Live poetry

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Northern Voices and Identity – Spotland Library

Photo of a microphone

Yesterday we had the privilege of attending a truly memorable poetry event at Spotland Library.

In spite of a clash with some blokes kicking a ball at the Spotland stadium which caused traffic and parking issues there was a full house of audience and performers (two of the poets were held up in the jams but last minute changes to the running order meant everything ran smoothly).

After introductions and an opening poem from Rochdale Laureate Sammy Weaver the first guest poet to read was Rochdale Young Poet in Residence – Alende Amisi. Originally from Congo, Alende is an incredibly busy man with lecturing, studying for his PHD and writing being just a part of his work. His poetry, informed by his own experiences was thoughtful and powerful. Alende’s delivery was calm, almost belying the strength of his word and those words were very well received by the audience.

Sid Calderbank, an award winning Lancashire dialect specialist and a Rochdale favourite entertained with a rendition of “Bobby Grundy, a village shop” written by Benjamin Woods. How Sid remembers the words to these old dialect poems is something of a mystery – but the reactions of those listening to his hilarious renditions are not, the room was full of laughter and I’m sure a few new (old) words were learned.

Yasmin Hussain is a relative newcomer to poetry and part of the Riverside Writer group and also attends the Heywood Scribblers monthly sessions. Those in the room at Spotland would be forgiven for believing that Yasmin has been doing this for ages as she took the microphone and delivered two poems with great delivery and composure. Her poem “Woman” really struck a chord with not only the women in the library but also the men, some of whom might have found her themes enlightening. A great performance from a local woman who continues to grow in skill and confidence.

Yasmin was followed by another award winning poet, Hafsa Aneela Bashir, from Oldham. Hafsa is a mother, an aunty and a grandmother and her poetry delivers her messages and emotion straight to the heart. Her performance in Spotland was no exception. “Cummin Seeds” about a childhood visits to the cash and carry really captured the essence and atmosphere of those places, whilst “Tap on the roof”, also from her collection “The Celox and the Clot” is a really powerful and heartbreaking poem about the terrible things happening to Palestinians over so many years.

Mike Garry is without doubt one of the leading poets of the North. He has an hoary doctorate and has brought his poetry to university students, teachers, schools, prisons and so many stages in so many rooms. He has toured with John Cooper Clark and worked with many musical talents from New Order to Philip Glass. His poems are delivered in a high speed, energetic and absolutely authentic voice as he moves around the room and even breaks into song on occasion. For me his poem about the primary school teacher who told him it was OK to dream and the eulogy for his mother were incredibly moving and there were tears in eyes around the room. Safe to say that Mike gained some new fans in Spotland yesterday and there can be no doubting the appetite for live poetry in the borough.

This event was one of a series being hosted in libraries by Sammy Weaver and the remaining events will be at Darnhill on 14th February, Middleton on 5ht March and a final event and anthology launch at Rochdale Central Library on 21st March.

These events are all free of charge – tickets are available online at Rochdale Creates

Poetry at Wardle Library
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Poetry at Wardle Library

Saturday 24th January, 2:30pm to 4:00pm

I’m very pleased to be part of this special event at Wardle Library tomorrow as one of the guest poets and that one of my poems will be featured in the exhibition.

Pennine and Nature Poetry Event with Poet Laureate Sammy Weaver and guests

Join us at Wardle Library for an afternoon of poetry and spoken word inspired by the Pennines and the stunning nature that surrounds our local area. From the Pennines to the page (and microphone!) 

This nature-inspired event will see words bloom, with Rochdale’s very own Poet Laureate Sammy Weaver as our host. Think local voices, big energy, and stories that fire up your imagination. 

Confirmed performers include: 

  • Clare Shaw, award-winning poet.Clare Shaw was born in Burnley and lives near Hebden Bridge. Their fourth Bloodaxe poetry collection – “Towards a General Theory of Love” – won a Northern Writer’s Award, and was a Poetry Society Book of the Year. Their fifth collection – “I Know What I Saw” – will be published next year.Instagram: @clareshaw1Threads: @clareshaw1Twitter/X: @ShareClawBlueSky: @clareshawpoet.bsky.social Linktree: https://linktr.ee/clareshawpoet 
  • Zaffar KunialBorn in Birmingham to a Kashmiri father and an English mother, Zaffar has been a poet in residence for the Wordsworth Trust and the Bronte Parsonage.  Kunial’s poetry is known for exploring themes of language, family, heritage, nature and time. 
  • Liz White
  • Seamus Kelly

The Rochdale in Rhyme – Greater Manchester Town of Culture poetry exhibition will also be on display, giving you time to explore and enjoy work by more local writers. 

This event is delivered in partnership between Rochdale Libraries, Rochdale Borough Council, and Rochdale Development Agency, funded by Arts Council England and Flexible Funds, and forms part of Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture programme for 2025/26. 

Together, we’re creating space for new voices to be heard. Free to attend and open to everyone. Come along and get inspired! 

The event will take place from 2.30pm to 4pm.

Poetry day at Hare Hill House, Littleborough
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Poetry day at Hare Hill House, Littleborough

Saturday 28th June 2025

We still have a few places left on our poetry workshops at Hare Hill House on Saturday 28th June.

Photo of the Bandstand at Hare Hill Park, Littleborough

There are two workshops to choose from both running from 10am to 12noon.

Becky May will be running a Contemporary Poetry session while I will running a Nature poetry session. The workshops cost just £5 per person and you can book by emailing Liz white – lizwhitecreative@gmail.com or myself – seamus@onepoetsvision.co.uk

After the workshops there will be poetry performances and then in the afternoon Yorkshire poet and author Gaia Holmes will be discussing her work, including her recently published collection of short stories “He used to do dangerous things”. The afternoon session is free of charge and all are welcome.

This promises to be an enjoyable and productive day of poetry in the historic Hare Hill House in Littleborough.

poetryworkshops #naturepoetry #naturewriting #contemporarypoetry #poetry #poetryperformance #authortalk @gaiaholmes73 @rochdale.creates @cartwheel_arts @rochdalelibrary @rochdalecouncil

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A Poem for Wardle

Exhibition Launch, Wardle Library, Sat 22nd March 2025

A photo of a notebook with two fountain pens

It was lovely to be asked to run a creative workshop to write a collaborative poem for a Community Threads Project and exhibition in Wardle.

The poetry workshop on Tuesday evening was really productive with enthusiasm and lots of great input from participants, who ranged from those who haven’t written poetry to experienced and award winning writers. All made great contributions that will be reflected in the final work.

The project has involved making a range of artwork inspired by the village, including, painting, textiles, photography and model making. The exhibition opens from 11am to 1pm, on Saturday 22nd March, with free badge making and refreshments. The Mayor will be opening the exhibition and I will be privileged to read the poem, titled “Our Wardle” at the opening event.

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Poetry Café – Bonfire Night

Coffee on the Corner, Littleborough 6.00pm to 8.00pm

An image made up of lots of words related to Poetry

On Tuesday, 5th November, we will hold our 3rd edition of the Poetry Café in Littleborough. This is a free, open-mic style poetry evening held in a lovely café. We welcome all genres of poetry and there might even be a short story.

All a welcome to attend either just to listen or to read some of your own, or some favourite poetry. Should you wish to read please let me, Seamus, know on arrival and I’ll add you to our list of performers for the evening. Generally, dependent on numbers each person will have the opportunity to read twice in the evening. Being bonfire night we can expect some sparklers and maybe some bangers but the organisers will not accept any work that is racist or attacks minority groups in any way.

The café are opening outside of their normal hours for our event so please buy some drinks, and maybe some of the excellent home-made cakes, to help support the owners who very generously provide the space.

Coffee on the Corner is just a short walk from Littleborough railway station and bus stops and there is parking on the nearby streets is free and after 6.00pm there is not a time limit in force.

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Free Monthly Poetry Event: Coffee on the Corner, Littleborough

18:00 – 20:00 – Coffee on the Corner -3rd September 2024

Close up of a microphone

This Tuesday marks the launch of a new monthly poetry open mic event in Littleborough at Coffee on the Corner. Join us every first Tuesday of the month to read, listen to poetry, and enjoy excellent homemade cakes and drinks available in the café.

Organized by Liz White and myself, we are grateful to Coffee on the Corner for hosting us. Although the event is free, please support the venue by purchasing drinks and their delicious cakes.

Riverside Writers Summer Celebration – 13th July 2024
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Riverside Writers Summer Celebration – 13th July 2024

Everyone is welcome to our celebration of Summer and creative writing this Saturday, 13th July, from 10am at Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, Rochdale. There is no need to book, just come along on the day.

This free event promises to be both informative and entertaining and a great opportunity to talk about creative writing and find out more about our writing group.

We are delighted to have a special guest speaker William Pollard, the author of a book about Rochdale’s lost female author M R Lahee who wrote at a time when women were not generally accepted as authors.

Close up of antique bound copies of Rochdale News

There will be poetry from members of the Riverside Writers, music from the U3A Choir, Heywood Ukulele Group and the Rossendale Clog Dancers.

From 2pm we will adjourn to Vicolo Del Vino, The Butts, Rochdale, for meat and potato or cheese and onion pie.

During the afternoon we will be hosting an open mic session with plenty of poetry, spoken word and perhaps some tunes too.

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Open Mic, Littleborough, 15th May 2024

Following the successful return of the open mic session in 2023, I will be compèring an open mic session as part of the Littleborough Arts Festival at The Red Lion in Littleborough on Wednesday 15th May 2024.

The session will run from 7.00pm to 9.00pm, although the landlady will be happy to continue serving drinks until closing time.

Image of a microphone

All welcome and the event is free of charge. There is likely to be a good mix of poetry and spoken word plus music and singing to make an enjoyable evening. Those wanting to read, perform, play or sing please let me now when you arrive and I’ll add you to our list.

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Writing Workshop – Protest and Conflict

A selection of protest placards for tomorrow’s workshop.

Tomorrow I will be bringing a new workshop on Protest and Conflict to the Falinge Park Writing Group in Rochdale. The group meets every Thursday morning from 10am to noon at the Community Hub in Falinge Park. Everyone is welcome regardless of prior writing experience.

In this workshop we will look at the role of writing in protest and conflict and look at examples from history and more recent work. There will be a focus on poetry but those attending will be supported to write in whatever for they prefer.

The park is just a 15 minute walk from Rochdale Interchange, and for those driving, parking is available in the park for these sessions, just drive in through the gate at the bottom of Sheriff Street and follow the drive to the tarmac area in front of the house.

For more information please contact me on seamus@onepoetsvision.co.uk or Eileen Earnshaw on eileen.earnshaw@yahoo.co.uk

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Open mic at The Red Lion, Littleborough, Weds 17th May, 7:00pm

Image of a microphone

On 17th May I will be compèring an open mic poetry evening at The Red Lion, in Littleborough, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm.

All are welcome and those wishing to read or perform should simply let me know on arrival so that I can include them on the list.

The free event is brought to you by Littleborough Arts Festival who will be running a wide range of arts events and activities over the long weekend from 19th to 21st May – details of all events can be found on the Littleborough Arts Festival Facebook page.

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Poetry in the Park – FREE Writing Workshops – 22nd April 2023

Choose from three poetry workshops running from 10:00am to 12:00noon

Poetry in the park logo

To reserve your place on your chosen workshop please email lizwhitecreative@gmail.com


Introduction to Poetry – Eileen Earnshaw

Rochdale poet, writer and workshop facilitator, Eileen Earnshaw, runs the Falinge Park Writing Group and has led several writing projects in Bolton after completing her BA Honours Degree in Creative Writing at Bolton University. This workshop is suitable for anyone interested in starting to write poetry and those who are relatively new to writing.

Eileen’s track record in helping new writers to gain confidence will ensure and engaging and inclusive workshop where everyone will leave with new knowledge and some new poetry.

Freeform Poetry – Gaia Holmes

Calderdale poet, Gaia Holmes, has won several awards for her poetry and was recently awarded a fellowship by the Arts Foundation Futures, for her place writing. Gaia is an experienced workshop facilitator who always brings positivity and fresh viewpoints to her sessions.

This Freeform Poetry session is aimed at those who want to develop their writing and look at new approaches to their poetry. Participants are sure to enjoy the session and leave with some new writing.


Polish and Perfect – Seamus Kelly

Littleborough based poet and artist, Seamus Kelly, has led a number of successful writing projects including the 2022 Poetry in the Park project in Littleborough with a series of workshops culminating in the publication of a large print poetry book of the participants’ work.

This workshop is suitable for those who have written some poetry and would like to finds ways to polish it and prepare it for publication or performance. The workshop will include techniques for using a microphone while reading your polished words.


Poetry performance – 12:00 to 1:00pm

Following the workshops there will be a performance session in Hare Hill House where participants, and perhaps workshop leaders, will share some of their words.


To reserve your place on your chosen workshop please email lizwhitecreative@gmail.com

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Poetry in the Park – James Nash – 22nd April 2023

April sees a new, exciting, one day, poetry event at Hare Hill House, Littleborough.

The morning sees three FREE poetry writing workshops by published poets (further details to follow in my next post) plus poetry performance, followed from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, by an Afternoon with James Nash.

James, hailing from Leeds and Bridlington, is a popular poet, workshop leader and speaker with 8 collections of poems published so far and has been a frequent guest and host at literature festivals. James’ latest collection “Heart Stones” is his third collection of sonnets; information about the book is shown below, beneath the online booking link.

during the afternoon James will talk about his passions, his writing and will share some poems with the audience.

Tickets for this not to be missed event are available now on Eventbrite using the link below, or can be purchased from me in person for just £5.00 each.

Register on Eventbrite

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In his third volume of sonnets, James Nash examines urban and seaside environments in a Yorkshire he has known through fifty years living in the North. His sonnets soar over the land – from Leeds, a predominantly Victorian city, to the Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, walking and cycling into the natural world with a pen and paper never far from his hand.

James openly shows his debts to the great poets and writers of previous generations, from Winifred Holtby to Philip Larkin, from Matthew Arnold to Dylan Thomas – and with this sparkling new collection, lays a fresh claim to be named among them. To borrow some of his ​own words, James’ gift is to be a “clear microscope” for our times, finding hope in the many “miracles of detail” that pass through his unwavering gaze; into verses that glow with warmth, insight and poignancy. He thinks his old English master would be quite proud.