Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
There will be a festive atmosphere at Bolton Write Out Loud – well, the odd mince pie, at least - on Sunday 15 December at Bolton Socialist Club. Entry is £1 plus £1 raffle to this open-mic poetry night hosted by Jeffarama! and Gordon Zola. More details and Map
15th December 2019
Never mind the election: it's Write out Loud Wigan at the Old Courts on Thursday
Forget about the election – once you’ve cast your vote, of course – it’s Write Out Loud Wigan in the Bailiff Bar of the Old Courts arts centre on Thursday 12 December. The message is: “Political poetry will be frowned upon - it will be too late to change anything by the time we get started - so brin...
10th December 2019
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery tonight
Members of Stockport Write Out Loud meet on Monday 8 December to share their poems at Stockport art gallery. Entry is a £1.50 donation to this group with strong links to the wider community, and it st...
9th December 2019
Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox tonight
Write Out Loud Woking is at the Lightbox art gallery in Woking on Thursday 28 November for another night of open-mic poetry. Sign up from 7.30pm for the 8pm start. Your hosts are Greg Freeman and Rodn...
28th November 2019
Benjamin Zephaniah and Michael Symmons Roberts at Lichfield cathedral poetry festival
Benjamin Zephaniah and Michael Symmons Roberts are the headline poets at Lichfield cathedral’s The Word poetry festival, which is taking place from Sunday 24 November to Thursday 28 November. Themes a...
21st November 2019
Poetry in Armitage country: Write Out Loud at Marsden library tonight
Exciting news for the West Yorkshire village of Marsden – poet laureate Simon Armitage’s next collection, due next year, will be all about the village where he grew up. Meanwhile you can experience th...
20th November 2019
Celebrating local publisher's anthology at Sale Write Out Loud tonight
Local publisher Hidden Voice’s first anthology, a collaboration of authors from minority groups, will be celebrated at Sale Write Out Loud on Tuesday 19 November at the Waterside arts centre, Sale. Th...
19th November 2019
Write Out Loud Wigan at the Old Courts tonight
It’s Write Out Loud Wigan on Thursday November 14 at the Holding Cell of the Bailiff Bar, in the Old Courts arts centre, Crawford Street, Wigan. This free, long-running open-mic poetry night begins at...
14th November 2019
Poetry in the woods provides lasting WW1 memorial
It has almost become a cliché, you might think, WW1 and poetry. Yet an initiative in West Yorkshire’s Colne Valley has come up with a fresh take on that link with a durable memorial to remind future g...
12th November 2019
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery tonight
Stockport Write Out Loud meets at Stockport art gallery on Monday 11 November to share poems at this open-floor night. Each month a collage poem is put together from contributions, and you can read Oc...
11th November 2019
Live Canon perform war poetry on Remembrance Sunday
Live Canon Ensemble will be performing several centuries of war poetry on Remembrance Sunday 10 November at 4.30pm at the Boulevard theatre in Soho, London. The performance will feature well-known poe...
7th November 2019
Free on Friday ... readings and performances at Poetry in Aldeburgh festival
There will be 20 workshops and 40 events at Poetry in Aldeburgh, a weekend festival of poetry, story and art by the sea with 100 poets, artists, music makers at venues around the town. It’s from 8-10 ...
3rd November 2019
Painting the Poets: artist Claire Eastgate talks about portraits project
Artist Claire Eastgate will be talking about her Painting the Poets project at a launch event at Kings Place, York Way, London on Wednesday 6 November. Her project involves a series of portraits of co...
1st November 2019
Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox tonight
Richard Hawtree will be the featured poet at Write Out Loud Woking on Thursday 31 October at the Lightbox art gallery in Woking. It will be a night when a Halloween theme may be inescapable – but any ...
31st October 2019
Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
It's Bolton Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club on Sunday 20 October. Entry is £1 plus raffle to this open-mic poetry night, hosted by Jeffarama! and Gordon Zola. Arrive from 7.30 for 8pm start. M...
20th October 2019
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery tonight
Write Out Loud Stockport meets at Stockport art gallery on Monday 14 October. Entry is £1.50 to this open-floor event where poems are shared. Each month a collage poem is produced from contributions. ...
14th October 2019
American poet Nikki Giovanni at Southbank Centre's Poetry International
Poetry International is at the forefront of the forthcoming London literature festival, and will take place over five days from 17-21 October of the 11-day festival at London’s Southbank Centre.
M...
10th October 2019
Write Out Loud Wigan at the Old Courts tonight
It’s Write Out Loud Wigan on Thursday 10 October in the Bailiffs Bar at the Old Courts, Crawford Street, Wigan. Entry is free to this open-mic poetry night, which starts at 8pm. More details and Map
10th October 2019
Louise Fazackerley and John Foggin lined up for Write Out Loud's Poetry Jam
Two award-winning poets will be making guest appearances at Write Out Loud’s open-mic Poetry Jam at Marsden jazz festival on Sunday 13 October. Louise Fazackerley, who made her poetry debut at Write O...
6th October 2019
To tell the Truth, it's National Poetry Day!
It’s National Poetry Day today – will you be taking part in a poetry event somewhere? This year’s theme is Truth. The organisers of National Poetry Day have put together a map of events taking place, ...
2nd October 2019
Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox tonight
Tom McColl is the featured poet at Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox gallery in Woking on Thursday 26 September. Sign up from 7.30pm for the open-mic. It all kicks off at 8pm, hosted by Greg Freem...
26th September 2019
Blakefest in Bognor celebrates William Blake with music and poetry
Poets Andy Brown, Raine Geoghegan, Alan Morrison, Mandy Pannett, James Simpson, and Barry Smith will be taking part with musicians and folk singers in Blakefest, a one-day festival at Bognor Regis in ...
22nd September 2019
Write Out Loud at Marsden library tonight
The optional theme is Home at Marsden Write Out Loud on Wednesday 18 September at Marsden library, Peel Street, Marsden. Share your own poems, read your favourites or just listen. Everyone is welcome ...
19th September 2019
Write Out Loud Sale at the Waterside tonight
North-west publisher Paul Neads of Flapjack Press will be the guest host at Write Out Loud Sale at the Waterside arts centre, Sale, on Tuesday 17 September. Guest poets are Melanie Rees and Sarra Cull...
17th September 2019
Exhibition celebrating Lawrence Ferlinghetti at National Poetry Library
An exhibition celebrating Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the American Beat poet, publisher, painter and activist who turned 100 earlier this year, is being staged at the National Poetry Library at London’s So...
16th September 2019
Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
It’s Bolton Write Out Loud on Sunday 15 September at Bolton Socialist Club. Entry is £1 plus raffle to this open-mic poetry night, compered by Jeffarama! and Gordon Zola. Arrive from 7.30pm for 8pm st...
15th September 2019
Break-out poetry at Wigan Write Out Loud at the Old Courts tonight
Corralling poets? Don’t feel penned in by the location … but has any open-mic venue a more arresting venue? Wigan Write Out Loud at the Old Courts arts centre on Thursday 12 September is in The Holdin...
12th September 2019
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery tonight
Stockport Write Out Loud meets at Stockport art gallery on Monday 9 September to share poems. Each month a collage poem is produced from contribution on the night, and you can read August’s here. Entr...
9th September 2019
Luke Wright, Louise Fazackerley and Kirsty Taylor kick off spoken word label's tour
Luke Wright, Louise Fazackerley and Kirsty Taylor will be performing at The Edge in Manchester on Friday 20 September and kicking off a nationwide tour organised by Leeds-based spoken word record labe...
7th September 2019
Poets from Marsden and Batley meet on the bench today
Poets from Marsden and Batley will be reading together on Sunday 1 September outside Marsden Mechanics Hall in Marsden. The al fresco verse is part of a project organised by West Yorkshire’s Kirklees ...
1st September 2019
Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox tonight
Regular open micer Pete Jardine is the featured poet at Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox art gallery and museum, Woking, on Thursday 29 August. Sign up for an open slot from 7.30pm. It starts at ...
29th August 2019
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery on Monday
Members of Stockport Write Out Loud will be meeting to share poems at Stockport art gallery on Monday 12 August. Each month members contribute to a collage poem, and you can read July’s here. Entry is...
9th August 2019
Write Out Loud Wigan at the Old Courts tonight
It’s open-mic poetry at the Old Courts, Wigan on Thursday August 8. Doors open at the free Write Out Loud night at 7.30pm for an 8pm start. More details and Map
8th August 2019
New laureate Simon Armitage at Edinburgh book festival
Poet laureates new and former - Simon Armitage and Carol Ann Duffy - line up with Jackie Kay, Roger McGough, Lemn Sissay and Benjamin Zephaniah as some of the big poetry names appearing at this year’s...
7th August 2019
Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox tonight
Karen Swaley is the featured poet at Write Out Loud Woking on Thursday 25 July. Sign up from 7.30pm for this open mic poetry event at the Lightbox art gallery and museum in Woking, compered by Greg Fr...
25th July 2019
Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
It’s Bolton Write Out Loud on Sunday, 21 July at Bolton Socialist Club. Entry is £1 plus raffle to this open-mic poetry event compered by Jeffarama! and Gordon Zola. Arrive from 7.30pm for 8pm start. ...
21st July 2019
Here comes summer at Marsden Write Out Loud tonight
Summer is the optional theme at Marsden Write Out Loud at Marsden library in Peel Street, Marsden on Wednesday 17 July. Share your own poems, read your favourites or just listen - everyone welcome. It...
17th July 2019
Step up to the mic at Sale Write Out Loud's annual slam tonight
It’s Write Out Loud Sale’s annual summer poetry slam on Tuesday 16 July. Start time is 7.30pm at the Waterside arts centre, Sale, and entry is £3. More details and Map
16th July 2019
Wigan Write Out Loud at the Old Courts tonight
It’s Wigan Write Out Loud at the Old Courts in Crawford Street, Wigan on Thursday 11 July. Kick-off is at 8pm for this free night of open-mic poetry. Established poets and newcomers are welcomed to a ...
11th July 2019
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery tonight
Stockport Write Out Loud meets on Monday 8 July at Stockport art gallery to share poems. Entry is £1.50 to this open-floor poetry evening. Each month poets’ contributions are used to put together a co...
8th July 2019
Listen and learn at spoken word festival in historic Wiltshire barn
Come, listen, and learn this summer at a festival of spoken word in Wiltshire, over the weekend of 5-7 July. Messums Festival of the Spoken Word, at an arts centre inside a 13th century tithe barn, pr...
29th June 2019
Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox tonight
It’s Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox café in Woking on Thursday 27 June. Two hours of open-mic poetry, starting at 8pm. Sign up from 7.30 for a reading slot. Hosted by Greg Freeman and Rodney Wo...
27th June 2019
Flagging up Leamington's new poetry festival with open mics and local poets
Festival director Mike Took is flying the flag for Leamington’s new poetry festival, which will take place from 5-7 July. The festival will see over 50 poets, most of whom are from the local area, cov...
20th June 2019
Write Out Loud at Marsden library tonight
Marsden Write Out Loud aims to celebrate Pride Month with a theme of Pride, Protest, and Polemic at its monthly open-floor poetry night at Marsden library, Peel Street, Marsden, on Wednesday 19 June a...
19th June 2019
Stuart Buck is guest poet at Write Out Loud Sale at the Waterside tonight
Write Out Loud regular Stuart Buck is the guest poet at Sale Write Out Loud at the Waterside arts centre, Sale, on Tuesday 18 June. Entry is £3 to this open-mic event, which starts at 7pm. More detai...
18th June 2019
Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
There’s open mic poetry at Bolton Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club on Sunday 16 June. Your hosts are Jeffarama! and Gordon Zola, and doors open at 7.30pm for 8pm start. Entry £1 plus raffle. Mo...
16th June 2019
Keeper of Whitman's flame: US poet George Wallace returns to north-west
American performance poet George Wallace is returning for a four-venue tour of the north-west, with appearances in Bolton, Liverpool, Manchester and Cumbria. The visit, promoted by Bolton’s Live from ...
13th June 2019
Wigan Write Out Loud at the Old Courts tonight
Wigan’s Write Out Loud long-running free open mic poetry night is at the Bailiff Bar at the Old Courts in Wigan on Thursday 13 June. The open mic starts at 8pm. More details and Map
13th June 2019
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery tonight
Come and share your poems at Stockport Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery on Monday 10 June. Each month a collage poem is produced from readers’ contributions, and you can read May’s here. Entry ...
10th June 2019
Women of the north: Kate Fox to spin some yarns in Marsden
Leading performance poet and Radio 4 regular Kate Fox is appearing at two venues on consecutive days in Marsden next month. On Friday 14 June she will be at Marsden Mechanics Hall performing Where The...
9th June 2019
Alan Prout's Leeds launch
Marsden Write Out Loud regular Alan Prout has gone from open-micer to published poet in under two years, winning Half Moon Books’ anthology competition along the way. And on Saturday 8 June Half Moon ...
6th June 2019
Heather Moulson at Write Out Loud Woking tonight
Heather Moulson is the guest poet at Write Out Loud Woking on Thursday 30 May, at the Lightbox gallery in Woking. It’s now on the last Thursday of the month at the Lightbox, and at a new start time of...
30th May 2019
Amy Kinsman and Kate Garrett at Write Out Loud Sale at the Waterside tonight
Amy Kinsman and Kate Garrett are the featured poets at Write Out Loud Sale tonight, Tuesday 21 May, at the Waterside arts centre, Sale. Tonight’s open-mic night is hosted by Debz Butler. Entry is £3, ...
21st May 2019
Celebrating Walt Whitman at Bolton Write Out Loud tonight
Bolton Write Out Loud will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of American poet Walt Whitman on Sunday 19 May at Bolton Socialist Club. Why Walt Whitman? Because although the American p...
19th May 2019
New date for Peter Riley's guest spot at Puzzle Poets
Peter Riley is the guest poet at the next Puzzle Poets at the Navigation Inn at Sowerby Bridge, which has been switched from Monday 6 May to Monday 13 May this month. He has written 15 books of poetry...
30th April 2019
Robert Garnham and Annum Salman are Write Out Loud guest poets at Woking literary festival
Guest poets Robert Garnham and Annum Salman will be performing along with a great number of open-mic poets over five hours at Poetry Day on Saturday 27 April at Woking literary festival. This is the t...
26th April 2019
Northern Slamhouse kicks off Words in the City weekend in Leeds
Ilkley literature festival’s Words in the City weekend in Leeds kicks off on Thursday 25 April with the Northern Slamhouse competition, when eight poets battle it out for a £200 cash prize and the tit...
23rd April 2019
Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
There’s open mic poetry at Bolton Socialist Club on Sunday 21 April with Bolton Write Out Loud. Your hosts are Jeffarama! and Gordon Zola. Entry is £1 plus £1 raffle. Time: 7.30 for 8pm start. More de...
21st April 2019
Write Out Loud Sale at the Waterside tonight
Maz Hedgehog and Joe Williams are the guest poets at Write Out Loud Sale on Tuesday 16 April at the Waterside arts centre, Sale. Entry is £3 to this open mic event, which starts at 7pm. More details ...
16th April 2019
Musicians and poets combine in Kent
A day of poetry and music is lined up in the grounds of Frensham Manor in Kent on Saturday 4 May. Words and Music at the Skep will include poets Stephanie Burt, Jack Underwood, Nancy Gaffield, Pete Gr...
13th April 2019
Literary centre's festival builds on Tyneside poetry traditions
Newcastle University’s Centre for the Literary Arts will be staging Newcastle poetry festival from 1-4 May, with a line-up that includes TS Eliot prize winner Hannah Sullivan, Forward best first colle...
13th April 2019
Write Out Loud Wigan at the Old Courts tonight
Write Out Loud Wigan returns to the Old Courts in Wigan on Thursday 11 April for another night of free, open-mic poetry, organised by Ian Whiteley. It starts at 7.30pm in the Bailiff Bar at the Old Co...
11th April 2019
Thank u very much for this Wirral poetry festival line-up
Performances by Liverpool poet Roger McGough and readings from a book conceived by his former colleague in The Scaffold pop group, John Gorman, are among the highlights of Wirral poetry festival from ...
6th April 2019
Poems at an exhibition: Stockport Write Loud members in event at art gallery
Members of Stockport Write Out Loud will be taking part in a collaborative event of piano music and poetry readings at Stockport art gallery on Saturday 13 April, inspired by an exhibition that was co...
5th April 2019
'For the Silent' anthology launch at Cheltenham festival
The launch of an anthology of poetry against cruel sports will be one of the readings to watch out for at Cheltenham poetry festival, from Thursday 25 April to Saturday 4 May. Literary supporters of a...
22nd March 2019
David Cooke at Write Out Loud Woking tonight
David Cooke is the featured poet at Write Out Loud Woking on Thursday 21 March at the Lightbox art gallery and museum in Woking. Sign up from 7pm for the open-mic, hosted by Greg Freeman and Rodney Wo...
21st March 2019
Write Out Loud at Marsden library tonight
The optional theme is trees at this month’s Marsden Write Out Loud at Marsden library on Wednesday 20 March. Entry is £2. Share your own poems, read your favourites, or just listen. Everyone welcome. ...
20th March 2019
Caribbean poetry, haiku, graveyard poems and much more at broadcast festival
Turn on, tune in. From Thursday to Sunday 21-24 March, Chapel FM Arts Centre in Leeds will host Writing On Air, a different type of literary festival - different in the sense that the festival will co...
19th March 2019
Dominic Berry at Write Out Loud Sale at the Waterside tonight
Saboteur award winner Dominic Berry is the guest poet at Write Out Loud Sale at the Waterside arts centre, Sale on Tuesday 19 March. Entry is £3 to this open-mic poetry night, and it starts at 7.30pm....
19th March 2019
The edges of Europe: poets, actors and musicians perform events in London pub
Poets, actors and musicians will get together in a London pub over the weekend of 23-24 March to perform events “from the edges and in-between places of Europe”. There will be three sessions in three ...
17th March 2019
Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
Bolton Write Out Loud meets at Bolton Socialist Club on Sunday 17 March for another welcoming night of open-mic poetry. Get there from 7.30pm for an 8pm start. Your hosts are Jeffarama! and Gordon Zol...
17th March 2019
Matt Abbott to perform 'Two Little Ducks' show on Brexit and refugees in Marsden tonight
Spoken word poet Matt Abbott will be performing his Two Little Ducks show, which is based on his experiences as a volunteer with refugees in Calais but is also an attempt to explain why his area – Wak...
15th March 2019
Write Out Loud Wigan at the Old Courts tonight
After a Valentine’s Day return to its old haunt the Tudor last month, Write Out Loud Wigan returns to the Old Courts in Wigan on Thursday 14 March for another night of free, open-mic poetry with organ...
14th March 2019
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery tonight
Stockport Write Out Loud will be meeting at Stockport art gallery on Monday 11 March to share poems at its open-floor poetry night. Each month a collage poem is produced from readers’ contributions, a...
11th March 2019
New Helen Dunmore collection looks back 40 years
The family of Helen Dunmore and some of her close friends will be at Waterstones in London’s Piccadilly on Tuesday 26 February for the launch of the late poet’s collection Counting Backwards: Poems 19...
25th February 2019
Write Out Loud Woking at the Lightbox tonight
Write Out Loud Woking is at the café at the Lightbox gallery and museum in Woking on Thursday 21 February at 7.30pm. Entry is free to this open-mic poetry event although there will be a bucket collect...
21st February 2019
Write Out Loud at Marsden library tonight
The voluntary theme at Marsden Write Out Loud on Wednesday 20 February is “Out of Place”. The place to be is Marsden library, in Peel Street, Marsden, from 7.30pm. Entry is £2. Share you own poems, r...
20th February 2019
John Darwin at Write Out Loud Sale tonight
Former Write Out Loud Sale organiser John Darwin will be back at his old stamping ground on Tuesday 19 February to promote his forthcoming debut solo poetry collection. Its title? I meet Myself Return...
19th February 2019
Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
Jeffarama! and Gordon Zola will be compering Bolton Write Out Loud’s supportive and welcoming night of open-mic poetry at Bolton Socialist Club on Sunday 17 February. Time is 7.30pm for 8 pm start. En...
17th February 2019
Saving Poetry Wigan – starting tonight at the Tudor
Wigan Write Out Loud returns to the Tudor on Thursday 14 February - for its last session? It's one of the most iconic, idiotic, idiosyncratic - and, for many, career-launching - open-mic poetry nights...
14th February 2019
Going for goal! Man City conference looks at how poetry can improve pupil language skills
A conference on Friday 15 January for primary school teachers and heads at Manchester's City's stadium will discuss the potential for raising attainment in English by bringing live poetry and poetry p...
12th February 2019
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery tonight
Stockport Write Out Loud will be gathering at Stockport art gallery on Monday 11 February to share poems at another open-floor poetry night. Entry is a £1.50 donation, and it begins at 7pm. More detai...
11th February 2019
Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
Bolton Write Out Loud invites experienced and brand-new poets to perform their work to a supportive audience at the UK's oldest socialist club on Sunday 20 January. Entry is £1 plus raffle to this ope...
20th January 2019
Clothes theme optional at Write Out Loud at Marsden library
The optional theme at Marsden Write Out Loud tonight is clothes - the colours you wear to stand out; the colours you wear to belong; your brand-new dress; your favourite jeans; suits of armour, suits ...
16th January 2019
