We’re excited to be presenting a special ‘LIVEwire’ event as part of the first-ever Leeds Poetry Festival. It’ll take place at Left Bank from 1700-1830 on Friday 23 July. Our featured acts are Kirsty Taylor and Simone Yasmin, and there’ll also be a ‘spotlight section’ showcasing emerging poets from around West Yorkshire.

Tickets cost £8 plus booking fee and are available here.

Kirsty Taylor is a poet and educator from Bradford. A fiercely proud Bradfordian, she’s a naturally gifted performer with a unique and cutting style. She blends hip-hop influences with a contemporary take on kitchen sink realism. Her characters carousel from council estates and shopping precincts to ice rinks and box bedrooms.

Simone Yasmin is a Black writer, spoken word artist and vocal soul, born in Leeds. Simone writes about all things people leave unsaid and pulls no punches when it comes to unpacking racism, feminism and other humanitarian issues, in her blog ‘Ethereal Truth’. Simone Yasmin’s own experiences have helped to shape her work, though more recently she has worked to share the stories of those unable to voice their own.