poet, educator & activist
@mattabbottpoet
Tubthumping #7 | Polarbear & Jasmine Gardosi on 8 Jun
onour ‘Tubthumping’ night returns for 2023 in a brand-new venue! we were all gutted to see The Constitutional close its doors for the final time, but the Old Woollen is one of the most exciting venues with an LS postcode and we’re buzzing to have been given the opportunity to programme there.
up first – pulling no punches – Steven ‘Polarbear’ Camden and Jasmine Gardosi! tickets are available here for £11 plus booking fee.
Chelping #21 | Kayo Chingonyi & Kathryn Millington on 18 May
onour second installment of ‘Chelping’ for 2023 stars Kayo Chingonyi alongside Kathryn ‘Millie’ Millington! what an absolute belter. there are open mic slots available as usual, although these are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Snug Sessions with Stephen James Smith on 25 Apr
onwe’ve decided to trial a new semi-regular series of intimate live poetry events at the snug in Hyde Park Book Club. this will feature extended sets by our headline act, followed by a relaxed interview and q+a. our very first headliner is Stephen James Smith!

the event will be hosted by Matt Abbott, who will also be Stephen’s support act. tickets are available here for £8/6.
Chelping #20 | Clare Shaw & Nafeesa Hamid on 16 Mar
onChelping returns for 2023 with its 20th installment, starring Clare Shaw and Nafeesa Hamid on Thursday 16 March! join us in the breathtaking 255-year-old The Leeds Library for one of the city’s leading poetry nights.
unfortunately, at the time of typing, all of the open mic slots have gone. apologies for any disappointment caused.

LIVEwire @ Leeds Lit Fest on 28 Feb
onour first event of 2023 takes place as part of Leeds Lit Fest, and sees LIVEwire return to Hyde Park Book Club! featuring sets from Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan, Ty’rone Haughton, and Jay Mitra. tickets are available here for £6/4.
Roaring 20s Radio episode 30 available as a podcast
onthis year’s Black History Month special saw Salena Godden and Matt Abbott welcome Rick Dove and Tice Cin into the Soho Radio studio. originally broadcast on Saturday 22 October, it’s now available in full as a podcast.
if you can’t find it in the usual places, it’s on the Roaring 20s Radio Anchor page here!
Nymphs & Thugs x Bad Betty event in Leeds on 24 Nov
onour final event of 2022 sees us team up with Bad Betty Press on the Leeds leg of their UK! we’ll be returning to Hyde Park Book Club on Thursday 24 November with an outstanding line-up of poets for your hearts and minds.
tickets cost £6 (£4 concessions) and are available here.
Continue reading “Nymphs & Thugs x Bad Betty event in Leeds on 24 Nov”Chelping #19 | Cecilia Knapp & Rommi Smith on 17 Nov
onour final Chelping event of 2022 takes place at The Leeds Library on Thursday 17 November, and our feature poets are Cecilia Knapp and Rommi Smith! there’ll also be open mic hosted by Matt Abbott, with slots available on a first-come, first-served basis.
tickets are available here for £5.
Continue reading “Chelping #19 | Cecilia Knapp & Rommi Smith on 17 Nov”