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The International Literature showcase named the Golden Hour as one of the 5 literary events which excite and inspire. Thanks to all the talented friends & artists who made it so fun to put together.

On Sunday 30 October, 6pm til late, The Golden Hour presents … BONE DIGGER, in which we don our masks & give ourselves a fright.

Poetic Haunted House & Music from:

www.thegoldenhourevent.com

(Please note, unfortunately the Dissection Room is not an accessible venue for those using wheelchairs.)

Tickets are £7 advance, £9 on the door, and 5 for £25 advance.

Edinburgh’s premier literary cabaret is coming on tour! 

Join Ryan Van Winkle (Crashaw Award winner and author of Tomorrow, We Will Live Here), Jane Flett (one of Salt’s Best British poets 2012 and author of Quick, to the Hothouse), and Emma Wipperman for some poetry-shaped words, with music by Alex’s Hilarious Enterprises, Drock Productions, and Alfred Ladylike.

What: Golden Hour Unplugged!

When: Saturday 14 June, 8pm

Where: Another Country Berlin, Riemannstr 7, 10961, Berlin

How Much: FREE

On Monday 19 August the Reel Iraq team of Scottish and Iraqi poets and artists are part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Unbound series. We’re showing off some of the best work from both countries, plus some of our collaborations and translations. It’s going to be a really special night, hope to see you there.

Reel Iraq: The Golden Hour

Monday 19 August, 9-11pm (FREE)

Revel in a special evening of contemporary Iraqi culture, to mark ten years since the invasion of Iraq, with poetry, theatre and music. Featuring acclaimed Iraqi poets Sabreen Kadhim (coming direct from Baghdad) and Ghareeb Iskander, accompanied by new translations from renowned Scotland-based poets Krystelle Bamford, John Glenday, Jen Hadfield and William Letford; compelling theatre from Dina Moussawi and Iraqi Choobi dance music. This event is supported in part by Creative Scotland and LIFT Festival.

What: Reel Iraq: The Golden Hour

Where: The Guardian Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh

When: Monday 19 August, 9-11pm

How Much: FREE.

Stirling: The Golden Hour

The Golden Hour has packed houses throughout the world — from the Edinburgh International Book Festival all the way to Melbourne with stops in Berlin, Paris, Beirut and Montreal. This time, we have the distinct pleasure of bringing our closing party for Reel Iraq to Stirling’s Raploch Community Campus, featuring renowned Iraqi and Scottish poets, short films, and music from Billy Liar & Hailey Beavis.

We have Iraqi poetry from Ghareeb Iskander, Sabreen Kadhim, Zahir Mousa, Awezan Nouri and new translations from John Glenday, Jen Hadfield, William Letford and Krystelle Bamford. We did some great work with these guys during our stay in Iraq, and we’re really proud to host them in Scotland. It’s a free show, so if you’re in Stirling on Monday 25 March, come join us for some amazing and unique poetry performances.

What: Reel Iraq Closing Party

Where: Raploch Community Campus, Drip Rd, Stirling, FK8 1RD

When: Monday 25 March, 7pm

How Much: FREE!

Introducing – The Golden Hour

Back in October we hit the road in the Gorilla Perfumes tour bus and made beautiful music and words happen all over the UK’s favourite cities. We furthermore cannot be held accountable for the brief and slight olfactory improvements made in those cities. It was an incredible ride, and for those of you who missed us we present a brief video journey across the island. All the films were done by Luke Flemming on our Golden Hour ‘Infused & Bemused Tour’.

Golden Hour – Manchester – Billy Liar

Golden Hour – London – Robin Grey and Collisions Dance

Golden Hour – Edinburgh – Inspace

Golden Hour – Leeds – Robin Grey and Collisions Dance

Golden Hour – Oxford – Garance Lewis

Golden Hour – Sheffield – Hailey Beavis

Golden Hour – Brighton – Hannah Moulette / Ruth Skipper

Golden Hour – Stirling – Andy McKay

Golden Hour – Newcastle – Billy Liar and Ryan Van Winkle

Golden Hour – Stirling – Lake Montgomery

THE GOLDEN HOUR gets fa-la-la-la festive!

December 15th, 2010
8pm
Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Pl
Free! Free! Free! (byob)

Words:

Samuel Taradash + Jarred McGinnis – Release a special double chapbook, boom!

Jason Morton – the annual roar

Tim Turnbull – Beware the tinselled Succubus

Ben Lancaster – Live from Canada with Holiday Tidings.

Music:

Pockets & Alex — Fantastic Uke Boogies!!!

Forest Choir – A full chorale opens their lungs.

John Langan Band – Do you like the party?

Tis the season & all that.

Obligatory Golden Hour Book Vol. II Hype:

Since publication in June 2009, the Golden Hour Book Vol. II has had some great reviews from a wide range of sources. I’ll save your eyes the trouble of actually reading the whole things and just print the brilliant blurbs here. However, in case you think we’re faking, you can check out the links to the real actual articles!

* Edinburgh International Book Festival Programmer, Roland Gulliver, admits he has the GHBII on his bed-side table in Canada’s National Post newspaper.

We blush.

* The often brutally honest Scott Pak of Me and My Big Mouth Blog says:

“A very impressive literary and music anthology. A dinky little paperback packed with stories and poetry, most of which are very good indeed, and a 20 track CD full of bands I have never heard of but also mostly splendid. (****)”

Read the whole thing here. We did. Many times.

* The Edinburgh Evening News selects the GHB II as one of their favourite local reads of the year. Considering Edinburgh’s Unesco City of Literature status and super-star literary status, we were choking on our Christmas Nog. The back of book blurb reads:

“An eclectic, experimental, gently explosive treasure trove that brings together some of the creative combustions which light up the Forest Cafe.”

Doesn’t that sound sweet as sugar? Read the whole review here.

* Just to prove that we can’t please everyone — This folk at The Beat Surrender say,

“the book itself didn’t do a great deal for me, the poetry I could take or leave and aside from a couple of short stories I found it heavy going and had to force myself to get through it.”

BUT WAIT!

The good news is:

“The CD though makes up for the book they really have landed some peaches for us here. Not everyone hits the spot out of the twenty but they have more than enough quality through the majority of tracks to warrant a purchase.”

Boom! Even the guy who hates the book says you should Buy the Book. Convinced yet?

* Well, The Skinny said you should stuff your stocking with GHBII. They say:

“To those weary and wary book hunters, the reluctant gamblers and the open hearted, pick up GHBII, it’s a sure bet.”

You don’t get many “sure-bets” in life. And even the ones that you think you have end up with the card table fliped over and a gun in your mouth. Just ask Kenny Rogers. We promise that if you Buy the Book, it won’t get that ugly.

* The mostly music-loving kids at Unpeeled gave massive respect to both the book and cd. I can’t resist posting a good chunk of the review mostly because their site’s motto is so bad-ass:

“We like music. We listen to it. We write about it. We don’t do favours & we don’t tell lies.”

Sound trustworthy? – here’s some of what they said:

“The CD sounds like that tent you find in the middle of the madness of one of the larger festivals. You know the tent, the one where you have no idea who any of the people on the stage are, but you find yourself staying there all day just to see who’s on next. With over 20 contributors, including the likes of Billy Liar, Withered hand, Skeleton Bob, Johnny Berliner, Chandra and The Black Diamond Express amongst others, I can almost guarantee that your new favourite song is contained within, waiting to be discovered.

‘When we Were Broke’ by Ericka Duffy is possibly one of the most beautiful and true stories I have ever read. It’s been a long time since a story has made me choke up. Other highlights, which are hard to pick out from a book made up of highlights, include ‘The Birds, Like’ by Phil Harrison, a wickedly captivating tale told from the point of view of a frustrated bully, and the poem ‘Lunch’ by Aiko Harman, if only because it mentions peanut butter, which in my world is a condiment. All in all this collection is a superb little package that you will return to over and over, highly recommended. ”

I can’t find the whole review on the Unpeeled site but could find it on Robin Grey’s. His song, Women, was also lauded by Unpeeled. You must hear it.

* Lastly, the great literary magazine Northwords Now produced a flattering review which has yet to appear on-line. Here’s a small blurb:

“Reviewing this collection is like trying to herd cats into a sack — beautiful cats, strangely furred rippling, not quite tamed. It is a bold and commendable venture: to give voice to a number of (relatively) unknown artists although many of the writers have been short-listed for or won prizes. The Forest is to be applauded for the originality of this project. There is simply too much to cram into this review …. Best thing to do: buy a copy. Invite some friends round. Open some bottles. Host your own Golden Hour. Dance to poetry. Then do it again next week.”

We like that suggestion! Mini-Golden Hour’s all over the world, linked by satellite, linked by love of words and music, linked by a sense of literary fun and musical adventure. Won’t you join us?

Buy the book.

IS THE GOLDEN HOUR BOOK SUITABLE FOR YOU?

If you enjoy words, the answer is ‘yes’. If you enjoy sounds, the answer is ‘yes’. Even if you have not answered ‘yes’, the answer is still ‘yes’. For The Golden Hour Book Volume II is not just a book: it is also a natural resource that may save your life. Its pages will burn without being consumed. It keeps tigers away.

The accompanying CD is equally essential: it can be used as a plate, or better still, sharpened and thrown like a shuriken into the throat of your enemy. Even if the end approaches, there is still the consolation of the words and sounds within — fine poems, stories, and songs from over three dozen poets, writers and musicians — all of which are guaranteed to take your mind off things.

Special thanks to Ron Butlin who gave us these advanced words of appreciation:

“There is genuine wit, deep feeling and real entertainment in this most enjoyable volume. Light-hearted and serious by turns, The Golden Hour Book Volume II contains some of the best and freshest new writing I have come across for quite a while.”

– Ron Butlin, Edinburgh Makar

With Big Love to the Scottish Arts Council and all the hard-working volunteers at The Forest without whom none of this would have been physically or financially possible.

The Golden Hour will be touring again in March and June. If you want us to come to your city, town or village contact me now. Otherwise, look out for our upcoming dates!

xxl

Ryan

OCT 21, 2009
8pm
Forest Cafe, 3 Bristo Pl
Free! (byob)

WORDS:

Jane McKie – the poet brings it! It being her new book – “When the Sun Turns Green”

Al White – Tickling little poems.

Kirsti Wishart – pushes your dial as far as it will go with her new chapbook “How We Discovered the Deep”

Jane Griffiths – mysteriously resonant poems about home, exile and shifting frontiers.

MUSIC:

Pockets – the uke bastard.

Silent Theory Orchestra – spoken word layered on looped guitar and “sounds”.

FoxGang – Incredible, ravaged, cosmic rock ‘n’ roll!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAg5KjnAhuU