Andy N - Writer, Podcaster and Ambient Musician: 2022

Tuesday 27 December 2022

Louise Fazackerley (New Spoken Label Session, December 2022)

Latest from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Artist / Writer Podcast) and our last session of the year features the magnificent Louise Fazackerley.

Louise’s work is described as “ work rooted in word-witchery and the working class, Louise explores the synergy between poetry, voice and movement in a way that makes the ugly beautiful and the mundane fantastical. Winner of BBC Radio 3 ‘New Voices’, European Slam Finalist and support artist for punk legend Dr. John Cooper Clark, Louise is a true, Northern powerhouse. Welcome to her world of darkly humorous poetry. Previous poetry collections include The Lolitas and The Uniform Factory (Verve Poetry Press), Bird St. (The Secret Writers Club) and audio book, Council House Poetry (Nymphs & Thugs.) Louise has a degree in Theatre Studies and Creative Writing from Lancaster University and an MA in Creative Writing from Edge Hill University. She lectures and teaches creative writing in schools, prisons and universities. When she is not writing, Louise is loping around Wigan and wrangling two teenage daughters and two teenage cats. “

Louise’s latest book ‘pleasure dome which this sesison talks about ’ is described as: “Take your little feelings-junkie-self on a dash through the house of fun. Here is hedonism and anhedonia a.k.a 'the inability to feel anything' nothing? explored through lyric poetry and dystopian prose poetry. Here are the Romantic Poets. Here are some bands from the 1980's. Here is a bathroom. Here is a place where the super-rich get to use your organs instead of their own. Obvs. Think escapism, mothers guilt and drink- some of it set in an alternate dimension of distorted mirrors and super-fun balloons. Dilettantes and the discerning brain are welcome here. “

https://spokenlabel.bandcamp.com/album/louise-fazackerley-spoken-label-december-2022

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label/louise-fazackerley-spoken-uOr3XDbRsxa/

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Louise-Fazackerley-Spoken-Label--December-2022-e1s76tg

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label/louise-fazackerley-spoken-uOr3XDbRsxa/

https://www.bullhorn.fm/spokenlabel/posts/louise-fazackerley-spoken-lab

https://podcastaddict.com/?id=https%3A%2F%2Fanchor.fm%2Fs%2Fd905e90%2Fpodcast%2Fplay%2F62151024%2Fhttps%253A%252F%252Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%252Fstaging%252F2022-11-13%252Fa3abe14c-bde3-b932-1f1a-e2c8acc19a00.mp3&podcastId=2748767

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-s6uxe-16085f50

https://podbay.fm/p/spoken-label/e/1671960935

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/bae49616-2295-4e7c-b931-91415a724cb6/episodes/09c1a7fc-c6c1-45db-970a-9dd1ba984132/spoken-label-louise-fazackerley-spoken-label-december-2022

https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Spoken-Label-p1317427/?topicId=230795425

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Louise-Fazackerley-Spoken-Label-December-2022-Podcast/B0BR2GL5C7?ref=a_pd_Spoken_c4_lAsin_0_0&pf_rd_p=a202f891-0d90-47a2-ac3f-8ebc4b2943db&pf_rd_r=J9SS84VKRH649HT1530Y

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3On8t2Dn6Kk50gvoRUObrv

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/louise-fazackerley-spoken-label-december-2022/id1501847969?i=1000591233458

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Louise-Fazackerley-Spoken-Label--December-2022-e1s76tg

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kOTA1ZTkwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz/episode/ODM0OWYwZDktNTA0NS00YmEwLWI4OTYtYjY1MGJmZTdjNjZl?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwj46Z7DiJr8AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

https://radiopublic.com/spoken-label-6BalgM/s1!d2fbe

https://castbox.fm/episode/Louise-Fazackerley-(Spoken-Label%2C-December-2022)-id2678341-id558211551

https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1501847969/episode111500202-Louise-Fazackerley-Spoken-Label-December-Spoken-Label

https://youtu.be/1X7Md98RpOU

https://www.podash.com/podcast/882087/?fbclid=IwAR1d0mr6PA3P9cRO1WYdikP2TFQeHsHZEJxvNNBC9kbvp4ecrldArgjVCDU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X7Md98RpOU

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmrdPyuDFkpoSyrBY23fl3ztw0GPq9jibTye6o0/

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3On8t2Dn6Kk50gvoRUObrv

Saturday 17 December 2022

New Spoken Label Session - Ilaria Passeri

** Re-uploaded after a error was discovered on some of the files. Apologises to Ilaria for this **

Back with Spoken Label today is our returning friend “Ilaria Passeri”

Ilaria Passeri is a Scottish-Italian writer-performer living in South Manchester. She works as a storyteller in schools, libraries, art centres, theatres and woodland areas. You can often find Ilaria under a tree telling stories with a rubber chicken and a crowd of giggling kids with their grown-ups — failing that, you may find her on a train lugging around a suitcase of puppets or in a sweaty pub room telling people all her secrets through a microphone. She performed her debut show ‘Lady Ilaria’s Drawers’ at The Hen and Chickens as part of the Camden Fringe Festival and received a four-star review. Before becoming a writer and storyteller, Ilaria was Mandy the CrimeSolving Monkey, Sparkle Chops the Elf, a Bar Crawl Babe, an Aperol Spritz Girl and she also worked in a call centre for three days.

In this Spoken Label Session, we talk about her show from a few years back “Lady Ilaria’s drawers” and what led into her book ‘Tales of a confused Life’.

Instagram @ilariathestoryteller
Twitter @ilariapasseri

https://spokenlabel.bandcamp.com/album/ilaria-passeri-spoken-label-december-2022

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ilaria-passeri-spoken-label-december-2022-re-upload/id1501847969?i=1000590676810

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Ilaria-Passeri-Spoken-Label--December-2022-Re-upload---previous-edit-was-wrong-e1sfs7j

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kOTA1ZTkwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz/episode/YTdjODRhMzEtZDA1OC00NzU5LTkwNjgtODg0Nzk1YTQ3MzI4?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwiQ36TY5Yv8AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

https://radiopublic.com/spoken-label-6BalgM/s1!61c51

https://castbox.fm/episode/Ilaria-Passeri-(Spoken-Label%2C-December-2022)-(Re-upload---previous-edit-was-wrong)-id2678341-id556876834

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/spoken-label-1044059/episodes/ilaria-passeri-spoken-label-de-158407711

https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1501847969/episode110183757-Ilaria-Passeri-Spoken-Label-December-upload-previous-wrong-Spoken-Label

https://www.podash.com/podcast/882087/?fbclid=IwAR3LYWz3ShQJuVZb7VvPxsXs6H10MIPRc6Z_Z6ahGaO3_wS_Ms7F9SBOAmg

https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1501847969/episode110183757-Ilaria-Passeri-Spoken-Label-December-upload-previous-wrong-Spoken-Label

https://www.podash.com/podcast/882087/?fbclid=IwAR3LYWz3ShQJuVZb7VvPxsXs6H10MIPRc6Z_Z6ahGaO3_wS_Ms7F9SBOAmg

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Ilaria-Passeri-Spoken-Label--December-2022-Re-upload---previous-edit-was-wrong-e1sfs7j

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label/ilaria-passeri-spoken-label-4RuxKaErmFb/

https://www.bullhorn.fm/spokenlabel/posts/ilaria-passeri-spoken-label-d-82840

https://podcastaddict.com/?id=https%3A%2F%2Fanchor.fm%2Fs%2Fd905e90%2Fpodcast%2Fplay%2F62434995%2Fhttps%253A%252F%252Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%252Fstaging%252F2022-11-19%252F2ddea175-c1b5-e890-9fa1-1424200c7e37.mp3&podcastId=2748767

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-atxn3-15fccde6

https://podbay.fm/p/spoken-label/e/1671485482

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/bae49616-2295-4e7c-b931-91415a724cb6/episodes/64b20dd2-e511-42ac-aa67-cf688a232a7f/spoken-label-ilaria-passeri-spoken-label-december-2022-re-upload---previous-edit-was-wrong

https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Spoken-Label-p1317427/?topicId=228995963

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Ilaria-Passeri-Spoken-Label-December-2022-Re-upload-previous-edit-was-wrong-Podcast/B0BQL2YL43?ref=a_pd_Spoken_c4_lAsin_0_0&pf_rd_p=a202f891-0d90-47a2-ac3f-8ebc4b2943db&pf_rd_r=2168ZEPNXNZDZA4TZ9H5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8383mFXgSrg&t=5s (Interview Segment)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMtgf6GXD-4&t=1s (Reading Segment)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmSXLjzDSp79iuaJka1odmMb8I59uHc-tRulqA0/ (Reading Segment)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmTa4SfD_Bw1aYdo8YMLxy6wSi_CURT67FioUs0/ (Interview Segment)

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4K53NOtYWdK4D4gMUtEIhv

Friday 16 December 2022

New Spoken Label - Martin Elder

New from Spoken Label (Author / Artist / Poet Podcast) features the wonderful Martin Elder talking about his debut poetry book "Rewind / Replay"

Martin describes himself as "Writer Poet and Dr of Hope the story so far.....as a spotty faced teenager back in the mists of time I once wrote a poem about the Vietnam war which has been thankfully lost. I then picked up a pencil again in my late thirties and started writing short stories and subsequently a couple of books. I followed this with an attempt at poetry. However a friend told me that he did not like them. (The poems that is) so I stopped. But the loss of a job back in 2012 stimulated me to write a poem again which was quickly followed by another and then another , sadly I haven't been able to stop pouring out a sea of babble and drivel since. Having tried the public domain few times in 2014 I have continued to subject members of the unwitting public to my utterances and dribblings through open mic gigs in a variety of locations with very few rotten vegetables or eggs being thrown....so far"

More about Martin can be found at: www.writeoutloud.net/profiles/martinelder

His Email address to purchase a copy of his collection is: martin.d.elder@ntlworld.com

https://spokenlabel.bandcamp.com/album/martin-elder-spoken-label-december-2022

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/martin-elder-spoken-label-december-2022/id1501847969?i=1000590081462

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kOTA1ZTkwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz/episode/ZWZmNzVmYjctZjY1Zi00ZDZiLThiMjEtODYzOTM3MjY1NmU3?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjIw7e41_z7AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL7nItOMgpY (Interview)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWpBYtC9b2w&t=21s (Reading)

https://radiopublic.com/spoken-label-6BalgM/s1!2ab7f

https://castbox.fm/episode/Martin-Elder-(Spoken-Label%2C-December-2022)-id2678341-id555467805

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/spoken-label-1044059/episodes/martin-elder-spoken-label-dece-157899362

https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1501847969/episode108578802-Martin-Elder-Spoken-Label-December-Spoken-Label

https://www.podash.com/podcast/882087/?fbclid=IwAR3_QeRhZqpbduIt3bay0xQ8rFmaPQfuIl19XDKAMmJ5dAaJ8MDB4OvhWGE

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Martin-Elder-Spoken-Label--December-2022-e1qpvg3

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label/martin-elder-spoken-label-B6gq72RQY0b/

https://www.bullhorn.fm/spokenlabel/posts/martin-elder-spoken-label-dec

https://podcastaddict.com/?id=https%3A%2F%2Fanchor.fm%2Fs%2Fd905e90%2Fpodcast%2Fplay%2F60668867%2Fhttps%253A%252F%252Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%252Fstaging%252F2022-10-15%252F915d8e93-e67a-e872-57ea-d2a4b7c63355.mp3&podcastId=2748767

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-ssmas-15efbe6f

https://podbay.fm/p/spoken-label/e/1670889600

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/bae49616-2295-4e7c-b931-91415a724cb6/episodes/295145c7-cf22-479a-b91c-fdf83bb34869/spoken-label-martin-elder-spoken-label-december-2022

https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Spoken-Label-p1317427/?topicId=226503635

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmKXQL4jGLuv7H-GD-6DQNebDQOD7cd53O-mko0/ (Reading Segment)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmKTTg7jAEEGiT7uw3nX8ZorzcOJyxINyoq40M0/ (Interview Segment)

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/ITEM_NAME-Podcast/B09DYSV913?ref=a_pd_Spoken_c4_lAsin_0_0&pf_rd_p=a202f891-0d90-47a2-ac3f-8ebc4b2943db&pf_rd_r=0D5E6WXEB0HWHXX4GBSV

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0XZys6L0gFwAsY0ZL1jnIy

Monday 12 December 2022

Review off 2022

A slightly earlier review of the year since I have now done my last spoken word gig of the year (excluding maybe the odd one or two online spoken word open mic night) but year wise, yeah, it’s being a interesting and busy year that’s for sure.

Speak Easy the spoken word open mic night I co-run with Amanda and Steve has being doing great and as far as I can see is not showing signs of slowing down with numbers standing at anything from 40 to 60 people in total attending every month and always so it seems new people coming in every month wanting to read which is a sign of the night is going great – something we intend all being well carrying on in the new year.

Also pleasing to see lots of new spoken word nights cropping up in Manchester and beyond and it’s being a exicting year of doing lots of radio programmes / Podcasts – I won’t go into them all as there has being a lot off them but in total I’ve done over 60 recordings / readings / online appearances which can be seen here which surprisingly isn’t as tiring as it sounds http://onewriterandhispc.blogspot.com/p/gigs.html

Ocean in a Bottle has had a wonderful productive year with 11 appearances on compliations on Ambient Online, Silber Media, Camembertelectrique and Aural Films and a number of other fun releases including unreleased singles, EPs and some new bits and pieces also and I have more in mind for next year too.

I’ve branched out into a new studio band too, Polly Ocean – Ocean in a Bottle with my dear spoken word friend Polly Anna from which we have released our debut EP “Confluence at Le Val” on the Ocean in a Bottle bandcamp page and a redux version with lots of different tracks on Camembertelectrique also. (A second band Mandy in a Bottle will follow in 2023 with its debut album) also in preparation for our next EP to follow before the end of Winter next year.

Less known but just as important in a much low key way has being the archiving project on my Andy N productions page on bandcamp where I have being still uploading unreleased / forgotten projects from my very early work as DIH, M.A.N, W@ and loads of others. There has resulted in quite a few new improvisations happening there as Distance encouraged by the response to the long improvised, drone pieces there and I still have a few more archive / new pieces I want to put on there (https://andynproductions.bandcamp.com/) as well as carrying with my other low key project (https://pianoinabottle.bandcamp.com/)

Spoken Label – my spoken word Podcast is close to releasing it’s 400 episode which I find incredible releasing around 230 off them in close to 3 years showing how busy I have being with it since lockdown crept around us all at the start of 2020 and always makes me smile when I remember Amanda saying to not that long back she honestly thought I would have run out of people I wanted to chat after a year or two when in reality it has proved far from the case and currently has no signs of slowing down.

Sadly, Reading in Bed the book review Podcast I have ran for 5 years with Amanda sadly released it’s last regular episode in December after 5 years of monthly episodes (60) and literally dozens of side projects, spin off etcs. The side project within that, Storytime with Andy and Amanda is planned to carry onto in the new year with us both reading out a selection of work each month and when possible have a guest come on also. More details on Reading in Bed’s replacement ‘Cloaked in the Shadows’ will follow shortly.

My own written word lastly, well it’s being a curious one as although it did look like at one point I was going to pack in poetry altogether (and this is still on the cards sadly) making a decision to go back to several manscripts thathave being dangling around for some time has encouraged me to finish off two full length poetry books ‘Dock Leaves’ and ‘In the Midst of Winter’ (avaiable on amazon if you look for them) which have being dangling around for some time near completion, sort out two split poetry books with my friend Nick in our Europa series, Run away with me again in 8 words with Amanda and I was honoured to be asked to send some pieces for two of Alta Mabin’s curated themed books. More to follow in the new year with all three of these writers and hopefully with a new writer or two I haven’t worked and all being two more poetry books which have being dangling around for too long with before I move onto flash fictions / prose and maybe a novel more.

Yeah, big changes on the way.

Sunday 11 December 2022

New Spoken Label Session - Ed Davis

Latest Spoken Label session (Author / Artist Podcast series) features the brilliant Ed Davis discussing his new book ‘The Last Professional’.

from Northern California but originally from Kanas City.

‘The Last Professional’ focuses on A hobo, a wanderer, a madman; three characters hurtling toward a heart-wrenching climax where their way of life, and their lives, hang in the balance.

These freights let you ride, they don't let you go!

Lynden Hoover, a young man on the brink of a new beginning, cannot embrace it without confronting the traumas of his past. Help comes from The Duke, an old loner who calls America' s landscape his home. He clings to an honor code, but in fleeing from Short Arm, his merciless enemy, his code is being tested. The Duke mentors Lynden, enlisting old traveling friends to keep himself and his apprentice just ahead of Short Arm' s relentless pursuit. When two of those friends are murdered, the stakes become life or death.

Bonds are formed, secrets exposed, sacrifices made, trusts betrayed; all against a breathtaking American landscape of promise and peril. Three unforgettable characters, hurtling toward a spellbinding climax where pasts and futures collide, and lives hang in the balance. '

More about Ed can be read at his website: https://www.eddavisbooks.com/

Session be streamed / downloaded from:

https://spokenlabel.bandcamp.com/album/ed-davis-spoken-label-december-2022-2

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ed-davis-spoken-label-december-2022/id1501847969?i=1000589663895

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Ed-Davis-Spoken-Label--December-2022-e1qd71b

https://radiopublic.com/spoken-label-6BalgM/s1!41872

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnSovmlYtCo&t=66s(Interview)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Xrr1DHJgs (Reading)

https://radiopublic.com/spoken-label-6BalgM/s1!41872

https://castbox.fm/episode/Ed-Davis-(Spoken-Label%2C-December-2022)-id2678341-id554528478

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/spoken-label-1044059/episodes/ed-davis-spoken-label-december-157548292

https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1501847969/episode107886793-Davis-Spoken-Label-December-Spoken-Label

https://www.podash.com/podcast/882087/?fbclid=IwAR3oHypxyW_GKld9zKeyRUB4diGGJcYC0uaCEJF3wqcboxmGjDdjN5spVmo

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Ed-Davis-Spoken-Label--December-2022-e1qd71b

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label/ed-davis-spoken-label-YZrEipXg68V/

https://www.bullhorn.fm/spokenlabel/posts/ed-davis-spoken-label-decembe

https://podcastaddict.com/?id=https%3A%2F%2Fanchor.fm%2Fs%2Fd905e90%2Fpodcast%2Fplay%2F60250603%2Fhttps%253A%252F%252Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%252Fstaging%252F2022-10-7%252F243c11c6-e9cd-fb1e-88d6-4f7a1f5f838e.mp3&podcastId=2748767

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-vvtd9-15e6bae3

https://podbay.fm/p/spoken-label/e/1670630400

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/bae49616-2295-4e7c-b931-91415a724cb6/episodes/854c0ab6-1a4e-4b9f-b9a1-fbe15e99a807/spoken-label-ed-davis-spoken-label-december-2022

https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Spoken-Label-p1317427/?topicId=225151428

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0BPQJJWVZ?ref=a_pd_Spoken_c4_lAsin_0_0&pf_rd_p=a202f891-0d90-47a2-ac3f-8ebc4b2943db&pf_rd_r=1WKJAKSBX2PNK8Q1S4E0

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmB45UMjWn93W4_gx2jJycRSnJEHfZ6q7TP2TE0/ (Reading Segment)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CmB5Z98D8TdC7zFy5ZoApqZ24gEzltdmD1Zmf40/ (Interview Segment)

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3itfF1v3Jo1duraIrVenbG

Thursday 8 December 2022

New Spoken Label Session - Richard Harries (Audio rip)

** New from Spoken Label (Author / Artist / Poet Podcast) **

Audio rip of the live Spoken Label Zoom launch containing the set Richard Harries did for the launch of his second poetry book "Iconic Tattoo' recorded live on Monday 28 November 2022.
Richard Harries (not to be confused with the Bishop of Oxford) is a well known spoken word artist with a considerable following on YouTube. He performs mainly in the North of England but concentrates on East Yorkshire, Hull and the surrounding area. One of his first poems, Pirate Izzy, was written for his Granddaughter; and thereafter he began writing and performing at Folk Clubs and Pubs.
In addition to several years at the Hull Freedom Festival he has been a popular feature at the Filey Folk Festival, Cottingham Springboard, and in venues in Leeds, Harrogate, York and Wakefield. Richard's historical poems have been published in American Journals and his war poems were read in Ypres 100 years after the first shot in the Battle of Bellewaarde in World War I. He was also a significant contributor to the Saboteur project Haunt.
Richard is often known as the Bard of Withernsea or the Activist Poet of Hull having written for the Action for Hull Group, The Wilberforce Society and supported campaigns to save the Lord line building and Beverlygate.

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/richard-harries-spoken-label-december-2022/id1501847969?i=1000589118222

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Richard-Harries-Spoken-Label--December-2022-e1rq3ub

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kOTA1ZTkwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz/episode/MWQxZWJlYTctZjI0OS00YjU1LTlkY2EtNGQ5YmJlNWQxOTli?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwiY3oe9h-v7AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

https://radiopublic.com/spoken-label-6BalgM/s1!e49ed

https://castbox.fm/episode/Richard-Harries-(Spoken-Label%2C-December-2022)-id2678341-id553618451

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/spoken-label-1044059/episodes/richard-harries-spoken-label-d-157063035

https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1501847969/episode106898507-Richard-Harries-Spoken-Label-December-Spoken-Label

https://www.podash.com/podcast/882087/?fbclid=IwAR01PNsZVUDthu-7Zkpowv6SbzPJoUMcQuC2yd5FgaW8VPODNbCXgKmH568

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Richard-Harries-Spoken-Label--December-2022-e1rq3ub

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label/richard-harries-spoken-label-olfsPu3VBzY/

https://www.bullhorn.fm/spokenlabel/posts/richard-harries-spoken-label-

https://podcastaddict.com/?id=https%3A%2F%2Fanchor.fm%2Fs%2Fd905e90%2Fpodcast%2Fplay%2F61721995%2Fhttps%253A%252F%252Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%252Fstaging%252F2022-11-5%252F0bd745a9-398f-dfe9-d5da-f7dbe95f8c4f.mp3&podcastId=2748767

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-matj3-15de10a6

https://podbay.fm/p/spoken-label/e/1670364644

https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Spoken-Label-p1317427/?topicId=224531159

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/bae49616-2295-4e7c-b931-91415a724cb6/episodes/df584e2c-b231-4abf-bf3f-e1ec78eca651/spoken-label-richard-harries-spoken-label-december-2022

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Richard-Harries-Spoken-Label-December-2022-Podcast/B0BPC335RR?ref=a_pd_Spoken_c4_lAsin_0_0&pf_rd_p=a202f891-0d90-47a2-ac3f-8ebc4b2943db&pf_rd_r=HEVEY2E4G17A5TMB2G6V

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0hki6j9bvCoD4vE1XAF4ji

https://spokenlabel.bandcamp.com/album/richard-harries-live-spoken-label-december-2022

Sunday 4 December 2022

New Spoken Label Session - Selina Halliwell

New from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features the incredible Selina Halliwell.

Selina is Multi award-winning theatremaker. Actor. Writer. Penned & starred in The Formidable Lizzie Boone, Fruit Salad & BURNOUT and Burlesques as 'Ember Travixen'.

https://spokenlabel.bandcamp.com/album/selina-halliwell-spoken-label-december-2022

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/selina-halliwell-spoken-label-december-2022/id1501847969?i=1000588234190

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Selina-Halliwell-Spoken-Label--December-2022-e1po91k

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kOTA1ZTkwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz/episode/YTMzMjdkZjEtNTQ5Ny00MzM2LTllYjgtYzVhMzJmNGY2NDJk?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwjQxeb6_d_7AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

https://radiopublic.com/spoken-label-6BalgM/s1!f218c

https://castbox.fm/episode/Selina-Halliwell-(Spoken-Label%2C-December-2022)-id2678341-id552193521

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/spoken-label-1044059/episodes/selina-halliwell-spoken-label-156643827

https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1501847969/episode105273332-Selina-Halliwell-Spoken-Label-December-Spoken-Label

https://www.podash.com/podcast/882087/?fbclid=IwAR3sZ-4VvbLKcUVW66ZXvy9y06Xh3ZOj5sejNe76cabmTYqpzD_08UCWllg

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label/selina-halliwell-spoken-z6lmL9qxjKa/

https://www.bullhorn.fm/spokenlabel/posts/selina-halliwell-spoken-label

https://podcastaddict.com/?id=https%3A%2F%2Fanchor.fm%2Fs%2Fd905e90%2Fpodcast%2Fplay%2F59564532%2Fhttps%253A%252F%252Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%252Fstaging%252F2022-9-25%252F2417603f-7b5c-1a6b-793e-f2254956957f.mp3&podcastId=2748767

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-kgj2a-15cf224f

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/bae49616-2295-4e7c-b931-91415a724cb6/episodes/770b1bcd-987b-4ce5-a09b-3207ebb81223/spoken-label-selina-halliwell-spoken-label-december-2022

https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Spoken-Label-p1317427/?topicId=224017318

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Selina-Halliwell-Spoken-Label-December-2022-Podcast/B0BNP7DD2Z?ref=a_pd_Spoken_c4_lAsin_0_0&pf_rd_p=a202f891-0d90-47a2-ac3f-8ebc4b2943db&pf_rd_r=P2AKPKQE95N70YHD3ADD

https://www.instagram.com/andynpoet/

https://podbay.fm/p/spoken-label/e/1669852800

https://youtu.be/jopiDnwwe6s

https://www.instagram.com/p/Clvy8SRDb1CZ6T0UnPVaKPaBoDuV4x41vwkRwM0/

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2KvRt3tLU3kz014cSlvM64

Friday 2 December 2022

December Speak Easy thank you's and how to book for January

Thanks as always to everybody who attended our December show for Speak Easy (Spoken Word Open Mic) at Dulicmer in Chorlton Cum Hardy last night from myself, Amanda and Steve.

Another great night with a decent crowd I think of around 40 people or so which included the following readers:

1. Jeff Dawson (who also did a sterling job of guest hosting)

2. Karen Lewis

3. Eve Nortley

4. Martin Elder

5. Steve Smythe

6. Sara Jayne Haq

7. Roy Page

8. Zahrah Mir

9. Gordon Zola

10. Amanda Nicholson / Andy Npoet

11. Tracy Walker

12. Daniel Wright

13. Amy Langley

14. Phillip Carter

15. Joanna Howard

16. Joe Tetley

17. Alice Godiman

18. Regi Agulha Jr.

19. Roxy Walsh (Heather Walsh)

20. Darren Lea-grime

21. Grant Curnow

Amanda has posted the photographs from last night here (https://www.facebook.com/media/set?vanity=speakeasymanchester&set=a.628835292368592). The audio is in the process of being uploaded and shall be live shortly at https://andyn.bandcamp.com/ fairly soon.

Anybody who wants anything removing. Please let me know.

The night Speak Easy is on Thursday 05 January 2023 and guest host is Michael Burton.

Bookings start this Sunday 04 December 2022 from midday by email please to: aen1mpo@yahoo.co.uk

Tuesday 29 November 2022

Release off 8th full length poetry book 'In the Midst of Winter'

When I first started work on my seasonal themed books, The End of Summer back in 2011 I never thought it would take 5 years to write telling myself it likely would take a year maybe two like my first debut book ‘Return to Kemptown’ took.

This was far from the case of course and I told myself with what became my third book ‘The Birth of Autumn’, I would never spend five years working on one book and was quietly proud of myself I managed to write that book in a little over 2 and a half years and thought to myself if I was lucky, I would get the third of my seasonal books ‘In the Midst of Winter’ done towards the end of 2020.

First of all, we had a number of emergencies to deal with including nearly losing my father to a heart attack at the end of 2019, Amanda (my now wife) moving in with me when her flat got swamped by mice and then my mother getting rushed into hospital not long after my father and by the time we got them both out and home, the country then went into lockdown which delayed everything and saw me write loads of haikus, Tankas and Sonnet trying to keep my head fresh while everybody else lost theirs.

The Midst of Winter was designed to be a follow on from The End of Summer and The Birth of Autumn as a rest after suffering a trauma (which was of course dealing with Diabetes) before being able to carry rebuilding yourself into Spring (Which I still want to write it has to be said someday).

The book however changed a lot over the four year period it got wrote (like both with the Summer and Autumn books) with dozens of poems originally designed for the book not ending up in there atall and in surprising ways too with how short some of the poems that got wrote that appeared in the book.

In the Birth of Autumn, there are quite a few really short poems but there are certainly not Haiku sequences such as “4 Haikus outside at Christmas in Yorkshire” or the 9 Haiku sequence “Winter Haiku”, all of which were inspired by learning how to write Haiku over that summer of 2020.

Other changes which happened over this period was the 4 part sequence ‘4 Endings’, earlier examples of which featured in my 4^th full length book ‘The Streets were all we could see’ where I started experimenting with flash fiction in the form of Poetry where instead of writing full length poems or flash fiction (which if anybody knows me now would know has being a major part of my writing over the past six months or so) I simply wrote the endings of 4 poems / pieces and let the endings tell the story.

In the Midst of Winter upon reflection displays a massive change in gears of me as a poet and a writer showing sides of the three books ‘The Streets were all we could see’ right through to ‘Haiku of Life’ as well as pieces which actually pre-dated Return to Kemptown and The End of Summer which only kinda made sense upon reaching this book.

Like with The End of Summer more than any book wrote before, this likely was my hardest book to write to date only really making sense to me from about November to January or February every year teasing itself out piece by piece until like I said before felt like a completely different book by the end off it.

Something I wouldn’t have had any other way.

Videos for several of these poems in these book are:

In the Midst of Winter 1 Here and Here

In the Midst of Winter 2 Here and Here

In the Midst of Winter 3 Here and Here

In the Midst of Winter 4 Here and Here

Backwards Sea Art on the Sea Front Here and Here

Burial of Emotions Here and Here

Last Train from New Mills Here and Here

Unmoved by Words Here and Here

Remains of a Christmas Day Beach Party Here and here

Sunday 27 November 2022

Book Review - Viveca Sten - Hidden in Snow (The Åre Murders #1)

(To be reviewed also in Episode 60 off Reading in Bed – the book review Podcast)

Viveca Sten

Blurb:

The splendor of the Swedish mountains becomes the backdrop for a bone-chilling crime.

On the day Stockholm police officer Hanna Ahlander’s personal and professional lives crash, she takes refuge at her sister’s lodge in the Swedish ski resort paradise of Åre. But it’s a brief comfort. The entire village is shaken by the sudden vanishing of a local teenage girl. Hanna can’t help but investigate, and while searching for the missing person, she lands a job with the local police department. There she joins forces with Detective Inspector Daniel Lindskog, who has been tasked with finding the girl. Their only lead: a scarf in the snow.

As subzero temperatures drop even further, a treacherous blizzard sweeps toward Åre. Hanna and Daniel’s investigation is getting more desperate by the hour. Lost or abducted, either way time is running out for the missing girl. Each new clue closes in on something far more sinister than either Hanna or Daniel imagined. In this devious novel by the bestselling author of the Sandhamn Murders series, discover what it will take to solve a case when the truth can be so easily hidden in the coming storm.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

First of all, this book was got from Amazon Fire Reads for November 2022 and as it was set over the Christmas period kinda made sense for it to be reviewed for this kind of year.

First of all, I loved the setting in the book as it probably helped carry the book forward with its bleakness and the silence.

The main character, Hannah is given the classic set up which in previous generations would have put as a man, but given her as a clearly difficult woman in her job goes to pieces because of her job which then causes a split between her and her partner.

Moving to a countryish town, she then becomes involved in a kidnapping which then leads to something else shall we say.

I read the book fairly quickly over a few days which is rare for me and generally did enjoy it, but it wasn’t a masterpiece or offered anything particularly new or starling to the genre if it makes sense.

I struggled with the main character, Hannah somewhat as I struggled to feel sympathy as to bring a character in at rock bottom, you have to feel sympathy for it and I struggled with the damage she did to her ex partner’s clothes was bunny boiler territory.

The book also seemed to rush to be completed at the end also as being a bit of a slow burner for the first part off it certainly.

I’ve also read a number of reviews and did spot it once or twice the mixing up of tenses jumping between past and present across successive paragraphs which I suspect was the transaltor rather than the author.

There was also a few loose ends – for example who was the pet killer (sorry spoilers) and also the use of Hannah’s sister who saved her bacon several times by phone calls. Would have liked to have seen more character development there as with Daniel (the other cop)’s sister who both felt very shallow.

The atomsphere saved to be honest – if it had being set in Manchester I likely woiuld have abandoned it but it was good to okay – not great.

Would I read the following book in this series? Probably not but it was good to okay – not great.

8/10

Friday 25 November 2022

New Spoken Label Session - Katie Chonacas

Latest from Spoken Label (Author / Artist / Poet Podcast) features Katie Chonacas is a globally outstanding Greek-American actor with over two decades of experience in the Hollywood entertainment industry.

She is "a multi-disciplinary artist who utilizes her voice to inspire change and transformation in people who want to make an impact on the world." and has extensive experience acting in films, TV shows, theatre, voice acting, is the Podcast host of 'She's all over the place".

Her debut poetry book "A Lover's Fairytale" came out in 2021.

Her website is: https://www.chonacas.com/

The Podcast can be streamed from:

https://spokenlabel.bandcamp.com/album/katie-chonacas-spoken-label-november-2022

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/katie-chonacas-spoken-label-november-2022/id1501847969?i=1000587325514

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Katie-Chonacas-Spoken-Label--November-2022-e1pk7lc

https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kOTA1ZTkwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz/episode/NmI5MGI5NzMtZWJjNy00ZTA5LWIxNTAtMTNiYzMwMTE4NDdi?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwiY0OuUo8r7AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ

https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Katie-Chonacas-Spoken-Label-November-2022-Podcast/B0BN4NY79X?ref=a_pd_Spoken_c4_lAsin_0_0&pf_rd_p=a202f891-0d90-47a2-ac3f-8ebc4b2943db&pf_rd_r=991KFTATCZ3XPE7GQ436

https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/Spoken-Label-p1317427/?topicId=223563717

https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/bae49616-2295-4e7c-b931-91415a724cb6/episodes/eb3810b1-cd6b-477c-abbe-4604db92cffc/spoken-label-katie-chonacas-spoken-label-november-2022

https://podbay.fm/p/spoken-label/e/1669248000

https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-hsr9y-15c09e2a

https://podcastaddict.com/?id=https%3A%2F%2Fanchor.fm%2Fs%2Fd905e90%2Fpodcast%2Fplay%2F59432044%2Fhttps%253A%252F%252Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%252Fstaging%252F2022-9-22%252Fd44e2c80-7d7a-4b97-8f50-5b7feb221f9a.mp3&podcastId=2748767

https://www.bullhorn.fm/spokenlabel/posts/katie-chonacas-spoken-label-n

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Katie-Chonacas-Spoken-Label--November-2022-e1pk7lc

https://www.bullhorn.fm/spokenlabel/posts/katie-chonacas-spoken-label-n

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label/katie-chonacas-spoken-label-_Ig6AJnfYWD/

https://anchor.fm/spokenlabelpodcast/episodes/Katie-Chonacas-Spoken-Label--November-2022-e1pk7lc

https://www.podash.com/podcast/882087/?fbclid=IwAR3usAP9vXAs651L_zbT2841dwc1gQOWsEvrkpfLa-SuX9H_n2Z5A8dVFos

https://podyssey.fm/podcast/itunes1501847969/episode103375343-Katie-Chonacas-Spoken-Label-November-Spoken-Label

https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/spoken-label-1044059/episodes/katie-chonacas-spoken-label-no-156098138

https://castbox.fm/episode/Katie-Chonacas-(Spoken-Label%2C-November-2022)-id2678341-id550536287

https://radiopublic.com/spoken-label-6BalgM/s1!2cc98

https://youtu.be/IkYwwr2xtjE

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClZiDTijsvlH1S0YpGaUnzRuWIAF321W0TQl5k0/

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7oVeaIDLZoCSF4C0zGleNe

Wednesday 23 November 2022

New Spoken Label Session - Hannah Ahle

New from Spoken Label (Poetry / Spoken Word / Author / Artist Podcast) features the fantastic Hannah Ahle.

Hannah is a British Palestinian based in Manchester, UK. She is a writer, illustrator, marathon runner and activist. She was a closet poet for most of her adult life until Spring 2021, when she began reciting and posting to Instagram and taking her work to live audiences a year later.
Her work is inspired by her life experiences and observations of various aspects of the human condition.

You can follow Hannah on Instagram at @hannahahle