Simon Armitage to discuss Stanza Stones project at Winchester poetry festival
Simon Armitage will be reunited with Stanza Stones lettercarver Pip Hall at Winchester poetry festival this autumn to discuss their collaboration on the 45-mile Stanza Stones trail from Marsden to Ilkley in West Yorkshire. The project saw Armitage write a set of poems inspired by the language and landscape of the Pennine watershed, which were then carved on to stones by Hall.
Armitage, who is O...
26th May 2016
Something to smile about as new Write Out Loud poetry night is born
A new Write Out Loud poetry night took its first lungfulls of air on Monday - and so far the infant is doing well. Write Out Loud Woking was launched in a pub alongside a canal in the village of Send, just outside Woking, in Surrey. There were 15 readers, plus two hosts, and an audience of more tha...
24th May 2016
Beehive Poets reading tonight at Bradford's literature festival
Bradford’s Beehive Poets will be giving a special reading at Bradford literature festival on Tuesday 24 May from 8-9pm at Waterstones. This year they are approaching the theme of death and dying from ...
24th May 2016
Troubled waters: Geraldine Monk launches new collection in Sheffield tonight
The innovative poet Geraldine Monk will be launching her new collection, They who Saw the Deep, at the University of Sheffield on Tuesday 24 May. At the heart of the collection are poems concerning ri...
24th May 2016
Last chance to vote for Saboteur awards
This is almost your last chance to vote in the Saboteur awards, with best spoken word show and performer, and best regular spoken word night among the categories. Shortlisted for best spoken word show...
23rd May 2016
Picture this: poet comes face to face with portrait, in Droitwich
A portrait of a UK poet by a US artist has led to its display and a poetry performance in the Worcestershire town of Droitwich. In 2015, Cynthia Morrison produced a piece of artwork for a gallery in t...
22nd May 2016
He's abseiling: Write Out Loud's John Coopey taking the plunge from tower block
Write Out Loud regular John Coopey makes a habit of fitting new words to popular songs and blogging them on this site, accompanying himself on the guitar. His latest is ‘I’m Abseiling’ – and that’s ex...
21st May 2016
Ian Whiteley's poetry and music on first world war at Chorlton arts festival
Performance poet Ian Whiteley will be telling the story of the first world war in poetry set to music at Chorlton arts festival on Wednesday 25 May at 7.30pm. Still in the War, Boys at Chorlton librar...
21st May 2016
Showcase evening at festival gives Saboteurs-listed publisher a lift
It was standing-room only as Chrys Salt, pictured, wrapped up a showcase evening of poetry last week at the Cheltenham poetry festival. A packed house at the Frog and Fiddle heard Deborah Harvey (Brea...
21st May 2016
Write Out Loud at Marsden library tonight
Write Out Loud Marsden is back on Wednesday 18 March at Marsden library at 7.30pm, with regular host Julian Jordon in charge again after his US travels. He thanks for Diane Green and David Lindsay for...
18th May 2016
Mum's the word with Hollie McNish at the Roundhouse Last Word festival
Hollie McNish, Kate Tempest, and Rob Auton are among the highlights at the Last Word festival of spoken word, storytelling and live performance at the Roundhouse in London from 24 May-18 June.
Holl...
18th May 2016
Write Out Loud at Bolton Socialist Club tonight
Write Out Loud Bolton meets at its new home at Bolton Socialist Club on Tuesday 17 September. Entry is £1 plus raffle to this open mic event hosted by Jefframa! and Gordon Zola. Arrive at 7.30 for 8pm...
17th May 2016
Write Out Loud Sale at the Waterside tonight
Write Out Loud Sale is holding another open mic poetry night at the Waterside arts centre, Sale on Tuesday 17 May. First time readers are especially welcome. Open mic spaces are available on a first c...
17th May 2016
Write Out Loud invades the south at the New Inn tonight
The first Write Out Loud open mic poetry night south of the Wash is being launched in Surrey next week. Write Out Loud Woking is the initiative of Write Out Loud’s Greg Freeman and Woking Stanza group...
16th May 2016
In the aftermath of the Calder valley floods, a new poetry press is born
A couple of weeks ago an event took place in Hebden Bridge that was rich in symbolism – for poetry lovers, at least. A pamphlet by Peter Riley, who was shortlisted for the Forward prize last year, was...
13th May 2016
Write Out Loud's spoken word night at Oldham library with Anjum Malik - it's tonight!
Write Out Loud is staging an open-floor spoken word night at Oldham library on Friday13 May for poets, storytellers and songwriters from any background - and any language - as part of Oldham's Bookmar...
13th May 2016
Cleckheaton's Talking Zebras poets launch anthology in aid of hospice
A spoken word group in Cleckheaton is launching an anthology of poetry by members in booklet and CD form on Friday 13 May at Millbridge WMC, Liversedge. The Selected Poems by Talking Zebras is the wor...
13th May 2016
Write Out Loud Wigan at the Old Courts tonight
Write Out Loud Wigan meets at the Old Courts in Wigan on Thursday 12 May for another open mic poetry night with “moments of community, surrealism, sexuality and reflectiveness”. It’s free, there’s no...
12th May 2016
Saboteur awards contender showcases four poets at festival
A publisher that has been shortlisted for three Saboteur awards is showcasing four of its poets at a special reading during Cheltenham poetry festival on Thursday 12 May. The Indigo Dreams showcase at...
12th May 2016
Gaelic poet wins accolade in Saboteur awards shortlists
A poet who writes in Gaelic has been voted on to the shortlists for this year’s Saboteur indie lit awards in the new “wild card” category. Marcas Mac an Tuairneir, originally from York, but resident i...
10th May 2016
Richard III, Jamie Vardy, and all that: call for poems about Leicester
Congratulations to Leicester City for winning the Premiership! But there's even more to Leicester than Richard III and the fairytale rise to the top by its football team this season, spearheaded by go...
10th May 2016
Write Out Loud at Stockport art gallery tonight
Members of Write Out Loud Stockport will be convening at Stockport art gallery on Monday 9 May to share their poems and to produce a monthly collage poem. You can read April’s collage poem here. Entry...
9th May 2016
Our man in Havana checks out the poetry scene in Cuba
I was sitting at breakfast in Vedado, Havana last week when Jeffrey Shero, pictured, of Austin, Texas, says to me: “Allen Ginsberg told me that, as a young man, he’d slept with a much older man who, a...
8th May 2016
Daljit Nagra and Simon Armitage open festival with event to mark Somme centenary
Fierce Light, a poetry commission featuring Simon Armitage and Daljit Nagra exploring the first world war and its legacy, will be premiered on the opening night of the Norwich and Norfolk festival on ...
4th May 2016
Poet Warsan Shire's words spoken on Beyoncé’s new album
The work of a Somali-British poet is reaching a huge new audience after being featured in US pop singer Beyoncé's new video album. Beyoncé reads parts of Warsan Shire’s poems, including ‘For Women Who...
3rd May 2016
On your bikes: pedalling poets to tour South Downs during new festival
A new poetry festival featuring a poetry bike tour and events at venues over the length and breadth of a national park in Sussex and Hampshire will be launched this summer. The first South Downs poet...
3rd May 2016
