14: a txt msg poM June 17, 2009

In 2001, I won a prize in the Guardian’s text message poetry competition with this poem …

14: a txt msg poM

his Is r bunsn brnr bl%
his hair lyk fe filings
W/ac/dc going thru.
I sit by him in kemistry
my @oms  split
wen he s @ me.

(Translation? 14: a text message poem / His eyes are bunsen burner blue / his hair like iron filings / with the current going through. / I sit by him in chemistry /  my atoms split / when he smiles at me.)

It went all over the place, this poem – in a fresco on the Arts Council office wall, in a German text book, in this book about text linguistics. These are the people I love the most – the ones who asked me nicely if they could use it. By putting this golden oldie here on my site, I’m making it easy for you to find me if you want to ask me too!

Do Not Pass Go – the Monopoly Project June 15, 2009

I’m reading at The Monopoly Project – twenty five poets, many of them London born and bred, reading newly commissioned poems based on the properties and tokens of the London Monopoly board. I’ve got the Scottie Dog.

Thursday 2nd July upstairs at The Bell, 50 Middlesex Street, between Bishopsgate and Aldgate (from 7.30; £5)

Poets are Angela Brodie / Luke Heeley / Tim Wells / Siobhan Campbell / Eloise Stonborough / Declan Ryan / Amanda Barokh / Amy Key / Derek Adams / Alan Buckley / Camilla Nelson / Peter Ebsworth / Tim Cumming / Charlotte Runcie / Adham Smart / Emily Berry / Cath Drake / Sophie Richmond / Ashna Sarkar / Martina Thomson / Katrina Naomi / Roddy Lumsden plus two to be confirmed.

What your ipod needs … May 7, 2009

Tomorrow, I will be making a recording for the Poetry Archive – www.poetryarchive.org . Most of ‘Hannah & the Monk’ and a handful of new ones. When the recording’s been produced & polished up, it’ll go on the website, and be sold as CD. I’ve got lots of Poetry Archive CDs, and have put ‘em on my ipod. Simon Armitage surprising your earhole in the middle of a mainly indie-rock shuffle can be a bit disconcerting, but the Archive is a marvellous enterprise, and I’m chuffed to be recording for it.

All the little birdies go tweet, tweet, tweet May 7, 2009

I’m on Twitter. Not much poetry thinking so far – today’s tweets have been about builders’ breakfast crisps, moth killer and helicopters – but it’s quite a fun place to be. juliamarybird if you want to follow me.

‘When I am sad and weary …’* January 31, 2009

I’m reading at ‘Ride the Word VI’, Weds 18th February, 7.30 for 7.45pm at Holborn Library. Me and Vincent de Souza, Elizabeth Baines, Katy Evans-Bush and Jay Merill. 

Katy is a fellow Salt poet. I’m going to read on of hers, and vice versa.

32-38 Theobalds Road, London WC1X 8PA

*… When I think all hope is gone / When I walk along High Holborn / I think of you with nothing on.’ (’Celia Celia’ by Adrian Mitchell)

… it’s like tartan. January 31, 2009

An interview about poetry, with tartan and muffins … http://nattyknitter.wordpress.com/2009/01/30/the-word-weaver-an-interview-with-poet-julia-bird/

Tears in the Beer January 16, 2009

I’m reading at Utter! on 10th February. Utter Heartbreak, this one is, which is nicely seasonal in advance of Valentine’s Day. 7.30 at the Green Note Club, 106 Camden Parkway, London NW1, more details here … http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102538500230

I shall read sad, sad love poems … but probably slip in a cheery little something to lift the mood at the end. Tears in the beer, followed by a stripy cocktail with a plastic monkey on the side of the glass. Poetic equivalent of.

Sean O’Brien’s books of the year … January 7, 2009

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/culture/arts/classics_in_the_making

He writes ‘Among many interesting books in a rich year were Paul Batchelor’s The Sinking Road (Bloodaxe), Peter Bennet’s The Glass Swarm (Flambard), Julia Bird’s Hannah And The Monk (Salt) and Alistair Elliot’s The Real Poems (Shoestring). There’s also The Lost Leader (Faber) by Mick Imlah, Life On Earth (Gallery) by Derek Mahon, Stephen Romer’s Yellow Studio (Carcanet), Anne Rouse’s The Upshot: New And Selected Poems (Bloodaxe) and The Land Of Green Ginger (Salt) by Anthony Rowland.’

Christmas Readings … December 5, 2008

Tuesday 9th December
7.30pm
Green Note Club, 106 Camden Parkway NW1 7AN
£3 before 7.30 / £5 after

(Me and all the other finalists from this year’s ‘Utter’ Ajar Mic
competition. I could win £100! That’d pay nicely for some booze to
take to my brother’s for Christmas. No votes from my chums = no prize
= one bottle of cooking sherry and some own brand orange squash. Think
on …)

Special Guest Star – Polarbear. Pretty much my favourite spoken word
performer … myspace.com/polarbearspoken

Friday 12th December
6.30 – 9.30
Readings at 7.30ish and 9.30ish
The Horse Hospital, Colonnade, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 1HX

Poetry & Short Story readings from me, Jane Holland, Sue Hubbard and
Mark Waldron at the Salt Publishing Christmas Beano.

I think I might be ring-mastering this one too. I certainly have a new
red dress for the occasion …

Eyewear Review of the book … December 5, 2008

http://toddswift.blogspot.com/2008/11/guest-review-horton-on-bird.html