But like it or not, this is not the early 1800s. London is vibrant and full of places promoting poetry as a means of connection between people. One such place is Apples and Snakes, which organises performed poetry events. Based in Albany, Apples and Snakes also coordinates national events. Their main focus is the spoken word and the various ways in which it can be spread. Through their live events, they bring to audiences a diverse range of high-quality poetry performances, from open mic nights to LGBT poets. For instance, on the 27th of September,  Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze and Roger Robinson will be lighting up the night at Apples and Snakes. Two poets with national and international reputations, they will perform ‘dub poetry’ – merging powerful poetic texts with the rhythms of dub.

Live performances are just the tip of a huge iceberg at Apples and Snakes. The development of poets is a fundamental part of its offering, with a wide programme of masterclasses and workshops available. Indeed, both Robinson and Breeze have mentored at recent workshops. There are also spaces for poets and creatives to join together, rehearse, learn and share feedback in order to grow as performers and writers. Perhaps the best part is that most of these activities are either free, or ticketed at very low prices. All you need is a willingness to express yourself.

The activity at Apples and Snakes also includes a series of projects. An archive of materials produced over 30 years  was set up last year and is ever-expanding. This fantastic resource includes videos, recordings, and interviews, and is available to anyone. Inspiration and challenge are the focus in The Writing Room, a space provided by the organisation specifically for young people aged 18-25 to the improve their writing skills. And with an eye on the social power of creative writing, Sally Pomme Clayton’s  book, THE NO PANIC BOOK OF NOT PANICKING, collects a series of writings based on experiences of anxiety, panic attacks and depression. The aim is to help people who suffer from these issues to express themselves and find some solace. You can read it online for free or buy a copy for just £3.

Education, improvement, beauty and self-expression are the main words that come to my mind when I think about Apples and Snakes. Through their work the team relentlessly inspire, giving people across the country the opportunity to connect with some of the best writers, storytellers and poets from around the world. To find your nearest event, where you too can enjoy the power of the spoken word, visit the Apples and Snakes website.

Edited by Sarah Huntington

The post Apples & Snakes: A Place To Feed Your Love For Poetry appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

Independent bookshops, with their creaky doors, worn-out sofas and overcrowded shelves, are little pockets of comfort in a fast-paced city. For Londoners it is the human touches that make indie bookshops so enticingly charming. Nestled among busy streets – often hidden in alleyways – they are the antithesis of Amazon algorithms and impersonal computer generated recommendations. From bookstores with monthly feminist book clubs, to secret locations and that wonderful old book smell, here is a guide to the best independent bookshops in London.

1. Lutyens and Rubinstein 

21 Kensington Park Road, London W11 2EU, 020-7792 4855

On a quaint Notting Hill street lined with bakeries and boutiques, this relatively new bookshop has quickly become a local staple. Founded by established literary agents, Lutyens and Rubinstein has gained a reputation as the place to go for some pleasant bookish chat, and rightly so. Customers are greeted like old friends by shop manager Claire, cup of tea in hand and eager to discuss this week’s new releases or reminisce about her favourite childhood reads. Offering the ultimate one-to-one experience, complete with coffee and biscuits, the knowledgeable staff add an old fashioned, personal dimension to bookselling.

Children’s manager, Tara Spinks: “It’s a cliché to say that London is a series of villages, but in our case, we really do feel like a village shop – we know a lot of our customers by name, and we know their interests and we’re able to curate the shop to fit that! When we opened, we asked a lot of people – friends and family particularly – what 10 books they would most like to see in the shop, which is how we selected our original core stock.” 

2. Persephone Books

59 Lambs Conduit Street, London WC1N 3NB, 020-7242 9292

Capturing a feminist niche, this independent publisher and bookshop steers clear of market-driven book sales, and instead focuses on reprinting neglected fiction and non-fiction by mid-twentieth century women. This tiny cultural hub, named in homage to the daughter of Zeus, is a celebration of female accomplishment. With a warm and laidback atmosphere , the shop itself is decorated with feminist paintings, posters and vintage furniture, creating a cosy domestic setting for customers to sit and read, as well as recreating the limited spheres women occupied in the twentieth century. Persephone Books provides readers with an interactive experience. From the beautifully designed end papers to the monthly book club; this is an essential destination for all bibliophiles.

WhatKatieDidNext blogger, Katie Morritt: “It’s encouraging that Persephone Books reprint works by neglected female writers. While women make up 51% of the human population, they seem to be shockingly underrepresented on the shelves of chains like WHSmith and Waterstones.”  

3. The Society Club

12 Ingestre Place, London W1F 0JF, 020-7437 1433

Hidden away down a side alley on Ingestre Place, The Society Club feels like Soho’s little secret. During the day the unique bookshop, cafe, cocktail bar and gallery combination is open to the public, but by 6 o’ clock the place transforms into a private members’ club. With  poetry nights, storytelling and live music, it is a place where aspiring writers and artists collaborate over a cocktail – perfect for Londoners wanting to get involved in London’s literary scene.

Yelp reviewer, Lina O:d: “I was there for an event organised with Tatty Devine, a jewellery company popular with my young people at the moment. It was a jewellery making workshop that was free of charge and with the founders of the brand. Such a nice experience, nice people and a really great environment.”

4. Claire De Rouen

125 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0EW, 020-7287 1813 

Claire De Rouen, tucked away above a betting shop on Charing Cross Road and unnoticed by most passers-by, is the only specialist photography, fashion and art bookshop in London. To enter, customers have to walk up a narrow stairwell – the walls of which are plastered with contemporary art, and then turn right to find the secret entrance. Once inside you’ll find one of London’s most extensive collections of photo books, self-published books and rare collector editions, displayed beautifully on shelves overlooking the city.

Frequent customer, Mohammed Najah: “Claire De Rouen has the best collection of photography books. It’s relaxing just to have a look at the work of the greats like David Bailey, Anders Petersen and Guy Bourdin, with a record playing in the background.” 

5. Bookmarks

1 Bloomsbury St, London WC1B 3QE, 020-7637 1848

Specialising in left-wing literature, Bookmarks is London’s leading socialist bookshop and has been in business for over 40 years. The shelves are bursting with knowledge, stacked with an impressive selection of books covering subjects like politics, labour history, black struggle, women and culture, in the hope of providing young activists with information to inform their opinions. Dedicated to their cause, the bookshop provides stands in major demonstrations across country and has consequently created a young, politically active community through the power of the written word.

Yelp reviewer, Fiona G: “A wonderful shop for the sheer joy of the music & laughter that accompanies us when we march past this shop (and most demonstrations do, starting at London University) It’s got great books …and an interesting neighbour in the whisky shop next door!”

Edited by Sarah Huntington

The post Top 5 Independent Bookshops in London appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

1. Banipal

Let’s begin with Banipal. Founded in 1998, the main focus of this magazine is contemporary Arab literature published in English or in English translation but it also promotes world literature in general from an Arab point of view. This particular name was chosen to celebrate the roots of Arabic culture. As a matter of fact, the magazine takes its name from Ashurbanipal, the last great king of Syria and patron of the arts, “whose outstanding achievement was to assemble in Nineveh, from all over his empire, the first systematically organised library in the ancient Middle East”. Having both an online and a printed edition, on the website it is possible to browse past reviews and contributors, read news and be updated with the Arab literary scene. Banipal works also as a publishing house with the aim of spreading the voices of contemporary authors and letting the world read their poignant voices.

2. Ambit

Founded 50 years ago by Martin Bax, through its pages Ambit promotes both art, and literature and it boosts new talents and artists by accepting only unsolicited submissions. It has both a printed and an online version which features reviews, podcasts and interviews. Every year you can enter the Ambit competition, submitting your best work and be published in the magazine.

3. FunHouse

FunHouse is a beautifully designed new magazine about writing, comics and illustrations. It has an extremely voguish and modern style. The website is graphically impressive, where you can read the “fresh cuts” by its contributors. Check out the open submission period and have your illustrations or pieces of writing published in this stunning mag, focused on artists and creatives who think completely outside of the box and feel at ease inside the FunHouse.

4. The Wrong Quarterly

The Wrong Quarterly is an elegant printed lit-mag whose main goal is to create an international community of writers and professionals of the literary world. Only available in print, The Wrong Quarterly website is a bit slender, but you can find all the useful information you need about where to buy the printed mag, how to submit and who the contributors are. As they suggest, “go all offline”, take a break and enjoy this smart lit-mag. If you really can’t go offline, follow them on Twitter.

5. Brittle Star

Brittle Star is a magazine for new writing. It’s based in Europe, so it can be found in London as well. Its main focus is new writers and it provides a series of opportunities for anyone who loves writing and experimenting with words. The website is very rich in contents and sections: it features an annual competition, articles and the “Nudges” section, where the editors leave a prompt and anyone can leave a comment about it. Brittle Star is a very interesting and compelling project and everyone who is into new writing should have a look at it.

6. The A3 Review

The A3 Review is the literary magazine of Writing Maps, the alternative maps for writers: each map gives any kind of useful suggestion to writers as they work as portable sources of inspiration and help. Accordingly, The A3 Review has the same format as a map, but it contains fiction, poetry, graphic stories, photography, paintings, drawings, and other visual and word-based creative productions. Each month, A3 holds a themed contest to find the best material to be published in the MapMag, so anyone can be a contributor. This is one of the best and smartest projects around, so start to follow the map and find new routes for your creativity and imagination.

This was just a little selection of the huge ocean of amazing lit-mags you can find in London. If you were inspired by this list, search the web for more great projects and let your creativity explode.

Edited by Chermaine Sowah

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