Article by @edsykes in @TheCanarySays about my suspension from @UKLabour - @BogmansCannon @guardiannews https://t.co/N0ji7iBYVJ— Kevin Higgins - poet (@KevinHIpoet1967) August 15, 2016
Wednesday, 17 August 2016
Article in The Canary about my poetic suspension from the British Labour Party
Monday, 8 August 2016
My 'New & Selected Poems' and a pamphlet of my political poems
Song of Songs 2.0 - New & Selected Poems by Kevin Higgins will be published in February by Salmon Poetry and will, it is hoped, be launched at the 2017 AWP Conference in Washington D.C.
The book will include selected poems from my previous five collections of poems, The Boy With No Face (Salmon, 2005); Time Gentlemen, Please (Salmon, 2008); Frightening New Furniture (Salmon, 2010); The Ghost In The Lobby (Salmon, 2014); and 2016 - The Selected Satires of Kevin Higgins (NuaScéalta, 2016).
It will also include a substantial collection of new poems.
Before that, I am delighted to announce, that the new Culture Matters imprint of U.K. based Manifesto Press will this Autumn be publishing The Minister For Poetry Has Decreed, a pamphlet collecting together a tightly knit group of twenty six of my recent more politically motivated poems.
Following recent developments I will makes sure that all metaphors, similes, and hyperbolic outbursts contained in and around these poems are approved in advance of publication by the busy boys and girls of the Disputes and Discipline Department at British Labour Party Head Office.
The book will include selected poems from my previous five collections of poems, The Boy With No Face (Salmon, 2005); Time Gentlemen, Please (Salmon, 2008); Frightening New Furniture (Salmon, 2010); The Ghost In The Lobby (Salmon, 2014); and 2016 - The Selected Satires of Kevin Higgins (NuaScéalta, 2016).
It will also include a substantial collection of new poems.
Before that, I am delighted to announce, that the new Culture Matters imprint of U.K. based Manifesto Press will this Autumn be publishing The Minister For Poetry Has Decreed, a pamphlet collecting together a tightly knit group of twenty six of my recent more politically motivated poems.
SUSPENSION UPDATE The Continuing Adventures of Operation Ice Pick
Further to this story, I have today learned that my 'administrative suspension' as an overseas member of the British Labour Party has come about as a result of a frivolous complaint made my someone who was, it's clear, rather irked by three poems I shared on Twitter during the first few days of the attempted coup against Jeremy Corbyn in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit vote.
The poems in question are Premature Elegy for Hilary Benn, The Ghost of Miniscule John Mann, and On Your Unsuitability for High Office. They can been read here, just scroll down and you'll find them.
They're sensitive souls at Labour Party HQ, and I am happy to admit that they have much to teach me about the need for me to be more subtle in the metaphors I use.
Labour Party General Secretary, Iain McNicols, who has had an interesting day himself today, has appointed Sam Matthews of the Party's 'Disputes and Discipline' department to be investigating officer in my case.
Just to be clear, that is not Iain McNicols pictured above holding the ice pick which killed Leon Trotsky. Mr McNicols is in fact pictured below.
I look forward to discussing the subtleties of metaphor with Mr Matthews.
P.S. Does anyone know of any expensive hotels in the central London area? Preferably one that has stuffed grape leaves and beetroot tapenade on the menu. I am presuming that I will have to travel to London for my metaphorical discussion with the good people of UK Labour Party HQ and that Iain McNicols will be paying my hotel bill.
They're sensitive souls at Labour Party HQ, and I am happy to admit that they have much to teach me about the need for me to be more subtle in the metaphors I use.
Labour Party General Secretary, Iain McNicols, who has had an interesting day himself today, has appointed Sam Matthews of the Party's 'Disputes and Discipline' department to be investigating officer in my case.
Just to be clear, that is not Iain McNicols pictured above holding the ice pick which killed Leon Trotsky. Mr McNicols is in fact pictured below.
P.S. Does anyone know of any expensive hotels in the central London area? Preferably one that has stuffed grape leaves and beetroot tapenade on the menu. I am presuming that I will have to travel to London for my metaphorical discussion with the good people of UK Labour Party HQ and that Iain McNicols will be paying my hotel bill.
Poet suspended for satire. Censorship; paranoia; witch hunts - the Labour Party is bringing itself into disrepute... https://t.co/EYVxalHlJL— Pete Sinclair (@pete_sinclair) August 7, 2016
'Labour Party kills satire.' Poet Kevin Higgins suspended from party for writing satirical poem. https://t.co/eecowjuPrg #JezWeCanAgain— Dr. Chris Jones (@dr_chris_jones) July 21, 2016
The poem UK Labour HQ doesn't like. What's wrong with it? Oh yes of course - it supports Corbyn #freedomofspeech https://t.co/2omRd48Kd5— Greenwich Momentum (@MomentumGrw) August 7, 2016
Where do we sign up for the "Kevin Higgins for poet laureate" campaign? https://t.co/4UG3E8N0tW— OffGuardian (@OffGuardian0) July 21, 2016
Kevin Higgins gets his bum spanked by the Labour Party. https://t.co/Zg60J3Pbys— June Caldwell (@junecaldwell) August 7, 2016
Thursday, 4 August 2016
Two readings at Belfast's Féile an Phobail next week
I'm off to Belfast's Féile an Phobail next week to do two readings at the festival.
On Thursday afternoon/early evening I'll be reading at the Scribes at The Rock event, alongside Paul Laverty and Gerry Murphy, at the Rock Bar on the Falls Road.
The following evening I'll be reading and talking about my work, alongside Glenn Patterson and Angeline King, at Duncairn Cultural Arts Centre on the Antrim Road.
Full details of both readings below.
This should be good craic. Looking forward to reading at @FeileBelfast with Paul Laverty, & Gerry Murphy. https://t.co/8pOsAyJHfr— Kevin Higgins - poet (@KevinHIpoet1967) July 21, 2016
Scribes at the Duncairn Fri 12 Aug 7-9 with Glen Patterson & Kevin Higgins @FeileBelfast @WomenAloudNI See you there pic.twitter.com/O9Xiu73pix— Angeline King (@Angelinekking) July 30, 2016
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