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Bolton, where it all began ... co-founder returns to revive live night

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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.

embedded image from entry 121040 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.”

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Dave Morgan

Fri 11th Mar 2022 14:23

Thanks for all your positive responses. Love to you and Bob, Laura.A small number (10) assembled at the Socialist Club to feed off the chocolate cake left by the International Women's Day meeting in the afternoon. It was reminiscent of our early days but that's enough reminiscing. I enjoyed myself, I love the company, the upstairs room at the Club, the Fursty Ferret. Old faces (apologies) and new faces. It made me realise wha tI'd been missing for eighteen months, the opportunity to show off to a polite but somehow entrapped group of fellow travellers, good companions, kindred spirits. Enough of the cliches. Looking forward to the next on Sunday 3 April.

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Laura Taylor

Fri 4th Mar 2022 10:09

Morning Julian

I'm doing okay thank you - very glad we're into the Spring now, put it that way. Got a few gigs lined up, hoping for more this year as we all start getting out and about more.

Meh. I just opened me gob and let a life's worth of angst out, hiding behind coded language 😉


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John F Keane

Thu 3rd Mar 2022 15:39

Bolton is truly the hub of popular poetry in the North West. It is an example we can all learn from.

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Julian (Admin)

Thu 3rd Mar 2022 14:49

Hello, Laura. How the devil (other demons are available) are you? Thank you. And you were a big part of it too.

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Laura Taylor

Thu 3rd Mar 2022 13:29

I blame the bloody lot of you tbh. And thank you from the bottom of my heart 😍

Best of luck with it Mr Morgan, sending love from me and himself xx

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Julian (Admin)

Thu 3rd Mar 2022 09:33

This has pleased me so much. A beacon in the darkness.
My own involvement in poetry was very much thanks to Dave who, in a phone conversation, persuaded me to attend John Jelly's little group:
'Bring your poems', Dave said.
'I don't write poetry', I replied.
'Course you do. Everybody writes poetry', he insisted.
So, I took my poems that no one had ever known I had written, read them out to the little group, and got applause (as, I should add, did everyone). Whether it was politeness or encouragement mattered not. I was expressing myself in my own words to people who listened and offered their appreciation.
Having previously worked in various community education settings, Dave and I understood its potential to offer such opportunities more widely. I should add that I acquired some of my most useful such understandings as a result of Dave's influence and mentorship, too, both professionally and as a friend.
So, I blame Dave. God bless him (other deities are available).

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