Loading...Steve Pottinger and Emma Purshouse work in the arts. The are both award winning writers and engaging performers of their work.
Steve and Emma can offer a variety talks linked to poetry, performance, music, and publishing.
Fees for Steve and Emma’s talks (whether two-handers or one speaker) are £65 – travel outside of the Black Country would be on top. They can offer zoom talks or in-person talks.
Emma Purshouse and Steve Pottinger talk about life as self-employed writers and performance poets, their respective creative journeys within this field, and how they make a living from the arts. Steve and Emma will share anecdotes, talk about some of the madcap, quirky, and unexpected projects they’ve been involved in, and spout some poetry along the way! Opportunity for Q & A.
Steve Pottinger shares the development of his business Ignite Books – a maverick publisher which has successfully produced books by punks, wrestlers, cabaret artists, rock journalists and more. Together with Ignite author Emma Purshouse – who will share an author’s perspective on being published by a small press – they’ll share anecdotes, read excerpts from some of the books, and give a fascinating insight into the world of small press publishing.
Ignite – the journey of a small press
Emma Purshouse talks about the Black Country elements of her work as a writer, performer, and editor of The Blackcountryman magazine. She will share her experiences of writing about the region, her involvement in local arts projects, and talk about the use of local dialect and local history within her attempts to promote the Black Country further afield. Together with fellow Black Country creative Steve Pottinger, they’ll also share examples of poetry created to celebrate the Black Country region.
Attracted by the magic of stardust and a desire to avoid the 9-5, Steve Pottinger fell into work in the music business instead. He started out as local crew, unloading and re-loading trucks and helping to set up shows. He now works as a stage manager at some of the biggest festivals in Europe. It’s been quite the journey. Expect anecdotes, stories, and insights into how the industry has changed – for better and worse – over the years.
Emma Purshouse talks about her role as the first Poet Laureate for the City of Wolverhampton, explaining what the work of a city laureate entails and sharing examples of the creative work she completed during her tenure. This includes poetry about local people and place, focussing on such things as Queen Victoria’s visit to Wolverhampton, Catherine Eddowes links to the city, Red Emma, and the ruminations of the Man on the Oss.
