Thank you for supporting our Insta sessions

on July 7, 2021July 9, 2021

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

Insta sessions #50: Jonathan Kinsman on 6 Jul

on July 2, 2021July 7, 2021

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

Insta sessions #49: Mohammed Moussa on 22 Jun

on June 17, 2021July 2, 2021

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

Insta sessions #48: Rory Aaron on 15 Jun

on June 14, 2021June 17, 2021

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

Insta sessions #47: Romina Ramos on 8 Jun

on June 7, 2021June 14, 2021

Up next, we welcome Romina Ramos! Romina is a gender-fluid Portuguese poet living in England. She is about to graduate with a BA in creative writing from the University of Bolton, where she has been developing her poetry for the last three years. Prior to this Romina trained and worked as a chef for 10 years and had no experience in the poetry world.

Recently, Romina has had her work published in The Bolton Review, showcased on SoHo radio, and been shortlisted for the Merky Books New Writers’ Prize. In the future, Romina hopes to work in the community to not only make poetry more accessible to everyone but to encourage the youth of today to use poetry and other creative endeavours as an outlet to deal with different issues, including but not limited to mental health and poverty.

Insta sessions #47: Romina Ramos on Tuesday 8 June

Insta sessions #46: Joe Williams on 1 Jun

on May 31, 2021June 7, 2021

Up next, we welcome Joe Williams! Joe is an award-winning writer and performing poet from Leeds. His latest book is ‘The Taking Part’, a short collection of poems on the theme of sport and games, published by Maytree Press.

His other work includes the pamphlet ‘This is Virus’, a sequence of erasure poems made from Boris Johnson’s letter to the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the verse novella ‘An Otley Run’, which was shortlisted in the Best Novella category at the 2019 Saboteur Awards. Despite all of that, he is probably most widely read thanks to his contributions to Viz.

Nymphs & Thugs | Joe Williams — Insta sessions #46: Joe Williams on Tuesday 1 June

Insta sessions #45: Roy on 18 May

on May 17, 2021May 25, 2021

Up next, we welcome Roy! PJ Smith was born in North Liverpool. Just another one of the kids growing up on Newby Street. He followed a path, lost his footing and fell, his long fall was broken with the help of a net: creativity. Writing, just getting it all out of your head and onto the page. Roy was born.

The fella least likely first walked onto a stage four years ago and took the mic. He immediately grabbed and held attentions and effortlessly led them through the streets of his imagination introducing the weird and wonderful characters of his, and your, conscious, subconscious and unconscious past.

Nymphs & Thugs | Roy — Insta sessions #45: Roy on Tuesday 18 May

Insta sessions #44: Otis Mensah on 11 May

on May 10, 2021May 25, 2021

Up next, we welcome Otis Mensah! Otis is a writer and performing artist with an alternative take on Hip-Hop music and abstract poetry. Focusing on art as a means of documenting journeys of introspection, Otis’ work aims to demonstrate the personal and political power of vulnerable expression.

Nymphs & Thugs | Otis Mensah — Insta sessions #44: Otis Mensah on Tuesday 11 May

Insta sessions #43: Patrizia Longhitano on 4 May

on May 3, 2021May 25, 2021

Up next, we welcome Patrizia Longhitano! Patrizia was born in Brazil but for most of her life, she lived in Italy with her adoptive parents until 2005 when she decided to move to the UK. Since then, she has been living in London working as a nanny.

Some of her poems have appeared in Painted Spoken, Harana Poetry Magazine, the Un Nuevo Sol anthology, The Rialto Magazine, and The South Bank Poetry Magazine.