Mrs Death Misses Death pre-order is available + Roaring 20's Radio on air Easter Saturday

🐺 So, the first small batch of proofs are in the mail now 

Please tag me if you find a copy in your post box

#mrsdeathmissesdeath

What a thing ... my first big novel!

Sharing this on my blog and a glimmer of hope with 

Thank yous to Crystal at OWN IT! & Hannah at Canongate 

Published January 28th 2021 🐇

I found my first review on my Amazon page, it has been added to the book description, some words from the great Alan Moore, author of Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell, Jerusalem, Swamp Thing and more, more, Moore ... endorsement like this for a new book and first time novelist is so vital. I'm blown away by this ... THANK YOU ALAN MOORE!

Wolf Willeford, a troubled young writer, is well acquainted with death, but until now hadn’t met Death in person — a black woman who shape-shifts and does her work unseen. Enthralled by her stories, Wolf becomes Mrs Death’s scribe, and begins to write her memoirs. Using their desk as a vessel and conduit, Wolf travels with Mrs Death to witness deaths of past and present and discuss what the future holds for humanity.  As Godden swoops between literary forms in Mrs Death and Wolf’s interactions, the friendship sparks questions about class, race, gender and mental health. And ultimately, while mortality lies at the heart of the novel, Mrs Death Misses Death is a bold and visionary affirmation of hope, resilience and love. 

Canongate will publish 'Mrs Death Misses Death' January 28 2021, RRP £14.99 hardback. This work is now available to pre-order from your favourite local indie bookshops, Waterstones, Amazon, etc.. Read books! Stay home! Stay safe! Xx 

Click here to pre-order at Amazon

Click here to pre-order at Waterstones

Episode 5: Roaring 20s Radio 

LIVE on Soho Radio, Easter Saturday

Saturday April 11th, 4-6pm

 The self-isolation sessions presented by 

Salena Godden, Amah-Rose Abrams and Matt Abbott.

Roaring 20s Radio is available as a podcast 

https://anchor.fm/roaring20sradio

Listen live: https://www.sohoradiolondon.com

Follow Roaring 20s Radio 

Twitter + Instagram @Roaring20sradio 

Drop us a line and ROAR along 

Use the tag #Roaring20sRadio 

and tweet along with us!

Thanks for tuning in!

Mrs Death Misses Death: Book Cover Reveal

Hello my dears, happy Spring Equinox - 

So, look what what came in the post today. A glimmer of hope. A wolf howling in the dark. In amongst all the bad news and all the emails cancelling work and gigs I have received the artwork of my debut novel with permission to share it and say like a real author: Hey here's my beautiful book, this is the book cover! What do you think? 

The gorgeous gold and black book cover artwork is designed by Gill Heely, depicting a wolf and a rabbit - You'll have to read the book to find out why these animals are important in this story. I'm so excited to share this art with you today specifically, as the rabbit is also a symbol of vernal equinox. So it feels like there's some serendipity there. The proof copies will be sent out later this month, please message or tag me if my book magically reaches you in these tumultuous times wherever you are hunkered down in the world.

I wrote the first pages of this work in 2015 and pursued this brambly path, untangling grief and loss and courage and magic and survival. I tried to capture a storm of fury and love in a jam jar and share all that weather in these pages. And now it's arrived in my inbox today in spite of all that is going on and I feel like I'm holding that first page as though I'm holding a flower and sticking the stem down the barrel of a gun...

The coronavirus is a wave, it crashes and roars and washes over our world, we paddle like hell as we wash our hands. Maybe now it is time to change the way we live. Feel the shift, the shift in energy and the shift in all things. We have to change the way we have been taking things for granted. 

Respect and solidarity with all superheroes working on the front lines of this pandemic and all the courageous people keeping the cogs turning in this crisis, thank you to the people caring for the vulnerable, keeping the hospitals clean, shifting deliveries, keeping the world moving, thank you to the scientists working on a vaccine, thank you, thank you to everyone staying home too, thank you! 

Phone calls are good, talking and laughing is good. Being quiet is good. Feed your head. Nourish your soul. Help others. Donate to food banks if you can. Be kind. Go easy. Play safe. Read books. Listen to vinyl. Grow potatoes. Plant flowers. Ride your bike. Drink rum. Make soup. Wash your hands. Wash Your Hands. WASH YOUR HANDS.

Thank you for tuning in,

With BIGlove,

sgxx

Mrs Death Misses Death has been described by the publishers as an electrifying, genre- and form-defying fire-starter of a novel. Hannah Knowles, Senior Commissioning Editor at Canongate acquired World rights to Salena Godden’s debut from Crystal Mahey-Morgan at OWN IT! Canongate publish Mrs Death Misses Death January 2021, RRP £14.99 hardback.

"At the heart of the novel lies the friendship between Wolf, a troubled young black working class writer and Death who Godden personifies as female. Wolf becomes her scribe and begins to write Mrs Death’s reminiscences and memoirs. Using their desk as a vessel and conduit, Wolf and Death time-travel to witness deaths of past and present and discuss what the future holds for our humanity. As Godden swoops between literary forms in Mrs Death and Wolf’s interactions, they spark questions about class, race, gender and mental health. And ultimately, while mortality lies at the heart of the novel, Mrs Death Misses Death is a bold and visionary affirmation of hope, resilience and love."

 Read more, Waterstones.com 

Poem: every disaster movie begins with the government ignoring a scientist

every disaster movie

begins with the government

ignoring a scientist

every

disaster movie‬

begins with

the government

ignoring the signs -

the barking dog

the flight of birds

the stomach contents

of a dead whale

rising temperature

the colour of the rain water

a woman speaking

any woman speaking

the enlightened being

the poet, the artist

the prophecy

the writing on the wall

the lyrics of songs

the child's nightmares

the poor and the sick

and the vulnerable

every disaster 

has everyone ignoring

the homeless person

crying for change.

(c) 2020. Salena Godden

NEW work performed at LIVEwire: 

Verve Poetry Festival

Birmingham Hippodrome, 

watch here > youtube

  

Spring is springing. . .

  

Hello there, how are you doing? 

I'm sending this from my writing cave.

I'm up and writing at 4am most mornings, busy working on new projects

This isn't self-isolation, just my writing process, just hibernation

And all will be revealed soon soon soon...

Here's five spring gigs to keep us on our toes and to share new work.

Includes two shows to smash the Smashing It book and two with Rough Trade Books 

Be safe. Come along if you can... xxsg 

UPDATE: SORRY! ALL OF MY GIGS ARE CANCELLED FOR NOW. PLEASE STAY HOME IF YOU CAN. CHECK IN ON THE ELDERLY AND VULNERABLE, YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND NEIGHBOURS. STAY INFORMED. BE MINDFUL OF WHAT YOU SHARE ONLINE, TRY NOT TO SHARE MISLEADING MISINFORMATION. BE KIND. BE AWARE OF OTHER PEOPLES FEAR AND CONCERNS - JUST BECAUSE YOU FEEL SAFE, REMEMBER OTHER PEOPLE MIGHT NOT BE AS FIT OR STRONG OR FEEL AS SAFE AS YOU. DONATE TO FOOD BANKS IF YOU CAN. AVOID CROWDS. SHOP LOCAL. PLAY IT SAFE. READ GOOD BOOKS TO AID STRONG MENTAL HEALTH. GROW YOUR OWN POTATOES IN A BUCKET. MUSIC IS GOOD FOR YOU, LISTEN TO ALL YOUR OLD VINYL. MAKE SOUP. 

WASH YOUR HANDS.

Episode 4: Roaring 20s Radio 

LIVE on Soho Radio, Saturday March 14th, 4-6pm

Roaring 20s Radio is available as a podcast - https://anchor.fm/roaring20sradio

Listen live: https://www.sohoradiolondon.com

Thanks for tuning in!

NEW: The Good Immigrant Japan

Out now translated and published in Japanese

So honoured and excited to see our work in translation, I will treasure it! 

Thanks and love to the brilliant Nikesh Shukla 

And everybody that has supported this book!

LOVE the yellow cover!!

PESSIMISM IS FOR LIGHTWEIGHTS 

Poem 'Pessimism is for Lightweights' new home in the People's History Museum, Manchester

PESSIMISM IS FOR LIGHTWEIGHTS
People's History Museum, Manchester

            Salena Godden’s poem, Pessimism is for Lightweights, has had a life of it’s own. Initially commissioned by author John Higgs in 2017, it was first performed live at a For The Many rally at the Kentish Town Forum, London. The poem was a public art piece displayed at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol from January 2018 to August 2019. It then became the title work of  Pessimism is for Lightweights: 13 Pieces of Courage and Resistance published by Rough Trade Books in June 2018. 

This work is inspired by protest and the people on the front line, pushing for equality, for social justice, for peace, for women’s empowerment and amplification and it continues to be a teaching tool shared in schools and universities. It has been sung by 10,000 strong crowd of 21st century suffragettes in Trafalgar Square, as a rallying cry for March 4 Women, at Parliament Square with Extinction Rebellion and it rings out loud and clear in peaceful protests and festival fields still. 

Donated by the author in February 2020, to mark People’s History Museum’s 10th birthday on this site. Godden dedicates this work with love and solidarity "to the people fighting to save the heart of our community and the soul of our humanity."

I'm so honoured, humbled  and happy in this moment. My poem is now on permanent display in People's History Museum in Manchester - It was unveiled last night and donated to celebrate their 10 year anniversary! Happy Birthday PHM! Solidarity and thank you to everyone at PHM and huge thanks and love to fantastic designer Craig Oldham and publisher Rough Trade Books for making this happen! I'm very excited about this and what it represents and who it represents! — Salena Godden

Due to work commitments I'm doing fewer live shows and performances in 2020 and so I'm very super excited to announce this, my first headline show of 2020s. Looking forward to busting out of winter hibernation to join my friends for this one-off very special live show: LIVEwire at Verve Poetry and Spoken Word Festival at the Birmingham Hippodrome! Feb 22nd! 

I will be performing alongside my great friends, the inimitable Toria Garbutt, Oakley Flanagan, and Saili Katebe all hosted by our brilliant Matt Abbott of Nymphs and Thugs. Get info and tickets via Nymphs and Thugs and Verve Poetry and Spoken Word Festival. See you there you beautiful poetry people! 

Tickets: http://vervepoetryfestival.com

ps: Matt and I will be running a poetry workshop that afternoon before the show, also in Birmingham, so please sign up for that if you want us to take a look at your new poems. Go to Verve website for details about that! 

LIVEwire at Verve Festival, Birmingham 

youtube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=DmrHnGU-Zsc

Episode 3 of Roaring 20s Radio goes out LIVE on Soho Radio this Saturday February 15th from 4-6pm! We'll be joined in the studio by special guests, the sensational poet Nikita Gill and author of The 392 Ashley Hickson-Lovence!! It's gonna be a lively live one!!

Roaring 20s Radio is available as a podcast - https://anchor.fm/roaring20sradio

Listen live: https://www.sohoradiolondon.com

Thank you for tuning in!! Xx