Utter! Lutonia
A place where divides drop away and humanity unites humans.
Where speaking and listening is natural and free - not something to be measured but something in which to limitlessly luxuriate. Each UTTER! Lutonia is slightly different but just as full of warmth, joy, challenge, ideas, glorious people and wonderful words.
We are coming up on our 10th Anniversary (watch out for some kind of extravaganza in September at UTTER!Lutonia 36) and many things have changed but some things have been constant: an open door, a welcoming atmosphere, an eclectic and challenging set of ideas and the kindness, always the kindness.
Music, stories, poetry; all the glories of the human voice along with the almost legendary ClodMagazinePop-upBookstall . . . plus sweet music from DJ Stephen Whiting and regular hosting from regular host Lee Nelson plus the delights of the below:
LINE UP
JOE BUZFUZ
“Synth punk troubador from Sheffield.”
Joe Buzfuz is the solo electro/post-punk guise of Joe Murphy, leader of London band Sergeant Buzfuz, whose critical acclaim is in inverse proportion to their record sales. But they've played three live BBC 6 Music sessions for the likes of Marc Riley and Tom Robinson, so there!
He co-runs the Blang record label (home to David Cronenberg's Wife, Meatraffle, Thomas Truax and other outsider songwriters).
Now back in his native Sheffield, Joe Buzfuz combines electronic backing tapes and guitar with tales of modern life.
“It's mental. Absolutely hooked on it" IAN RANKIN, NOVELIST
“an eye-opener and an eyebrow-raiser” GIDEON COE, 6 MUSIC
"That is, I do believe, what you call a pop tune" MARC RILEY, 6 MUSIC
“absolutely brilliant” TOM ROBINSON, 6 MUSIC
"wry storytelling, sharp tongued in the most amiable way." SHINDIG
“One of my favourite songs for some time"” MARK LAMARR, BBC RADIO 2
“I find myself almost lost for words...absolutely glorious” PETER MUGGS, THE ARTS DESK
“Ceaselessly inventive" TIMEOUT
Blang documentary film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzZl2ZVbpzE
RAE LEAVER RAHMAN
“Grounded in place, from a foundation of faith in humanity, she soars and explores…”
Rae Leaver Rahman was highly commended in the 2022 Rheidol Prize with her novella Revival, shortlisted in the 2022 Aurora Prize for her story The Colossus of Luton, highly commended in 2023's MinK collection Green Spaces in the City, and is currently The Literary Consultancy's 2022 Scholar. She is also proudly a Wardown Poet, having been featured in Clod Magazine's 10th Fold Edition.
ULAN BATOR III
“Guitar and vox still searching for the ineffable and unenviable.”
Loping aimlessly from the backwoods of the Midlands, Ulan Bator III has kept company with pedal-heavy noiseniks and electro-jointed blipmeisters. He now remains a musical drifter without portfolio; but with guitar and voice.
HAZERA FORTH
“I learnt to detach myself so well, I'm finally a whole person.”
Hazera is nearly half a century of post 1971 immigration generational trauma who pursues enlightenment through allotmenteering, twitching, infrequently performance poeting, or nature writing. She believes fate will get her to stand-up at the Edinburgh Fringe if she can only stop faffing about in her day job in the NHS as a leader in analytics.
Long listed for Poetry Wales 2021 Pamphlet prize and some minor publications across the net in the noughties. Part of Ouse Muse and BedSlam, and local stanza of the Poetry Society. Alumni of Alex Keegan's Bootcamp writers. Supporter of Bedford Foodbank and Friends of Refugees – Bedfordshire.
EDDIE HEATON
“a cunningly assembled linguistic cornucopia, an originality of voice, style, atmosphere and imagery using surrealism, incongruity and words.”
Eddie Heaton studied innovative and experimental poetry under the tutelage of post-modern poet and educator Keith Jebb, achieving a first-class honours degree.
He also won the 2021 Carcanet Award for Creative Writing.
THIS EVENT ALSO FEATURES:
- Expert hosting and expectation-wrangling from the living Lutonian legend that is Lee Nelson.
- Vibration control and atmospheric-engineering from the Round-Green based spinning Sonic-o-Titan Stephen Whiting
- Biblio-vendatory magnificence and great-learning-worn-lightly charm provided by one of the beating hearts of the Clod coalition – Andy Kingston
Running time: 2.5 hours, including intervals
