Last week Liverpool poet Steve Regan reported for Write Out Loud on the night the Guardian came to an open mic evening in Liverpool. Now you can watch the Guardian video of that night, as presenter Marcel Theroux first discusses how to write a poem with poet and compere Phil Bowen, amid the snow and glasshouses of Sefton Park. Later he delivers his effort at a gathering of local poets at “one of Liverpool’s infamous open mic nights”.

Early on in the video Bowen guides Theroux through writing a poem  - “keep it tight, keep it rhythmic” –  after he stumbles upon his opening line, and then is inspired by the tropical palm house (“I feel like I’m in Asia”)  to write The Palm House In Winter.

During the video, one of the performers, Sarah Maclennan, points out that poetry in Liverpool didn’t begin and end with the 1960s Mersey Poets, and talks of the “terrifying” moment of performance: “The adrenalin surge you have after you’ve performed, you want to get back up on the mike.”

Before he goes on stage Theroux says how nervous he is: “There are far more people than I expected. The standard of poetry is high, the performances are really good.”

His poem gets a laugh with a topical line about “nicking bits from other poets, and calling them allusions”.

Afterwards Theroux reflects on the “huge sense of relief once you’ve done it”. He adds: “This is a down-to-earth city. The poet has to confront their audience. Poetry here survives by speaking to its audience. It’s got to be a good thing for a poet.” 

PHOTOGRAPH: PAUL HARRIS