Collaborators
The following people have given their time, creativity and support (for free) to help us in this project. Without their amazing collaboration, none of this would have been possible…together we are creating for a cure!
Max Wallis
Debut poetry pamphlet, Modern Love, was published by flipped eye in 2011. He has performed at Kendal Calling Festival, Ledbury Poetry Festival and the Latitude Slam. His poetry has been published in Popshot Magazine and Soul Feathers, alongside Leonard Cohen and Carol Ann Duffy. He is a member of the Barbican Centre's Young Poet Scheme and in studying on the MA in Creative Writing at the University of Manchester. He also models.
Model with Boss (Manchester) and D1 (London).
Modern Love is available from Amazon or flipped eye.
Follow Max on Twitter (@boommaxboom)
photo: Annabel Williams
Laura Hynd
Was born in Scotland but moved to England at an early age. She is a London based, well accomplished editorial photographer with her work being published on a regular base on several of the main titles in the UK. Her recent work “The Letting Go” is an intimate and daring exploration of herself and photography outside her comfort zone.
http://www.laurahynd.com/
Polly Clark
Was born in Toronto and brought up in Lancashire, Cumbria and the Borders of Scotland. She has worked variously as a zookeeper, a teacher of English in Hungary and in publishing at Oxford University Press. In 1997 she won an Eric Gregory Award for her poetry. Her first collection, ‘Kiss’ (Bloodaxe Books, 2000), was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. Her second, ‘Take Me With You’ (Bloodaxe Books, 2005), a Poetry Book Society Choice, was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. ‘Farewell My Lovely’ (Bloodaxe Books, 2009) is her third collection. She has also published short stories. Polly now lives on the West Coast of Scotland and is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Edinburgh University.
www.pollyclark.co.uk
Penelope Shuttle
Was born in Middlesex, and has lived in Falmouth, Cornwall since 1970, a place which often inspires her work. Her husband, Peter Redgrove, died in 2003, and her poetry collection, ‘Redgrove's Wife’ (2006), is a book of lament and celebration about his life and death, and the loss of her father. It was shortlisted for the 2007 T. S. Eliot Prize and the Forward Poetry Prize (Best Poetry Collection of the Year).
She received an Eric Gregory Award in 1974, and her first full-length poetry collection was ‘The Orchard Upstairs’ (1980), followed by several further collections, including ‘The Lion from Rio’ (1986); ‘Taxing the Rain’ (1992); ‘Building a City for Jamie’ (1996); and ‘A Leaf Out of His Book’ (1999). A book of her ‘Selected Poems: 1980-1996’, was published in 1998. Three of these collections have been Poetry Book Society Recommendations.
She is also the author of five earlier novels, including ‘All the Usual Hours of Sleeping’ (1969); and ‘The Mirror of the Giant’ (1980). With her husband, she published two non-fiction books ‘The Wise Wound: Eve's Curse and Everywoman’ (1978), dealing with the psychology and creative aspect of menstruation and its part in redefining the role of women; and its sequel, ‘Alchemy for Women: Personal Transformation Through Dreams and the Female Cycle’ (1995).
Charlotte Medlicott
Is a London based portrait photographer whose commercial work is to be found on the back of book jackets, in women's magazines and in newspapers. She is regularly found backstage at high profile fashion events, being distinctly low profile; a trait which reflects her hands off approach to photographing people.
Charlotte is fascinated by the process of portraiture and the process by which a subject, when not directed, is allowed to 'emerge' before the camera's gaze. It is this that made the Wild Women project, with the nakedness of the subject adding another dimension to that process, so interesting to her.
http://www.charlottemedlicott.co.uk/
John Challis
Was born in Essex and studied Culture, Media and Communication at Lancaster University from 2003 to 2006. His poems have appeared in Wild Women Press anthology 'The 3am Club', Citizen 32 Magazine, Spilt Milk Magazine, Rialto and other places. John reviews poetry for ‘Hand & Star’, is one of the editors of ‘Friction Magazine’ and is currently studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Newcastle University, where he was awarded the AHRC Scholarship in Creative Writing. John is also the co-creator and director of theatre company ‘Bubble & Squeek’, and literary night ‘Trashed Organ’.
http://www.trashedorgan.co.uk
@keyholesurgery
Andrew McMillan
Was born in 1988. His debut pamphlet, every salt advance, was published in 2009 by Red Squirrel Press and a second, the moon is a supporting player, is due in October 2011. He has been Writer-in-Residence for the Watershed Landscape Project as well as Poet-in-Residence for Off the Page and the Regional Youth Theatre Festival. His recently completed commission for the Cultural Olympiad was featured on the Today Programme on Radio 4. He is featured in the upcoming Salt Book of Younger Poets which showcases “the poets who will dominate UK poetry in years to come".
andrewmcmillanpoet.tumblr.com
twitter:
@exiledrhyme
Clare Pollard
Studied at Cambridge University and was the recipient of an Eric Gregory Award in 2000. Her first poetry collection, ‘The Heavy-Petting Zoo’, was published in 1998 and her second and third collections, ‘Bedtime’ and ‘Look, Clare! Look!’, were published in 2002 and 2005 respectively. She has also presented two television documentaries, one for Channel 4 with verse commentary.
Her first play, ‘The Weather’ (2004), was staged at the Royal Court in Autumn 2004, and her documentary for radio, ‘My Male Muse’ (2007), was a BBC Radio 4 Pick of the Year.
Clare Pollard lives in London and is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Essex Universty. In 2009 she edited an anthology of new poetry with James Byrne: ‘Voice Recognition: 21 Poets for the 21st Century’ (2009). Her latest collection of poetry, ‘Changeling’ (2011) is Poetry Book Society Recommended.
http://clarepollard.com/
Longfella aka Tony Walsh
Is one of the UK's most renowned performance poets and a respected writer, workshop leader and community organiser. He has performed everywhere from The British Library to The Glastonbury Festival, from schools, universities, prisons, conferences, festivals, museums and theatres to the magnificent Palace of Science and Culture in Warsaw, Poland as a guest of The British Council.
Now a full-time freelance artist based in Manchester, Tony has, until recently combined his writing and family commitments with over twenty years of public service in a wide variety of Principal Officer roles, the majority spent working to engage and empower some of the Uk's most deprived communities.
A multiple winner and finalist in top-level poetry slam competitions, Tony is the current Manchester Literature Festival Comedy Slam Champion and was the runner-up in "The Times" UK Allstars Slam Final at Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2008. Tony's poetry has been published on both sides of the Atlantic as well as displayed with an LS Lowry image at both Tate Modern and The British Museum as part of a Heritage Lottery Fund "Best of British" exhibition.
His eagerly awaited debut poetry collection "Tall Stories and the Truth" (with an accompanying cd) is released 2011, from the twin platforms of website Poet-In-Residence at Glastonbury Festival and the co-headliner of the prestigious Ledbury Poetry Festival.
http://longfella.co.uk
Naomi Woddis
Is a writer, photographer, and a workshop facilitator and has performed her work at the Southbank Centre, Courtauld Institute of Art, National Gallery, O2 Wireless Festival and Theatre Royal Stratford East. As a workshop facilitator she has worked with the British Library and in schools around the country. She was Writer in Residence at Culpeper Community Garden, Islington, 2010. Her second pamphlet of poetry will be published by flipped eye in 2011. She is an experienced event host and presents her own magazine programme, 'The Conversational' on Reel Rebels Radio.
http://www.naomiwoddis.com/
http://cursesandriots.wordpress.com/
http://www.reelrebelsradio.com/talent/conversational
Antony Dunn
Is an English poet and dramatist. He was Poet in Residence at the University of York for 2006. His writing for theatre and film has included Goose Chase and Shepherds' Delight (both for Riding Lights Theatre Company), Timewarp 2000 (Barbican, York) and a screen adaption of Albert Camus' stageplay, Cross Purpose (First Man Productions). In 2006 he contributed lyrics to Mark Ravenhill's pantomime, Dick Whittington and His Cat (Barbican, London).
He won the Newdigate Prize for ‘Judith with the Head of Holofernes’ in 1995 and received a Society of Authors Eric Gregory Award in 2000. He has published three collections of poems, Pilots and Navigators (Oxford Poets 1998), Flying Fish (Carcanet OxfordPoets 2002) and Bugs (Carcanet OxfordPoets 2009), and is working towards completion of a fourth.
Gill Hands
Is a writer, poet and artist living in Cumbria. One of the original Wild Woman collective, she has published 2 poetry collections, ‘Internet Love Slut’ (2004) and Rilke Tattoo (2007), several books on Marx, one on Darwin, and has two (as yet) unpublished novels languishing with her agent. She has performed at venues as diverse as the Poetry Café and Glastonbury Festival. She also paints in watercolours and with pixels.
www.facebook.com/gill.hands
http://darkblondes.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @gillhands
Alan Buckley
Originally from Merseyside, Alan moved to Oxford in the 1980’s to study English Literature and has lived there ever since. In 2009, his debut pamphlet ‘Shiver’ (published by tall-lighthouse) was the Poetry Book Society pamphlet choice for the summer quarter; he also received an Arts Council writer’s grant, and was commended in the Bridport Prize.
In 2010 he won first prize in the Wigtown Poetry Competition, and was shortlisted for the inaugural Picador Poetry Prize. He is currently working on his first collection.
http://www.tall-lighthouse.co.uk/p_alan-buckley.html
Pascale Petit
Her latest collection is ‘What the Water Gave Me: Poems after Frida Kahlo’ (Seren, 2010), which was shortlisted for the TS Eliot prize, Wales Book of the Year, and was a book of the year in the Observer. Black Lawrence Press published an American edition.
She trained at the Royal College of Art and spent the first part of her life as a visual artist before deciding to concentrate on poetry. She has published five collections, two others of which, ‘The Huntress’ and ‘The Zoo Father’, were also shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize and were books of the year in the Times Literary Supplement and the Independent.
In 2004 the Poetry Book Society selected her as one of the Next Generation Poets. She currently tutors for Tate Modern, The Poetry School and is the Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the Courtauld Institute of Art.
http://www.pascalepetit.co.uk
http://www.pascalepetit.blogspot.com
Alexander Hutchison
Born in the north east of Scotland, spent a long time in Canada and the USA, and currently lives in Glasgow. ‘Deil Tak the Hinmaist’ appears in The Best British Poetry 2011 from Salt. ‘In Forma di Parole’ gave a whole issue to his work in 2010. ‘Scales Dog: New and selected poems’ was published in 2007.
He is the RLF Writing Fellow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. August Kleinzahler declared him "A mentor, a bristling master, and a total original". Richard Price says: "Hutchison is a poet of range, depth and magic".
www.alexanderhutchison.com
http://www.saltpublishing.com/books/anth/9781907773044.htm
http://www.informadiparole.it/?p=730
http://www.spl.org.uk/best-poems_2009/009.htm
http://www.spl.org.uk/best-poems_2008/008.htm
http://www.saltpublishing.com/writers/profile.php?recordID=207268
Joshua Idehen
Founder/Director of Poejazzi: www.poejazzi.wordpress.com
(london's premier spoken word and music event- Sounthbank Centre)
Founder of A Poem inbetween People: www.myspace.com/apoeminbetweenpeople
(London's hottest new spoken word talent- The Times)
Founder/Frontman for Benin City: www.soundcloud.com/benin-city
(Fresh, exciting and completely Unique- Soweto Kinch)
Eva Salzman
Brooklyn-born Eva Salzman is co-editor of Women’s Work: Modern Women Poets Writing in English (Seren) and featured on Radio 4’s “My Male Muse” (Producer: Tamsyn Challenger). “The Forgotten Muse” (featured in the calendar) is from the series “Masques”, an irreverent take on the muses published in Double Crossing: New & Selected Poems (Bloodaxe).
www.evasalzman.com
John Siddique
Is the bestselling author of ‘Full Blood’, ‘Recital – An Almanac’, ‘Poems From A Northern Soul’, and ‘The Prize’. He is the co-author of the story/memoir ‘Four Fathers’.
He has contributed poems, stories, essays and articles to many publications, including Granta, The Guardian, Poetry Review, and The Rialto.
‘The Prize’, published to wide acclaim in 2005, was nominated for the Forward Prize. His children’s book ‘Don’t Wear It On Your Head’ was shortlisted for the CLPE Poetry Award in 2007.
‘Full Blood’ is described as ‘Bold as love... Each word is to be savoured like a sip of forbidden wine’ by Bina Shah, while ‘Recital’ has been called ‘One of the most important British poetry books of the last twenty years’ by Lauri Ramey of CSULA. Jackie Kay speaks of Siddique’s writing as being ‘A brilliant balancing act.’
Siddique is well known for his captivating readings and his infectious love of literature. He teaches poetry and creative writing in the UK and Abroad.
www.johnsiddique.co.uk
@JohnSiddique
https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15986499396
http://johnsiddique.blogspot.com
Linda France
Was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. After some time living away, she moved back to the North East in 1981. She is currently based close to Hadrian’s Wall, near Hexham, in Northumberland. Her poetry collections include ‘The Simultaneous Dress’ (Bloodaxe 2002) and ‘The Toast of the Kit Cat Club’ (Bloodaxe 2005), a biography in verse of the 18th century traveller and writer Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Her two latest books are ‘book of days, a year renga’, with ceramic fragments by Sue Dunne (Smokestack Books 2009) and ‘You are Her’ (Arc Publications 2010). Linda also edited the acclaimed anthology ‘Sixty Women Poets’ (Bloodaxe 1993).
She has worked on a number of collaborations with visual artists and musicians and around 40 Public Art projects. Linda is currently Leverhulme Artist in Residence at Moorbank Botanic Garden, University of Newcastle.
http://www.lindafrance.co.uk
Graham Eccles
Also known as the Jack of Piel, the former poet to the King of Piel island. He has done lots of things, but some days, does nothing.
Weaver of words, twister of balloons, master hitch-hiker and life embracer. An extroverted introvert with a taste for the surreal. He recently completed a UK wide hitch-hike with his Penny Farthing.
Former hobo, Graham wandered the island for years before resting his boots a while in the Lake District. Now a father of two, he is currently based in Cornwall.
www.writeoutloud.net/poets/grahameccles
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/th3j4ck0fp13l
David Morley
When David was approached by Victoria to be a Muse for this project, he gave it much careful consideration. in the end, David decided not to be part of the calendar in the ‘conventional’ manner but to appear in the calendar in a different naked state.
He gave to Django (and the calendar) a very special gift: a poem for Django, from a man to a boy connected by Type One Diabetes. This poem features in the calendar, naked for all to see.
An ecologist by background, David Morley’s poetry has won fourteen writing awards and prizes. His latest collection Enchantment (Carcanet) was a Sunday Telegraph Book of the Year. ‘Enchantment is a profound and tender work which confirms Morley’s place at the helm of British poetry today’ – Poetry Review. His previous collection The Invisible Kings (Carcanet) was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation. David is also known for his pioneering ecological poetry installations within natural landscapes and the creation of ‘slow poetry’ sculptures and I-Cast poetry films. He is Professor of Writing at Warwick University.
David has Type 1 Diabetes. This is the first time he has written about it.
www.davidmorley.org.uk
Steve Scott
We are very lucky to have on board Steve Scott and his wonderful team at Lavahouse. Here is a little bit about them...
“Lavahouse Associates is a design and creative marketing consultancy, serving both public and private sectors.
We understand that crafted, quality design - linked with insightful design thinking - has a massive influence on the competitiveness and reputation of any business or organisation. This is what we do well. Our studio is vibrant with a constant flow of ideas, creativity and inspiration.
We’re a cosmopolitan team with diverse backgrounds which we feel give us deeper insight into problem solving and creative thinking. We never forget that a real return on investment and satisfied customers are the true tests of quality work”.
http://www.lavahouse.co.uk
Rebecca Holmes - Peaches & Cream Personalised Cakes
A local, family based business from Penrith, Cumbria. Rebecca's cakes all have a creative edge as she originally trained in Fashion & Textiles at Carlisle Art College. More recently, Rebecca has taken part in a number of charity events and donated her cakes as prizes, including a Blue Peter badge cake for Children In Need, and miniature cakes for her frock party event in aid of Breast Cancer U.K.
Rebecca is responsible for generously designing and making a fabulous and unique Naked Muse cake for our Unveiled Show featuring all our lovely Muses. The cake is kindly sponsored by Finlay Sowerby, an adult Type One Diabetes Sufferer from Appleby, Cumbria.
http://peachesandcream-personalisedcakes.yolasite.com/charity-cake-project---jdrf-junior-diabetes.php
Victoria Bennett & Adam Clarke (parents)
Victoria Bennett has published in various journals and has performed her poetry across the UK. In 2002, she was awarded the Andrew Waterhouse Poetry Award and a Masters in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Lancaster University. She has taught and encouraged creative writing and living for the past 20 years. She is a passionate believer in direct creative action.
Her poetry appears in all the Wild Women anthologies. She has four collections, Anchoring the Light (1999), Fragile Bodies (2004), Fragments (2006) and Byron Makes His Bed (2006), all published by Wild Women Press.
Her poetry is described as 'daring and intimate' (Orbis Magazine).
She uses her creativity to open the heart and spirit to love and she intends to keep growing old disgracefully!
Adam Clarke is an artist who uses digital and traditional techniques to inspire and engage participation in creative thinking and practice.
He is filmmaker, illustrator and animator and has been commissioned to produce a range of video and images based works. His enthusiasm is infectious and he loves nothing better than playful collaborative projects without direction.
Together, they are the collaborators behind Wild Women Press and Blissfool Books, as well as other ventures. They are the driving force and creative directors of The Naked Muse, inspired by the amazing bravery and beauty of their son, Django.
Their lives together is their most enduring creative collaboration.
http://thecommonpeople.tv/Home.html
http://blissfool.co.uk
Annabel Williams
One of the World’s leading portrait photographers, first picked up her camera over 20 years ago and immediately set about changing the face of photography, with her natural style and totally different viewpoint.
Incredibly passionate about photographing people, she has forged a highly successful career since then and she has succeeded in becoming an inspirational photographer and highly motivating tutor.
She has naturally created an enviable reputation and status within the photographic industry worldwide and also within the consumer market. Stepping away from tradition, her photography has an edgy style which makes her shoots and seminars so popular.
Combining previously acquired skills as a special-needs teacher allowed her to truly understand the psychology of people and utilise these skills to get the best possible images of them. It also strengthened her encouraging influence which has helped thousands of photographers to realise and fulfil their potential.
“Annabel has inspired a whole new generation of photographers with her enthusiasm and simplistic approach to photography” Canon UK
http://www.annabelwilliams.com
Patricia Debney
Was born in Texas and now lives in Kent. She is the author of two books: a collection of prose poetry, ‘How to Be a Dragonfly’ (Smith ‘Doorstop Books’, 2005), which was the overall winner of the 2004 Poetry Business Competition; and a novel, ‘Losing You’ (bluechrome, 2007) and a collection of short stories, ‘Black Hole and Other Stories’ (bluechrome, 2008).
Her short stories and poetry have appeared in various anthologies and journals, including ‘New Writing, Tales of the Decongested’, and the ‘Forward Anthology of Best Poems’, as well as online. She has written libretti for opera as well as for solo voice. She was poet-in-residence at the 2007 Deal Festival, and a judge for the 2007 Canterbury Festival Poet of the Year. She has taught creative writing for fifteen years across all levels and stages: for Arvon, adult education, in prisons, and in schools. She currently lectures in Creative Writing at the University of Kent, where she teaches on both the undergraduate and MA programmes.
In September 2007 she was appointed the first Canterbury Laureate. She lives in Canterbury with her composer partner and their two children. She is also the creator behind the blog Waving and Drowning, detailing her experience as a writer and mother to a child with Type One Diabetes.
http://wavingdrowning.wordpress.com/
Segun Lee-French
Is a singer, poet, producer/composer, playwright, and film-maker, & founder member of Manchester’s Speakeasy People poetry collective. As poet and playwright, Segun’s work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and his debut solo show, Bro 9, won Best Fringe Performer & Best Design in theMEN Theatre Awards 2003. Segun‘s artistic goal is to do things that frighten him.
www.segunleefrench.com
http://twitter.com/Shegelu
http://segunleefrench.wordpress.com/
Tamara Peel
Is recognised as one of Europe’s leading portrait and fine art photographers, having won many prestigious awards for her work. Tamara studied art and design, gaining an honours degree in photography from Manchester. Having created her first studio in Worcestershire, she has subsequently expanded into Surrey. She successfully combines both traditional and newly developed techniques to create both beautiful and unique works of modern art.
http://www.tamarapeel.co.uk
Dreadlockalien, AKA Richard Grant
Was the Birmingham Poet Laureate of 2006. He appears regularly as a conference keynote speaker, performance poet and facilitating arts educational workshops.
Originally a chef by trade, he turned his hand to rhymes after reciting some dub lyrics as a poetry event whilst a mature student at Warwick University. Starting to read patois and inspired by Benjamin Zephaniah, amongst others, Dreadlockalien found his feet as a performance poet. In 2001 he founded the region’s largest spoken word collective – the New October Poets.
His poetry has taken him on British Council trips to Chennai and Poland. He is also the director of the West Midlands Youth Poetry Slam Team.
Victoria Bennett
Is a poet and Dream Ignitor. In 1999, she founded Wild Women Press and in 2008, founded her second press, Blissfool. Winner of a Northern Promise Award and the Andrew Waterhouse Award (2002), she has published 4 collections of poetry, ‘Anchoring the Light’ (1999), ‘Fragile Bodies’ (2004), ‘Fragments’ (2006) and ‘Bryon Makes His Bed’ (2007). She has shared her words live across the UK and further afield, from Glastonbury Festival to a Franciscan Convent. She was the founder of the decadent and delightful Wild Women Salons (2003-2007).
She lives in Eden with film-artist Adam Clarke, and their wild son, Django, where they do what they can to see the magic in every day and open others to feeling it it too. A passionate promoter of poetry and creative collaboration, she is also the creative force and logistical magician behind ‘The Naked Muse’.
blissfool.co.uk
http://wildwomenpress.blogspot.com/
Sue Westwood-Ruttledge
Is a lifestyle portrait and wedding photographer based on the borders of Manchester and Cheshire. She covers many UK locations, including Manchester and Cheshire, Sale, the North, North of England, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire. Member of SWPP and BPPA.
Christine Bousfield
Is a Bradford-born poet, who spent 27 years researching and teaching, first in Further Education, and (from 1989) in Higher Education, where she taught Literature, Comparative Arts, and Psychoanalysis. She used to be a classical singer - more recently performing jazz standards with a band. She is widely published, in national and international magazines, in anthologies e.g. Sometimes (2006, Cinnamon Press), Images of Women (2006, Arrowhead Press), Mind and Body (2006, Fighting Cock Press); on CD, e.g. Thinking On (2000, Soundpie), Keep Hold of the Line (2004, Soundpie); and as The Weekend Poem on BBC Knowledge Text.
Her pamphlet, Tense Formations, was shortlisted by Cinnamon Press for their Poetry Collection Award in 2005, and Between Stones was shortlisted in 2008, and several of her poems appear in the Cinnamon Winners' Anthologies. Her pamphlet Cutting a Rhythm Out of Nowhere was published by Poetry Monthly in February 2009. Her latest collection ‘She Looks Out of My Face’ was released by Indigo Dreams Publishing in 2011.
http://www.christine-bousfield.com/
Malika Booker
Is a writer, spoken word and multidisciplinary artist, whose work spans literature, education and cross-arts. She has appeared world-wide both independently and with the British Council. She was one of the touring poets with Bittersweet in 1999/2000 and since has featured in the spoken word project, Modern Love, and in Kin at the Barbican in 2004 - a show incorporating words, music and visuals. She was commissioned to co-produce a poetry film to commemorate the Royal Festival Hall's 50th Birthday Celebrations in Spring 2001. Her first musical play, Catwalk, commissioned by NITRO, ran at the Tricycle Theatre in June 2001 and had a successful UK tour.
She was Hampton Court Palace writer in residence in 2004, and is now a commissioned writer for Croydon Museum. In 2005 she undertook a two-month writer fellowship in Delhi, to work on her first novel. She is an experienced creative writing course leader and has run courses for various organisations including The Arvon Foundation, National Theatre and the Young Vic. She worked with young people for the Inner-London Teenager Poetry Slam in 2003 and 2004, which resulted in two collections of their writing, ‘Where I'm From, Where I'm Going’ and ‘The Way We See It, The Way It Is’. Her play, ‘Unplanned’, opened in Spring 2007, with a run at Battersea Arts Centre. Her book, Breadfruit, was also published in 2007.
Malika Booker also jointly runs 'Malika's Kitchen', a writers' collective based in London and Chicago.
http://www.myspace.com/malikaspoetrykitchen
Julie Cook
Lives and works in London and is an artist whose work is photography based. She studied photography at Westminster University and London College of Communication.
Her book publications include the award winning 'Baby Oil and Ice, Striptease in East London’, 'Zeropolis', 'Stripping Las Vegas, A Contextual Review of Casino Resort Architecture’ and ‘The Architects Guide to Fame’. Julie Cook has produced a series of artist books: the ‘Las Vegas Diaries’, ‘Some Las Vegas Strip Clubs’, RENO and ‘Beauties of Today, Vols 1-4 .
She has taught at the Bauhaus Weimar, Berlin Technical University, South Bank University, London and was part of the ICA symposium on ErotICA in 2004. Julie Cook is currently working as a Senior Lecturer in Photography at University of East London and is a member of ABC Artists' Book Cooperative. Julie’s new book ‘Beauties of Today’ was launched on 3rd September 2011.
‘New’ Burlesque has been described as a form of entertainment that is an exaggerated imitation or parody of striptease. It reflects the resurgence of this performance-based art that has found a new contemporary audience of both men and women. It is also a study of photographic portraiture and the erotic pose, photographed at the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, London.
www.juliecookphotography.com
Ernesto Sarezale
Is the pen-name of a Basque poet, performer and video artist living in London. His work includes: concrete and 'clickable' poetry, body art and multimedia performance. His published poems can be found in various outlets, on paper and online. Erotic Award Winner for Poet of the Year 2010, Ernesto also won the Central London Farrago Slam 2006, among other.
His critically acclaimed show "In the name of the flesh" gathered thriving audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe 2010. Ernesto’s work often deals with intimacy and the “queer body”; he is the promoter of "Velvet Tongue", London’s Erotic Literary Soireé.
http://www.sarezale.com
http://www.vimeo.com/ernesto
https://www.facebook.com/ernesto.sarezale
https://www.facebook.com/ontheflesh
@sarezale
http://ontheflesh.blogspot.com/
http://velvettongueuk.blogspot.com/
Izzi Ramsay
Has worked on a long-term study of the nude, including self-portraiture, the female nude, the male nude, and mother-and-child. Recent photographs by Izzi Ramsay are concerned with Cultural Memory and work in formal gardens: ‘In the Mists of Time’; ‘Angelus Novus’ and ‘Hauntings’ – installations with trees and marble.
She has worked in issue-based photography with the Health Education Authority, Age Concern, and in education and as an Art Psychotherapist and Counsellor in women and children’s health at UCLH and also with the elderly, women’s groups and in oncology.
She was Director/Curator of B4 Studios London Photographic Cooperative, Gallery, Darkrooms & studios, Kennington, London.
http://izziramsay.wordpress.com/
Angela Readman
Won the New Writing North Promise Award, and a Waterstones prize for her poems and short stories. Her poems were published in ‘Unholy Trinity’ by Iron Press, and ‘Colours/Colors’ by Diamond Twig. She has had work in magazines and anthologies, and has been translated into Finnish by Ek Zuban, Hard core (Tapani Kinunen 2006).
She won the Biscuit Poetry Competition in 2004, which was followed by her first full collection ‘Sex with Elvis’. Her second collection, ‘Strip’ was published by Salt Publshing in 2007. Her work has been described as paintings with words, sharp, savage, dry, edgy, witty and authentic.
http://twitter.com/#!/angelreadman
Claire McNamee
Studied photography at Manchester Metropolitan University’s school of photography. Having lived and worked in Spain, France and Holland, she is now based in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. She works as an independent photographer, but often collaboratively or in close connection with other artists and organisations. Amongst these is the Ted Hughes Arvon Centre at Lumb Bank. If you have seen a writer’s picture on a book, chances are she took it!
http://www.clairemcnamee.com/
Diana More
Grew up in North America, where she spent most of her time listening to punk and traveling around, shooting along the way. To see a bit more of the world she headed over to Europe for a holiday and never left… She ended up studying at London College of Communications, receiving a BA Hons in Photography.
She shoots music, portraiture and reportage. Also currently focusing more on fine art projects, including taking a larger role in curating as she is setting up The New York Project. http://thenewyorkproject.tumblr.com/ A collaborative event based in New York over 3 months this fall, working with a host international artists.
http://www.dianamorephotography.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/DianaMorePhotography
http://thenewyorkproject.tumblr.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheNewYorkProject
Leonie Hampton
After graduating in Art History, Léonie Hampton continued her studies in Photojournalism at the London College of Communication. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Paul Huf Award 2009 and the ‘F’ Award 2008.
Her work is part of the permanent collection of Maison Européenne de la Photographie and Foam Museum, Amsterdam, and has also been exhibited internationally. She co-founded and runs Still/Moving, a not-for-profit organisation that runs photography and film workshops and seminars in London.
In May 2011 Contrasto published her first book ‘In the Shadow of Things’. Léonie is currently represented by the Kahmann Gallery, Amsterdam.
Moniza Alvi
Was born in Pakistan, and grew up in Hertfordshire. She lived in London for many years, but recently moved to Norfolk. Her six collections of poetry include The Country at My Shoulder (OUP 1993), and Europa (Bloodaxe 2008). She received a Cholmondeley Award in 2002. Homesick for the Earth, her versions of the French poet Jules Supervielle, are forthcoming from Bloodaxe. She tutors for the Poetry School.
http://www.moniza.co.uk/
Lydia Goldblatt
Lives and works in London. She received an MA in Photography with distinction from London College of Communications in 2006 and has exhibited worldwide. She has worked with numerous international commercial clients, and is a visiting lecturer in the UK and Germany.
http://www.lydiagoldblatt.com
Inua Ellams
Is an award winning poet, performer & playwright. He has published 4 books including the critically acclaimed, best selling poetry pamphlet ‘Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales’ and his first full length play ‘The 14th Tale’, which ran at The National Theatre and was awarded a Fringe First at 09 Edinburgh Festival.
Commissioned by London’s Soho Theatre, his last play ‘Untitled’, long listed for the Alfred Fagan Award, completed a 30 date National tour in Nov 2010.
He also works as a graphic designer / Visual artist and describes himself as a ‘Word & Graphic Artist’. He facilitates workshops in creative writing, likes apple juice a lot, and is the founder of The Midnight Run, something terribly, terribly exciting.
phaze05.com // twitter.com/inuaellams
Wendy Cope
OBE, is an award-winning contemporary English poet. Four collections of her adult poetry have been published, ‘Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis’ in 1986, ‘Serious Concerns’ in 1992, ‘If I Don't Know’ in 2001, and ‘Family Values’ in 2011. She has also edited several anthologies of comic verse and was a judge of the 2007 Man Booker Prize. In 1998, she was voted the listeners' choice in a BBC Radio 4 poll to succeed Ted Hughes as Poet Laureate.
Donna-Lisa Healy
34 year old, Mum of two, from Chester-le-Street, gained degree in Fine Art & Photography, is developing her portfolio, often working with writers and musicians. She completed her MA Photography 2012
Dominic Berry (Live Event Host)
Author of ‘Tomorrow, I Will Go Dancing’ (flapjack press 2008) and writer/performer of the Arts Council England Lottery funded show 'Wizard' (touring in 2012), Dominic is a prolific, poetic Performance Artist and Creative Workshop Leader. He has generously given his time and vibrant personality to be perfect and fabulous host for our Naked Muse Launch and Unveiled Exhibitions.
dominicberry.net
Sarah Gasson (Publicity)
Once upon a time, Sarah was a student of Victoria’s. Then she was an intern with Wild Women Press, cutting her teeth as a poet on the illustrious stage of Glastonbury Festival and the Wild Women Salons. A few moons later, and Sarah has proved what we always knew - that she is a mighty bright lady with a a creative eye and a way with people. She has very kindly donated her time and expertise to help us make sure as many people know about The Naked Muse and our cause as possible.
(She is also a damn fine poet...)
Peter Adams (Media & Support)
Peter Adams is an all round lovely guy who has helped us alot, from playing endless diggers with Django, to driving a 250 mile round trip to bring us lights and other paraphenalia for our Lakes Shoot. Not only did he do that, he also graciously offered his expertise as a film maker to all those present, from advice on lights, to holding up reflectors, to documenting the day.No doubt we will have other jobs for him too along the way...
Ula Wiznerowicz (Invigilator - Unveiled Exhibition)
Following her graduation from a BA course in Photography at Middlesex University in 2010, Ula was chosen as one of the four finalists for the Channel 4 and Saatchi Gallery: New Sensations 2010 Prize. A short documentary film about each of the selected artists was made and aired by Channel 4: http://jamesmh.net/697792/Ula-Wiznerowicz
She was also awarded the prestigious photography prize at the D&AD New Blood 2010 exhibition that showcases selected work of UK graduates and shortly after my work received international acknowledgement, with the series Behind the Curtain having been exhibited at Kunstraum Mitterhofer in Italy.
www.ulawiznerowicz.com
Alex Barber
An Auctioneer with a real passion for performing, Alex entered the auction world, full-time upon graduating from university and, shortly after joining Bonhams, wielded his gavel for the first time.
His career has seen him based both in the UK and USA, conducting a range of specialist sales before returning to England and working as The Freelance Auctioneer.
Charity auctions play an important role in his life as they afford the opportunity to see, first hand, money being raised for a good cause as well as allowing him to have a little more fun with the audience, away from the more traditional sale room environment. Recently, Alex has helped raise money for The Albert Kennedy Trust, The National Autistic Society, The Alzheimer’s Society and many more.
Website: www.the-freelance-auctioneer.co.uk
Twitter: @TheAuctioneerUK
Email: alex@the-freelance-auctioneer.co.uk
…beautiful photography, naked men, and a fantastic cause…
SoSo Gay
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