Our Literary London Blog page

So.

I was in the Twelve Bar on Denmark Street in Soho with Filmaker Andy.  He used to be MyLodger Andy, then VanDriver Andy and now he's FilmMaker Andy. Of course he was always FilmMaker Andy, it's just that none of us, including Andy, realised it for some years.

Then in shimmies Maddy, shaking her Soho stack at the boys in the pool room. Tonight is a charity night with some very smart comical and musical talent.  It's a fund-raiser for the uber-cool London Arts radio station, Resonance 104.4 FM.  It's like BBC4 on steroids.  You need a Phd just to listen.  Get it?  It's cool. Very London. Very cool.

Head Resonance FM guy is there.  Of course Maddy knows him. (And her twin sister, Maddie. Thanks for noticing in the last newsletter by the way! You know who you are! x)

So Maddy slinks up to Head Radio Guy in the 12 Bar and fixes him with her baby blues.  I think he visibly melts.
 

"See him?" She nods in my direction. "Not only is he doing great chops with Dickens, Thomas, Woolf and London Lit generally, he was nominated for a Creative Briton gong and won a Sony Radio Award a few years ago. You know what that is? Its like a radio Oscar. So give him a gig.  And do it now, because it'll be good."

Head radio guy smiles at me and I smile back.  "Right", says Maddy, swings on her hips and heads for the door.  "Newsletter," she throws over her shoulder at me.  She passes the pool hall and the boys stop playing, distracted by her cacophony of hips, lips and blonde hair. "Don't take your eyes of your balls, boys," she purrs and is gone into the night.

I think that's how it happened anyway.  It might be the same noir influence of the first newsletter. But I'm on Resonance 104.4 FM. Listen in on Fridays 7-8pm. Repeated Weds morning 7-8am. Arts Radio is good!  This week we’re doing a request show. If you’d like a poem or a passage read out, drop me a quick line or Tweet @NHennegan. We play music too if you’d like a song.
 

If you are a fan of Dylan Thomas listen to me first show again as a podcast. (And watch the brilliant 'Poet in New York' exec produced by our own Griff Rhys Jones on BBC i-player if you missed it)
 

Londonliterarypubcrawl.com/podcasts.

The Radio show is also on Soundcloud.   And if you are not in London, you can find it here next Friday. Or Weds morning. Don’t forget to send in a request for this week.

www.resonancefm.co.uk
 

We've sold out!


 

Not creatively, artistically or financially (damn it!). But a year or so ago I was sitting in the bar of the Fitzroy Tavern, in Fitzrovia, London- Fitzrovia the area was named after the PUB! How cool is London! I was with Andy Filmaker (see above and below) looking at the pictures on the wall of Dylan Thomas, George Orwell, et al and thinking... there must be some stories here.  And there were! So we now have a three hour, two actor promenade theatre performance every Saturday around the streets of Soho and Fitzrovia. And guess what, kids.  It's sold out till August!  So we're adding extra shows on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm AND an extra Saturday matinee show at 1pm.  What larks Pip!  

See here - LondonLiteraryPubCrawl.com
 

And finally... I'm really proud of my mate Andy Lodger/Driver/Filmaker mentioned above.  He crashed at my place in Birmingham for a few years, a few years ago. We literally were so poor at one time that we ate nothing but noodles and drank tea for 2 weeks. Think 'Withnail and I' without the drugs or the Welsh holiday.  (Uncle Monty is a story for another time!)  Andy helped out with the Maverick pub theatre in Brum and moved to London for love. 

So it’s great his first feature film script, 'Peterman' has just been made, starring, amongst others, Alison Steadman.  And his next script, 'Das Weekend' is with some heavyweight Hollywood film people.  Andy is going to direct it as well.  Here's Andy's 'mood' film for 'Das Weekend' - a short series of extracts that gives you the 'feel' of how the feature film will be.  I've read the script and some of the characters are fantastic! Oh, be warned though - it'll probably attract an 18 rating!

http://vimeo.com/68543465

Thanks so much for your feedback on this newsletter last time.  Keep it coming. I love to hear from you.  And don’t forget to email or tweet a request for this weeks radio show.  And if you are involved in anyway with the literary scene in London, please let me know.  Bookclub, festival, events, favourite music to write to, new book... anything.  

I'll ask Maddy too…
 

Love/theatrical hugs,

Nick.

x

Nick Hennegan.

Artistic Director, Producer, Tea-boy and Maddy’s Chum.