One of the co-founders of Bolton Write Out Loud open-mic poetry night has returned to oversee its live return to Bolton Socialist Club. Dave Morgan, pictured, who launched the night almost two decades ago with Julian Jordon – and thereby kickstarted Write Out Loud, which grew and grew, as well - stepped in after previous MC Jeff Dawson stepped down after 10 years at the helm.

Dave said: “It would be a travesty if Write Out Loud didn't continue in its founding town. Jeff has kept it going through thick and thin and I intend to stay true to our long-held principles of a warm welcome, positive regard, and respect to all those who attend.”

Sunday 6 March saw the return of Write Out Loud to Bolton Socialist Club. Dave added: “After 18 months of Zoom meetings which have been adroitly managed by Jeff Dawson we revert to a face-to-face approach albeit with some sensible Covid precautions. All writers and performers of poetry are welcome, whatever stage you feel you're at or whatever genre interests you. Listeners are particularly welcome. Reading aloud demands an audience.”

Dave Morgan is also involved with former Write Out Loud team member Paul Blackburn in running Bolton-based Live from Worktown, which has collaborated with New York poet George Wallace, and staged poetry events and published anthologies for a number of years. The latest anthology, Love from Worktown, was launched on Valentine’s Day. The group is also working on a pilot arts/culture magazine for Bolton FM’s Side Door. He has also published a volume of poetry, Chuang Tse's Caterpillar, contributed poems to several anthologies, and written and recorded an eight-minute piece about Bolton landmark and Right to Roam location, Winter Hill, with music by Kevin Bates, which is being animated by.Rachel Appleton.

In an article for Write Out Loud in 2009 he traced the roots of open-mic poetry in Bolton back to a busker and MC called John Jelly, who presided in the Man and Scythe pub in Churchgate when Dave wandered in with “two poems in my coat pocket” in 2002.  

Dave recalled: “I went back many times, taking other people including Julian Jordon, watching regulars come and go, observing the loves and hates, spits and spats, that punctuated each Sunday evening’s readings.

“By the following summer Julian and I had moved to our own quieter venue at the Sweet Green, following Nicola [Beckett] … She set it up, but couldn’t make the first meeting so I ran it … it became the basis of Write Out Loud.”