Monday 27 March 2017

NEW film: Salena Godden speaking at Parliament Square protest








Salena Godden reading an excerpt from 'Shade' from 'The Good Immigrant' and poem 'Citizen of Nowhere' live in Parliament Square, London, March 25th 2017 - March for Europe - It was a beautiful, peaceful and hopeful day, we do not hold hands with hate today, film now on youtube here


Excerpt: 'Shade' by Salena Godden published in 'The Good Immigrant' 

Britain is an island surrounded by salt sea water and inhabited by people of every shade. Human colour is the colour I’m truly interested in, the colour of your humanity. May the size of your heart and the depth of your soul be your currency. Let us eat from the cooking pot of mixed culture and bathe in the cool shade of being other. There are no borders. We are all citizens of the world. 

Whatever shade you are, bring your light, bring your colour, bring your music, bring your books, bring your stories and your histories. United as a people we are a million majestic colours, together we are a glorious stained-glass window. 

We are building a cathedral of otherness, brick by brick, song by song, and book by book. It is a beautiful morning, it is first light on the time of being other, so get out from that shade and feel the warmth of being outside. 


We tick: Other


'The Good Immigrant' published by https://unbound.com


Poem 'Citizen of Nowhere' is published here: http://www.salenagodden.co.uk/2016/10/new-poem-youre-citizen-of-nowhere.html






LIVEwire

Now available in 4 glorious formats 
CD | LP vinyl | 36-page full-colour zine | digital download


Order LIVEwire from Nymphs & Thugs 

Visit Salena’s Bookshoppe




DATES, GIGS, PARTIES AND FESTIVALS COMING UP...

MARCH 30: DORSET, DOUBLE BILL W/ ELVIS MCGONAGALL

APRIL 1: LIVERPOOL, 14 HOUR SUPER WEIRD HAPPENING

APRIL 26: LONDON, NEU REEKIE, THE HEAVENLY SOCIAL



MAY 10: NORWICH - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 11: PETERBOROUGH - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 12: CHELMSFORD - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 19: LONDON, L'ESCARGOT - LIVEWIRE VINYL LAUNCH PARTY

MAY 24: MANCHESTER - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 25: LEEDS - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 26: DERBY - LIVEWIRE TOUR


JUNE 2-4: EAST SUSSEX, BYLINE FESTIVAL, THE LIVEWIRE SALON






Friday 17 March 2017

LIVEwire Poetry Party! Zine Launch!



LIVEwire 

Poetry Party! Zine Launch!

Salena Godden 
and special guests 
Tim Wells, Joelle Taylor
Oli Spleen, Matt Abbott and more... 

Betsey Trotwood, Farringdon, London
From 7pm 'til late, Monday March 20 2017

Free Entry 



LIVEwire

Now available in 4 glorious formats 
CD | LP vinyl | 36-page full-colour zine | digital download


Order LIVEwire from Nymphs & Thugs 

Visit Salena’s Bookshoppe











SPRING 2017: 

MARCH 20: LONDON, BETSEY TROTWOOD - LIVEWIRE ZINE LAUNCH PARTY 

MARCH 24: LONDON, RED RAW, VOUT'O'REENEES W/ SOPHIE CAMERON

MARCH 30: DORSET, DOUBLE BILL W/ ELVIS MCGONAGALL

APRIL 1: LIVERPOOL, 14 HOUR SUPER WEIRD HAPPENING

APRIL 26: LONDON, NEU REEKIE, THE HEAVENLY SOCIAL



MAY 10: NORWICH - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 11: PETERBOROUGH - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 12: CHELMSFORD - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 19: LONDON, L'ESCARGOT, SOHO - LIVEWIRE VINYL LAUNCH PARTY

MAY 24: MANCHESTER - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 25: LEEDS - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 26: DERBY - LIVEWIRE TOUR


JUNE 2-4: EAST SUSSEX, BYLINE FESTIVAL, THE LIVEWIRE SALON













Wednesday 8 March 2017

Salena Godden’s LIVEwire album shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award



We’re thrilled to announce that Salena Godden’s LIVEwire album has been shortlisted for The Poetry Society’s prestigious Ted Hughes Award for excellence in poetry. The first run of the album was released on CD in October 2016, but already its received 5* rave reviews and is causing a storm on the spoken word scene.

The Ted Hughes Shortlist includes fantastic new work from:
Jay Bernard for The Red and Yellow Nothing (Ink Sweat &Tears Press)
Will Eaves for The Inevitable Gift Shop (CB Editions)

Salena Godden for LIVEwire (Nymphs & Thugs)
Melissa Lee-Houghton for Sunshine (Penned in the Margins)
Harry Man for Finders Keepers (Sidekick Books)
Hollie McNish for Nobody Told Me (Blackfriars)
Caroline Smith for The Immigration Handbook (Seren)


Judges: Jo Bell, Bernard O’Donoghue and Kathryn Williams praised LIVEwire: 
“This album captures the best of a live presence – at turns moving, powerful and unflinching – which is hard for an award to recognise. It provides a gateway to poetry that is too easily dismissed as ‘spoken word’, but is an essential part of our poetry culture.”

To celebrate Nymphs and Thugs are releasing a Special Edition LIVEwire on 2LP gatefold vinyl and CD, which will be supported by the N&T Summer of LOVEwire tour. The new CD and double vinyl are available to pre-order now! It contains new and exclusive content and alternative mixes from the initial October release. This new CD will be officially released on 17 March, the book will be launched on 20 March at a launch party at the Betsey Trotwood and the double vinyl will be released on 12 May 2017 with a party at L'Escargot Soho.

The LIVEwire collection showcases Salena Godden's powerful and broad range. It features live and studio recordings, festival and theatre performances. It includes live excerpts from Salena’s literary childhood memoir Springfield Road (Unbound) and poetry published in Fishing In The Aftermath – Poems 1994-2014 (Burning Eye). Plus brand new work and an exclusive performance of the live version of Shade published in The Good ImmigrantThe first run of the 'Summer of LOVEwire' UK tour will see Salena Godden perform alongside N&T label mates, Louise FazackerleyToria Garbutt and Matt Abbott. They travel to Norwich (10 May), Peterborough (11 May), Chelmsford (12 May), London (19 May), Manchester (24 May), Leeds (25 May) and Derby (26 May)



Salena commented, “Poets cannot do any of this without the kind of kind people that support poetry, that buy tickets and show up to see us perform, on LIVEwire the audience are the beating heart, the drum and bass, the orchestra. LIVEwire features my raucous party pieces but also the tender and quieter pieces that sometimes get hidden. I produced this album specifically for the vinyl LP format: the Daytrip A-Side is for before the watershed and your headphone moments, and then I invite you to turn it over, turn it up and pour yourself a rum for the Dirty B-Side.”

N&T founder Matt Abbott commented, “This is exactly the kind of album that I set out to release when I formed the label, and it’s a real honour to work with Salena. The hairs on my neck are still standing from the first time I saw her live – this album will blow your socks off from start to finish!”

Salena Godden is honoured to be named Poet Laureate for Byline Festival (2-4 June). This is the first festival to celebrate independent journalism and free speech. At the Byline Festival. The LIVEwire Salon, curated by Salena Godden, will showcase N&T poets, the poetry of rebels and renegades.

LIVEwire is available to pre-order on vinyl and CD at nymphsandthugs.bandcamp.com, alongside t-shirts, tote bags, pin badges, zines, and releases from other N&T artists.

Visit nymphsandthugs.net / Contact Matt Abbott on matt@nymphsandthugs.net






MARCH 8: LONDON, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, SHOREDITCH


MARCH 20: LONDON, BETSEY TROTWOOD, LIVEWIRE BOOK LAUNCH PARTY 

MARCH 24: LONDON, RED RAW, VOUT'O'REENEES W/ SOPHIE CAMERON

MARCH 30: DORSET, DOUBLE BILL W/ ELVIS MCGONAGALL

APRIL 1: LIVERPOOL,14 HOUR SUPER WEIRD HAPPENING

APRIL 26: LONDON, NEU REEKIE, THE HEAVENLY SOCIAL



MAY 10: NORWICH - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 11: PETERBOROUGH - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 12: CHELMSFORD - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 19: LONDON, L'ESCARGOT, SOHO - LIVEWIRE VINYL LAUNCH PARTY

MAY 24: MANCHESTER -LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 25: LEEDS - LIVEWIRE TOUR

MAY 26: DERBY -LIVEWIRE TOUR


JUNE 2-4: EAST SUSSEX, BYLINE FESTIVAL, THE LIVEWIRE SALON


JUNE 16: CANTERBURY - BANG SAID THE GUN TOUR

JULY 7: REBUILD FESTIVAL

JULY 21: CORNWALL, CHURCHTOWN

JULY 28: HULL - BANG SAID THE GUN TOUR

JULY 29-30: CORNWALL, PORT ELIOT FESTIVAL

AUGUST 4-6: CHEPSTOW, GREEN GATHERING







"A spoken word album that truly is electric." The iPaper

"She is at the vanguard of this particular publishing moment" WovenTale Press

"She is everything the Daily Mail is terrified of." Kerrang Magazine

'Salena Godden is a powerhouse.' Sabotage Reviews

"A spoken word album that truly is electric." 5* The i Paper

"Go see this girl - she's an angel in boxing gloves." Mike Garry

‘SG rocks the fuck out of the discotheque!” Irvine Welsh