Rose Condo live stream book launch

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

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Rose Condo live stream book launch

9 November 2020

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Poet Rose Condo. Photo by Charles Leek.
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Rose Condo has been working the live literature and performance poetry scene for a while now, accumulating a fan base around the North West and beyond, but perhaps surprisingly this event marks the launch of only her debut collection. She’s been busy in all that time, though, winning numerous poetry slams and taking three acclaimed and award-winning poetry theatre shows on the road – and the new book, After the Storm (taking the title of one of her hard-hitting performance pieces), contains the unabridged scripts of those: The Geography of Me, How to Starve an Artist and, most recently, The Empathy Experiment.

Rosie Garland says Rose Condo’s work is “a steadying reminder of compassion in a world tipped off its axis”, and the new collection is published by Flapjack Press on 9 November.

Written and performed by Rose, The Empathy Experiment received critical acclaim at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe and was crowned Best Spoken Word Show at the 2019 Greater Manchester Fringe and shortlisted at the 2020 Saboteur Awards. It sees the Canadian poet wonder whether empathy is facing extinction as a result of our inability to survive without smartphones. Weaving together observations from her own Day Of No Mobile Phones, “ask the audience”-style live participation and expertly crafted poems, the show explores tech addiction and compassion. The first of the trilogy showcased in the book, The Geography of Me takes the audience on a trip through foreign and familiar lands, recounting hilarity and heartbreak, while the jam in the sandwich, How to Starve an Artist, is a series of poems and stories about creative nourishment and how to feed your inner artist.

Described as “innovative and inspirational”, After the Storm the paper version also includes QR codes to access accompanying original music composed by Eleonora Rosca, full colour artwork by Jen McDonald and a foreword by fellow poet and performer Tina Sederholm, who says of Rose: “One of the most polished and heartfelt wordsmiths on the spoken word scene. Her subtle lyricism cradles you in a warm embrace and then gently but firmly delivers an emotional and thought-provoking gut punch.” Her publisher stablemate Rosie Garland (whose As In Judy follow-up, What Girls Do In The Dark, has just come out with Nine Arches) says Rose Condo’s work is “a steadying reminder of compassion in a world tipped off its axis”, and the new collection is published by Flapjack Press in paperback and eBook on 9 November – the same day as this special live stream book launch – with signed copies available to pre-order now.

Based in Salford, Rose Condo is originally from Canada, where she studied Theatre & Drama at the University of Winnipeg before heading to the University of Leeds to do a Masters in Theatre & Development Studies. She was longlisted for the inaugural Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship and has supported the likes of Hollie McNish. Supporting her in this live captioned event is guest poet Kieren King, spoken word artist and long-time compère and organiser of well-respected Guy Garvey-endorsed Evidently and the Word War poetry slams – Rose took the belt at Word War One…

Rose Condo - After the Storm book cover
Rose Condo – After the Storm book cover

Where to go near Rose Condo live stream book launch

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Indie Makers
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Indie Makers, located in Leads’ corn exchange, trades in art and gifts from independent makers across the UK.

Plant Point
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Eat Your Greens

Eat Your Greens is a vibrant, organic restaurant bringing a hint of European flair to the city’s plant-based dining scene.

Sela opened in 2004 with an idea to provide quality imported beers from around the world, fun cocktails to compliment the beer selections and a stage for the region’s finest and most talented musicians to play on.Over ten years later, we’re still all about the beer, cocktails, live music and pizza!We carry over a selection of over thirty different beers spanning the globe from Pickering with The Great Yorkshire Brewery’s Yorkshire Blackout, to New York with a selection from Brooklyn Brewery, and Belgium with longtime Sela favourite, Vedett.Our cocktails change regularly too. Our best-sellers are joined by fun, new offerings and our pizza menu is regarded as one of the best the city of Leeds has to offer.As for the live music, Sela has had not only the great and the good from the region. Local funksters, The New Mastersounds are regular visitors and we stage the amazing Mojah Reggae Band for their weekly Wednesday residency.  Our other long running programming incl
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Sela Bar & Pizzeria

Sela Bar is a cosy Leeds basement spot with live music, great drinks, and a cool, laid-back, atmospheric vibe.

Leeds Beckett SU
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Leeds Beckett Student Union

Leeds Beckett Student Union hosts big-name artists and supports students through events, live music, and a vibrant campus venue.

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There's ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and entertainment facilities, making for a great evening out!

Watch the latest film releases and enjoy the industry-leading Sony 4K Digital screens, boasting spectacular picture quality, along with enhanced audio quality courtesy of Dolby 'Profound Sound'. Stepped SuperVue seating means you will never miss a second of the action while VIP seating guarantees you an extra touch of luxury whenever you want to upgrade.

Three of the nine screens showcase the newest 3D releases while Vue Classical brings the latest stage sensations to the big screen, and parents can save as they go with Family Tickets and Kids AM screenings offering great value for money.
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Vue Cinema – Leeds Kirkstall Road

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There’s ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and

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