‘A huge contribution to Write Out Loud’: Julian Jordon recalls the generosity, enthusiasm and knowledge of Paul Blackburn
I struggle to believe that our pal, our big, bold, barmy, Bohemian brother-in-arms has left the stage, so abruptly, so prematurely. Paul Blackburn made a huge, unique, contribution to the development of Write Out Loud in its formative years, combining his education (Ruskin, Oxford), skills (computer programming), knowledge (especially poetry, but much else besides), and experiences of his varied p...
28th September 2023
Long after inundation, Morpeth's Northern Poetry Library still has big ambitions
The town of Morpeth in Northumberland is home to the Northern Poetry Library. Not a lot of people know that. Remarkably, according to its website, it has the largest collection of post-second world war poetry in England outside London. There are over 15,000 volumes, including first editions, signed ...
25th September 2023
Northumbrian poetry and beyond at Berwick literary festival
Northumberland poet Katrina Porteous; a talk on the poet Basil Bunting titled ‘The most significant Northumbrian writer since Bede?’; former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams on religious poetry...
23rd September 2023
Get them roaring! How Lion of Newcastle rouses audiences
He strode confidently to the stage resplendent in striking African outfit that glowed in the semi-darkness. When he reached the microphone he exhorted The Stanza audience at North Shields & District M...
19th September 2023
Wolverhampton University awards Black Country poet Liz Berry an honorary doctorate
Award-winning poet Liz Berry has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Wolverhampton. In 2014 she won the Forward prize for best first collection with her debut book Black Co...
17th September 2023
Write Out Loud Woking says farewell to the Lightbox
Write Out Loud Woking is saying farewell to the Lightbox museum and art gallery, its live monthly open mic venue for the past five years. The Lightbox is being forced to make economies following Wokin...
15th September 2023
Libyan poet who wrote warning poem died days later in floods
A Libyan poet who attended a meeting to discuss the risk of a flood in the city of Derna and the state of its dams, and subsequently wrote a poem about it, is one of the many thousands who have died i...
15th September 2023
Pressed for Time: John Foggin, Calder Valley Poetry
This collection, which was published in 2022, was John Foggin’s last before his death earlier this year. He liked to describe himself as a poetry ‘late developer’, and over recent years won a successi...
13th September 2023
Translation trio will scatter Oxygen Confetti in the north-east
Oxygen Confetti – Poetry in three voices is a presentation of poetry translated into English from Dutch, with one of the poems set to song, by poet Elma van Haren, translator Rosemary Mitchell-Schuite...
10th September 2023
Manchester seeks Slam-o-Vision contenders
Manchester City of Literature is offering a prize of £250 to the poet chosen to represent the city at Slam-o-Vision, described as the spoken word version of Eurovision. The selected poet will represen...
9th September 2023
Fundraiser tops £70,000 after body found in search for missing poet
Family and friends of poet Gboyega Odubanjo have raised more than £72,000 after setting up a fundraiser to honour his name. The fund was established after news that a body had been found, five days af...
9th September 2023
Manchester Cathedral opens door to poetry submissions
Manchester Cathedral’s poetry competition is open for submissions, with the theme this year ‘A Truth’. Organisers say they are looking for poems “which examine the notion of truth and subjectivity, th...
9th September 2023
What a bunch! Top performers at Crunch Poetry Punch
Performance poets Janine Booth, Laura Taylor, and Kieron Lee Higgins are lined up at Nick Toczek’s Crunch Poetry Punch at the Square Chapel arts centre in Halifax on Saturday 9 September. It’s the fir...
5th September 2023
Laura Taylor at Write Out Loud Bolton tonight
Popular performer Laura Taylor will be the guest poet at Write Out Loud Bolton at Bolton Socialist Club lounge on Sunday 3 September. There are 14 open mic slots. Doors open at 7.30pm for an 8pm start...
3rd September 2023
England, his England: Harry Gallagher’s poetic plea for ‘decency’
He was constantly apologising – or maybe, mock-apologising – whenever a ‘political’ poem came up. But now and again they did. Popular north-east poet Harry Gallagher is passionate about … decency. It ...
1st September 2023
Top performers and grassroots poets come together at poetry festival with a difference
A festival with the emphasis on performance as well as grassroots poetry is returning with a stellar line-up for a second year. Morecambe Poetry Festival, organised by Edinburgh Fringe veteran Matt Pa...
1st September 2023
