Events

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Some of you will have attended one of our ‘LIVEwire’ events over the last 5 years. And we’ll keep staging them, in various shapes and sizes, whenever the opportunities present themselves. But if ‘LIVEwire’ has a home in Leeds, it’s Hyde Park Book Club. And so, in introducing a regular event in Farsley, we decided to create a new night altogether.

So, we’re dead excited to introduce ‘Tubthumping’, which we’re presenting at The Constitutional in partnership with the team behind Trouble At Mill and The Old Woollen. As always, it’ll provide a rip-roaring evening of the UK’s finest spoken word poetry talent. And we’ll have a showcase section at each event, featuring some of the best emerging talent in West Yorkshire.

Tubthumping at The Constitutional, Farsley on Friday 4 March
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Last night, I was joined by Jonathan Kinsman for the 50th and final Insta session. It still hasn’t properly sunk in that there won’t be any more. And as I’ve said a few times, these sessions have been a real crutch for me since the pandemic struck.

Like most people, I disappeared into a bit of a shell when Lockdown 1.0 was first announced towards the end of March 2020. I wasn’t sure how to respond as a human being, let alone as a record label boss. But during April, I decided that we’d combine our first-ever virtual event with the label’s 5th birthday – seeing all of the acts performing on the same bill for the very first time.

The event took place on 29 April, which was supposed to be the date of our LIVEwire Colchester event. It felt so good that I decided to start a regular event off the back of it, and dreamt up the format for relaxed 30-minute weekly ‘Insta sessions’. I approached Nafeesa Hamid to do the first session, she agreed, and we were off.

Our 50 Insta sessions from May 2020 – July 2021
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Since the beginning of May 2020, we’ve hosted (almost) weekly Insta sessions with guests from all over the UK and further afield. These relaxed 30-minute sessions have blended performance with insightful conversations from leading and emerging poets.

For our 50th and FINAL SESSION, we welcome Jonathan Kinsman! Jonathan is a trans poet from Manchester. Raised Church of England and with a background in theological study, he lives his life marrying his spirituality and their sexuality.

As well as being founding editor of Riggwelter Press and associate editor of Three Drops From a Cauldron, he is also a BBC Edinburgh Fringe Slam finalist. He received a distinction for his MA in Creative Writing at the University of Sheffield. His début pamphlet & was joint-winner of the Indigo Dreams Pamphlet Prize 2017 and his second, witness, was published by Burning Eye in 2020.

Insta sessions #50: Jonathan Kinsman on Tuesday 6 July
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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 Mohammed Moussa! Mohammed is the founder of Gaza Poets Society, host of the Gaza Guy podcast, and a freelance journalist.

Insta sessions #49: Mohammed Moussa on Tuesday 22 June
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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.

LIVEwire at Leeds Poetry Festival on Friday 23 July 2021
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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 Rory Aaron! Rory is a Derby-born poet, writer and performer currently based in Manchester. His début pamphlet Doglike is published with Bearded Badger Publishing.

Nymphs & Thugs | Rory Aaron
Insta sessions #48: Rory Aaron on Tuesday 15 June
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