the Auld Fold! 1st publication of 2015

As part of Kathrine Sowerby's beautiful Four Fold publication series, five of the core touring poets also produced this collaborative poem that was published in January 2015 as the Auld Fold, featuring nick-e melville, Colin Herd, Ryan Van Winkle, Ross Sutherland and SJ Fowler. https://fourdotfold.wordpress.com/

Auld Enemies: a documentary on poetry, touring, Scotland & collaboration

What this means to me, Ross Sutherland's generous, technically excellent and warm hearted documentary of our Auld Enemies tour of Scotland, is quite significant. It's the most apt testament to what we did, in it's humour and flow and deference, and its so rare to have something concrete, something that will last, that somehow captures one of these poetry things I've been experiencing in the last year. So many times, like with my visits to Iraq, Mexico, Denmark, Venice etc.. in the last year, the experience feels so intense, so wonderful at the time that I know I'll remember it so fondly, and it'll be so significant to me, and yet there is only the work itself and the memory left. Which is a good thing. Yet when I confront this documentary, see what it stands for, for me, I am left feeling very grateful, very humbled that I might get to relive something very special, in the years to come, through it's being watched. 

Auld Enemies in London

It all ends up in London, and so we reconvened at the Rich Mix Arts Centre to invite new pairs of poets, screen some of Ross Sutherland's amazing documentary he made during our Scotland tour and share excerpts of the core poet's collaborations. A lovely evening to come together so soon, to reminiscence {already} and share our experience with friends and the like.  Auld Enemies London
Ross Sutherland & Colin Herd & Ryan Van Winkle & nick-e melville & SJ Fowler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSUC5L742SQ
Emily Berry & John Clegg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJeKEFHrpUA
Vahni Capildeo & Jeremy Noel-Tod https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfA6MIC94mo
Tim Atkins & Jeff Hilson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi6wp_2wLFQ
Nick Murray & Eley Williams https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9RD4-hGK84
Kirsty Irving & Harry Man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VP91dLg1qk

Auld Enemies diary - Edinburgh

The Auld Enemies project is quite obviously an experiment. We put a lot of time into making sure it was as well organised as it could be, that the pairs of poets we asked to collaborate were carefully matched, for or against each other, and that the venues and local poetry communities we asked to partner us were the right people to approach. Yet, after this event in Edinburgh, it became clear to me we needed a moment when it became obvious the whole thing was a good idea and that the experiment had been a success. It came at Summerhall, with a night so good, so full of brilliant new work, so full of openness and intensity and energy, a night that brought together a whole community, that I really felt if it had ended there, in Edinburgh, three nights in, it all was worthwhile. The Demonstration room was absolutely full to capacity, with people sitting in the aisles and standing, and the 22 poets in 11 pairs all used the rawness of the idea to bring genuinely exciting work, and poetry and performance that really showed the variance of responses to the open criteria. After the event, many said to me it was the best evening of poetry they'd ever been to, and it was undoubtedly one of the finest events I've ever put on. Already a creative crescendo for Auld Enemies, nights like this make you think of doing it all again. 
Auld Enemies Edinburgh:
Ryan Van Winkle & William Letford https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clX4wL6G2MM
JL Williams & J.Johanneson Gaitan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwP5R0Ttlx4
SJ Fowler & Ross Sutherland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT10PSFxCk0
nick-e melville & Jane Goldman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NgtoI73Hm8
MacGillivray & Andrew Blair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CktB3yYAWP8
Mike Saunders & Karen Veitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGOiyOozsvk
Rob McKenzie & Janette Ayachi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiGMT0VffPA
Colin Herd & Iain Morrison https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_LwXXfxzI8