Joolz

STOP PRESS: check out http://www.myspace.com/wildthingjoolzdenby
the official myspace home of my forthcoming novel, 'Wild Thing'.

LIVE GIGS: February 16th 2008 @ Indiego Glocksee, Glockseestraße 35, 30169 Hannover: www.indiego-glocksee.de - all gigs in collaboration with hot young rockers New York Alcoholic Anxiety Attack who will also play a full set themselves.

ANNOUNCEMENT: We are pleased to announce that Joolz received an Honorary Doctorate Of Letters from Bradford University on December 5th, 2007.

"Joolz will receive an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Bradford for her contributions as a writer, spoken-word performer and illustrative artist. In particular, this honorary degree is in recognition of the international reputation for excellence which she has gained over a period of many years in each of her creative fields. Joolz is also being recognised for her ambassadorial role and passionate promotion of her home town of Bradford."

Also, please note: I am now a tattoo artist.
For bookings ring Lifetime Tattoo (formerly Tradition 180), Derby, on 01332 200088. Also, you can find me on Facebook.
Photo by Joolz
Anyway, here's my potted biography; also, check www.joolz-denby.co.uk, my Journal is there & the site has stories, Guides To Everything, bibliography, discography, recipes, a Forum, photos, gig guide, free poems & prose to read and - oh, loads of stuff, really.

'Joolz Denby has been a professional writer, spoken-word performer and illustrative artist for over twenty-five years. She is an award-winning novelist and is considered to be the UK's premier woman spoken-word artist, with an international reputation for excellence in all her creative fields. Her critically-acclaimed third novel, 'Billie Morgan' was shortlisted for The Orange Prize for literature 2005 and her latest novel 'Borrowed Light' was released in February 2006 to incredible reviews (both books are published by Serpent's Tail). Her latest collection of poetry & short stories 'Pray For Us Sinners' (Comma Press) was released on October 3rd 2005.She has recently finished her new novel,'Wild Thing 'www.myspace.com/wildthingjoolzdenby)and begun work on her next(working title)'Midnight At The Rat N' Roses''

Joolz holds training sessions in performance skills for poets, authors and lecturers ( for various organisations including the Arvon Foundation & Ty Newdd) and for the workplace (e.g for Yorkshire Museums Services). She has judged numerous creative writing awards, most recently the new South East Arts Performance Poetry Bursary Award. Her work is featured in teaching aids for schools, notably Michael Rosen's "Why Poetry?" Video Package for poetry in schools ( U.K, Australia and New Zealand) and the Oxford University Press Headwork English Programme for GCSE, edited by Chris Culshaw and Jill Dodgson.

Joolz tours the world giving exceptional and highly-acclaimed dramatic readings of her work (both poetry and prose) and is renowned for the musical and emotive quality of her voice and her award-winning performance skills. She has performed at 23 Glastonbury Festivals (where she is a featured artist and the only writer playing to audiences of over 2,000 in the Cabaret and Belle Epoque Marquees, and appearing on the live television coverage of the Festival in 1999; the only poet ever to do so), five Edinburgh Fringe Festivals and also twice at the Edinburgh Book Festival, She has performed and appeared internationally at countless Arts festivals, contemporary music festivals, and literary conventions in the UK, and represented England at International Arts Festivals, music festivals and seminars in Canada, Finland, Holland, Germany, Norway, Israel, Poland and Slovakia. During the past eight years she has toured German Universities lecturing on both her own work and that of others (including Emily Bronte, Wilfred Owen and Dylan Thomas). In 1997 she visited New Zealand and gave readings for the New Zealand Book Council. She has been invited by the British Council to give readings and seminars in Slovenia, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Finland and South Africa. In Britain, she reads throughout the year at venues ranging from the Albert Hall, the House Of Commons, and The Purcell Rooms at the South Bank Centre, through Arts Centres, Student Unions, libraries, clubs, rock and jazz venues, pubs, bars and coffee houses. She is also part of the cult performance group 'Red Sky Coven' that regularly tours both Britain and the rest of Europe. Joolz has also read at Dove Cottage for the Wordsworth Trust and has been a guest speaker for the Department of Interdisciplinary Human Studies, the Management Centre at Bradford University, the Department of Epidemiology at Bristol University and the Department of Haematology at Bradford Royal Infirmary where she speaks to health professionals about body modification and safe tattoo practices.

Joolz' Arts Council sponsored Exhibition 'One Family, One Tribe - The Art & Artefacts Of New Model Army' featuring 25 years of her art for legendary underground cult rock band New Model Army (www.newmodelarmy.org) , is now on the permanent rosta of exhibitions hosted by Cartwright Hall, Bradford and is an international touring exhibition. In 2006 the NMA Exhibition was on show in Hamm, Germany and Salford Art Gallery UK (24th November 06 - 19th February 07). She is also curator of 'The Body Carnival' (to be launched in 2008), an international exhibition of elective body-modification practices for Yorkshire Museums Services and she created the multi-sensory and photographic installation exhibition 'Bradford - True North' for Bradford University Gallery, the photographs from which are on permanent display in the new University Atrium. Joolz was designated a "Cultural Revolutionary" for her work as Artistic Director of the Radical Brontes Festival 2006 and her long-term contributions to the Arts in the Yorkshire region.

Joolz is an experienced and valued broadcaster, having worked regularly for Radio Four (including many broadcasts for 'Woman's Hour'& the 2006 Christmas Day broadcast and several appearances on 'Off the Page'), and Radio One, where she was a monthly guest for three years on "The Mark Radcliffe Night Time Show". She also presented the "Sound Advice" programme for Radio One. Joolz has worked with the majority of local radio stations in England and has appeared on television many times, including being the weekly guest poet on ITV's "Toksvig!" programme. Most recently, Joolz was involved in and featured on the BBC2 Education programme on Performance Poetry and in 2001 appeared on BBC 2's 'Later With Jools Holland - Live'.

Joolz also undertakes public poetry commissions, such as the poem 'Bradford' which was made into a short film for the 'Bradford, Capital Of Culture 2008' bid, 'Talisman' for the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby, 'So Many Names Are Lost Now' for The Royal Armouries, 'Northlands' for Yorkshire Forward, 'Hope' for Thornbury School, 'Pillars Of Light', 'Gold' and 'Jealousy' for the 2006 Pillars Of Light Festival Of Asian Arts, and 'Andalusia' for Alchemy Asian Arts.
This is Where We Live - "Bradford" JD

Joolz is also a tattooist using machine and traditional hand-work methods at the internationally respected studio 'Lifetime Tattoo' - formerly Tradition 180 - Derby, UK, mentored by tattoo-artist Ben Stone.

Awards: Stone Baby: The Crimewriter's Association Award for New Crime Writer Of The Year; shortlisted (the only British nominee) for the John Creasey Award; the unabridged audio recording read by Joolz, won the audio book industry's 'Earphone' award in the USA.

'Billie Morgan': shortlisted for The Orange Prize 2005 and the CWA 'Dagger In The Library' award.

Joolz also works for New Model Army and manages upcoming young Bradford band New York Alcoholic Anxiety Attack. www.nyaaa.co.uk. www.myspace.com/newyorkalcoholicanxietyattack

Joolz lives in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. She enjoys reading, music, swimming, Hatha Yoga, travel, gardening, working out at the gym, good food, cinema, art, design, (Joolz received a Gold Record from EMI Germany for a record cover designed for the band New Model Army) body art, conversation and life . . .' There you go, all you need to know. More, even.