Chris Boyland

Dear Friends, We are Back, BACK, BAAACK! Delighted to announce that @offpagevispo , Glasgow's very own grassroots visual poetry programme will shortly be returning for a 4th incredible year at our regular venue @manystudios by the Barras Market in Glasgow's East End. Full details of our #offpage26 participating group of writer/artists and artist/writers to follow very soon. In the meantime, our exhibition preview will be held on THURSDAY, 21 MAY, from 6-8pm, at Many Studios, Ross Street, Glasgow, G1 5AR. Our venue is fully accessible, entry is free and all are welcome. SEE YOU SOON!

Dear Friends, we have some EXCITING NEWS! off-page is back (back, BACK!) for a new edition in 2026. We’re looking for artist/writers and writer/artists, to take part in our next anthology-exhibition. Details at the link in our bio. Tell your friends. Spread the word. JOIN US!

Cyprus photo dump. Pafos and Limassol, December and January 2025/6 @anemi_suites

This afternoon, I went to see ‘Open the Doors: The Revelator Summer Exhibition’ @the_revelator_clydebuilt in a dockside industrial estate in Whiteinch, by the Clyde. It was an open call, so lots of variety. On another day, I daresay other work might have caught my eye but today I enjoyed pieces by (4th-14th slides) @lesley_barnes @kate_colin_design @rachelduckhouse @gair_dunlop @damienhenry.artiste John Kingston @j_a_laing @dannylanesculpture @rwnsmace @daisy__richardson @mr.neil.scott

I went to the @gsaexhibitions MFA Degree Show @gluefactory_ which closed today. This is some of the stuff I saw.

Self portraits. Made with Keynote for Apple OS. All photos my own, taken with iPhone. Includes images of items in the @umu.museum collection. Font (4th image, capital B) is Engraver's MT.

I find this sort of thing fascinating, maybe some of you will too . . . These photos are part of my basic EDC, or 'everyday carry'. Because I'm a poet, I've focussed on stuff I use in my regular writing practice, rather than car keys/wallet etc. So, in these pics, we have: - iPhone 16 in a Bellroy leather case. I'm getting better at writing on my phone - I use the onboard Notes app, which syncs instantly to my laptop via iCloud and is great for capturing sudden flashes of poetic inspiration before I forget them. - Lamy Al-Star fountain pen - this is my favourite ever workhorse/everyday pen. I like it's v. utilitarian, brutalist design, it only cost £25 and it's still going after 5-6 years. Most importantly, it feels great in the hand and IT WRITES SO WELL. I've had Parkers, Sheaffers, Watermans and this beats them all for the smoothness of the play of its nib over paper. - Kindle Paperwhite (7th Gen) - because I can store bookmarks and notes in hundreds of books via one device and also because searchable/digital texts are invaluable when you're trying to find/attribute a quote that you read months ago. - Clairefontaine Europa A5 notebook - because you need decent paper to write on and these have the nicest of any notebook I've come across since whenever. Also, spiral bound because you have to be able to fold the cover back COMPLETELY - so you can write on your knee, on a train, at a gig, wherever. I've never understood the love (snob value?) for Moleskines etc. I buy these in packs of 10 (last pack was £32, so £3.20 each). - Shure 215 earbuds with bluetooth & charging case. I'm deaf, so I need good audio. These are the cheapest Shure in-ears (though still v. expensive at £200+) but I've had them for 4 years with no issues AND like most Shure kit, they're modular - so, the earbud bit detaches from the wireless receiver, over-ear bit - meaning that, if ever there is a fault, you can swap out the failed component. Design-wise, they're quite clunky but they sound great (even to my faulty ears), which is kind've the important bit. #bellroy #shure #shure215 #clairefontaine #lamyalstar #lamy #edccommunity #writingcommunity #writingcommunityofig

SAVE THE DATE! After my 1st ever live-streamed set as 'The Poetry DJ' @stanzapoetry in March, I'm playing out for only the 2nd time @theflyingduckglasgow from 7-10pm on Tuesday, 13 May with @tatiana_c_d and @queer_history_of_dance_music It's going to be a fantastic evening of auditory adventures - come along if you can and enjoy Glasgow's most out there night of weird electronic loveliness. Tickets via link in bio 👆 Or paste the link in the comments below 👇 See you soon!

In the first round of our St. Andrews Slam, @cdboyland shared this powerful, moving poem in memory of victims of HIV. We're so grateful to @stanzapoetry : Scotland’s International Poetry Festival for partnering with us on this event! StAnza is an award-winning festival dedicated to bringing poetry in all its forms and many languages to audiences around the world. Founded in 1998 by three local poets, the annual festival takes place every March in the beautiful historic town of St Andrews and has gained a truly international reputation as one of the country’s most significant literary events. Thank you to @creativescots and the National Lottery for supporting the Loud Poets 2024-25 Season. #Performancepoetry #Spokenword #ScottishPoetry #PoetrySlam #SlamPoetry #Poetry #Poetrycommunity #Poet #Poetrylovers #Poems #Poem #LoudPoets #Iamloud #CDBoyland

Blackpool. April, 2025. I liked the ‘Comedy Carpet’ as a massive, outdoor example of concrete/visual poetry; the Blackpool Tower mosaics, as an appropriation of arts and crafts detail in support of a structure that’s inherently not very ‘arts and crafts’y; the way elements of the established architecture of ‘fun’, reference a very 20th century idea of the future that never arrived (while also looking back at variously, a bastardisation of travelling fair/folk art and 80s graphic/graffiti art); AND the giant disco ball. Also, rode the (entirely accurately named), ‘Big One’, ate many donuts and spent happy days with the fam in the sunshine.

New work incoming for #offpage25 @offpagevispo @manystudios - ‘The Bone Ladder’ is an exploded poem, 20 visual/concrete responses to a piece of text about growing old[er] - mixed, mashed and collaged together via that old home/office faithful, the magnetic bulletin board. The board functions as a [dis]organising principle for life, also a repository for the ephemera we gather as we go. In this way, it is part memory-hole, part journal, part shrine.

Not usually a selfie guy, but - am feeling good about things so, here you go. Today I am grateful for, and want to give thanks to some amazing people for the opportunities and support they've given me. This weekend @stanzapoetry I'm involved with two readings, a slam, a visual poetry workshop (plus accompanying pop-up exhibition) and my live streamed DJ set as The Poetry DJ. Thanks to Ryan Van Winkle, Suzie, James, Scott, Natalie and all the team behind @stanzapoetry for giving me the chance to do All. This. Stuff and for the tireless work that goes on behind the scenes to make such a big, complicated event happen. Thanks also to @historic_ally for live-streaming yesterday's mix session. And it was great to bump into @highfalutinqueen while we were both side-hustling. It was amazing to be part of last night's opening event, along with 6 other extraordinary poets bringing an electric selection of work to the stage. But, most of all, I want to give thanks to @j_a_laing - my ally, colleague and #vispo inspo - it's impossible to put into words just how much work and effort Julie brings to @offpagevispo . She is a true force of nature and I'm so fortunate to be in the room while she makes things happen. Finally - a shout out to @lisafannen for arranging tomorrow's Poetry as Protest event (4.30pm, at the College Gates, North St, St Andrews). Proud to be taking part, along with Julie and an incredible line-up of poets.