Will Harris – Brother Poem
WithWill Harris
In conversation withHelen Charman
On:23rd March 2023, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
It's wonderful to be able to welcome Will Harris to the bookshop to celebrate the publication of his next poetry collection, Brother Poem. RENDANG, his debut collection, was a bookseller favourite here in the shop and we're so excited for this next collection of poems addressed to a brother who never existed. He will be in conversation with writer and academic Helen Charman.
This event will take place in the bookshop with an in-person audience, as well as a livestream for attendees watching from home. There will be a signing after the event.
In-person vouchers can be redeemed on the night of the event against a single copy of Brother Poem – we will have a list of attendees with vouchers to be redeemed. Please note that only one voucher can be redeemed per book. Livestream vouchers are valid until the day after the event and can be redeemed on the website against a single copy of Brother Poem.
About Brother Poem:
In Brother Poem, Will Harris follows up his debut collection with a set of poems addressed to the brother that he never had. Fascinated by the contradiction of mourning what never existed, Harris paints a moving portrait of contemporary anxieties around language, identity and images of the self. In these poems, Harris wields shifting perspectives and obsessive thought loops to reflect on the fictions we tell ourselves in our attempts to live up to the demands of others. The result is a stunning, idiosyncratic work of speculative poetry – one in which Harris enters into a parallel timeline in order to better understand our current world.
Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.
Participants:
Will Harris Author
Will Harris is a London-based writer. His debut poetry book, RENDANG, won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. His poems and essays have appeared in the New Republic, Poets & Writers, SPAM, the TLS, and Granta. He co-leads the Southbank Poetry Collective with Vanessa Kisuule, and works in extra care homes in Tower Hamlets as an activity worker. He is a visiting poetry fellow at UEA developing a new community-led archive of four poets' work.
Helen Charman Chair
Helen Charman is a writer and academic based in Glasgow. Her first book, MOTHER STATE, is forthcoming from Allen Lane. She teaches in the English Studies department at Durham University.
The venue
The Portobello Bookshop
46 Portobello High Street
Edinburgh
EH15 1DA
Telephone: 0131 629 6756
Website: www.theportobellobookshop.com
Wheelchair Access
We have a ramp at the front of the shop which has a ratio of 1:10 and loading capacity of 300kg, and so should be able to be used by most wheelchair users or those with mobility vehicles. The front doors are fully automated. Our shop interior is designed to allow access throughout for wheelchair users and prams, though please note there is only 700mm wide clearance to access the staff toilet.
Sound
We use a PA system to enhance the audio at our live events. We also have a hearing loop system installed, if you’d like to use our loop system during an event please let us know and we’ll make sure we have it set up and connected to the live audio feed during the event. If you wish to attend an event and require BSL interpretation, please give us a few weeks notice and we’ll do our best to arrange an interpreter.