The treatment and “subtle exclusions” that female spoken word artists and poets face in “public space that remains dominated by men” is one of the topics up for discussion at the National Black Writers and Publishers conference, on Saturday 19 October at Contact, Oxford Road, Manchester. Hosted by Cultureword, the conference is open to anyone with an interest in black and Asian writing and publishing. Publishers involved include Puffin/Penguin, Peepal Tree Press, Banipal Press, Doghorn Publishing  and Cultureword, and poets among the writers taking part in the conference include Malika Booker and Fred D’Aguiar. The day’s programme includes book launches, stalls, and opportunities to network. Entertainment in the evening includes performance poet and Singapore poetry slam champion, Stephanie Dogfoot, recently seen at the all-female Spoken Word Cabaret at the Edinburgh Fringe. The conference takes place from 10.30am-5.30pm, with the evening showcase taking place at the same venue. Booking is via Contact’s booking line, 0161 274 0600, or contact Martin De Mello or Pete Kalu at Cultureword. Email conf@cultureword.org.uk  or tel: 0161 832 3777.  More details