Events

2024

JUNE 2024

20 June, Midsummer Muse, Leeds Lit Fest, Reading with Zaffar Kunial, John Whale, Jess Richards & Matt Howard, School of English, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, 7-9pm.

YWCA celebration event, details TBC.

APRIL 2024

24 April, Magma: Underworld Launch, with Jason Allen-Paisant, Yvonne Reddick, Linda France, Zaffar Kunial & Matt Howard. Workshop Theatre, 7-9pm. Tickets (free) now available.

MARCH 2024

4- 8 March, Arvon Residential Writing Week: Poetry & Short Story, Hebden Bridge (Concessions available.). SOLD OUT.

3 March, Arvon Live Writing Day: Poetry, Short Story & Hyrbid, Hebden Bridge Town Hall. LAST FEW PLACES.

2023

NOVEMBER 2023

17 November, After Hours: Hive Anthology Launch, Off the Shelf Festival of Words, SHU Performance Lab, 7-10pm.

OCTOBER 2023

6 October, Poet in Residence, World Health Organisation: Music and Motherhood: health care innovation through the arts. Copenhagen, 9am – 5pm.

2 October, Poetry Editing Workshop, Good Chance, 6-7.30pm, online.

SEPTEMBER 2023

27 September, Launch of Creative Writing Masterclass Series, Sheffield Hallam University, Humanities Lounge, Owen Building, 6-8pm.

JULY 2023

21 July, Ginkgo Prize for Ecopoetry, Shortlist Readings. Southbank Centre, 6 – 7.30pm. Book now.

7 July, Launch of Blood and Cord, Recital Room, York St John Creative Centre, 6.30 – 8pm.

JUNE 2023

16-17 June, New immersive audio work, Creative Science Zone, Great Exhibition Road Festival, various shows throughout the day.

MAY 2023

28 May, Reading, Sheffield Showcase Closing Party, Sheaf Poetry Festival ’23, Theatre Deli, Sheffield, 8 – 10.30pm

19 May, Online launch of Blood and Cord, York St John’s, 7-8pm.

3 May, Poetry Reading, Five Leaves Bookshop, Nottingham, NG1 2DH. Book tickets, 7-8.30pm.

3 May, Writing the Miniature, Ecological Imaginaries, Nottingham Trent University, 1pm – 4pm .

APRIL 2023

Hive Online Fiction Programme (6 weeks), for writers aged 17-30 – now open for applications!

MARCH 2023

5 March, Your Mind Matters, Dunblane, Forces Children Scotland

1 March, Spring Rhythm: Poetry Reading, LeedsLit Fest, 7-9pm, Leeds, tickets via Eventbrite.

FEBRUARY 2023

Let’s Talk About Cough Story Exchange, various workshops, online

JANUARY 2023

25 January, Exhibition Launch and Reading: Embodying Mothering in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, online, 7.30-8.45pm.

Let’s Talk About Cough Story Exchange, Online creative project.

2022

NOVEMBER 2022

19 November, Penning Parenthood, Being Human Festival, Creative Centre, York St John’s, YO31 7EX, 2-4pm.

OCD Exchange Workshops. Online creative project, Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging.

OCTOBER 2022

19 October, Short Works, A School Called HOME/ University of Uppsala, Sweden.

14 October, Yours Sincerely: Writing for the Climate, Durham Book Festival, Online launch & exhibition

6 October, National Poetry Day readings, various.

JULY 2022

29 July, Rachel Bower & Clare Shaw, Chemistry @ The Chemic Tavern, Leeds, in-person, doors 7.15pm for 7.45pm start.

JUNE 2022

4 June, Poetry Reading Fly on the Wall/ Manchester Poetry Library, Contact Theatre, Manchester, 1-4pm. In-person event, free tickets available now.

MAY 2022

13 May, Poetry Reading, Fly on the Wall Showcase, Nottingham Poetry Festival, 6.45-8pm. Online. Tickets via Eventbrite.

APRIL 2022

29 April – Seeding and Shaping Poems with Rachel Bower, The Writers Workshop. Book here (two free tickets for low income writers), online, 1-3pm

Let’s Talk About Cough Story Exchange, Online creative project.

MARCH 2022

25-26 March, Your Mind Matters Residential, Forces Children Scotland

14 March, In Conversation with Helen Mort: Launch of A Line Above the Sky: On Mountains and Motherhood. (Ebury Press). Sheffield Central Library, 7pm. Book tickets here.

Let’s Talk About Cough Story Exchange, Online Creative project, Apply Here

Forces Children Scotland, Creative Writing Workshops, various dates, online and in person.

FEBRUARY 2022

6- Week Fiction, Hive Online Fiction Programme, for young and emerging fiction writers in the North of England (17-30), starting 10 Feb 2022, Thurs evenings 6-8pm, apply here (deadline 2 Feb)

JANUARY 2022

Launch of new Poetry Film, “Water Birth“, Adrian Brinkerhoff Foundation/ Poet in the City, available online

We Are All Makers Workshops, Ignite Imaginations, Sheffield, various dates

2021

DECEMBER 2021

22 December, Wild Winter @ Manor Fields Park, 12noon – 3pm

9 December, Launch of New Poetry Film, “From Blossoms”, Adrian Brinkerhoff Foundation/ Poet in the City, available online.

NOVEMBER 2021

10 November, Poems of Maternal Might – Rachel Bower, Liz Berry & Nazneen Ahmed. Kings Place, London, N1 9AG, 7.30-9pm. Tickets now available.

4 November, “Listen to the Bees” commission, Beyond the Anthropocenee/ Parallel State, co-curated by Eeelyn Lee & Helen Kilby-Nelson. Online, 6-8pm, book free tickets.

OCTOBER 2021

27 Oct – Wild Writing at Manor Fields Park, age 7-11 – come and connect with nature, reflect on the changing seasons & the wildness that surrounds us in every day life. Book your free tickets, various sessions available.

Various dates: Mothering in NICU: Creative Storytelling Workshops. Part of “Embodying Mothering in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit” at the University of Dundee. Contact Sushila Chowdhry for more info.

9 October, Panel Chair: Catherine Menon & Neema Shah @ Ilkley Literature Festival, All Saints Church, Ilkley. Tickets and full programme now available, 3-4pm.

9 October, Chair: Fiona Sampson, Two Way Mirror: The Life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning @ Ilkley Literature Festival, All Saints Church, Ilkley. Tickets and full programme now available, 5.30pm.

SEPTEMBER 2021

4 September, Reading, Sheffield Showcase, Off the Shelf | Festival of Words, Upper Chapel, Sheffield, S1 2JD. Tickets now available. 3-4pm.

JULY 2021

22 July, Reading at York Explore with Hannah Hodgson & Maggie Mackay, free tickets, book via Eventbrite, 7-8pm

3 July, Reading & Q&A, Summer Festival: Fly on the Wall Press, book online, donations welcome, 12.25pm – 12.45pm.

JUNE 2021

30 June, Writing & Wellbeing Lunchtime Workshop @ Union St, Sheffield: Restore, Refresh, Rebuild, book online, free, 12 – 1pm.

16 June, Poetry & Wellbeing: Hope & Kindness @ Nonsuch Studios, Nottingham. Book online, £5 (contact me for discount code), 7-8pm.

MAY 2021

14 May – Poetry Workshop: “Speaking Truth to Power: Poems of Protest, Resistance & Peace,” part of Ignite Imaginations‘ “Talking About Our Generation Festival.” Online. Free tickets, book online, 3 – 5pm.

5 May – Lunchtime Writing & Wellbeing: Writing Out of the Ordinary, online @ UnionSt, free tickets, book via Eventbrite, 12-1pm

APRIL 2021

28 April 2021, Reading, Stay at Home Literary Festival 2021, free to attend, join via programme link, 12-1pm

MARCH 2021

7 March: Leeds Lit Festival – Literary Salon with Clare Fisher, Reading & Discussion, Online, 12 – 1pm

FEBRUARY 2021

25 February: Digesting History: New Poetry (Rachel Bower, Kayo Chingonyi, Joe Kriss), Film Premier (Dir. Eelyn Lee), Interactive Arts (The Bare Project). Online, 8pm – Tickets now available.

4 February: Poetry Workshop: Hope & Kindness, Sheffield Flourish

JANUARY 2021

15 January – Poetry Reading & Seminar, Birth(ing) Stories, Universitee Paris Nanterre (Centre de Recherches Anglophones), 3pm – 5pm (Central European Time), online.

NOVEMBER 2020

19 November – Launch of Butcher’s Dog Magazine. Online, 7pm.

OCTOBER 2020

22 October – Walter Swan Poetry Prize Winner Announcement, YouTube Premier, 11am

20 October – Love Arts Words – Poetry and Spoken Word on Mental Health & Wellbeing, 6-8pm online, tickets free

‘Digesting History’ – British Library/ Poet in the City – details TBC

2 October – Launch of Anthology of Illness, Emma Press. 7pm. Online: tickets available.

JUNE 2020

12 June – Writing the maternal: reflections and poems, Representing Women’s Health Conference, online.

MAY 2020

31st May – “Poetic Prose and Prose for Poets” with Rachel Bower (online workshop), Northern Short Story Festival, [Now sold out], 10am – 12noon

MARCH 2020

27 March – Poetry Reading and Q&A – ‘Writing the Maternal’ (online), Stay At Home Festival,

25 & 26 March – Collections in Verse (Poet in the City/ British Library), “Digesting History“, Sheffield Central Library, multiple performances

17 March – Collections in Verse (Poet in the City/ British Library), Highfields Celebration, Highfields Library, 12-1.30pm

11 March – Beyond Our Time and Place (research talk & poetry reading), Chapelgarth Estate, North Yorkshire, TS9 7ET

4 March – Launch of And the Stones Fell Open: A Leeds Anthology (part of Leeds Lit Fest), Leeds Minster, tickets available here, 6pm.

FEBRUARY 2020

27 February – Postcolonial Research Seminar, Department of English, University of Cambridge, 5-7pm

20 February – Workshop with Shirin Teifouri – “Writing for Wellbeing: Starting to Express Yourself Through Writing”, Good Chance FreeDome, Sheffield, Barker’s Pool

17 February – Liz Ferret’s Poetry Prize Award 2020, Showroom Cinema, Sheffield, 7pm

13 February – Poetry & Animism: Re-enchanting the World (reading with Malika Booker, Kimberly Campanello< Kadija Ibrahim, Jason Allen-Paisant, Nick Makoha), Sadler Seminar Series, University of Leeds, 6-8pm

12 February – “Reading as a Writer”, Modern and Contemporary Seminar with David Wylot, John McLeod, Tracey Hargreaves & Stuart Murray, School of English, University of Leeds, 4.30-6.30pm

JANUARY 2020

18 January – Launch of Stand Magazine 17(4) – Special Issue for Elaine Glover , School of English, University of Leeds, 6-8pm

NOVEMBER 2019

5 November – LIVE Literature Anthology Launch – The Result is What You See Today ed. Kim Moore & Ben Wilkinson, Bolton Central Library, 6.30pm – 8pm

OCTOBER 2019

20 October – Chair/ Host: Miriam Gamble & Colette Bryce, Ilkley Literature Festival, Ilkley Playhouse, LS29 8DW, 5.15 – 6.15pm

20 October – Reading: University of Leeds Poetry Centre Showcase, Ilkley Literature Festival, Ilkley Playhouse, LS29 8DW, 3.30 – 5.15pm

17 October – Stefan Helgesson, Centre for World Literatures/ ICPS Annual Lecture: “Literature and Decolonisation“, 5.15 – 6.30pm, Chemistry, LT D (G 35)

SEPTEMBER 2019

26 September – Listening Workshop, Highfields Library & Children’s Centre, Sheffield, S2 4NF (Poet in the City/ British Library Commission), 10am-12noon

Drop in: Listening Workshops, Highfields Library & Children’s Centre, Sheffield, S2 4NF (Poet in the City/ British Library Commission), various sessions throughout September

JUNE 2019

12 June – “Leeds to Ibadan: Poets, Editors, Librarians” @ School of English Research Celebration, University of Leeds

10 June – Loose Muse Guest @ Winchester Discovery Centre, Winchester, 7pm

MAY 2019

14 May – “Translocality, Small Magazines and Nigerian Poetry”, Finding Africa Seminar Series @ University of Leeds

9 May – Poetry Cabaret, University of Leeds @ Workshop Theatre, 7-9pm

2 May – “Anthologies, Editors and the Materials of Nigerian Poetry”, The Materials of African Literature Symposium, Centre for Literary Editing and the Materiality of the Text (CLEMT),  @ University of Birmingham

APRIL 2019

27 April – 7pm -11pm, Chesterfield Labour Club w. Helen Mort & Ichabod Wolf

4-5 April “Anthologies and Nigerian Poetry”, Contemporary Africas Conference, University of Leeds

MARCH 2019

March – Guest Editor @Algebra of Owls Magazine

28 March – “Mothers Who Make” with Toria Garbutt & Helen Mort, Cooper Gallery, Barnsley

21 March – “Writing the Maternal”, Guest with Liz Berry & Jessie Greengrass, York Literature Festival @ York St John’s University

8 March – “Express Yourself” workshop, Hunter’s Bar Junior School, Sheffield

DECEMBER 2018

13-14 December – After Empire, University of Leeds

NOVEMBER 2018

15 November – Sheffield Poets, 7.30pm @ Sheffield University Arms, Sheffield

OCTOBER 2018

14 October – Sunday Service Poetry Stage, No Borders Festival @ The Holt Sheffield, 11am-1pm

9 October – New Writing Showcase with Imtiaz Dharker, Ilkley Literature Festival, 7.30pm @ The Manor House, Ilkley

9 October – Facebook Live! Ilkley Literature Festival Preview, 3pm @ Workshop Theatre, University of Leeds,

4 October – Poetry Trail, National Poetry Day @ York Explore Poetry

3 October – Women of Words, Kardomah 94, Hull, 2-4pm

SEPTEMBER 2018

11-13 September – African Studies Association UK Conference – “Communities, Collaborations, Crafts & Crossings (with Jarad Zimbler), University of Birmingham

JULY 2018

19 July – Launch of Moon Milk with guest Kate Garrett, 10.30am @ Hagglers Corner, Sheffield

JUNE 2018

29 June – Festival of Debate Closing Party: 100 Years of Womens Suffrage @ 7pm, Picture House Social, Abbeydale Rd, Sheffield (with Wordlife, Helen Pankhurst, Hollie McNish, Salena Godden, Girl Gang DJs) – Tickets for Good

APRIL 2018

19 April – Celebrating Verse Matters Anthology @ Alumni Room, School of English, University of Leeds, 5.30pm

MARCH 2018

1 March – Verse Matters Anthology @ Chapter One Books, Manchester, 7.30pm

8 March – ‘Stand & Friends’, Headingley Literature Festival @ Heart, Headingley, 7.30pm

NOVEMBER 2017

10-11 November – Tony Harrison at 80: A Celebration @ Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall, Woodhouse Lane, LS2 9DA

OCTOBER 2017

17 October – Launch of Verse Matters Anthology @ The Holt, Sheffield, 7.30pm

SEPTEMBER 2017

9 Sept – 31 October – ‘Root and Branch’ exhibition @ All Good Stuff, Butcher’s Works

AUGUST 2017

31 August, Wordlife/Apples & Snakes Present Caroline Bird, Rachel McCrum, Helen Mort & Rachel Bower @ DINA Venue (S1 4HP), 7-10pm.

JULY 2017

11 July – Writers in the Bath @ The Bath, Sheffield

JUNE 2017

23 June – performance York Theatre Royal @ 7.10pm, Everything is Possible, York Theatre Royal

22 June – Migration Matters – Verse Matters, @Moor Theatre Deli, 7.30pm

7 June – Remembering Oluwale Celebration @ Outlaws Yacht Club, Leeds 7pm

MAY 2017

27 May – Special Verse Matters @ South Yorkshire Poetry Festival @ Moor Theatre Deli, Sheffield, 7.30pm

APRIL 2017

27 April  – Tony Harrison in Nigeria “New Light on Tony Harrison“, British Academy, London

4 Apr – Women’s Path’s Research Group: Informal talk on the urgency of intersectional feminism today, including poetry reading and photography @Alumni Room, School of English (House 10), University of Leeds, 5.15-6.45pm

MARCH 2017

9 March – Verse Matters (SheFest special for International Women’s Day) @Moor Theatre Deli, 7.30pm

FEBRUARY 2017

23 Feb – Hive-Verse Matters Young People’s Open Mic @Theatre Deli, Sheffield, 7.30pm

16 Feb – Women-of-Steel workshop, Hunter’s Bar Infant School, Sheffield

14 Feb – Knit/lit Workshop (Yorkshire Year of the Textile) @Royal Armouries, Leeds, 2-4.30pm

9 Feb – Verse Matters @Moor Theatre Deli, Sheffield, 7.30pm

DECEMBER 2016

1 December – The Gauntlet @The Holt Cafe, Sheffield, 8pm

NOVEMBER 2016

25 November, Reclaim the Night, 6.30pm Assembly for march (Sheffield Cathedral), Rally (Coffee Revolution) 7.30pm

24 November, Big City Read @York Explore, 7-8pm

7 November, Sheffield Anti-Slam @The Old Crown, London Rd

3 November – Verse Matters @The Moor Theatre Deli, Sheffield

OCTOBER 2016

27 October, Hive Verse Matters Young People’s Open Mic @Theatre Deli, Sheffield

25 October, Launch of Cultural Institute @Great Hall, University of Leeds

6 October, Verse Matters @The Moor Theatre Deli, Sheffield

SEPTEMBER 2016

1 September, Verse Matters @The Moor Theatre Deli, Sheffield

Peace Poetry Workshops @ various schools, Leeds

AUGUST 2016

19 August, Bank St Arts, Sheffield

JULY 2016

10 July, Ilkley Literature Festival/ Wordlife, Bradford Playhouse

Peace Poetry Workshops @ various schools, Leeds

JUNE 2016

23 June, Verse Matters @ Moor Theatre Deli, Yorkshire Festival/ Refugee Week

18 June, Words and Whippets @ York Theatre Royal

17 June, Postcolonial Education: Teaching, Learning and Schooling in and After Empire (Northern Postcolonial Network Symposium), Rose Bowl, Leeds

11 June,  The Cabaret Stage, Peace in the Park, Sheffield

3 June, “Epistolarity, Literary Ancestries and World Literature” (Classics as/and World Literature), Kings College London

MAY 2016

16 May, Guest, Fictions of Every Kind, Leeds

APRIL 2016

20 April, Five Leeds Poets, Poetry Centre, School of English, University of Leeds

15 April: Lyrical Presents Rachel Bower and Amy Kinsman, @Vittles, Sheffield

14 April: Guest, Live at the Lux, A Firm of Poets, Pudsey

7 April: Verse Matters @ Moor Theatre Deli, Sheffield with Rosie Garland (Poet), Robert de Born (Poet) and Sarah Sharp (Musician).

2 April: ASSIST Poem-a-Thon, Art House Cafe, Sheffield

MARCH 2016

18 March: Scribble @ Shakespeares, Sheffield, S3 8UB

3 March: Verse Matters, International Women’s Day @ Moor Theatre Deli with River Wolton (Poet), Amy Kinsman (Poet) and Fiona Helsing (Musician).

JANUARY 2016

Friday 28 January: Scribble @ Shakespeares, Sheffield, S3 8UB

Thursday 7 January: Verse Matters @ The Mugen Tea House, Sheffield with Gav Roberts (poet), Chella Quint (Poet/ Comedy) and Avital Raz (Musician).

NOVEMBER 2015

Thursday 12 November: Verse Matters @ The Hide, Sheffield with Kate Garrett (Poet), Gina Elbow (Poet) and Sarah Yaseen (Rafiki Jazz)

Tuesday 10 November: FURIES Poetry of Women Warriors: Paperback Launch @ White Cloth Gallery, Leeds

OCTOBER 2016

Friday 30 October: A New Word Order @ West Yorkshire Print Workshop, Mirfield

Wednesday 21 October: Lunch Poems @ School of English, University of Leeds

Tuesday 20 October: Reading @ “Feminism is Not a Dirty Word”, The Green Room, Sheffield

Thursday 15 October: Verse Matters @ The Hide, Sheffield with Shelley Roche-Jacques (Poet), Sarah Thomasin (poet) and Hervé Perez (improv. saxophonist)

Friday 9 October: Poetry Out Loud: Performance and Publication in the Digital Age with Helen Mort, Malika Booker, Rachel Bower and Rommi Smith @ The Chemic Tavern, Leeds 7.30pm

Wednesday 6 October: Leeds Humanities Research Institute: “A Failure of Craft”? Poetry in Leeds, Ibadan and Zaria in the 1950s and 1960s

Saturday 3 October: Reading @ Lynwood Gardens Festival, Sheffield

Friday 2 October: Reading @ We Shall Overcome, Queen’s Social Club, Sheffield

SEPTEMBER 2015

Thursday 10 September: Verse Matters @ The Hide, Sheffield. Featured artists: Genevieve Carver (Poet), Lou Richards (Musician) and Toria Garbutt (A Firm of Poets)

Friday 4 September: Rotherham Open Mic Performance (ROMP) @ The Bridge Inn, Rotherham.

AUGUST 2015

Thursday 13 August: Verse Matters @ The Hide, Sheffield. Featured artists: Charlotte Ansell (Paper Boat Poets), Anamoli Meraki (Poet/ Singer) and Arash Shafei Sabet (Musician, Arts on the Run). Open mic performances from Danielle Matthews (poet), Laura Ronan-Toulson (poet).

Thursday 6 August: Spoken Weird (Featured) @ Bar Up, Halifax.

JULY 2015

Monday July: Gorilla Poetry @ Brewdog, Sheffield.

Thursday 9 July: Launch of Verse Matters @ The Hide, Sheffield. Featured artists: Sheffield-based poet Helen Mort and Performance Poet Toria Garbutt (A Firm of Poets) and Mina Salama (Arts on the Run). Open mic performances from: Danielle Jeanee Richards (Up Scribe) Carol Eades (Poet and Gorilla EventsFriday ), Kate Garrett (Poet and Editor), Kev Titterton (Poet), Liz Ferrets (Poet), Rachel Garner (Poet).

Friday 3 July: Rotherham Open Mic Performance (ROMP) @ The Bridge Inn, Rotherham.

Thursday 2 July: Public discussion with ASSIST and Rafiki Jazz, Northern Postcolonial Network @ SITE Gallery, Sheffield.

JUNE 2015

Monday 22 June: Gorilla Solstice Relaunch @ Brewdog, Sheffield.

Tuesday 16 June: Sharrow Festival Poetry Slam @ The Old Crown Inn, Sheffield.

Thursday 11 June: Poetry and a Pint (A Firm of Poets) @ Cafe Lux, Pudsey, Leeds.

Saturday 6 June: Words in the City Slam @ Ilkley Literature Festival.

Friday 5 June: Rotherham Open Mic Performance (ROMP) @ The Bridge Inn, Rotherham.

MAY 2015

Saturday 23 May: A Firm of Poets Associate (A Firm of Poets/ ROMP, South Yorkshire Poetry Festival), @ The Bridge Inn, Rotherham

Thursday 7 – Friday 8 May: Paper on Tony Harrison’s Poetry or Bust @ Goldsmiths Place for Poetry Conference, London.

MARCH 2015

Wednesday 25 March: Paper on Comparative Literature and Field Theory @ Inaugural Event of Northern Postcolonial Network, Liverpool John Moores University.