My Bloody Valentine: Events for the Romantically Averse

A group of local writers have taken over two annual events for Portsmouth residents who don’t love to love on Valentine’s Day. Co-organiser Christine Lawrence reports.

After the success of previous years’ Portsmouth Bookfest,  a group of local writers – Amanda Garrie, Jackie Green, Richard Peirce and I – decided to join together to bring back two events to this year’s festival. Both events were previously organised by Portsmouth writer and the author of the infamous Lawless Detective series, William Sutton, and we’re looking forward to keeping his ‘bad romance’ theme alive again this year!

Both events are linked to Valentine’s Day, but both come with a little literary Pompey twist. Local storytellers, poets, and singer-songwriters join forces to bring you two events packed with fresh tales of doomed love, lust, betrayal and revenge not to be missed.

Premature Articulation, Canvas Coffee, 10th February, 2.30 – 5pm, FREE

Kicking off the festival, Premature Articulation returns by kind invitation of Canvas Coffee at Portsmouth & Southsea train station, with a free drop-in event on Saturday, 10 February, from 2.30pm to 5pm.

Tall tales, songs and poems amongst consoling coffee and cake as Hampshire’s finest storytellers whet their word blades and fire up the blood. Join us for an afternoon of twisted tales of romance, revenge and regret – bleeding hearts and dark thoughts particularly welcome!

St Valentine’s Day Massacre, Square Tower, 13th February, 7 – 9.30pm, £8

St Valentine’s Day Massacre on Tuesday 13 February, 7pm to 9.30pm at the historic Square Tower, Broad Street, Old Portsmouth. Entrance for only £8 for an extraordinary night of twisted tales, songs and poems of romance, revenge and bleeding hearts. Refreshments will be available on the night.

House rules on the night are as follows:

  1. No sugar sweet love stories allowed
  2. Surrender all bouquets and chocolates at the door
  3. All welcome, except those troublemakers, Venus and Cupid!

Book your tickets at the Portsmouth Libraries website or in person at Portsmouth City Council Library, and don’t forget to check out the entire Bookfest line-up – with events running from Monday 12th February to Saturday 3rd March – over at the Bookfest website.