.

Monday 11th @ 8.30pm - Bards of New Brighton - a poetry night that meets in the folk music room at the Magazine pub ("the Mags") in Magazine Brow, New Brighton
Email: stvregan@yahoo.com for more details.

Friday 15th : 7.30-9.30pm - Manky Poets with Copland Smith and guest Helen Gregory @ Chorlton Library, Manchester Road, Chorlton M21 9PN "I'm the metal plate in your microwave." Helen is a performance poet from Bristol, and an academic, which means that she not only lives in an ivory tower, but can describe it, using vivid imagery and interesting metaphors... All welcome £2/£1

Saturday 16th @ 7.30pm - The Poetry Glam Slam! 18 poets compete for the title of Liverpool's most glamorous poet! Venue: The Hub, Ground Floor, Bluecoat Arts Centre, School Lane, Liverpool. Pay on the door: £4 /£2

Sunday 17th @ 8pm - Write Out Loud read around at Howcroft Inn, Pool St BL1 2JU - 8:00 pm Entry: £1 donation requested Open Mic Event. All welcome!

Tuesday 19th: 8 - 11pm: Poets and Pints at the Blue Cap Hotel, Sandiway, Cheshire. Toasting the Summer with poets from Vale Royal Writers and Dead Good Poets Society plus Open Mic. This promises to be a wonderful event in a beautiful old hostelry, with good company. £3 /£2

Thursday 21st: 9-11pm Wirral Ode Show Poets - Open Mic at the Stork Hotel, Price St, Birkenhead. Free Entry. Contact jasonrichardson69@hotmail.com for more details.

Thursday 28th: 7-9.30pm - Liverpool Poetry Cafe. Cinnamon Press poets: Jan Fortune-Wood, Joan Hewitt, Scott Thurston. Liverpool Poetry Cafe, Costa Coffee, Bottom of Bold Street, Liverpool. Free event, but if you feel able to donate towards equipment hire, it is much appreciated.

SEPTEMBERS'S DIARY
22nd-28th September - SEFTON CELEBRATES WRITING FESTIVAL includes performances and workshops with Carol Ann Duffy, Jackie Kay, Pam Ayres, Luke Wright, writing surgeries and more. Please phone 01704 540011 for a brochure or go to www.seftonarts.co.uk Giving you advance warning of this as events will book up quickly!

Monday 1st @ 8pm: Come Strut your Stuff - Poetry & acoustic music night hosted by Nick & Graham, with Stan the Harper. The Egg Cafe, Newington, between Bold St & Renshaw Street, Liverpool. www.comestrutyourstuff.co.uk

Wednesday 5th @ 8pm: Dead Good Poets Society Open Floor. Twenty-four 5 minutes slots for you to perform your own poetry. Doors open 7.30pm. Come early to book a reading slot. The 3rd Room, The Everyman Bistro, Hope Street, Liverpool 1. £2 / £1.

Saturday 6th: 2 - 3.30pm: Festival of Science Poetry Writing Workshop @ The Guild of Students, University of Liverpool. We all have something to say about climate change, but here is your chance to express your feelings more poetically. With a biologist ( Lesley Iwanejko) on hand to provide the science of climate change and its potential impacts on biodiversity, and a poet ( Deryn Rees-Jones) to help you turn the facts into imagery and verse. Join this interactive event where science and art work together in perfect harmony. Free, but advance booking is essential.
Email your name and contact details to iwanejko@liv.ac.uk

Monday 8th: 7pm-9.30pm - Dead Good Poetry Cafe! Four Dead Good poets perform: Colin Watts, Alison Down, Jacqui Dunne and Ray sandwiched into two open mic sets. Come early to put your name down for a reading slot! Liverpool Poetry CafŽ, Costa Coffee, Bottom of Bold Street, Liverpool. Free event, but if you feel able to donate towards equipment hire, it is much appreciated.

Monday 8th @ 8.30pm - Bards of New Brighton - a poetry night that meets in the folk music room at the Magazine pub ("The Mags") in Magazine Brow, New Brighton
Email: stvregan@yahoo.com for more details.

Wednesday 17th @ 8pm - A Lorra, Lorra Laureates! Dead Good Poets Guest night. Upstairs, the Fly in the Loaf, Hardman Street, Liverpool. £3 / £2 pay on the door.

Thursday 18th: 9-11pm Wirral Ode Show Poets - open mic at the Stork Hotel, Price St, Birkenhead. Free Entry.
Contact: jasonrichardson69@hotmail.com for more details.

Sunday 21st @ 8pm:Write Out Loud Read Around - popular, friendly Open Mic. All are welcome, beginners especially so. Howcroft Inn, Pool St, Bolton. Entry: £1 donation requested. Check www.writeoutloud.net for directions.

Monday 22nd @8pm - Zest! Open floor poetry for poets and poetry lovers with special guest Matt Merritt. Alexander's, Rufus Court, off Northgate St, Chester CH1 2JG. £3/£2

Thursday 25th: 7-9.30pm - Dead Good Poetry Cafe! Four Dead Good poets perform: Clare Kirwan, David Bateman, Aaron Murdoch & Chris Clarke squished (sorry, lovingly arranged) between two open mic sets. Come early to put your name down for a reading slot! Liverpool Poetry Cafe, Costa Coffee, Bottom of Bold Street, Liverpool. Free event, but if you feel able to donate towards equipment hire, it is much appreciated

OPPORTUNITIES
Writing on the Wall Festival are looking for a Temporary Festival Administrator. Closing date for applications:5th September 2008 at 12.00 noon. Please request an application pack by email.
Contact Info@writingonthewall.org.uk or by phoning 0151 703 0020

COMPETITIONS
2008 Vincent McTigue Comic Verse Competition
1st prize £100, 2nd £50, 3rd £2. Plus publication on our web site. Details and entry forms can be found at http://www.aninkling.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk Or email: mrsmonday@hotmail.com

Aesthetica Creative Works Competition
Seeks artwork entries. The competition accepts entries of artwork and photography as well as creative writing (poetry & fiction). Three winners will receive a prize of £500. £10 entry fee covers five images. Publication for winner and runners up.
Closing Date: 31/08/08. www.aestheticamagazine.com
Email on pauline@aestheticamagazine.com or phone 01904 527560 for further details.

Torbay Open Poetry Competition
Closing Date: 15-Aug-08 Details: For poems of up to 50 lines. First prize £700, second prize £300, third prize £150. 14-18 years' prizes: £200, £100, £75. Judges: Sheenagh Pugh, 14-18 years' prize: Helen Mort. Entry Fee: £4 per poems or 3 poems for £10, 6 poems for £20. £2 a poem for 14-18 years or 3 poems for £5 Contact: The Administrator, c/o The Mount, Brixham, South Devon TQ5 8QY

Arvon International Poetry Competition 2008
Closing Date: 15-Aug-08 Details: £11,000 worth of prizes including Ted Hughes Environmental Poetry Prize of £1,000 plus special Ted Hughes publications, for the best poem that deals with the environment. Judges: Andrew Motion, Alice Oswald and Moniza Alvi Entry Fee: £6 Contact: You can enter your poems online at www.arvonfoundation.org/poetry or ring +44 (0)20 7931 7611 for an entry form

Essex Poetry Festival 8th Open Poetry Competition
Closing Date: 30-Aug-08 Details: For poems of up to 40 lines. First prize £500, second prize £200, third prize £100 and 3 runner-up prizes of £10 book tokens. This year's judge will be Catherine Smith. Entry Fee: £3 per poem or £10 for 5 poems
Contact: Send S.A.E to: Essex Poetry Festival Competition, 15 Seeleys, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0AD
Website: www.essex-poetry-festival.co.uk

Troubadour Poetry Prize
Closing Date: 10-Oct-08 Details: For poems of up to 45 lines. First prize £1000, second prize £500, third prize £250. Judged by Jo Shapcott and Stephen Knight. Entry Fee: £5 per poem or £4 per poem if 4 or more poems submitted Contact: Anne-Marie Fyfe at Coffee-House Poetry, PO Box 16210, London W4 1ZP
Email: CoffPoetry@aol.com