After a raucous launch event starring Salena Godden and Nafeesa Hamid, we return to Hyde Park Book Club on 4 December with internationally-renowned icon Joelle Taylor, plus fellow Out-Spoken Press poet Ollie O’Neill. Tickets are on sale here.

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 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.

As usual, there are 6 open mic slots up for grabs – each of which is 5 minutes in length, and can be reserved on a first come, first served basis by emailing Matt at eyup@mattabbottpoet.com. Please feel free to share the Facebook event here!