Lucienne Kim Flavell Performs at Cheltenham Literary Festival: The UK All Stars Poetry Slam!

  Lucienne Kim Flavell Performs 

At Cheltenham Literary Festival: 

The UK All Stars Poetry Slam!

I arrived in Cheltenham only a few hours before the UK All Stars Poetry Slam started. There was just enough time to check in at my hotel and have dinner at Brassiere Blanc.

A lady welcomed me at the Parabola Arts Centre. She advised the show was sold out with 380 people attending. I was guided inside to join the group of poets who would be performing. I saw some familiar faces; poets who had appeared at the Ledbury Poetry Slam. It felt akin to comradeship as they came to hug and kiss me hello.

The UK All Stars Poetry Slam kicked off with The Proclaimers 'I'm Going To Be 500 Miles' song as Sarah-Jane Arbury and Elvis McGonagall danced onto stage. Sarah-Jane warmed up the audience by getting them to practice clapping, stamping, cheering and whistling. She said the show was being held here because the organizers at Cheltenham Literary Festival said we were too noisy to be in a tent!

Suddenly my introduction was read aloud, "Lyrics can lift one's heart, prose can make one think, and speeches can move one to action. Poetry can do all three. That is why I fell in love with it."

I stepped into the light. All my anxiety washed away. I was as comfortable performing to the crowd as I was practicing alone in my bedroom. I even laughed at my own jokes!

When I finished the audience burst into applause and stamped their feet. I was overwhelmed. It was great to hear my peers say how much I had improved my stage presence since Ledbury.

It was a fantastic evening. It's safe to say I have become a poetry slam addict. I can't wait until the next one!

Cheltenham Literature Festival: The UK All Stars Poetry Slam

Cheltenham Literature Festival:
The UK All Stars Poetry Slam!

I have exciting news! I will be performing my poetry at The UK All Stars Poetry Slam as part of Cheltenham Literature Festival on Saturday 10th October at 7:30pm.

This will be my second public performance this year, this time at the UK's biggest literature festival. 

Poetry Lessons

Would you like poetry lessons from an award winning poet?

I offer: 

• Poetry workshops; 
• Individual tuition;
• Your poems critiqued or edited;
• Coaching toward GCSE or A level. 

To find out more, email Lucienne Kim Flavell at Lucienneflavellpoet@gmail.com

Lucienne Kim Flavell Performs At The Ledbury Poetry Slam 2015

 Lucienne Kim Flavell 

Performs At The Ledbury Poetry Slam 2015

There was a queue of people when I arrived at The Market Theatre. The gentleman at the door asked if I was a performer. I said yes and he led me into the reception area were a group of poets chatted excitedly. 

The venue

I could feel my mouth going dry as I contemplated the task ahead of me. This was my first public performance in five years and I had never performed at a poetry slam. I had never been to a poetry slam. I didn't know what to expect.

I attempted conversation with a couple of friendly looking women. They told me they had both performed at many poetry slams. They said I was very brave to start at the biggest poetry festival in the UK. 

The organiser led us to the front of the hall. I counted over two hundred heads. I frowned as more people poured in and started to take up residency in the gang way; they had accidently oversold tickets. 

Sara-Jane Arbury read out my introduction and I climbed the few steps to the stage. I could feel my heart in my mouth as I reached the microphone. I took a few seconds to scan the faces in the front row. My mum give a thumbs up.  

Lucienne Kim Flavell Ledbury Poetry Slam 2015

I took a deep breath and did everything as I had practiced; the facial expressions, the emotion in my voice. Towards the end my whole body was shaking; not because the poem I was reciting was mournful but because my nerves had got the better of me.

Numerous people congratulated me after the show. They were not aware I had been anxious. My mum said my trembling had made my performance more convincing!

Ledbury Poetry Festival 2015

Ledbury Poetry Festival 2015

My mum and I arrived at Ledbury train station not knowing there was no taxi rank. I called the B&B owner who told me taxies were private hire and I had to book them in advance. Only four gentlemen served the market town. I called each of them to discover they were fully booked during the poetry festival.

The owner of the B&B rescued us from the train station. We were dismayed when we realised he was taking us deep into the countryside.  The website had claimed the property was a short walking distance to the centre of town. It was in fact 7 miles away.

The owner of the B&B said there was a reliable bus service. The bus stop was an hour walk away and the bus came four times a day.  This meant we would miss out on the morning and evening performances, including my performance at the Ledbury Poetry Slam! Nightmare!

The bus time table

My mum waiting on the grassy knoll for the bus.

I managed to get the number of a gentlemen called Phillip who served Birmingham Airport. He travelled over to us every day to drive us into town and back. It cost us £40 a day but we didn’t care. We were desperate.

The B&B owner advised us to book a table for every meal during the festival or we might get turned away. Great. My mum and I constantly checked our schedule to see when we were available for lunch or dinner, then walked up and down the high street checking with each restaurant if they were free.

On the plus side the B&B was beautiful; a converted barn in the middle of a working farm.  The beds were comfortable, the bathroom was light and stylish. The place and had a real home sweet home feel.

The food was delicious at every restaurant we went to. I would recommend the Feather’s Hotel for dinner if you are heading into Ledbury. Such exquisite ingredients, gorgeously presented and bursting with flavour.        

I Will Be Performing at The Ledbury Poetry Festival

I have exciting news! I will be performing my poetry at the Ledbury Poetry Festival; the biggest poetry festival in the UK! My name will be joined by the likes of Michael Donaghy, Jo Bell, Simon Armitage, Imtiaz Dharker, Don Paterson and Pam Ayres.