Speak Easy, Stretford - A summer adventure

 Hello!

 Having performed at a number of the central Manchester spoken-word nights, such as One Mic Stand, Speak!, Bad Language, the Poetry Pop Jukebox Co-op and Stirred, I started venturing further out. I recently read at Verbose in Levenshulme, which was lovely, and this week I tried out Speak Easy in Stretford.

 I had never been to Stretford, and as it was a sunny evening, I decided to walk there from the centre of Manchester after work. The journey took me around an hour and a half, and I stopped from time to time to talk photos in the lovely summer light.

 I arrived at Stretford Sip Club and enjoyed a fun and genuinely varied night of performance, with a mix of humour, seriousness, and some singing, which was quite different and refreshing. It was really nice when everyone got the chorus and joined in.

 I enjoyed performing my poetry to a new crowd, and was really happy to be invited back to do a longer set. I hope to return - watch this space! I caught a tram back to Manchester, as walking all the way back might have been a bit much! But I am glad I walked there.

 Thanks to Speak Easy for having me, and to the warm and welcoming audience, and thank you for reading my blog and sharing my adventures.

 Liz x

Queers of Manchester, and "Arrival"

 Hello!

Photograph by Tom Quaye

 I felt incredibly proud to be featured by Queers of Manchester on their Facebook and Instagram pages. 

 Tom Quaye took the above photo of me, which I love, and you can also read my poem "Arrival". This sonnet describes my growing sense of belonging in Manchester, having previously lived in a number of different places.

 Many thanks to Queers of Manchester for choosing me and showcasing my writing, and to everybody who has responded so positively and kindly to the posts - it feels amazing.

 Liz x

Introduction X: The Poetry Business Book of New Poets

 Hello!

 I'm very happy to announce that three of my poems, "Old rain", "Eden" and "Going" will appear in Introduction X: The Poetry Business Book of New Poets. It is a real honour to be a part of such an exciting project.

 I hope you enjoy my contributions.

 Liz x