The Leeds Lit Fest programme is live! I'm really pleased with what we've put together here. Over 50 events across 9 days, with a brilliant mix of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, theatre and more. Check it out and get booking!

Join us from 6–14 June for a city-wide celebration of words & imagination. Our biggest collaboration yet as we bring together more than 50 events across 16 venues. Lots of the city’s best writers joined together with friends from afar. LLF 2026 PROGRAMME 👇👇👇 www.leedslitfest.co.uk/events/

I'm doing a gig in Ashington on Saturday 28 March, alongside Ian Parks and contributors to the Crooked Spire Press Coal Mining Anthology. Thanks to @gregfreemanpoet.bsky.social for this piece about it in the Northumberland Gazette. www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/whats-on/art...

We'll be back at the Chemic Tavern in Leeds for more Chemistry on Friday 27 March! Your headliners will be Maria Ferguson (@mlferg.bsky.social) and Nabeela Ahmed, and the theme to think about is Cr for Chromium. What does that inspire for you? leedsinspired.co.uk/events/chemi...

Just a few of the comments from participants at the recent series of creative writing workshops I delivered at the Bowery in Headingley. Let me know if you want me to run a workshop or something similar for you!

One possible up-side of this Trump Greenland madness is that Vladimir Putin might actually die laughing.

Outstanding work by the World Snooker graphics team. #snooker #worldsnooker #wst

This week’s #DoubleDactyl is from Joe Williams, who offers a more entertaining version of Tudor history than Hilary Mantel ever could.

My first publication of the year is another appearance in Double Dactyl of the Week, with some help from Catherine of Aragon. doubledactyls.wordpress.com/2026/01/08/d... #doubledactyl

Chemistry is back on Friday 30 January. Don't miss it!

We're inviting event proposals for Leeds Lit Fest 2026. If you'd like to be involved as a performer, speaker, host, etc, please see the linked form and guidance and let us know about it! Deadline 1 February.

Leeds Lit Fest 2026 takes place 6-14 June. Get it in your diary!

We're back at the Chemic in Leeds for another Chemistry on Friday 28 November. Headliners Kristina Diprose and Matt Nicholson. Has anyone been working on a Titanium or Ti poem? www.facebook.com/events/10370...

More #poetry and #spokenword, this Friday at the Chemic Tavern in #Leeds. Featuring Elisabeth Sennitt Clough, @jamiethrasivoulou.bsky.social, and open mic. Come! www.leedsinspired.co.uk/events/chemi...

I see President Xi Jinping has spent his day in the company of massive weapons.

Thanks everyone who came along on Tuesday. Brilliant sets from @wendypratt.bsky.social and Liz McPherson, and a great open mic too. Thanks for having us, Chapel Allerton Arts Festival!

My new email newsletter is going out later this afternoon. When socials seem to be more full of ads and junk than ever, it's the most reliable way of finding out what I've got going on with writing and events stuff. Sign up on my website if you want to join the list.

We're launching this anthology at Heart in Headingley on Friday. Come and join us! Note the ticket price includes a copy of the book. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/there-are-...

I'm hosting a poetry event as part of Chapel Allerton Arts Festival next month. Tuesday 26 August at Brew+Bao on Stainbeck Lane. Headliner will be the wonderful @wendypratt.bsky.social, supported by Liz McPherson, plus an open mic. Come! chapelallerton.org.uk/poetry/

Thanks to everyone for coming along last night! We're back on Friday 26 September, with headliners @jamiethrasivoulou.bsky.social and Elisabeth Sennitt Clough. The optional theme is Sc for Scandium. See you then!

10 days to go!

Chemistry is back at the Chemic Tavern in Leeds on the 25th, with @rosiegarlandwriter.bsky.social and a double act appearance from @markconnors.bsky.social and @gillconnors.bsky.social. Plus the usual open mic, and an optional theme of Ca for Calcium. www.leedsinspired.co.uk/events/chemi...

Save the date! I'll be hosting a poetry night at Chapel Allerton Arts Festival, with two guest poets and an open mic. Tuesday 26 August at Brew + Bao on Stainbeck Lane. More details to follow nearer the time, but get it in your diaries now!

I seem to have got a week or two behind with plugging #DoubleDactyl of the Week. So here is a double header from Joe Williams and Sian Lang. Double dactyls – erudite and stretched real tight…

Another one of mine in Double Dactyl of the Week, this time on the subject of Oscar Pistorius. doubledactyls.wordpress.com/2025/06/12/d...

Another one of mine in Double Dactyl of the Week, this time on the subject of Oscar Pistorius. doubledactyls.wordpress.com/2025/06/12/d...

I'm headlining at Grand Plans in Linthwaite today, alongside Neil Clarkson and an open mic. 6pm start at the Sair Inn. Come! www.facebook.com/events/the-s...

I'm pleased to have my poem 'In 1984' included in the second part of the Fig Tree's Coal Mining Anthology. Have a read here. There are plans for a print version to come out at some point too. figtreepoetry.substack.com/p/the-fig-tr...

Thanks everyone for joining us last night for another great event, and thanks especially to Luke and Helen for their brilliant headline sets. We're back on Friday 25 July with headliners Gill & Mark Connors (as a double act) and Rosie Garland. The optional theme is Ca for Calcium. See you then!

Tonight! See you later at the Chemic Tavern in Leeds.

I don't know of anyone else who agrees - except for possibly @sarahhehir.bsky.social, who mentioned it in a review in Confluence magazine - but this is my favourite poem in 'The Taking Part'. Today, I am feeling it.

Looking forward to this!

Chemistry is back at the end of the month, with headliners @helenivory.bsky.social and Luke Samuel Yates. The optional open mic theme is K for Potassium. Friday 30 May at the Chemic Tavern in Leeds. www.leedsinspired.co.uk/events/chemi...

Clerichew #4 Pope Leo seems OK to me, though I would have given the job to Pope Bob. (Subject to change if it turns out he's actually got really horrible opinions or history.) #clerihew #pope #isthepopeacatholic

Should have insisted on Pope Bob.

Clerihew #95 Desislava Bozhilova successfully achieved what she strove for. She was the first female referee to do the finals of snooker's big three. #clerihew #snooker #wst #worldsnooker

I was delighted and honoured when @timfellows.bsky.social asked me to be the featured poet in Issue 8 of his poetry zine The Fig Tree. It was published this week, and you can read it here. Nice to see a few of my poetry friends included too! figtreepoetry.substack.com/p/the-fig-tr...

The Fig Tree Issue 8 is out! In all the excitement of launches and Coal Mining Specials, the original Fig Tree is back with Featured Poet Joe Williams. With thanks to Paul Brough as usual for the stunning artwork. figtreepoetry.substack.com/p/the-fig-tr...

It is 10 years and 1 day since the first time I got up and did poems in front of an audience. I honestly didn't know if I would ever do it again. I did, it turns out.

Clerichew 3 Justin Welby was archbishop for a spell. He got himself in a bind and resigned.

Clerichew 2 Pope Joan, about whom little is known, may have been the inspiration for papal testicular examination.

Clerichew Pope Francis was a man. This is an important qualification for pontification.

Dates, headliners and themes for the rest of 2025: 30/5: Helen Ivory + Luke Samuel Yates (K for Potassium) 25/7: Rosie Garland + Gill & Mark Connors (Ca for Calcium) 26/9: Jamie Thrasivoulou + Elisabeth Sennitt Clough (Sc for Scandium) 28/11: Matt Nicholson + Kristina Diprose (Ti for Titanium)

I've got a poem in this anthology about fruit. Coming very soon, and available to pre-order now. thereareonlysomanyways.square.site

My poem 'A Town of Shadows' is one of the Ink Sweat & Tears nominations for the Forward Prize Best Single Poem. I don't think I'll win, but it's a great honour to be thrown into the mix. Thanks IS&T and @helenivory.bsky.social. Well done Natasha and Elly too. inksweatandtears.co.uk/our-2025-for...

New Kindle version of the 'Poems for the NHS' anthology I was in a few years ago. Free with Prime and very cheap without, but the editor asks that you make a donation to NHS Charities Together if you download it. (Sorry for Am***n link - I believe it's the only way to get it.)

Interesting job vacancy. Do you have what it takes to stop people feeling up Molly Malone's bronze tits? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Thanks to everyone who came along on Friday. We'll back on Friday 30 May, with @helenivory.bsky.social and Luke Samuel Yates as headliners, and the optional chemical theme of K for Potassium. See you then!

Tonight!

The widescreen version of the 'Barbara Goes to the Pictures' film from The Hyde Park Picture House is now up on my YouTube. Have a look here. Like and subscribe! www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7Y0...