Our Religion

Let’s not speak of God,
or Allah, or Jehovah,
Buddha, Krishna,
Jesus Christ, Mohammed
or the prophets and their prophecies.
Let’s just be together
this cold dark winter’s night
hanging small glass balls
from the branches of a tree,
and admiring how their reflection
shimmers with the ghosts
of those we have loved and lost.
Let’s not talk of heaven or hell,
Nirvana, reincarnation,
resurrection, transubstantiation,
but know that I believe in the promise
of the thin circle of gold I placed
around your finger that sunny morning.
Let’s not fall out over faith or doubt,
death, the afterlife, whether when
this whole world has gone,
we shall ever see each other again,
but just agree on the music,
Allegri’s Miserere or Mozart’s Requiem,
as we say goodbyes for which
there are no words, just the beauty
of a shared life, a question
or a prayer depending on the light.

 Reasons To Come Out Of The Jungle

Even if the Euro is about to end,
Syria’s going round the bend,
the NHS is on its knees,
you can’t afford university fees,
don’t despair that life’s not fair,
for there is wonder everywhere.
In Botswana, a baby pink elephant
walked in the shade of his mother,
in Northumberland, Northern Lights
displayed their rarely seen cosmic green,
in Madagascar, spiders spun
a gold silk cape for the V&A
so come what may nature’s fine design
continues to be an internet sensation,
a source of elation, an old school architect
who never fails to delight the nation.

HERITAGE OF SECRETS NOW AVAILABLE ON KINDLE
I’m really excited that my first novel ‘Heritage of Secrets’ is now available on Kindle.

COFFEE-HOUSE POETRY AT THE TROUBADOUR
8pm, Monday 31st October, 2011?Venue: Troubadour Coffee-House, 263-267 Old Brompton Road, London SW5?Entry: £7 (£6 concs)
‘What We Should Have Said’: an entertaining, enlightening, engaging, unpredictable shindig with Stuart Silver, Aoife Mannix, Richard Douglas Pennant, Hannah Silva and violinist Darragh Morgan.
An original words-and-music format brought to Coffee-House Poetry courtesy of Cegin Productions! Led by BAFTA-nominated and Perrier-Award winner Stuart Silver, wordsmiths Aoife Mannix, Richard Douglas Pennant & Hannah Silva have collectively astonished audiences from Shanghai to Sligo with insight, invention and impromptu humour: poems on a dazzling range of themes will be responded to and punctuated with music from violinist Darragh Morgan.

MALIKA’S POETRY KITCHEN TENTH ANNIVERSARY SHOWCASE
7:30pm, November 8th, LOST Theatre, 208 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 2JU
Malika’s Poetry Kitchen celebrates its first decade at this showcase featuring members past and present. This collective has encouraged and supported some of the best poets of their generation to refine and develop their craft.
Headlined by Malika Booker (Royal Shakespeare Company poet-in-residence) who founded the collective in her kitchen, Inua Ellams (The 14th Tale, National Theatre) and Aoife Mannix (Saturday Live, BBC Radio 4).
Stirring the poetry pot will be your host, the witty and entertaining Jill Abram, with additional seasoning from Janett Plummer, Heather Taylor, Cath Drake, Naomi Woddis, Jocelyn Page, Melanie Mauthner, Mary Renouf, John Sutton and Patricia Foster.

FE FICTIONS: 10th NOVEMBER, 2011
Time: 8pm // Entry: £5.00 // BxOffc: 0871 902 5739
Address: Ritzy, Brixton, Coldharbour Lane, London SW2 1JG
FE FICTIONS is the third and final date in a series of events celebrating 10 years of flipped eye publishing, delivering a range of new and classic work in themed line-ups. FE FICTIONS will showcase flipped eye’s work with prose and narrative writing and features Aoife Mannix, Leila Segal, Agnes Meadows & Warsan Shire.
Hosted by Inua Ellams & Jacob Sam-La Rose, there will be live music as part of the line up AND * Freebies on the night.

TONGUE FU at Rich Mix, 35 – 47 Bethnal Green Road, London, E1 6LA
Box Office: 020 7613 7498, Thu 24 November 8pm?£7, £5 student/concs
Dan Antopolski, Aoife Mannix, Liv Torc
“It’s poetry, but not as you know it…amazing to listen to” The Guardian
Tongue Fu at Rich Mix features a stunning line-up of Spoken Word artists, who perform to improvised soundtracks from the Tongue Fu Band (UNKLE, Massive Attack), plus hosting from TF founder and acclaimed spoken word performer Chris Redmond

I’ve just got back from an amazing trip to China with the British Council.  I was performing with Francesca Beard and Luke Wright at the 5^th Pearl River International Poetry Festival in Guangzhou and Chengdu.  Now the leaves are turning, here are a few things I’m up to in October.  Be great to see you there if you’re able to make it.  Like my facebook page to find out more -

ILKLEY FESTIVAL & RENAISSANCE ONE PRESENTS JEAN ‘BINTA’ BREEZE AND AOIFE MANNIX

National Poetry Day: 6 October 2011 7.30pm, Ilkley Playhouse Wharfeside

SATURDAY LIVE POETRY POP-UP Thursday, October 6 10:00am and 3pm on BBC Radio 4 Extra Poets from Saturday Live perform from the BBC Radio Theatre for National Poetry Day. Hosted by Richard Coles with music by Cerys Matthews.

AOIFE MANNIX: POET IN RESIDENCE AT BRONTE PARSONAGE MUSEUM

To mark National Poetry Day, poet Aoife will be resident at the Bronte Parsonage Museum. She will be asking visitors to contribute lines of text to a crinolined dress installation that will evolve throughout the day into a sculptural piece. Aoife Mannix will weave these visitor responses into new poetry inspired by her residency which will be exhibited as a series of poetry installations in the rooms of the Parsonage from 8th November 2011 until 1st January 2012.

TALKING RHYTHM! October 10^th at 7.30pm, The Prince of Greenwich, 72 Royal Hill, London SE10 8RT

Poetry and Music Open Mic with featured guests.  This month: Aoife Mannix; Fiona Moore, Isabel White??Music: Trevor John Hosts: Bernadette Reed and Jazzman John Clarke

COFFEE–HOUSE POETRY AT THE TROUBADOUR 8pm on Mon 31 Oct: 263-267 Old Brompton Road, London SW5 9JA.

what we should have said: an entertaining, enlightening, engaging, unpredictable shindig with stuart silver, aoife mannix, richard douglas pennant, hannah silva and violinist darragh morgan

Here’s a few things I’m up to in September.

From the 8th to the 13th, I’ll be in Latvia with Jacob Sam La Rose running workshops and performing with the British Council as part of the White Night Festival in Riga.

I’m performing in Wales from the 14th to the 16th in What We Should Have Said

What we should have said… is brought to you by BAFTA nominated and Perrier Award winner Stuart Silver who will lead a dynamic, emotive and playfully original performance of words and music given by Martin Daws, Aoife Mannix, Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch and Richard Douglas Pennant. The stellar line up of word artists is joined by pianist Huw Warren, described by the Guardian as “one of the UK’s truly independent spirits.”

Clapham Junction and Apples and Snakes present Monsters of Poetry as part of the SW11 Festival on Sunday, September 18th at 8pm at the Battersea Arts Centre.

Tonight’s line-up features some of the true giants and jabberwocks of the spoken-word scene: Yemisi Blake, Comfort, Richard Marsh and, presenting a suitably monstrous set, festival favourite Aoife Mannix.

The British Council have invited me to China from the 20th to the 29th. I’ll be running workshops and performing poetry with Francesca Beard and Luke Wright as part of the Pearl River International Poetry Festival.

I’ll be recording BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live Poetry Festival on September 30th to be broadcast on National Poetry Day on October 6th.

xxAoife

Hi there,

Hope you’re having a lovely summer. Here’s a few things I’m up to in August before I head off on holidays -

The Keats House Poets’ Forum present a
KEATS RETREAT!
Summer 2011

Join us for a FREE Writers’ Retreat for those under 24
Keats House, August 16th, 17th, 18th.
3 days of writing workshops and time to yourself to write,
in the inspiring surroundings of Keats House and garden.
With Simon Mole, Raymond Antrobus, plus
special guest Aoife Mannix joining us on the final
day.

SIGN UP FOR ONE , TWO OR THREE DAYS
at the KEATS RETREAT
Email: paul.sherreard@cityoflondon.gov.uk to register.
Places are strictly limited, and registration opens on July 27th.

575 Wandsworth Road
I’m working with Adisa and a group of young people to write about the fascinating home of Khadambi Asalache as part of the National Trust’s Summer School

Verb New Voices
I’m mentoring the lovely Fatima Al Matar as part of BBC Radio 3’s Verb New Voices.

xxAoife

July 2nd 7:30pm Sydenham Arts Festival with Andrew Motion, Aoife Mannix and Ronnie McGrath. Hosted by Gale Burns.

July 3 at 7:00pm Word Furnace with Aoife Mannix and Kat Francois
The Core at Corby Cube, George Street
Join host and compere Joel Stickley for a night that brings the stars of the UK Spoken Word scene to Corby.

FRI 15th – SUN 17th JULY URBAN ARVON at 43-46 Gordon Square, London

Three unique, three day, non-residential Creative Writing Courses led by published writers, taking place at Birkbeck’s historic Gordon Square, the former home of Virginia Woolf.
Arvon has been running creative writing courses for 40 years in its beautiful country houses, and now for the first time offers you the opportunity to experience the magic of Arvon – without having to leave London!
The three inspiring courses will run simultaneously over the weekend:
· Starting to Write: With Courttia Newland & Aoife Mannix
· Developing Your Fiction: With Julia Bell and Patrick Neate
· Poetry That Rings True: With Nii Parkes and Niall O’Sullivan

Each course will include daily workshops, personal writing time, lunch and supper, tutor and guest readings. Please note only 16 places are available per course and that pre-booking is essential. We cannot admit anyone on the day without a prior booking.
COURSE FEE: £350 for all three days, including lunch and supper
GRANTS: Want to write but can’t afford the course fee? We’re offering a £300 grant for each course. You can download a grant application pack during the booking process.

Many thanks to all those who supported the live performances of Adelaide Road, my show for the Royal Shakespeare Company. You can also enjoy Adelaide Road as a free iphone app and/or through the website map which contains recordings of all the poems/stories.

I’ve just set up a page on facebook so if you’d say you like it, I’d really appreciate it! –

I’ve just set up a page on facebook so if you’d say you like it, I’d really appreciate it! –

Here’s a few other things I’m up to in June -

June 1st at 7:30 Yard presents the Special Relationship with special guests Simon Crump and Aoife Mannix. Concrete @ Pizza East, Lower Ground Floor 56 Shoreditch High Street London, E1 6JJ

13 June 2011 7.30, Poets in the Pub with Aoife Mannix (part of Holloway Arts Festival) North Nineteen, 194-196 Sussex Way, N19 4HZ
Poets are invited to bring their work and and read for up to 2 minutes

19 June 2.30-7.00 pm, Celebrating Sanctuary BookSlam with Aoife Mannix, Bernie Spain Gardens, Southbank
Annual free festival celebrates the art of refugee communities in the UK

My mug shot features in Naomi Woddis’s wonderful photography exhibition at the Albany which launches on June 10th

Not just highly recommended by me but also Time Out – Perpetual Light at the Old Vic Tunnels on June 4th