Adamantine [adjective]
1. Made of adamant, or having the qualities of adamant; incapable of being broken, dissolved or penetrated.
2. Like the diamond in hardness or lustre
3. My third poetry collection!
Welcome to the first round of celebrations of the publication of Adamantine (Red Hen/Pighog Press, Pasadena), which was published July 11th in the US/Canada and is forthcoming December 11th in the UK. Containing tributes to an international range of artists and activists, and a lyric sequence responding to my breast cancer treatment, the book honours women’s tenacity and lustre. While the book is not an eco-poetry collection, whether by serendipity or occult foresight, the image of the hourglass is a motif in the poems and cover image; and in its internationalist scope Adamantine is offered in the spirit of global solidarity that Extinction Rebellion has helped ignite this year – a grassroots uprising which may yet save us and our precious home.
After a pre-launch celebration at ONCA Gallery in Brighton July 18th, I’ll be touring North America with readings in New York City, Victoria, Vancouver, Saskatoon and Regina. Doing all that flying was not a decision I took lightly, but I’m also going over for a family reunion, and have paid my carbon offsets, so I hope all my XR mates can forgive me!
More UK events will follow in the winter and throughout 2020. For now, my diary is bustin’!
ADAMANTINE
SUMMER CELEBRATIONS
[Full details on FB]
July 6th: Palestine Expo, ‘Creatives Corner’.Olympia London. 12:15-12:40. Reading also from A Blade of Grass: New Palestinian Poetry, as part of this massive, weekend-long celebration of Palestinian culture. Tickets here.
July 18th: Paper, Needle, Rock. ONCA Gallery. 14 St George’s Place, Brighton. 7-9 pm. Celebrating the US publication of Adamantine. With Helen Moore, launching her third collection The Mother Country, and Akila Richards, reading from her multimedia work ‘Barrel’, and Filigree: Contemporary Black British Poetry. OPEN MIC, details and tickets (£3 redeemable against cost of book) here.
Aug 7th: Westbeth Centre for the Arts, Manhattan. [TBC] 7 pm. With poets Farid Bitar, Rowyda Amin (TBC), Steve Bloom, Angelo Verga, and pianist Shahaba.
Aug 8th: Berl’s Brooklyn Poetry Shop. 7 pm. With Red Hen poet Dolores Hayden, reading from her third collection Exuberance, a tribute to the early days of aviation.
Aug 10th. Garden Party, New Jersey. An afternoon reading for local artists and activists. Email me for details.
Aug 15th: Emily Carr House. Victoria. 2-4. With lemonade! The opening sequence of the book contains poems in honour of iconic Canadian artist Emily Carr and my late high school friend, writer Emily Givner. Emily’s family will be in attendance, so this is a very special event on the tour for me.
Aug 18th: Summer Salon. Vancouver. With poet Miranda Pearson, reading from her forthcoming fifth collection Rail (McGill-Queens UP). Email me for venue details.
Aug 22nd: McNally Robinson Bookstore. Saskatoon. Time TBA. And the grand finale – the Saskatchewan leg of my tour. The last time I was in Saskatchewan was 2008, so this will be an emotional homecoming!
Aug 24th: Mercury Cafe. Regina. 3-5 pm. Organised by writer and literary maestro Brenda Niskala, of Sask Books, and presented by Saskatchewan Poet Laureate Bruce Rice.
UPDATE: I am delighted to announce that my tour of Western Canada was funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. Many thanks to the jury, and to all my hosts and organisers for supporting my application!
Looks like a fabulous tour Naomi – Adamantine will revel in her American and Canadian launches
Yay! Big congratulations!! and love xxx
Thank you Rob! So many of poems are set in Canada it’s a homecoming for the book, as well as the poet! xx
Thank you Maria! One of these days I’ll take the cargo ship – must talk to you and Debs about that voyage! xx