A delightful first Brixton Bookjam of 2015

Another March, another brilliant Brixton BookJam. 12 writers read to a local crowd at the BookJam’s regular venue the Hootananny on Monday night.

Courttia Newland at the Bookjam. Photo credit: Stuart Taylor
Courttia Newland at the Bookjam. Photo credit: Stuart Taylor

Last night Brixton book-lovers joined 12 writers for a relaxed evening of spoken word and music in the Hootananny. We heard new material from Lucy Ribchester, Rosie Wilby, Paul McVeigh, Montague Kobbe, Belle de Neige, Robert Eaglestone, Jenny Stallard, Angela Wilson, Martin Millar, Ben Byrne, Susie Cornfield, Courttia Newland and music from Raleigh Rye all the way from Greenwich Village, NYC.

Local author Courttia Newland made us all squirm with delight as he read out a steamy sex scene from his book The Gospel According To Cane – you read our interview with Courttia on the Blog.

Feminist comedian and local author Rosie Wilby was there, with a hilarious rendition of her coming out story from It’s Okay To Be Gay, a collection of coming out stories. You can read our interview with Rosie in this month’s Brixton Bugle or online.

Rosie Wilby
Rosie Wilby making people laugh. Photo credit: Stuart Taylor

There were musical interludes, notably from New Yorker Raleigh Rye who treated us to his own take on Southern-inspired rock and roll.

Raleigh Rye
Raleigh Rye performing at the Brixton BookJam. Photo credit: Stuart Taylor

Journalist and critic Susie Cornfield read from her novel Red Ice which imagines a world where Mother Nature abandons God and God quits Heaven.

Susie Cornfield
Seated stand-up from Susie Cornfield at the BookJam. Photo credit: Stuart Taylor

If you couldn’t make it, you can listen to the whole thing on Soundcloud.