A dialect poet whose poems record working-class life in northern mill towns in the 19^th century will be celebrated at a special night at Marsden library, near Huddersfield.

The evening on Tuesday, 17 January, at the library in Peel Street, Marsden, will celebrate Samuel Laycock’s birthday – and there will be open mic opportunities for local poets too.

Though Yorkshire born, Laycock was known as a Lancashire dialect poet as he spent his adult life “over the border”. The evening features a talk about Laycock, with some of his works, by dialect poetry expert, Prof Paul Salveson. There will also be open-mic slots (first come, first served) for anyone wanting to read either a dialect or other poem or two (depending on numbers). The evening will be compered by Write Out Loud’s Julian Jordon.

Tickets are £2/ £1.50, and include refreshments, and are available from any Kirklees box office, 01484 223200. The event, from 7.30 to 9.30, is run by Kirklees libraries in association with Write Out Loud. The organisers are also considering running a monthly open mic session in Marsden in the future, for poetry/short stories and music/song. Map