KENNY KNIGHT

Among the new books from Shearsman of Exeter is The Honicknowle Book of the Dead, a first collection by Plymouth writer and Language Club regular Kenny Knight, the editor of the Plymouth magazine Tremblestone. Kenny has been working on this book for years and I have heard some of the poems at readings in Exeter and Plymouth, they are entertaining and unpretentious, zany and intelligent, definitely his own original and idiosyncratic voice. I recommend this collection as a necessary purchase. Kenny is an excellent poetry performer with a great sense of timing and very funny delivery, he ought to be more widely known. 

BABS HORTON IN GERMANY

Here's the cover of Babs Horton's latest book published in Germany. Babs has been the Royal Literary Fund writing fellow at the University for two years and she has helped many writers develop their skills. I want to publicly thank Babs here for her really terrific contribution to writing at Plymouth, her tutorials with students from all parts of the University, the talk she gave for Peninsula Arts, the recent research seminar on writing a novel, and the contribution she made to the Beryl Cook exhibition catalogue. Babs lives close to the University and we know she will continue to keep in touch with the writing community in the future. Her main publisher is Simon and Schuster. We will have a new Royal Literary Fund fellow at the University in September 09.

COLLABORATIVE COMMISSION

Alexis Kirke and Hannah Silva have been awarded a collaborative commission to make new work for the Summer Sundae festival, held at De Montfort Hall and Gardens in Leicester. Alexis is a research student working on a University of Plymouth project in contemporary music and Hannah is an Exeter research student in drama who performs both poetry and dance. For more information on the Summer Sundae festival look here.

    Alexis is pictured here playing drums and Hannah at the beach.