Whether you're a newbie or a veteran; a page-poet or slam-champion; or even just a listener in the corner at the back: at Write Out Loud, we're always here to help you find your voice. And we begin with the best Gig Guide around.  

But what is a Gig, and what is the Guide?  

If you're new to Write Out Loud, welcome! We're here to link you up with the worldwide community of poetry and live literature. Our ethos is simple: through up-to-date news, live event presence and an active eye on social media, we unite the poetry public from the rural towns of England to the pavements of New York.  

And at our beating heart? The Gig Guide. A great index of literary events there for all and everyone, the Guide embraces poetry in all its many forms. From country-pub performances in sparse and sleepy towns to leading names upon the stage at world-renowned events, the Guide is there to bring you that bit closer to the writing world.  

So whatever floats your metaphorical boat – slam, launches, readings, performance, workshops, festivals, scratch perhaps – it's there for you in a tap or two.  

Like to list an event with us? 

At Write Out Loud, our team love a live night of literature. But we can't be everywhere! That's why we rely on the poetry public to help us stay in-touch with the great world of words. 

So if you run an event and would like to list it with our Gig Guide, you'd be more than welcome! After all, it's completely free and the surest way of linking up with the world of performance and live literature out there. And listing with us is simple, too: just log on to our Gig Guide page and click 'add your gig'. Easy, eh? 

Speaking of our editor... 

Monitoring our Gig Guide is a hands-on affair, and requires a wordy-wise editor immersed in the live events we value so much. That's why Laura Potts has joined the Write Out Loud team as our new Gig Guide Editor this year.   

Laura is twice-recipient of the Foyle Young Poets Award and lives in West Yorkshire. Her work has appeared in Agenda, Prole and Poetry Salzburg Review. Having worked at The Dylan Thomas Birthplace in Swansea, Laura was last year listed in The Oxford Brookes International Poetry Prize and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She also became one of The Poetry Business' New Poets and a BBC New Voice for 2017, with her first BBC radio drama broadcast at Christmas. She received first place in The Mother's Milk Writing Awards and a commendation from The Poetry Society in 2018.  

On the future of the Gig Guide, Laura says: 'I'd like to burst the Gig Guide open, and show that the arts exist far outside the microcosm of London. Poetry is still regarded as upper-cut; as elite; but it's time to leave the shadows of Keats and Wordsworth behind. There are voices today which will echo just as loudly, if only they're given the chance'.  

You can contact Laura via her email address laurap@writeoutloud.net or take a look at the guide and start listing your events right away!