Literary Death Match: Word up

I love love love these events. This was the second Literary Death Match I'd been to, but still amazing. Bit of a shame that it moved to the more pretentious (and pricy) Concrete (in the Tea Building) from the Book Club. It felt less illicit in the carefully coiffed industrial surroundings. But oh well, still a nice venue, and actually this time we had a comfy picnic table rather than a square foot of floor.

Because we got there so early we were lucky enough to have a quick chat with Todd Zuniga, the brains and mouth behind the operation, and editor of Opium Magazine - and general fast-talking, are you on speed or something? entrepreneurial genius. Amazing to meet someone so passionate and excited and energetic - and also so completely genuine and disarming. Clearly destined for great things. Turns out from reading an old interview that he's never done any illegal drugs, but talking to him you are convinced that no one could keep up that level of energy for so long with out some sort of white powder. Hm, sugar maybe... He came over to us first actually, to find out if we'd been to one before and what we thought of it. Clever. On the spot market research. While you're talking to him, his eyes involuntarily dart around the room, I guess looking for the next conversation, and yet he's still totally interested in what you're saying, and fires questions at you before you can deflect them his way. We did find out he lives in Paris though. And that he gets his hair cut in San Francisco.

But yes! Simon from Trevor and Simon was one of the judges! From Saturday Live! Swing your Pants! So cool to see him, and jump back into my 5-year old self. I was a bit sad it wasn't the more handsome Trevor but Simon turned out to be absolutely hilarious, as another judge (Sun journalist, boooo) said, "outfunnying" them all the way. After the first girl read a piece about losing her virginity at 27, he said it reminded him of himself, and that, after he lost it in his early 20s, he got it back again until his late 20s. Very quick, very funny. His yellowing teeth and perma-bottle of beer did say that perhaps he doesn't hasn't been sticking purely to children's activities over the years. How hard it must have been for him to be taken seriously after spending so many years as half of an idiot duo. Time for a comeback methinks.

Todd Zuniga as always was an amazing host. He has this incredible ability to make it all look shambolic, while miraculously keeping things running smoothly. And he keeps it entertaining, rescuing any filling any silent holes with a ridiculous aside.

And the literature? 80s themed. Seven minutes long. Sex (lack of), music and ping pong. Not exactly Dostoevsky, but fun all the same. Usually seems to be more of test of comedic strength than anything. At the last one I went to, a girl recited serious poetry she didn't write, in the style of the shipping forecast, and the tumbleweed was tangible. I loved Clare Pollard's poetry. Not usually my thing but she was mightily impressive. Really gets under the skin of people's inner thoughts, in a wonderfully clever wordy way. Also brilliant was the guy relating tales writing hip hop lyrics as a young Bangladeshi Londoner. Hilarious. Don't know why he lost in the first round against a guy who spent seven minutes describing the workings of computer ping-pong, but anyhow. 

Doesn't matter though because there are no winners or losers. The guy who won (Mr Ping Pong) did so because his side of the room was able to name more 80s tunes than the other side. Left happy and inspired, leaving the 80s disco for the young ones. Can't wait for the next one.