Journeys of the Heart: SAMPAD: Launch of International Creative Writing Competition.  Birmingham Central Library Theatre, Friday 20th March, 7pm  (More details soon)

Radio Wildfire: Now playing 24/7 a completely new mix of poetry, comedy, story, spoken word and music. You can listen in by going to www.radiowildfire.com and clicking on The Loop.  Katrice Horsley is a superb storyteller based in Birmingham and for her current project she has teamed up with Julie Boden, poet in residence at Birmingham's Symphony Hall, for a riveting retelling of Pretty Maid Ibronka, love in the form of a classic maid and the devil story.  We recorded two of the four sections of the work when they joined us live in the studio and we are including part one in this Loop with part two to follow next month.' (Radio Wildfire)

The Royal Opera: Britten's War Requiem: Sat 21 Mar 7:00pm at Symphony Hall.  Pre-Concert Talk:  Lyndon Jenkins and Julie Boden 5.45pm.

Pre-concert talk: Lyndon Jenkins and Symphony Hall Poet in Residence, Julie Boden, discuss the power of Britten's Requiem. The pre-concert event will include discussions of the music, readings of poetry by Wilfren Owen and a reading of Julie's highly praised anti-war poem, 'Wasted Lives.'  This powerful poem was written during her tenure as Poet Laureate to the City of Birmingham in 2002-3, was first performed on Holocaust Memorial Day 2003 and was distributed in 10,000 copies within a few weeks of the first reading.  Copies of the poem will be available for sale on the night. £1 for each copy sold on the evening will be donated to victims of war. (More on next page)