Since the beginning of May 2020, we’ve been hosting weekly Insta sessions with guests from all over the UK and further afield. These relaxed 30-minute sessions blend performance with insightful conversations from leading and emerging poets.

Up next, we welcome Leilah Jane King! Leilah is a half Iranian gay footballer, mental health advocate and stand-up poet.Leilah’s début poetry collection ‘Midnight Picnics in Tehran‘ was published by Burning Eye Books in 2019. It’s a tale of two countries, three cities and an innumerable amount of drinks being thrown in people’s faces.

Leilah paints striking imagery of the bustling cities of Shiraz and Tehran, the former her mother’s birthplace.She conveys a melancholic nostalgia and love for a culture still novel to her that is remembered warmly from childhood summers spent in Iran’s beautiful mountains and parks. ‘Midnight Picnics’ does not only focus on Iran but talks about Leilah’s time living in Bristol and Brighton. She shares an open, honest and raw account inviting you to navigate your way through sexuality, androgyny and anger.

This session will be hosted by Matt Abbott. Our previous sessions are available to stream back in full on our Facebook page, YouTube channel and IGTV channel. Find more information and share the event over on Facebook. Our recent session with Tobi Abiodun is available to view below.