MALVERN-based beat poet Dick McBride and his group Celluloid are set to take Birmingham's ArtsFest by storm next week.

Dick, who has lived in Colwall for over a decade, was a major part of the beat generation in California during the 50s and 60s, working with American writers including Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac.

Brought up in the Midwest USA, he spent 15 years working at the famous City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco, before moving to the UK in 1969. He moved to Colwall in 1988.

"I like it very much. My second wife and I were living in Australia and we came over to see her children and just stayed," he said.

At ArtsFest, he will be performing a half-hour show with Celluloid, who provide a mix of funk, ambient and melodic dance music behind his spoken words.

Dick, who has been described as "one of the last beat poets", became involved with Celluloid when they heard he was in town.

"They heard I was a relic from the 50s and 60s beat poet days," he said.

"I was surprised that young people have this fascination with Jack Kerouac and the whole beat generation."

Since then, Dick and Celluloid have toured across the UK. Following next month's Birmingham show, they will be staging several shows in Liverpool in November.

Dick McBride and Celluloid will play on Sunday, September 16 at 6.30pm on Stage Two in Centenary Square.

The ArtsFest programme features 400 free events including performances by flagship companies such as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Shakespeare Company. The events are spread across 19 indoor venues, three outdoor stages and the city's streets.

For information on any of the events at the three day festival, call 0121 2481300 or visit www.artsfest.org.uk