One of Manchester’s longest running spoken word evenings showcasing all forms of writing with an open mic line up and two amazing headliners.

2023 Saboteur Award Shortlisted for Best Spoken Word Night.

This month we welcome Griot Gabriel and Josie Alford as our amazing Headliner’s in a change of our usual venue to Lions Den on Deansgate Mews.

We keep free tickets available to anyone who needs, and performers are not required to reserve a ticket, them but if you can afford a donation or a ticket for £3 this money is all used to pay our wonderful headliners.

ABOUT THE HEADLINERS

GRIOT GABRIEL
Griot Gabriel’s poetry is influenced by his upbringing in Black urban culture, exploring masculinity, political discourse, racial identity, experiences of inner-city young people, their challenges and relevant social issues. He is the founder of The Poetry Place, a company that provides a platform for new and established poets to perform.
Griot Gabriel has been commissioned to work with Warner Bro’s, Manchester International Festival, performed at Glastonbury 23, The Black Curriculum, BlackFest and opened at the book launch of Jason Reynolds.

JOSIE ALFORD
Josie is a Bristol based poet and freelance creative. Her stage presence is sequinned, pop cultrure referencing, infections and welcoming. Once seen, never forgotten. Her work ranges from the subtley of dealing with loss to analysising the nuanced discography of the Spice Girls. She makes YouTube videos of all things poetery and her debut collection, Faulty Manufacturing is out now with Verve Poetry Press.
She has poems published in Ink Sweat and Tears, Obsessesd with Pipework and Stand Magazine and has had feature sets with Raise the Bar, Sprout Spoken, Hammer and Tongue, Womad and That’s What She Said.