Peter Barlow’s Cigarette #27 at Waterstone’s
Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor
As purveyors of fine experimental poetry The Other Room take their final bows across town on 18 April, rival avant-garde gang Peter Barlow’s Cigarette aren’t letting them get away that easily. In a cunning stroke of genius, PBC have invited the three TOR musketeers James Davies, Tom Jenks and Scott Thurston over to their Deansgate HQ to read together, a rarely seen occurrence (except perhaps fleetingly at a Verbose in days of yore). The perfect way, then, to celebrate 10 years together for a second time – and to shift a few more copies of their lovely-looking tenth annual anthology, which brings together the work of writers who have performed on The Other Room stage over the last 12 months.
They’re a busy bunch, but here’s a quick lowdown of their work as individual artists. James Davies has published a number of books and has a collaborative novel (with Philip Terry), When Two Are In Love or As I Came To Behind Frank’s Transporter, out soon on Crater Press. Tom Jenks edits the avant-objects imprint zimZalla and has a collection of short prose forthcoming on if p then q (more on their tenth birthday bash soon). Scott Thurston has published 12 books and chapbooks of poetry, and new pamphlet Draft Vicinity is due out shortly with Knives Forks and Spoons.
Free entry, free refreshments – best get there quick-sharp (and there’s just enough time to hotfoot it over from David Gaffney’s book signing).
