London Grip is a wholly independent online venue, a cultural omnibus providing intelligent reviews of current shows and events, well-argued articles on the widest range of topics, an exhibition space for cross-media arts and an in-house poetry magazine with its own editor.

Reviews may be submitted at any time but the usual submission windows for poetry are December-January, March-April, June-July and September-October
Poetry submissions should be sent to the poetry edito, Michael Bartholomew-Biggs: poetry@londongrip.co.uk
Reviews and articles may be submitted to The Editor, Stephen McGrath: editor@londongrip.co.uk

London Grip - founded by Patricia Morris in 2007 - is a wholly independent online venue, a cultural omnibus providing intelligent reviews of current shows, events and books, well-argued articles on the widest range of topics, an exhibition space for cross-media arts and an in-house poetry magazine with its own editor. All published items are original, making their first appearance on the internet in this form.

4. Tom Bennett (Del Boy), Ryan Hutton (Rodney), Paul Whitehouse (Grandad) - credit Trevor Leighton

Only Fools and Horses, Haymarket. Review by Barbara Lewis.

Funny, reassuring and irrepressibly warm, the West End version of Only Fools and Horses is proving to be the right musical at the right time.

BIDGOOD

London Grip Poetry Review – Ruth Bidgood

Merryn Williams admires the continuing power of Ruth Bidgood’s poetry

WATSON

London Grip Poetry Review – Dawn Watson

Maria C. McCarthy is both entertained and puzzled by the poems in a debut collection by Dawn Watson

Central Library 3

#2 Experiencing Canada, by Carla Scarano.

One of the main aims of visiting Canada was to develop my research on Margaret Atwood. The New Central library in Calgary, which opened in 2018, provided me with all the facilities I needed. 

Aoife Miskelly as Vixen Lucia Cervoni as Fox The Cunning Little Vixen Photocredit Richard Hubert Smith 9771_cropped

The Cunning Little Vixen, WNO. Review by Barbara Lewis.

In his final decade, the Czech nationalist Janacek, found a new love interest and produced five major operas. The most accessible and refreshing is The Cunning Little Vixen (premiered in 1924), with its comic acceptance – like late Shakespeare – of the redemptive power of love and renewal, and its tragic awareness of the forces of raw nature and of life’s disappointments.

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#1 Experiencing Canada, by Carla Scarano.

Before planning my journey to Canada, I made a list of my priorities. At the top of it was experiencing the country of the author I am studying for my PhD: Margaret Atwood. 

GOSS

Carousel – an intriguing combination of words and images

Angela Topping looks at a successful collaboration between Rebecca Goss & Chris Routledge

CLARKE

London Grip Poetry Review – David Clarke

Neil Fulwood compliments David Clarke on not putting a foot wrong in his poetic assessment of present day Britain

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Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest. By Jane McChrystal.

East India Dock Road, site of Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest forms part of the A13, which links Aldgate in the City of London to Shoeburyness, forty miles away on the shore of the North Sea – so, not the most obvious place to build a refuge for seafarers.

BURN

London Grip Poetry Review – Jane Burn

Angela Topping admires Jane Burn’s fleetness of word in a new narrative sequence

ARMSTRONG

London Grip Poetry Review – Chris Armstrong

Wendy French considers a sizeable collection by Chris Armstrong and finds it honest about love, loss and the joy of being alive

VARTY

London Grip Poetry Review – Joe Carrick-Varty

D A Prince reviews an excellent debut pamphlet by Joe Carrick-Varty

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