Magma 79: Launches, Craft Talks and Other Events

Magma Poetry #79 on Dwelling was partly funded by the Arts Council of England’s COVID Culture Recovery Fund and the Ohio State University Global Arts + Humanities discovery themes. Its editors are Zoë Brigley, Kristian Evans and Rob A. Mackenzie.

The idea behind the issue is to explore how we live with nature and each other. We live in times when terrible and irrevocable violence is being done to our environment. We are also seeing widespread movements demanding social justice. Given the background of the global pandemic and lockdown, what ways might we find through poetry to approach a more ethical way of being, living and dwelling?

We considered creative ways to use the funding to support and benefit writers and readers. Part of the money has also gone to a series of workshops for Latina girls through Proyecto Mariposas, and lots of free crafts talks and workshops with writing starters.

Here’s the list. They are all completely free and online.

Fri 2 April 7 pm GMT / 2pm EST:
Magma Poetry 79 Launch I with Rebecca Tamás, Tony Williams, Helen Tookey, Vidyan Ravinthiran and other contributors. Plus (we hope) a few extra surprises.

Sat 3 April 2pm GMT / 9am EST:
Dwelling Craft Talk by Polly Rowena Atkin – includes discussion, a short reading, and starters for writing.

Thurs 15 April 7pm GMT / 2pm EST:
Magma 79 @ Seren Cardiff Poetry Festival: Love in the Time of Corona
Featuring Karen McCarthy Woolf, Ruth Awad, Sean Hewitt, Laura Wainwright, Jenny Mitchell and So Mayer

Sat 1 May 2pm GMT / 7pm EST:
Magma Poetry 79 Launch II with Tishani Doshi, Penelope Shuttle, Natalie Linh Bolderston, Alexa Winik and other contributors. Includes a special session between poets & scientists featured in the issue, and more…

Fri 21 May 7pm GMT / 2pm EST:
Magma Poetry 79: Poets & Scientists Talk Dwelling
with Kathy Fagan, Rosebud Ben-Oni, Ruth Awad, Lauren Pintor, Kerry Ard & Zakee Sabree

Sat 22 May 4pm GMT / 11am EST:
Dwelling Craft Talk by Vidyan Ravinthiran – includes discussion, a short reading, and starters for writing.