LIVEwire Leeds #2 | Joelle Taylor & Ollie O'Neill

Contact: press@nymphsandthugs.net

#LIVEwire Leeds #2
Joelle Taylor and Ollie O'Neill
plus open mic (FULL)
hosted by Matt Abbott Poet.

Nymphs & Thugs are the UK's leading spoken word record label. Since forming in 2015, they've become home to Louise Fazackerley- Poet, Matt Abbott, Toria Garbutt Poet, Salena Godden, Kevin P. Gilday - Writer & Spoken Word Artist and Luke Wright. Their #LIVEwire events are rapidly developing a reputation as one of the most electric nights on the scene.

Their new series of #LIVEwire events include four regional dates around England - Manchester (20 Sep), Bristol (13 Nov), Birmingham (22 Feb), Colchester (29 Apr) - as well as four resident nights at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds. Each event will feature a unique line-up, with at least one N&T artist on the bill.

The first of the Leeds events pulled no punches, with globally renowned poet Salena Godden supported by Birmingham-based rising star Nafeesa Hamid. The second night stars another international icon in Joelle Taylor, supported by fellow London-based Out-Spoken Press poet Ollie O'Neill. The night will be hosted by N&T founder Matt Abbott.


JOELLE TAYLOR

Joelle Taylor is an award-winning poet, playwright, author and editor who has recently completed a world tour with her latest collection ‘Songs My Enemy Taught Me’. She is widely anthologised, the author of 3 full poetry collections and 3 plays and is currently completing her début book of short stories ‘The Night Alphabet’.

Joelle will be the editor of Out-Spoken Press from September 2020 - September 2021, commissioning five new titles with a focus on women's writing.

OLLIE O'NEILL

Ollie O'Neill is a London based poet and writer. She is a former UK Youth Slam Champion, and current Barbican Young Poet. In March 2019, her debut pamphlet 'Ways of Coping' was published by Out-Spoken Press. Her work explores themes of female sexuality, desire, and psychiatry.

She has previously read in venues such as The Institute of Contemporary Arts, Soho Theatre, Royal Festival Hall, and The 100 Club, as well as at Cheltenham Literature Festival, The Verve Poetry Festival, and Wilderness Festival.

MATT ABBOTT

Matt Abbott is freshly establishing himself on the UK's scene. His debut one-man show 'Two Little Ducks' earned 5* reviews at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017 and on a 22-date UK theatre tour last autumn, and was accompanied by his debut poetry collection on Verve. He formed N&T in spring 2015 and fronts alternative act Skint & Demoralised.

OPEN MIC

Please note that the open mic section is now FULL. We apologise for any disappointment.

Price: £6.00

Time: 7:30pm (Doors (music & drinks) 20:00-20:10 Matt Abbott intro and poems 20:10-20:25 First 3 open mic acts 20:25-20:50 Ollie O'Neill 20:50-21:10 Inter)