N&T presents the ‘LIVEwire Salon’
After going down a storm at the very first Byline Festival last June, we’ve been invited to return with our #LIVEwire Salon for 2018’s festival.
Join us at the Backline Stage on the Friday and Sunday nights, as we present a relentless wave of fiery, political and cutting-edge spoken word poetry. Curated by Byline’s Poet Laureate Salena Godden and N&T founder Matt Abbott.
FRIDAY: 2145-2345 | SUNDAY: 2230-0100 | TICKETS
As well as Salena and Matt, our line-up includes:
Connor Byrne, Sophie Cameron, Maria Ferguson, Michelle Fisher, Michelle Madsen, Selina Nwulu, Oakley, Scarlett Sabet and Oli Spleen.
CONNOR BYRNE
Emerging poet from Brighton. Connor has been writing poetry since 2015, exploring gender, relationships and coming of age. He has performed in Brighton and Edinburgh Fringes, competed in slams, self-published his first pamphlet, and was once commissioned to put his voice in a shoe.
SOPHIE CAMERON
An extraordinary performance poet. She aims to hold a mirror up to the everyday highs and lows. She runs a regular cabaret night in London called Red Raw
MARIA FERGUSON
Writer and performer from Essex. She has been commissioned by BBC Radio 1 and Royal Academy of Arts. Her debut show ‘Fat Girls Don’t Dance’ sold out nationwide as well at Edinburgh Fringe where it was met with critical acclaim. It won the Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Show 2017 and is published by Oberon Books. Maria is currently working on her new show ‘Essex Girl’.
MICHELLE FISHER
Writer and performer from Glasgow, currently based in London. She was a finalist in Words First; a national collaborative project between BBC Radio 1Xtra and Roundhouse. She has supported some of the UK’s top performers including Kate Tempest, Salena Godden, Hollie Poetry, Elvis McGonagall and Luke Wright and was a Resident Artist at the Roundhouse 2017/18. Her work explores wider societal issues, such as class and poverty, and how these affect our everyday lives. She has been commissioned by institutions such as BBC and Huffington Post, and has performed across the UK, from Aberdeen to Bournemouth.
MICHELLE MADSEN
Poet, theatre maker, activist and investigative journalist. Michelle is a member of Poetry on the Picket Line, BP or Not BP and has appeared on BBC1 and BBC Radio 4, Resonance FM and NTS Radio. She has performed on four continents and is a regular at Glastonbury, Port Eliot and the Edinburgh Festival. She is the host and creator of the world’s only poetry panel game, I’m Sorry I Haven’t Haiku and writes on fraud and corruption for Private Eye and the Independent. She also makes and directs campaigning, clowny theatre and is a founding member of spoken word and physical theatre duo BAIT, which will be performing its debut show ‘Tales’ at festivals including Brighton and Edinburgh in 2018. Her debut collection Alternative Beach Sports is published by Burning Eye.
SELINA NWULU
Yorkshire born writer, poet and essayist based in London. She was Young Poet Laureate for London 2015-6, a prestigious award that recognises talent and potential in the capital. She has been featured in Vogue, ES Magazine, i-D and Blavity amongst others. Her first chapbook collection, The Secrets I Let Slip was published by Burning Eye Books in September 2015. She writes for the Guardian, New Humanist and Red Pepper. She has toured her work nationally and internationally as well as at a number of festivals including Glastonbury, Edinburgh Fringe, Cúirt Festival in Galway and Fiery Tongues Festival in Ruigoord, Holland. She returned from a literary tour in India with the British Council in late 2016. She is currently ‘Writer and Creator in Residence’ at the Free Word centre and Wellcome Trust.
OAKLEY
Winner of the Out-Spoken Prize for Page Poetry 2018. Oakley was part of Apples & Snakes’ Writing Room for emerging poets led by Roger Robinson and since then has performed at Jawdance, Citadel and for The RSC. Their collection of poems whilst Worcestershire Young Poet Laureate ‘in the dark times’ is published by Black Pear Press.
SCARLETT SABET
Poet and performer. She has given poetry readings at City Lights in San Francisco, MOPOP Museum in Seattle, Bowery Poetry in New York, Shakespeare and Co in Paris. In London she has read at the Southwark Playhouse, Leighton House Museum, The Groucho Club, and the Chelsea Arts Club. She regularly reads at The Troubadour in London. Scarlett’s work has been featured on BBC Radio 4, London Live TV, GQ, and Dazed&Confused. Scarlett has her own publishing company which just released her third collection “Zoreh”.
OLI SPLEEN
Hospitalised and fighting for his life in 2000, aged 22, Oli Spleen had an epiphany that he must follow his heart and write his way toward a better future. The resulting book ‘Depravikazi’ was published in 2003 by Running Water Publications. At the Brighton launch of the book his first band ‘The Flesh Happening’ was formed. In 2009 he formed the band ‘Pink Narcissus; and in 2013 released a solo album ‘Fag Machine’ which spawned a club-night of the same name which ran for three years and was the first to showcase live original music on Brighton’s gay scene. He is currently living in Brighton where he still performs and writes with his bands Pink Narcissus and Spleen. He is also in the process of recording his second solo album ‘Gaslight Illuminations’ which incorporates themes of psychological manipulation and the emotional fallout of a toxic relationship.
Nymphs & Thugs 