Events & Projects
Upcoming Events and projects:
PAST EVENTS:
Cures launch, Leeds Libraries, Zoom 28th January, 7.00pm, 2021.
Below are past events featuring Jo Brandon. If you would like further details about any of these events or to propose an event idea please contact Jo at: info@jobrandon.com
Please scroll down for event photos (all event photography by Marcos Avlonitis unless otherwise credited).
Red Shed Readings, Wakefield, Thursday 6th Feb 2020
Rum and Reason, Jan 21st, 2020, Festive Fusion, Wakefield. Featured reader alongside the wonderful Steven B Williams:
The Book Corner, Halifax, Thursday 19th December: Poetry by Candlelight with Candlestick Press, featuring Jo Brandon, Carole Bromley, Joolz Denby, Kevin Holloway, Zaffar Kunial, Rob Miles & James Nash. Compered by Ross Kightly.
LD50
www.leedsdortmund50.com
I’m very pleased to be taking part in Leeds/Dortmund 50 – I have been paired with the very talented Dortmund based writer Cornelia Franken and you can see the results of our partnership here.
In 2019 the cities of Leeds (UK) and Dortmund (Germany) will have been twinned for 50 years. LD50 is a project that celebrates that golden anniversary through the arts, particularly literature. A series of exchanges between writers in Leeds and Dortmund will take place culminating in a weekend festival at ChapelFM Arts Centre and other venues across Leeds.
Wakefield Literature Festival, Friday 20th September 2-3:30pm Mocca Moocho Wakefield, Writers’ Showcase (Readings,Publication Advice + Q&A).
Jo Brandon: Poetisserie Fringe at Ilkley Literature Festival, Sat 5th Oct 2019, Church House, Ilkley 2-2.30pm and 3-3.30pm Fancy a slice of verse? A sip of poetry? Come over to the Poetisserie and poet Jo Brandon will prepare you a hearty portion of poetic refreshment.
Bradford Literature Festival 2019
I had a fantastic time at BLF 2019 hosting the Lyrical Mehfil and the Lunch Bites Poetry event, chairing ‘Scandi Folk Tales: A Tale From Moomin Valley’ and reading an extract from ‘The Mask of Anarchy’ at ‘Remembering Peterloo in a New Era of Protest’.
Photograph by Anthony Robling, 2019.
Excerpts from my time as 2018 Digital Poet in Residence for the Bradford Literature Festival. Poems inspired by events listed in the brochure:
Black out poem using Welcome page from BLF 2018 brochure
Excerpts from my time as 2018 Digital Poet in Residence for the Bradford Literature Festival. Poems inspired by events listed in the brochure (above).
Lyrical Mehfil – Bradford Literature Festival 30th June, 2018
Host Jo Brandon was joined by poets Mumtaz Ali, Vahni Capildeo, Amir Darwash, Kate Fox, and Kei Miller for a marvellous, unmissable evening of poetry.
Poetic Responses to Gustav Klimt – Bradford Literature Festival 7th July, 1pm 2018
Renowned painter of the exquisite and other-worldly ‘The Kiss’, Gustav Klimt is the crowning jewel in Austria’s symbolist movement and one of the finest artists of the late-19th century. Join Aviva Dautch, Shazea Quraishi and Jo Brandon as they present their poetic answers to some of Klimt’s masterpieces in a project specially commissioned for the festival. The three poets will explain how Klimt’s work has inspired their writing as they analyse the social and artistic context in which the paintings were created.
(BLF twitter)
(BLF twitter)
Hay Literature Festival 2018 in partnership with Bradford Literature Festival to read Poetic Response to Gustav Klimt’s ‘Three Ages of Woman’ commissioned by Bradford Literature Festival.
Launch of the fantastic Valley Press collection Light After Light by Yorkshire based poet Victoria Gatehouse at The Book Corner in Halifax. I read alongside Wendy Pratt prior to Victoria’s wonderful premiere of poems from the pamphlet.
Bradford Literature Festival 2017 – Lunch Bites Poetry Event – 6th July 2017. Featuring Jo Brandon, Zeina Hashem Beck and Andy Craven-Griffiths
Bradford Literature Festival 2017 – 1st July 2017 – Lyrical Mehfil with Jackie Kay, Raymond Antrobus, Jo Brandon, Aviva Dautch, Lorna Goodison, Naeem Haider, Steven Camden aka Polarbear, Shazea Quraishi and hosted by Jo Bell.
Monday 28th November – Fictions of Every Kind. 7.30pm. Theme: True Stories. Invited speakers JO BRANDON and BARNEY BARDSLEY. (Photo from @FictionsOfEveryKind)
Off the Shelf, Sheffield with James Nash and Matthew Hedley Stoppard, October 2016.
Manchester Literature Festival with Matthew Hedley Stoppard and Jonathan Davidson, October 2016.
Otley Folk Festival with Benjamin Young on guitar (photo by fellow performing poet Joanna Sedgwick), September 2016.
Bagshaw Museum’s ‘Ships and Sailing’ Poetry Competition in conjunction with Tim Smith’s ‘India’s Gateway’ exhibition. Prize Giving with judges Adam Strickson and Ahmad Lunat, September 2016, Bagshaw Museum. My poem ‘Maiden Voyage’ won first prize.
Launch of Shenanigans (Valley Press) by Patrick Lodge, guest reader, The Leeds Library, September 2016.
Poetry Evening at the Interlude Cafe, part of Shipley Street Arts Festival July 2016 featuring Matthew Hedley Stoppard and Kirsty Taylor and open mike.
Leads to Leeds – project run by Helen Mort
from The School of English at The University of Leeds,
Poetry at the Parsonage Festival, Haworth, June 2016.
Read with partner poet Tracey Martin.
Emma Press, Mildly Erotic Anthology at the Bradford Literature Festival with Victoria Gatehouse, Steven Nash, Sudeep Sen, Sophia Blackwell and Emma Wright, Waterstones Bradford, May 2016.
Chapel FM, Valley Press Evening on Love The Words
with Peter Spafford, Jamie McGarry, James Nash,
Matthew Hedley Stoppard, May 2016.
The Learned Goose launch December 2015 (see more information here)
Jo reading at the Emma Press Anthology of Age Launch, October, 2015
Jo reading at the Torriano, October, 2015
Magma 62 launch, 31st July 2015 at The London Review Bookshop.
Jo reading as part of the Magma 62 launch, 31st July 2015 at The London Review Bookshop.
Magma 62 launch, 31st July 2015 at The London Review Bookshop.
Jo read alongside Rachel Piercey and Richard O’Brien at Purbeck Literature Festival on Saturday 21st February 2015 as part of the Emma Press event ‘Tea and Poetry with Romance and Spice’.
Butcher’s Dog Issue 3 London launch at The Poetry Café. Readers from issue 3: Jo Brandon, Natacha Bryan, Neil Fulwood, Rosie Garland, Howard Laughton, Danny O’Connor and Tom Vickers.
Readings from Jo Brandon, Sam Berkson, Anna Beecher, Adam Kammerling and music from Hannah Scott.
Saturday 28 June 2014, A Poetic Guide to Love and Seduction Event at Southbank Centre, Festival of Love Opening Weekend. The Emma Press’ Poetic Primer for Love and Seduction, published 2014 is a tribute to the Roman poet Ovid’s works the Ars Amatoria and Remedia Amoris. Read alongside Ruth Wiggins, Amy Key, Richard O’Brien and Andrew Wynn Owen on the subjects of finding, keeping and losing lovers.
(C) Southbank Centre/Belinda Lawley
A-Poetic-Primer-for-Love-and-Seduction cover Launch party for A Poetic Primer for Love and Seduction: Naso Was My Tutor, an anthology published by The Emma Press, 28th January 2014, Tea House Theatre, Vauxhall, London.
(C) Adam Bridgland 2014 Reading at the private view of ‘Fables’ an exhibition of artwork by Adam Bridgland, 1 Dec 2013 – 15 Feb 2014 at The Poetry Café, London. Read ‘Girlguiding’ a poem inspired by some of the artworks on display. Read alongside Sophie Baker, Rachel Piercey, Julia Bird, Kate White, Mike Sims, Ed Doegar and Jon Sayers.
Tuesday 11th December – Scottish Poetry Library, Edinburgh Six Valley Press authors (Norah Hanson, Jo Brandon, Jo Reed, Paul Sutherland, Mark Woodburn and Sue Wilsea) and VP publisher Jamie McGarry
Tuesday 26th November – London, three Valley Press authors (Kelley Swain, Richard Barnett and Jo Brandon) and three Emma Press authors (Jon Stone, Rachel Piercy and Jacqueline Saphra) with publishers Jamie McGarry and Emma Wright
Valley Press at Free Verse; The Poetry Book Fair 2013
Ilkley Literature Fringe Festival, October 2012
Alongside fellow Valley Press Poets James Nash and Cara Brennan.
Here is a link to a video of the performance.
Free Verse: Poetry Book Fair, September 2012 Editor, Jamie McGarry and Jo representing Valley Press.
Jo reading as part of Free Verse: Poetry Book Fair, September 2012 at Candid Arts in Islington, London
Jo perfroming at the Skate Park at the Southbank Centre, London 2012 as part of the Secret gig performance featuring Kosal Khiev, TJ Dema, Rafeef Ziadah and a number of other fantastic performers. The secret gig was organised by the Poetry Parnassus Young Producers.
(c) Yemisi Blake
The Young Producers: Asma, Rebecca, Bianca, Emily, Lavinia, Jo (middle), Munira, Anthony, Ruth and Zeljka. Southbank Centre (c) Yemisi Blake
Taking a bow at the Skate Park gig, Southbank Centre (c) Yemisi Blake
Jo reading at the Bridlington Literature Festival 2012 (c) Antony Dunn / Bridlington Poetry Festival
Phobia Launch at the Carriageworks, Leeds, January 2012 with Poet and Host James Nash and Publisher Jamie McGarry
Valley Press Fest – Scarborough (Taylors and Scarborough Library) 2012 with fellow VP writers
Valley Press Fest – London 2012 with VP writers Steve Rudd, Norah Hanson and publisher Jamie McGarry
Valley Press Fest – Newcastle 2012
Valley Press Fest poster
Jo Brandon at the Ilkley Literature Festival 2010 with poets Andrew Macmillan, David Tait and novelist Wes Brown.
Backstage at the Ilkley Literature Festival 2010 with poets Andrew Macmillan, David Tait, novelist Wes Brown and Marcos Avlonitis.
Backstage at the Ilkley Literature Festival 2010 with poet Andrew Macmillan and Marcos Avlonitis.
Backstage at the Ilkley Literature Festival 2010 with poet David Tait, and Marcos Avlonitis.
Jo performing at the I Love West Leeds Festival 2010
Jo about to read at Borders, Leeds 2009 – Launch of Cadaverine Anthology