Published : Nemesia #4 - Detonations with Yekta

Yekta and I met in Macedonia but I had known his work for sometime before, having just missed each other at Ledbury festival and my own interest in French contemporary poetry making me keen to pluck his brains. We became fast friends and have since corresponded and collaborated. Amazingly he wrote his parts of his bursted poem straight into english.

https://www.wazogate.com/nemesia-iv-detonations/

Really lovely this work is the 4th in the series I am doing with the energetic Wazogate magazine with new collaborations between myself and european poets.

A note on : Museum of Futures Exhibition / Opening 2019

It is inevitable that repetition will blunt a certain kind of joy. Yet this is the third year I have run an open call visual literature exhibition at Surbiton’s Museum of Futures - a DIY community reclaimed shopfront - and it seems to get better every year. I do it not only because my university is nearby and it helps to fuse student community and alumni with local artists and poets, but also because the people behind the Futures are amazing humans. That is really why we might do things like this, to be around people like them, active and creative and strange within an environment that encourages that.

This year the theme was photopoetry or photoliterature. A month before the deadline I had perhaps 10 very talented artists involved. On the opening night the walls had been installed with over 50 works and the futures was packed to the brim with people, taking in the exhibition, but also witnessing and participating in a special Camarade, full of quite notable performances.

Repetition of this project has not diminished it’s generosity. It has increased it. It is an equaliser, it places professional artists next to students next to those local. The night was uniformly enthused, energised and there was the sense everyone contributing had done so with a seriousness and consideration that elevates others. All the performance films are here https://www.writerscentrekingston.com/futures2019/ and More on the exhibition here https://www.writerscentrekingston.com/futures

A note on: reading translations of Helena Artus' BSL poems

The Sampson Low Writers’ Centre Kingston publication series has been a really joyous project. It essentially involves a collaboration between the literary centre i run at Kingston Uni and local publisher Alban Low, with an open call to students and alumni of the Uni, to publish debut or rarefied chapbooks of pretty innovative poetry. All 9 of the poets have been quite brilliant so far, and this year’s cohort is no different. Julia Rose Lewis, Helena Artus and Marcia Knight Latter are all gifted writers. This past week, at the opening of the Museum of Futures exhibition we had a second launch of their works, and I had the pleasure of reading the English translations of Helena’s poems, which are written entirely in British Sign Language. Her pamphlet is essentially hands, signing letters, forming poems. This is undoubtedly the bestest part of sharing ideas at a Uni, for work, meeting and working with writers like this. (Buy the publications here https://sampsonlow.co/wck-pamphlets/

Published: Versopolis Poetic Articles #2 - Animals as Humans, can only monkeys laugh?

The second in my series of articles that are prose poems that are anti-opinion / anti-conclusion / anti-journalistic. It’s an interesting challenge, a long form poetic reflection, for an English person anyway. This one, following the theme of Drugs, is on the theme of Animals.

https://www.versopolis.com/times/essay/730/animals-as-humans

“Things obviously to be regretted in the future. The way humans educate their children. The way humans treat and consider their own planet, their own environments, their own place. The way humans treat and consider animals, as meaningless, stupid, brainless nothings. As food, to be made and unmade for a belly that might be full of whatever it likes. 

What the bloody hell is this massive weapon? It protects us, splits us homidiae from the pan pongo interface. Yet we cannot know each other’s self-consciousness, let alone that which lies in the grey brain of other creatures. A funny assumption begins a history. 

The octopus compared to the human. The chimpanzee compared to the human. The otter compared to the human. The bear compared to the human. 

The human glad in misadventures, harsher and more ravenous than anything you ever heard, anything in all other creatures born days.

Dogs. That perpetually dogs the footsteps of humans. Dogs as a verb. Dogs a best mate. Dogs as a fetching machine. Dogs who need defending. Dogs who defend homes. Dogs eaten in China, South Korea, Vietnam, and Nigeria. “

A note on: Razorblade performance to open my exhibition at Avivson Gallery

A really brilliant night of performances marked the opening of my exhibition - Poethetic Pathogens (a Michaux inflammation) at Avivson Gallery on Highgate Hill.

I asked people I admire to come present something new, and uniformly, the work was really weird and engaging. It was also a beautiful night in London, orange skies on the hill, and it all knitted together, everyone was generous and warm.

My performance riffed on the way this exhibition came about, with my walking into the gallery to ask about their logo, a razorblade. I sliced myself a little bit to sign the works I had made for the night, but perhaps I deserve that?

A note on: Fokus Lyrik in Frankfurt

Jazed to be performing / presenting at this bigtime festival in Germany in a few weeks time https://www.fokuslyrik.de/ I’ll be doing one of my power power point presentations which are often unpopular in the best way. If you’re in Frankfurt on March 7th, come by https://www.fokuslyrik.de/programm/

A note on : Alexander Kell's pictures of Museum of Futures Camarade 2019

Typically amazing photographs from the remarkable Alexander Kell. For an exhibition about photography and literature it would be an irony to have bad photos of the event. Luckily Alex has a way of capturing the warmth, humour, energy and generosity of such an event. It was a lovely night and we have these frozen images to mark the memory. http://www.alexanderkell.com/

A note on: a small promo vid for the Poesie Sonore exhibition at Palais de Tokyo

Me making some talkings

The Liberated Voice - at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, which charts the modern history of sound poetry, and features works by poets like Henri Chopin, The Four Horsemen, John Giorno, Ernst Jandl, Jackson MacLow, Seiichi Niikuni, Gerhard Rühm, Carolee Schneemann et al. It runs March 22nd to May 12th. https://www.palaisdetokyo.com/

A note on: The Animal Drums screening Oxford - March 2nd

Very happy that my film The Animal Drums, made with Joshua Alexander, will screen outside of London for the first time at THE ULTIMATE PICTURE PALACE IN OXFORD ON MARCH SATURDAY 2ND AT 2PM FOR FREE! (COWLEY ROAD, OXFORD • 01865 245288 • INFO@UPPCINEMA.COM) http://uppcinema.com/film/the-animal-drums

Maybe the coolest thing about this screening is the film had to be certified. It has been given a 12. You must be 12 years old to watch this film. No unaccompanied children. No U for me. No PG. No 15. No 18. 12 12 12.

We’re also screening before Green Book, so an oscar race ensues….

A note on: Judging the new Streetcake Magazine Experimental Poetry Prize

The first prize I’ve judged in the UK in awhile, and it’s a cool one. A brand new award for young writers working in the innovative and experimental tradition supported by Arts Council England and run by Streetcake Magazine.

https://www.streetcakemagazine.com/streetcakeprize.html

“This prize will be one of the first of its kind, aimed at young people (18-26 years old), who are responding creatively and extending the possibilities of the literature mold. Writers in this age band will shape the future of experimental writing and bring new ideas to this genre.

The submission period will be open from March 4th 2019and close on 14th June 2019.
​
PRIZES
There will be two age bands (18-21 and 22-26) in each category of short fiction and poetry, which means there 
will be four overall first place winners. We will also award a second and third place winner in each category.

The first place winners will receive six personalised mentoring sessions from our dedicated and experienced judges. Other prizes include personalised feedback from the streetcake editors and book bundles.

​All wining entrants will also be published online and in a hardcopy anthology, as well as being invited
to attend a winners’ event later in 2019. 

ENTRY INFO The entry fee starts at £1 for one entry (£1.75 for 2 poems / stories and £2.25 for 3 poems). You can enter up to 2 pieces of fiction or 3 poems per entrant. Please read the rules for full details.

Please read the following before entering: streetcake prize rules and entry info “

A note on: European Poetry Festival 2019 programme announced

I'm delighted to announce the European Poetry Festival will return this April after 2018's grand debut. You can find below more information on the programme and poets involved, click the link for each event and please diarise the dates. www.europeanpoetryfestival.com

European Poetry Festival 2019 : April 4th to April 15th
As the UK pretends to leave it’s own continent, over 70 of Europe’s most innovative and dynamic literary and avant-garde poets come to London, Norwich, Manchester, and Dublin for 9 events over 2 weeks.

April Thursday 4th - Norwegian poetry at Writers' Centre Kingston
Rose Theatre. New publications launched for the opening event of the fest.

April Saturday 6th : The European Camarade : Rich Mix, London
32 poets in 16 pairs from 25 nations. New performance collaborations.

April Sunday 7th : Back into the Mouth: celebrating Sound & Performance
Iklektic Artlab, London. Expect avant-garde / sound / conceptual poetry.

April Monday 8th : Swiss poetry in collaboration : Poetry Society’s Cafe, London. 6 contemporary Swiss poets collaborate with Britain-based counterparts.

April Wednesday 10th : Austrian poetry in collaboration : Austrian Cultural Forum, London. 3 contemporary Austrian poets collaborate with British counterparts.

April Thursday 11th : Latvian poetry in collaboration : Burley Fisher Books, London. 4 contemporary Latvian poets collaborate with Britain-based counterparts.

April Friday 12th : Norwich’s European Camarade : National Centre for Writing Poets from across Europe collaborate with Norwich based poets.

April Saturday 13th : Manchester’s European Camarade : The International Anthony Burgess Centre European poets collaborate with Mancunian poets.

April Monday 15th : European Camarade at Riverbank Arts Centre : Newbridge, Co Kildare, Dublin. Ireland Solo readings to close the festival.

With programme and lineup still subject to revision, those poets confirmed as participating can be found www.europeanpoetryfestival.com/poets & includes Maja Jantar, Leonce Lupette, Pierre Alferi, Olga Stehlikova, Michael Fehr, Fabian Faltin, Simone Lappert, Sophie-Carolin Wagner, Yekta, Andras Gerevich, Michelle Steinbeck, Inga Pizane, Cosmin Perta & many more.

The festival is generously supported by over 30 partners www.europeanpoetryfestival.com/partners

A note on: Poethetic Pathogens (a Michaux inflammation) : an exhibition

Poethetic Pathogens (a Michaux inflammation) : an exhibition by SJ Fowler

Avivson Gallery : February 20th to 27th 2019 : 49 Highgate High St, London N6 5JX, UK.

Five new paint or asemic poems exhibited alongside, and responding to, an original work by 20th century poetical iconoclast, Henri Michaux.  I'm pleased to announce this week long exhibition at the Avivson Gallery in the heart of Highgate, London. 

A special view opening event on February Wednesday 20th, free entry, 7pm start, will feature performances  and readings by Christian Patracchini, Iris Colomb, Astra Papachristodoulou & Oliver Fox, Russell Bennetts and SJ Fowler, all responding to Henri Michaux and his life and work.

Gallery hours : Wednesday to Saturday 12.15 -18.00 www.avivsongallery.com/

The Henri Michaux poem to be exhibited >>

From the gallery “... Fowler’s work has become synonymous with a new generation of European poets following Michaux’s explorations into writing abstraction and handwriting art, and the possibilities of a more instinctive notion of what literature might be. The Michaux work in question evokes the microscopic bacteria that permeates our bodies beyond our sight, and it is this visible but unseen aesthetic that Fowler has pursued in his  artworks.”

A note on: The Liberated Voice sound poetry exhibition at Palais de Tokyo

I'm very happy to have a sound poetry installation in this upcoming exhibition - The Liberated Voice - at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, which charts the modern history of sound poetry, and features works by poets like Henri Chopin, The Four Horsemen, John Giorno, Ernst Jandl, Jackson MacLow, Seiichi Niikuni, Gerhard Rühm, Carolee Schneemann et al. It runs March 22nd to May 12th. https://www.palaisdetokyo.com/

"In the 20th century, phonetic and then sound poetry always stood as an act of emancipation. Sometimes ready to abandon semantics, the avant-garde turned it into a spearhead of a struggle against systems, beliefs and dogmas. What is now left of their heroic combats?"

A note on: After Animal Drums, David Spittle's article at Hotel Magazine

This poetic essay by David Spittle, responding to my feature length poetry film, Animal Drums, made with Joshua Alexander, is generous. It contains some of the most accurate, in my opinion, writing about what I’m trying to do with my work, in general. Good of Hotel Magazine to publish it https://partisanhotel.co.uk/After-Animal-Drums

“This is a poet whose art (in poetry/performance/the visual and audio) splits its energy between accident and intention to often explore an uncomfortable ambiguity between the offensive and its jagged critique or parody. The position or role of ‘offense’ is a potent drive behind much of Fowler’s fragmented questioning, as alive in his poetry as it is in the film. The problematic insistence on the ‘problematic’ in art has itself become increasingly problematic. The polarized bludgeoning of forces like Twitter have created a binary culture whereby the progressive and ongoing work to remove institutionalised prejudice and broaden inclusivity in art is damagingly conflated with a need to reductively limit art to moralising megaphones of ideology. Animal Drums splinters this conviction and instead opens up a troubling examination of where the troubled mind might go, anonymous and vulnerable or overlooked and dangerous, lonely or free, lost in a city equally beset by the drive to insist upon moralising cultural dedication at the very same time it deepens a perversion of those values. The plague doctor’s mask never slips but the film suggests that maybe the plague we are now confronted with is one of masks.” 

A note on: The Vienna Camarade

This was a massive event in Austria with nearly 40 poets performing new collaborations as part of the European Poetry Festival touring about Europe this year. It relied entirely on the hospitality of the Viennese poetry scene, which was energised, enthusiastic and generous to me, as an outsider, a non German speaker, coming into their town and putting something together like this. They seemed to really feel it too, the ideas behind the Camarade, after the event.

I stayed for three days in Vienna, a place where I have many friends and this undoubtedly affected my decision to try to do this kind of work beyond London, because of the people I’ve met and worked with over recent years, and in Austria, with Max Hofler, Esther Strauss, Robert Prosser, Jorg Piringer, Thomas Havlik, Jorg Zemmler & co, that’s a legion of brilliant people. It was Robert who hooked me up with the venue, Einbaumobel, and Jopa Jotakin, who has run it for 12 years. He puts drinks on the bar for free, all night, for everyone, and more than a host of people said the event was made by the venue. In the arches of a railway line, a punk club, instead of a literary ballroom.

If you just have a quick glance here www.europeanpoetryfestival.com/vienna you can see the immense variation and energy of the works for the night. I discovered a lot of really interesting work but also was surrounded by friends who had travelled into Vienna from all over Europe. Something about this event really drew people in.

My own delicate collaboration (pictured) with Iris Colomb & Max Hofler was an experiment, had its moments, overall, for me, maybe a faulty piece. But not because the slight negative aesthetics, which did seem to wound the souls of a few in the audience, was combative. But because performance is, and should be, a risk. And when you do that, sometimes, the rhythm isn’t there. But both Max and Iris are amazing people, and we put it together a few hours before, as all of our partners had dropped out.

I spent my free days in Vienna sat in cafes, wandering, getting lost on a run and nearly dying of frostbite. I went to no museums, no literary places. I just spent time with some great people and talked about things other than poetry, as so much of that was crammed into this one night working.

A note on: Sam Jordison writes on English PENfest for Galley Beggars

A very generous reflection by Sam Jordison on the fest I organised for the latest Galley Beggars Press newsletter = “Not long ago, I attended an event held to raise awareness of English Pen and writers who are currently being held in prisons around the world. I had been asked to speak about a woman called Narges Mohammadi, a woman who was sent to jail for being a member of an organisation called “Step by  Step to Stop the Death Penalty” and for  “committing propaganda against the state.” One of the main focusses of that propaganda campaign was to stop the state killing juvenile offenders. Kids, in other words. She wanted to protect children. 

I could talk about this case for a long time, as well as the trials this woman  has undergone in jail - but it's probably more productive if you have a look for yourself at the web pages her supporters have set up for her - and also if you have a look on the English Pen website. If you like, you can also look at the talk I gave by clicking on this link. There you'll also see several other videos, each one of them moving and important. I'd especially urge you to look at the talk by Steven Fowler, who asked the troubling question of what it is about these writers that makes them speak out? Why don't they stay at home, have an easy life, protect themselves and their families? Why can't they shrug off injustice and oppression like most other people tend to do? Could we really blame them if they opted instead for safety? Could we even blame them, instead, for being so bloody difficult? There's clearly something about some writers, isn't there? They can't shut up. They won't shut up. If you're doing something wrong, they'll tell you - and if that rebounds on them, well, that's the price of truth. 

I realised when Steve was speaking that every single Galley Beggar writer would be in jail if faced with the right (actually, let's call it 'wrong') kind of oppression. I felt a faint flicker of amusement at the thought of trying to encourage Preti Taneja and Alex Pheby and Lucy Ellmann to keep quiet and do as they are told, but mostly, I felt pride and horror. Pride, for obvious reasons. Horror because of the realisation that those writers who are in jail probably have a great deal in common with our friends here, who have given us so much through their books and their lives. 

And I have to tell you that because you read this newsletter, and because you've read this far, you're probably in the awkward club too. So, I salute you, comrade! But I guess that my saying that you might also find yourself on the wrong end of the long stick of an absurd law is really another way of saying that English Pen is a fine organisation and it deserves our support. They're looking out for people like us, after all. I joined up after speaking for Narges and it felt good.“

A note on : English PEN Modern Literature Fest in Kingston

The 4th annual one night fest celebrating writers-at-risk supported by English PEN took place at the Bishop in Kingston, as part of Writers’ Centre Kingston. It saw 9 writers share new pieces of literature speaking for those writers around the world currently oppressed for their political actions or stances. It was a really generous and engaging night, with some grand readings by Sam Jordison, Ellen Wiles, Gareth Evans and more. All the videos are online https://www.writerscentrekingston.com/pen2019/

My own performance was for Oleg Sentsov, the filmmaker currently imprisoned in a penal colony for 20 years on trumped up charges by Russia. What struck me about him, which I wanted to represent, was his unearthly stubbornness, and insistence, and heart, and courage, and resilience. He clearly has an iron mind and is utterly principled, beyond any possible expectation in fact. I read his letter at the end of the performance but wanted to use the somewhat pathetic metaphor of eating nailed fruit as a way to represent the intensity of his refusal, when in court in Russia, to offer any submission.

Published: Hotel Magazine issue 5

Really generous of the remarkable Hotel Magazine to run a feature on my feature-length film The Animal Drums, made with Josh Alexander, in their 5th print issue.

This includes a found responsive poem by Iain Sinclair which was read at the premiere and written by Iain after watching the film. It also features a poem of mine used in the film.

There’s a pretty brilliant list of contributors too, and the magazine can be bought here https://partisanhotel.co.uk/Hotel-5

A note on : Teaching photography and poetry at Poetry School

a bit of man ray and paul eluard

Had another generous experience sharing ideas at The Poetry School, this time developing concepts I came up with in 2018 for a course at the photographer’s gallery, and moving them into more practical territory for poets. I spoke a lot about the possibilities of hybridity, and as before, really sought to pick people’s minds on what they thought were the reasons for these two arts overlapping with success so rarely. Some really talented folk in the room, it was a lovely few days down by Canada Water, and like with so many PS courses, I’m sure some of the poets will go on to become friends in the future.

Published: an interview with Paul Brookes on Wombwell

A new interview is out with Paul Brookes as part of his expansive, idiosyncratic online poetic conversation series https://thewombwellrainbow.com/2019/01/29/wombwell-rainbow-interviews-steven-j-fowler/ A few qs from the Interview

1. How aware were and are you of the dominating presence of older poets?

I actually have never felt dominated by older poets. Maybe because, also by accident, I found myself, early on, in a very specific tradition in the UK, what we might see as the British Poetry Revival and the older poets were really supportive and generous. More than poets my own age, but they were pretty grand on the whole too. But poets like Tom Raworth, Maggie O’Sullivan, Robert Sheppard, Iain Sinclair, Allen Fisher, Tony Lopez, Anselm Hollo and Tomaz Salamun, I can point to distinct moments with each of them when I had barely written / done anything and they took the time to encourage me. And poets a generation younger too, a generation on from me – Carol Watts, Jeff Hilson, Tim Atkins, Philip Terry, Peter Jaeger, they were also very very supportive. In fact I would say now this is something I take to be a responsibility. To teach the works of these older poets, to share them outside of the UK and to connect my students, those a generation younger than me, to the poets who have lived the life they might follow.

1. What is your work ethic?

I enjoy working as I work now. I have spent years trying to fashion a work environment where I like what I do, working hard to get that, and now I have it, so I work harder, as it doesn’t feel like work. Both my parents were working class, they grew up in Liverpool during WWII. They grew up without education in bombed out buildings. They worked incredibly hard and taught me their ethic