UPCOMING! 2024 & 2025
Saturday 23 November 2024, 5-7pm, Blah! Blah!! Blah!!! Writers for Cafe Blah: A #SaveCafeBlah fundraiser, compère, Withington Public Hall Institute, 2 Burton Road, Manchester – TICKETS HERE Monday 27 January 2025, 7.30pm, Verbose 10th Birthday, headliner, King's Arms, Salford Saturday 12 April 2025, 7pm, Sleevenotes: A Record Store Day Reading, special commission and collaboration with Jez Dolan, International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester Tuesday 5 June 2025, 7pm, Poetry at the Dusty Miller, headliner, Mytholmroyd |
| cache-cache book launch, October 2022 |
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| Using Language and Marine Drive double book launch April 2023. Photo: Helen Darby |
2024
5 October: author talk, Withington Book Festival, Withington Public Hall Institute, Manchester
24 September: "Just Add Water" with David Gaffney, Chorlton Book Festival, St Clement's, Chorlton
19 September: "Tootally Wired" project for Manchester Histories Festival, Central Library, Manchester
6 July: European Poetry Festival, collaboration with Julia Rose Lewis, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
17 May: Confingo Publishing showcase, Chorlton Arts Festival, Carlton Club, Whalley Range
3 May: Spelt Magazine issue 10 launch, online
17 April: Manchester Poets, Withington Library
13 April: support at David Gaffney's Whale book launch, The Beacon, Whitehaven, Cumbria
11 April: "Stockport Stories" commission, Rare Mags, Stockport
29 March: headliner, Chemistry, Chemic Tavern, Leeds
7 March: interviewing Adrian Slatcher and Steven Heaton about Loners, Manchester Art Gallery
17 February: Confingo Publishing showcase, Greenhouse Books, Stockport
17 January: Manchester Poets, Withington Library
4 January: Doubt Wisely anthology launch, Manchester Cathedral
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| Chemistry, Leeds 2024 |
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| Didsbury Arts Festival, Manchester 2023 |
2023
18 December: Verbose, headliner, King's Arms, Salford
18 November: Lune launch, with Tom Branfoot, Ian Humphreys and Lydia Unsworth, Peste, Manchester
24 October: four poets reading with Petr Hruska, Jake Morris-Campbell and Jennifer Lee Tsai, Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
24 July: A Celebration of Manchester and Edinburgh Writing, First part of a two-event series, with Vik Shirley, Nicky Melville and David Gaffney, Typewronger Books, Edinburgh
18 July: interviewing Dave Haslam about Pablo Picasso: Adventure Everywhere, Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
1 July: "Flight Patterns" premiere, special commission for Didsbury Arts Festival
27 June: Didsbury Arts Festival - Confingo Publishing showcase, with Elizabeth Baines, David Gaffney, Nicholas Royle and others
20 May: Chorlton Arts Festival - Confingo Publishing showcase, with David Gaffney, Dave Haslam, Nicholas Royle and others
11 May: European Poetry Festival European Camarade, collaboration with Robert Sheppard, Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
5 May: Weaver Words Literature Festival - Word Weavers, with Andrew Rudd, Frodsham
29 April: Using Language book launch, with Jazmine Linklater and Philip Terry, Peste, Ancoats, Manchester
17 April: Lancashire Libraries Mobile Library! 🚌 🚌 🚌 🚌
27 February: Verbose, with Tania Hershman, King's Arms, Salford
23 February: Word Central, with Dominic Berry, Central Library, Manchester
2 February: Speak Easy, Dulcimer, Chorlton, Manchester
Typewronger Books, Edinburgh 2023. Photo: Vik Shirley
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| Chorlton Arts Festival 2023. Photo: David Gaffney |
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| With Robert Sheppard, European Poetry Festival 2023. Photo: David Gaffney |
2022
19 December 2022: Verbose, with Helen Mort, King's Arms, Salford
30 November 2022: Lancashire Stories reading, The Shire Hall, Lancaster Castle, Lancaster - more here
24 November 2022: compère Nicholas Royle's book launch, feat Livi Michael, Manchester Art Gallery
3 November 2022: The Other - with Louise Finnegan, The Old Monkey, Manchester
26 October 2022: Saul Hay Gallery, Castlefield, Manchester - cache-cache and Marine Drive double book launch - with James Davies and Nóra Blascsók - more here
8 October 2022: Ilkley Literature Festival - with Michael Schmidt & Peter Sansom, introduced by John Whale - more here
30 September 2022: Broken Sleep Books online - Marine Drive book launch - more here
15 August 2022: Shrill, McNeill's, Glasgow - with Vik Shirley and Nicky Melville
9 June 2022: Speak Easy, Dulcimer, Chorlton, Manchester
16 May 2022: Stirred x Write Out Loud, Waterside Arts, Sale
14 May 2022: Poets & Players, Whitworth Art Gallery, Oxford Road, Manchester - with Hannah Lowe, Richard Scott & The Aaben Duo - more here
8 May 2022: Switchblade Society, The Peer Hat, NQ, Manchester
5 May 2022: Chorlton Arts Festival, Bowling Green, Chorlton, Manchester - with David Gaffney
19 April 2022: TWOOOPMH! hosted by the Tees Women Poets in association with Stockton Libraries
13 March 2022: Greenhouse Books, Cheadle Village - with David Gaffney
10 March 2022: Peter Barlow's Cigarette, Ditto Coffee, Albert Square, Manchester
17 February 2022: David Gaffney's book launch, feat Melissa Wan, Manchester Central Library - more here
31 January 2022: Verbose at King's Arms, Salford
2021
13 December 2021: Verbose at King's Arms, Salford - HEADLINER
17 November 2021: Beatification at Fuel, Withington
14 November 2021: Sophie Herxheimer INDEX launch, with Nell Osbourne, at Peer Hat, Northern Quarter, Manchester - more here
25 October 2021: Verbose at *new venue* King's Arms, Salford
1 October 2021: European Poetry Festival European Camarade at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester, with Lydia Unsworth - more here
26 September 2021: THEN // NOW - The Big Community & Heritage Weekender at Victoria Baths, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester - more here
2 September 2021: Paris Lit Up, Culture Rapide, 103 Rue Julien Lacroix, Belleville, 75020 Paris
18 May 2021: All Becomes Art: Writers Celebrate Joan Eardley's Centenary – online; more here
15 March 2021: Virtual Verbose, with authors Nicholas Royle and Naomi Booth – online
European Camarade at the European Poetry Festival 2019.
Splash Fiction at Victoria Baths, September 2019.
2020
16 December 2020: Rachel Davies Every Day I Promise Myself book launch – online
15 December 2020: The Other – with Andrea Mason – online
26 November 2020: Garlands & Detours: double book launch with Anne Caldwell and Matthew Hedley Stoppard and open mic – online
8 October 2020: readings from Love Bites, Altrincham Word Fest Online
6 October 2020: compère, flash fiction showcase, Altrincham Word Fest Online
3 September 2020: Paris Lit Up, Culture Rapide, 103 Rue Julien Lacroix, Belleville, 75020 Paris - featured performer
22 August 2020: Leap In The Dark, Love Bites special – online
2 July 2020: A Lovely Word (Liverpool) – online
25 June 2020: Word Central (Manchester) – online, with special guest Henry Normal
Launch of Love Bites anthology, October 2019.
16 December 2019: Port anthology launch with Sarah Jasmon, Verbose, Fred's Ale House, Manchester
23 November 2019: Macc Stories, LIT Fest, United Reformed Church, Park Green, Macclesfield - special commission - more here
12 October 2019: Mid Life Crisis Zine "The Alice One" launch, Dulcimer, Chorlton, Manchester
5 October 2019: launch of Love Bites, Gullivers, Northern Quarter, Manchester - more here
5 October 2019: Flash In The Van, Burnley Literary Festival - more here
7 September 2019: Splash Fiction, Swim For Restoration Weekend, Victoria Baths, Manchester - special commission - more here
27 July 2019: FaxFiction, Refract:19 Festival, Waterside, Sale - special commission - more here
27 June 2019: Story Cities anthology launch, Blackwell's, Oxford Road, Manchester
8 June 2019: Re/Place(s) at Weekend Of Words, Victoria Baths, Manchester - special commission - more here
13 April 2019: European Camarade (part of European Poetry Festival), International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester - special collaboration with Jazz Linklater - more here
6 April 2019: Peter Barlow's Cigarette, Waterstone's, Deansgate, Manchester - more here
7 February 2019: The Other, The Metropolitan, West Didsbury, Manchester - special collaboration with Martin Kratz
23 November 2019: Macc Stories, LIT Fest, United Reformed Church, Park Green, Macclesfield - special commission - more here
12 October 2019: Mid Life Crisis Zine "The Alice One" launch, Dulcimer, Chorlton, Manchester
5 October 2019: launch of Love Bites, Gullivers, Northern Quarter, Manchester - more here
5 October 2019: Flash In The Van, Burnley Literary Festival - more here
27 July 2019: FaxFiction, Refract:19 Festival, Waterside, Sale - special commission - more here
27 June 2019: Story Cities anthology launch, Blackwell's, Oxford Road, Manchester
8 June 2019: Re/Place(s) at Weekend Of Words, Victoria Baths, Manchester - special commission - more here
13 April 2019: European Camarade (part of European Poetry Festival), International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester - special collaboration with Jazz Linklater - more here
6 April 2019: Peter Barlow's Cigarette, Waterstone's, Deansgate, Manchester - more here
7 February 2019: The Other, The Metropolitan, West Didsbury, Manchester - special collaboration with Martin Kratz
Reading at the new Verbose. IMAGE: DAVID GAFFNEY
2018
18 October 2018: Big Words, Vinyl Fiction, Chorlton - featuring headliner David Gaffney
24 September 2018: Verbose, Fred's Ale House, Levenshulme, Manchester - with Emily Morris, Nicola Mostyn and Emma Jane Unsworth
6 September 2018: launch of Michael Conley's Flare and Falter (Splice Publishing), The Metropolitan, West Didsbury, Manchester - with Michael Conley, Kate Feld, Tania Hershman, Abi Hynes and Steve Smythe
21 July 2018: Funny Bone anthology reading, Flash Fiction Festival, Trinity College, Bristol - with Ashley Chantler, Peter Blair, Meg Pokrass, Nuala O'Connor, Nancy Stohlman, Calum Kerr, Jonathan Pinnock, David Gaffney, Vanessa Gebbie and Michael Loveday
13 April 2018: European Camarade (part of European Poetry Festival), International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester - special collaboration with David Gaffney
You can watch mine and David Gaffney's performance of our composite flash fiction piece for the European Camarade, party of the European Poetry Festival, here.
24 September 2018: Verbose, Fred's Ale House, Levenshulme, Manchester - with Emily Morris, Nicola Mostyn and Emma Jane Unsworth
6 September 2018: launch of Michael Conley's Flare and Falter (Splice Publishing), The Metropolitan, West Didsbury, Manchester - with Michael Conley, Kate Feld, Tania Hershman, Abi Hynes and Steve Smythe
21 July 2018: Funny Bone anthology reading, Flash Fiction Festival, Trinity College, Bristol - with Ashley Chantler, Peter Blair, Meg Pokrass, Nuala O'Connor, Nancy Stohlman, Calum Kerr, Jonathan Pinnock, David Gaffney, Vanessa Gebbie and Michael Loveday
13 April 2018: European Camarade (part of European Poetry Festival), International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester - special collaboration with David Gaffney
You can watch mine and David Gaffney's performance of our composite flash fiction piece for the European Camarade, party of the European Poetry Festival, here.
Hosting Verbose. IMAGE: NIJA DALAL-SMALL
2017
1 July 2017: Re/place(d) at Didsbury Arts Festival, The Old Parsonage, Didsbury, Manchester - with Elizabeth Baines, Sarah Butler, David Gaffney, Nicholas Royle and Adrian Slatcher
30 June 2017: Re/place(d) creative writing workshop with David Gaffney, for Didsbury Arts Festival, The Old Parsonage, Didsbury, Manchester
30 June 2017: Re/place(d) creative writing workshop with David Gaffney, for Didsbury Arts Festival, The Old Parsonage, Didsbury, Manchester
26 June 2017: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Landcross Road, Fallowfield, Manchester - my last night as host of the evening, featuring Tania Hershman, Neil Campbell and me performing with Tom Jenks
24 June 2017: Flash Fiction Festival, New Oriel Hall, Bath
22 May 2017: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Martine McDonagh, Stephen May and Sarah Tierney
18 May 2017: compère of David Gaffney's book launch, The Wonder Inn, Manchester
15 May 2017: Spoken Word Paris, Au Chat Noir, 76 rue Jean-Pierre Rimbaud, Paris 11ème
24 April 2017: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring The Writing Squad writers, including James Giddings
29 March 2017: Bad Language, The Castle, Manchester - open mic, headliner David Gaffney
27 March 2017: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Centre for New Writing authors Susan Barker, David Hartley and Beth Underdown
14 March 2017: Quiet Quiet LOUD!, Lloyds Hotel, Wilbraham Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester - the last Quiet Quiet LOUD! from The Quiet Compere aka Sarah L Dixon, with Mark Pajak, Becky Cherriman and Nina Lewis
27 February 2017: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Urbane Publications authors David Gaffney, Lavinia Murray (FJ McQueen) and James Silvester
9 February 2017: North by North West Poetry Tour (part of European Poetry Festival), Wharf Chambers Co-operative Club, Leeds - special collaboration with Tom Jenks
23 January 2017: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Peter Blair, Ashley Chantler and David Swann, editors of and contributors to Flash: The International Short-short Story Magazine
14 January 2017: Enemies Project North by North West Poetry Tour (part of European Poetry Festival), International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester - special collaboration with Fat Roland
The Castle, performing in Les Malheureux. IMAGE: GED CAMERA
2016
28 November 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Richard Barrett, Jazmine Linklater and Alec Newman, part of the Enemies Project North by North West Poetry Tour
19 November 2016: Transition Festival, Kay Gardens, Bury - host of the evening, featuring Billy Cowan, Nija Dalal-Small, Joe Daly, Kate Feld, David Gaffney, Tamsin Macdonald and Fat Roland
8 November 2016: creative writing workshop, Live From Worktown, St George's Gallery, Bolton
6 November 2016: creative writing workshop with David Gaffney, and reading, at Scribble Festival, Chapter One bookshop, Manchester
24 October 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Claire Dean, Nicholas Royle and Conrad Williams
26 September 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Rosie Garland, Rachel Mann and Michael Conley
15 September 2016: The Word, Home Cafe, Didsbury Village, Manchester, featuring Lara Williams
31 August 2016: Open Secret, Le Bistrot des Artistes, 6 rue des Anglais, Paris 5eme, featuring Rebecca Holk
21 July 2016: The Other, Apotheca, Manchester
20 July 2016: The Other Room, The Wonder Inn, Manchester
27 June 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring flash fiction champions Joe Daly, Ingrid Jendrzejewski and Simon Sylvester
25 June 2016: Verbose & National Flash-Fiction Day creative writing workshop, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester
23 May 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Knives Forks and Spoons readers Tim Allen, Neil Campbell and Rhys Trimble
16 May 2016: Spoken Word Paris, Au Chat Noir, Paris 11ème
1 May 2016: Book & Record Fair, Victoria Baths, Manchester
27 April 2016: Bad Language, The Castle, Manchester; headliner Lara Williams
27 April 2016: The Bolton Review launch, University of Bolton
25 April 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring University of Bolton writers Anne Caldwell, Simon Holloway and Evan Jones
16 April 2016: The Other, Sandbar, Manchester - swapping text with the amazing poet Amy McCauley
28 March 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Manchester Left Writers, Natalie Bradbury, Bob Dickinson, Steve Hanson and David Wilkinson
17 March 2016: The Word, Home Community Cafe, Didsbury, Manchester
9 March 2016: Short & Sweet creative writing workshop at Turning The Page festival, Burnage Library, Manchester
3 March 2016: Speak Easy, The Sip Club, Stretford, Manchester
22 February 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring The Real Story writers Nija Dala-Small, Adam Farrer and Danielle Peet
25 January 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Edge Hill writers Aisla Cox, Jim Hinks and John D Rutter
21 January 2016: The Word, Home Community Cafe, Didsbury, Manchester
2015
19 November 2016: Transition Festival, Kay Gardens, Bury - host of the evening, featuring Billy Cowan, Nija Dalal-Small, Joe Daly, Kate Feld, David Gaffney, Tamsin Macdonald and Fat Roland
8 November 2016: creative writing workshop, Live From Worktown, St George's Gallery, Bolton
6 November 2016: creative writing workshop with David Gaffney, and reading, at Scribble Festival, Chapter One bookshop, Manchester
24 October 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Claire Dean, Nicholas Royle and Conrad Williams
26 September 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Rosie Garland, Rachel Mann and Michael Conley
15 September 2016: The Word, Home Cafe, Didsbury Village, Manchester, featuring Lara Williams
31 August 2016: Open Secret, Le Bistrot des Artistes, 6 rue des Anglais, Paris 5eme, featuring Rebecca Holk
21 July 2016: The Other, Apotheca, Manchester
20 July 2016: The Other Room, The Wonder Inn, Manchester
25 June 2016: Verbose & National Flash-Fiction Day creative writing workshop, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester
23 May 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Knives Forks and Spoons readers Tim Allen, Neil Campbell and Rhys Trimble
16 May 2016: Spoken Word Paris, Au Chat Noir, Paris 11ème
1 May 2016: Book & Record Fair, Victoria Baths, Manchester
27 April 2016: Bad Language, The Castle, Manchester; headliner Lara Williams
27 April 2016: The Bolton Review launch, University of Bolton
25 April 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring University of Bolton writers Anne Caldwell, Simon Holloway and Evan Jones
16 April 2016: The Other, Sandbar, Manchester - swapping text with the amazing poet Amy McCauley
28 March 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Manchester Left Writers, Natalie Bradbury, Bob Dickinson, Steve Hanson and David Wilkinson
17 March 2016: The Word, Home Community Cafe, Didsbury, Manchester
9 March 2016: Short & Sweet creative writing workshop at Turning The Page festival, Burnage Library, Manchester
3 March 2016: Speak Easy, The Sip Club, Stretford, Manchester
22 February 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring The Real Story writers Nija Dala-Small, Adam Farrer and Danielle Peet
25 January 2016: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - host of the evening, featuring Edge Hill writers Aisla Cox, Jim Hinks and John D Rutter
21 January 2016: The Word, Home Community Cafe, Didsbury, Manchester
2015
7 December 2015: Spoken Word Paris, Au Chat Noir, Paris 11ème
23 November
26 October
24 October 2015: Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival, The Baum, Rochdale
28 September
12 September 2015: Library, Number One Waterside, Rochdale - flash fiction workshop with David Gaffney
23 June 2015: Mic Bytes at Didsbury Arts Festival, The Art of Tea, Didsbury, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
22 June
6 June 2015: Klondyke Club, Levenshulme, Manchester - supporting Lou & The Llamas - as Les Malheureux
25 May
20 May 2015: Re/Place at Chorlton Arts Festival, Proof, Chorlton, Manchester - with Sarah Butler, Claire Dean, Kate Feld, David Gaffney and Nicholas Royle
27 April 2015: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - featuring Confingo
27 March 2015: Shangri La!, Carlton Club, Prestwich, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
14 February 2015: Eden Arts / New Writing Cumbria, The Old Fire Station, Penrith - as Les Malheureux
23 February
23 November
26 October
24 October 2015: Rochdale Literature & Ideas Festival, The Baum, Rochdale
28 September
12 September 2015: Library, Number One Waterside, Rochdale - flash fiction workshop with David Gaffney
23 June 2015: Mic Bytes at Didsbury Arts Festival, The Art of Tea, Didsbury, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
22 June
6 June 2015: Klondyke Club, Levenshulme, Manchester - supporting Lou & The Llamas - as Les Malheureux
25 May
20 May 2015: Re/Place at Chorlton Arts Festival, Proof, Chorlton, Manchester - with Sarah Butler, Claire Dean, Kate Feld, David Gaffney and Nicholas Royle
27 April 2015: Verbose, Fallow Cafe, Fallowfield, Manchester - featuring Confingo
27 March 2015: Shangri La!, Carlton Club, Prestwich, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
23 March
21 February 2015: Poets & Players, John Rylands Library, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
21 February 2015: Poets & Players, John Rylands Library, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
23 February
26 January
17 December 2014: Tales of Bad Language, Gulliver's, Manchester
14 December 2014: Hannah & Lotte's Poetry Evening, Montpellier's, Manchester
1 December 2014: Paris SpokenWord, Au Chat Noir, Paris
21 October 2014: Word Art, Joshua Brooks, Manchester - with headliner David Gaffney
18 October 2014: Lancaster Litfest, The Storey Institute, Lancaster - as Flashtag
8 October 2014: Blog North Awards, Manchester Literature Festival, The Deaf Institute, Manchester - as Flashtag, with headliner Claire Dean
20 September 2014: The Word Festival, New Conti, Preston - as Les Malheureux
3 September 2014: The Manchester Anthology launch, International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester
18 July 2014: Special FX, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
8 July 2014: Short Short Story Slam, Gullivers, Manchester - as FlashTag
7 June 2014: Manchester Independent Book Market, St Ann’s Square, Manchester
2 June 2014: Paris SpokenWord, Au Chat Noir, 76 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, Paris 11ème
29 May 2014: Paris Lit Up, Culture Rapide, 103 rue Julien Lacroix, Paris 20ème
22 April 2014: Short Short Story Slam, Gullivers, Manchester - as FlashTag
11 April 2014: Nether Edge Cabaret Club, Sheffield - as Les Malheureux
5 April 2014: Weaver Words, Frodsham - flash fiction workshop with David Gaffney
3 April 2014: Haringey Literature Live, Karamel Restaurant, London
1 April 2014: Post Box Poets, The Post Box Cafe, Chorlton
26 March 2014: Bad Language, The Castle Hotel, Manchester
1 March 2014: The Eagle, Salford - as Les Malheureux, supporting Monkeys In Love, Lou & The Llamas and Werbeniuk
31 January 2014: Whitworth Art Gallery Pub Crawl Launch Party, First Chop Brewing Arm, Salford - as Les Malheureux
Hosting Verbose. IMAGE: GED CAMERA
2014
14 December 2014: Hannah & Lotte's Poetry Evening, Montpellier's, Manchester
1 December 2014: Paris SpokenWord, Au Chat Noir, Paris
21 October 2014: Word Art, Joshua Brooks, Manchester - with headliner David Gaffney
18 October 2014: Lancaster Litfest, The Storey Institute, Lancaster - as Flashtag
8 October 2014: Blog North Awards, Manchester Literature Festival, The Deaf Institute, Manchester - as Flashtag, with headliner Claire Dean
20 September 2014: The Word Festival, New Conti, Preston - as Les Malheureux
3 September 2014: The Manchester Anthology launch, International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester
Royal Exchange Theatre. IMAGE: DAVID GAFFNEY
8 July 2014: Short Short Story Slam, Gullivers, Manchester - as FlashTag
7 June 2014: Manchester Independent Book Market, St Ann’s Square, Manchester
Spoken Word Paris. IMAGE: DAVID GAFFNEY
2 June 2014: Paris SpokenWord, Au Chat Noir, 76 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, Paris 11ème
29 May 2014: Paris Lit Up, Culture Rapide, 103 rue Julien Lacroix, Paris 20ème
22 April 2014: Short Short Story Slam, Gullivers, Manchester - as FlashTag
11 April 2014: Nether Edge Cabaret Club, Sheffield - as Les Malheureux
5 April 2014: Weaver Words, Frodsham - flash fiction workshop with David Gaffney
3 April 2014: Haringey Literature Live, Karamel Restaurant, London
1 April 2014: Post Box Poets, The Post Box Cafe, Chorlton
26 March 2014: Bad Language, The Castle Hotel, Manchester
1 March 2014: The Eagle, Salford - as Les Malheureux, supporting Monkeys In Love, Lou & The Llamas and Werbeniuk
31 January 2014: Whitworth Art Gallery Pub Crawl Launch Party, First Chop Brewing Arm, Salford - as Les Malheureux
19 December 2013: Sound, Liverpool - as Les Malheureux, supporting The Lotharios and Monkeys In Love
9 December 2013: Pen:Chant, Three Minute Theatre, Manchester
14 November 2013: Hope Street Hotel, Liverpool - as Les Malheureux
7 November 2013: Now Then, Deaf Institute, Manchester - with FlashTag
2 November 2013: The Writing Squad, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
16 October 2013: Blog North Awards, Manchester Literature Festival, Gorilla, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
4 October 2013: Chorley Live Festival, Ebb & Flo bookshop, Chorley - as Les Malheureux
7 August 2013: Effed Up, The Castle, Manchester
27 July 2013: NQ 'Pop Up', Bay Horse, Manchester - with FlashTag
16 July 2013: The Society Of Young Publishers, The Outlaws Yacht Club, Leeds - with David Gaffney and Calum Kerr
8 July 2013: Effed Up, The Castle, Manchester
29 June 2013: Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
28 June 2013: Didsbury Arts Festival, The Albert Club, Didsbury, Manchester - with FlashTag
25 June 2013: Didsbury Arts Festival, Pizza Express, Didsbury, Manchester - with David Gaffney
6 June 2013: Lakes Alive/Mintfest event, Kendal Town Hall - as Les Malheureux
22 May 2013: Chorlton Arts Festival, The Nook & Cranny, Manchester - with FlashTag
16 May 2013: Tongue In Cheek, The Castle, Manchester
8 May 2013: Writing On The Wall Festival, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool - as Les Malheureux
10 April 2013: Sadcore Dadwave, 3MT Theatre, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
28 February 2013: Monkeys In Love Second Album Launch, The Bay Horse, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
3 February 2013: Words V Music, Fuel, Withington - as Les Malheureux
22 January 2013: Inky Fingers, The Forest, Edinburgh - as Les Malheureux
2012
9 December 2013: Pen:Chant, Three Minute Theatre, Manchester
14 November 2013: Hope Street Hotel, Liverpool - as Les Malheureux
7 November 2013: Now Then, Deaf Institute, Manchester - with FlashTag
2 November 2013: The Writing Squad, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
16 October 2013: Blog North Awards, Manchester Literature Festival, Gorilla, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
4 October 2013: Chorley Live Festival, Ebb & Flo bookshop, Chorley - as Les Malheureux
7 August 2013: Effed Up, The Castle, Manchester
27 July 2013: NQ 'Pop Up', Bay Horse, Manchester - with FlashTag
16 July 2013: The Society Of Young Publishers, The Outlaws Yacht Club, Leeds - with David Gaffney and Calum Kerr
8 July 2013: Effed Up, The Castle, Manchester
29 June 2013: Chinese Arts Centre, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
28 June 2013: Didsbury Arts Festival, The Albert Club, Didsbury, Manchester - with FlashTag
25 June 2013: Didsbury Arts Festival, Pizza Express, Didsbury, Manchester - with David Gaffney
6 June 2013: Lakes Alive/Mintfest event, Kendal Town Hall - as Les Malheureux
22 May 2013: Chorlton Arts Festival, The Nook & Cranny, Manchester - with FlashTag
16 May 2013: Tongue In Cheek, The Castle, Manchester
8 May 2013: Writing On The Wall Festival, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool - as Les Malheureux
10 April 2013: Sadcore Dadwave, 3MT Theatre, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
28 February 2013: Monkeys In Love Second Album Launch, The Bay Horse, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
3 February 2013: Words V Music, Fuel, Withington - as Les Malheureux
22 January 2013: Inky Fingers, The Forest, Edinburgh - as Les Malheureux
2012
15 December 2012: Course You Can Malcolm, FC United of Manchester, Bury - as Les Malheureux
7 December 2012: Embryo, King's Arms, Salford (with Longfella) - as Les Malheureux
2 December 2012: Once More With Meaning (with Steve Garside), The Met, Bury - as Les Malheureux
29 November 2012: Flash Fire (with Jane Brunning and David Gaffney), The Park Hotel, Lancaster
28 November 2012: Bad Language Second Birthday (with Rodge Glass, Anneliese Mackintosh and Claire Massey), The Castle Hotel, Manchester
21 November 2012: On The Corner's Open Mic, Open Heart, The Beech Inn, Chorlton
13 November 2012: Sadcore Dadwave (with Sarah Butler, Dan Holloway, Paul Askew, Sian L Rathore, Anna Percy and others), 3MT Theatre, Manchester
11 November 2012: Shaken Stories and Verse (with Rod Frame and others), Fab Cafe, Manchester
21 October 2012: A Carefully Planned Festival, The Castle Hotel, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
19 October 2012: Shangri La!, The Carlton Club, Prestwich, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
12 October 2012: For Books' Sake Second Birthday Bash, Star & Garter, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
11 October 2012: Axis Arts Centre, MMU Cheshire, Crewe - as Les Malheureux
29 September 2012: Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal - as Les Malheureux
27 September 2012: Word>Play at Didsbury Arts Festival, The Albert Club, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
16 September 2012: Flash-Lit Fiction, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton
11 September 2012: Fictions Of Every Kind, Wharf Chambers Co-operative Club, Leeds - as Les Malheureux
9 September 2012: Weaver Words: Frodsham Literature Festival
17 July 2012: Poltroon, The Betsey Trotwood, Clerkenwell, London
9 June 2012: Manchester Book Market, St Ann's Square, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
8 June 2012: launch of the Jawbreakers anthology, Blackwell, Oxford Road, Manchester
8 June 2012: Comma Press line-up, Manchester Book Market, St Ann's Square, Manchester
2 June 2012: 24 Arty People, Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester
29 May 2012: Tether, Primary, Nottingham - as Les Malheureux
27 May 2012: Bad Language special (with David Gaffney), Chorlton Arts Festival, The Beech, Manchester
23 May 2012: FlashTag special, Chorlton Arts Festival, The Beech, Manchester
19 May 2012: Tago>Mago: Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
17 May 2012: Prestwich Book Festival, The Church Inn, Prestwich
16 May 2012: National Flash-Fiction Day, Cornerhouse, Royal Exchange Theatre and Waterstones Deansgate
6 May 2012: Sounds From The Other City Festival, The New Oxford, Salford - headline slot as Les Malheureux
Onward, Manchester called it "thoroughly funny" - read the full review here.
25 April 2012: Bad Language (with Andrew McMillan), The Castle Hotel, Manchester
2 April 2012: The Story Forum, Gregson Arts Centre, Lancaster
29 March 2012: Word Soup, The Continental, Preston - headline slot with FlashTag, plus Angela Topping
28 March 2012: Not The Oxford Literary Festival, Albion Beatnik, Oxford - as myself and Les Malheureux
29 February 2012: Bad Language (with Peter Wild), The Castle, Manchester
28 February 2012: Say Something: Unrelated Incidents, Sandbar, Manchester
17 February 2012: Monkeys In Love, TV 21 bar, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
Manchester Music called it "brilliant" - read the full review here.
26 January 2012: Word Soup (with Jo Bell), The Continental, Preston
25 January 2012: Bad Language (with Rodge Glass and Socrates Adams), The Castle, Manchester
23 January 2012: The New Libertines (with Elizabeth Baines), Three Minute Theatre, Manchester
2011
7 December 2012: Embryo, King's Arms, Salford (with Longfella) - as Les Malheureux
2 December 2012: Once More With Meaning (with Steve Garside), The Met, Bury - as Les Malheureux
29 November 2012: Flash Fire (with Jane Brunning and David Gaffney), The Park Hotel, Lancaster
28 November 2012: Bad Language Second Birthday (with Rodge Glass, Anneliese Mackintosh and Claire Massey), The Castle Hotel, Manchester
21 November 2012: On The Corner's Open Mic, Open Heart, The Beech Inn, Chorlton
13 November 2012: Sadcore Dadwave (with Sarah Butler, Dan Holloway, Paul Askew, Sian L Rathore, Anna Percy and others), 3MT Theatre, Manchester
11 November 2012: Shaken Stories and Verse (with Rod Frame and others), Fab Cafe, Manchester
21 October 2012: A Carefully Planned Festival, The Castle Hotel, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
19 October 2012: Shangri La!, The Carlton Club, Prestwich, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
12 October 2012: For Books' Sake Second Birthday Bash, Star & Garter, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
11 October 2012: Axis Arts Centre, MMU Cheshire, Crewe - as Les Malheureux
29 September 2012: Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal - as Les Malheureux
27 September 2012: Word>Play at Didsbury Arts Festival, The Albert Club, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
16 September 2012: Flash-Lit Fiction, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton
9 September 2012: Weaver Words: Frodsham Literature Festival
17 July 2012: Poltroon, The Betsey Trotwood, Clerkenwell, London
9 June 2012: Manchester Book Market, St Ann's Square, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
8 June 2012: launch of the Jawbreakers anthology, Blackwell, Oxford Road, Manchester
8 June 2012: Comma Press line-up, Manchester Book Market, St Ann's Square, Manchester
2 June 2012: 24 Arty People, Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester
29 May 2012: Tether, Primary, Nottingham - as Les Malheureux
27 May 2012: Bad Language special (with David Gaffney), Chorlton Arts Festival, The Beech, Manchester
23 May 2012: FlashTag special, Chorlton Arts Festival, The Beech, Manchester
19 May 2012: Tago>Mago: Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
17 May 2012: Prestwich Book Festival, The Church Inn, Prestwich
16 May 2012: National Flash-Fiction Day, Cornerhouse, Royal Exchange Theatre and Waterstones Deansgate
6 May 2012: Sounds From The Other City Festival, The New Oxford, Salford - headline slot as Les Malheureux
Onward, Manchester called it "thoroughly funny" - read the full review here.
25 April 2012: Bad Language (with Andrew McMillan), The Castle Hotel, Manchester
2 April 2012: The Story Forum, Gregson Arts Centre, Lancaster
29 March 2012: Word Soup, The Continental, Preston - headline slot with FlashTag, plus Angela Topping
28 March 2012: Not The Oxford Literary Festival, Albion Beatnik, Oxford - as myself and Les Malheureux
29 February 2012: Bad Language (with Peter Wild), The Castle, Manchester
28 February 2012: Say Something: Unrelated Incidents, Sandbar, Manchester
17 February 2012: Monkeys In Love, TV 21 bar, Manchester - as Les Malheureux
Manchester Music called it "brilliant" - read the full review here.
26 January 2012: Word Soup (with Jo Bell), The Continental, Preston
25 January 2012: Bad Language (with Rodge Glass and Socrates Adams), The Castle, Manchester
23 January 2012: The New Libertines (with Elizabeth Baines), Three Minute Theatre, Manchester
2011
8 December 2011: Say Something, The Castle, Manchester
30 November 2011: Bad Language, The Castle, Manchester - headline slot as Les Malheureux
with David Gaffney
24 November 2011: Literature Live, The University of Bolton - headline slot, plus poet Steven Blyth
26 October 2011: Bad Language (with Emma Jane Unsworth), The Castle, Manchester
19 October 2011: Manchester Blog Awards (with Socrates Adams), The Deaf Institute, Manchester
28 September 2011: FlashTag Smut Night (with David Gaffney), Didsbury Arts Festival, Northern Lawn Tennis Club, Manchester
25 September 2011: Bad Shoes Festival, Electrik, Manchester
31 August 2011: Bad Language (with Max Wallis), The Castle, Manchester
28 July 2011: Bad Language (with Tom Fletcher), The Castle, Manchester
17 July 2011: Oxfam Bookfest, Apotheca, Manchester
14 July 2011: The Reading: A Multiple Writers' Residency, Untitled Gallery, Manchester (streamed live to Cornerhouse, Manchester Art Gallery, International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Cube, Castlefield Gallery, John Rylands Library etc during Not Part Of, the fringe to Manchester International Festival. You can read the story here)
29 June 2011: Bad Language (with Stuart Maconie), The Castle, Manchester
26 May 2011: Flash Mob Pop-up Literary Salon (with Nik Perring), Chorlton Arts Festival, Dulcimer, Chorlton
27 April 2011: Bad Language (with Rod Tame), The Castle, Manchester
24 March 2011: Flash Mob Pop-up Literary Salon, Twestival, NoHo, Manchester
Sarah-Clare Conlon performed the première of a unique multi-platform Twitter story by Tom Mason.
23 March 2011: Bad Language (with Gerry Potter Poet), The Castle, Manchester
23 February 2011: Bad Language (with Jo Bell), The Castle, Manchester
26 January 2011: Bad Language (with David Gaffney), The Castle, Manchester
2010
30 November 2011: Bad Language, The Castle, Manchester - headline slot as Les Malheureux
with David Gaffney
24 November 2011: Literature Live, The University of Bolton - headline slot, plus poet Steven Blyth
26 October 2011: Bad Language (with Emma Jane Unsworth), The Castle, Manchester
19 October 2011: Manchester Blog Awards (with Socrates Adams), The Deaf Institute, Manchester
28 September 2011: FlashTag Smut Night (with David Gaffney), Didsbury Arts Festival, Northern Lawn Tennis Club, Manchester
25 September 2011: Bad Shoes Festival, Electrik, Manchester
31 August 2011: Bad Language (with Max Wallis), The Castle, Manchester
28 July 2011: Bad Language (with Tom Fletcher), The Castle, Manchester
17 July 2011: Oxfam Bookfest, Apotheca, Manchester
14 July 2011: The Reading: A Multiple Writers' Residency, Untitled Gallery, Manchester (streamed live to Cornerhouse, Manchester Art Gallery, International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Cube, Castlefield Gallery, John Rylands Library etc during Not Part Of, the fringe to Manchester International Festival. You can read the story here)
29 June 2011: Bad Language (with Stuart Maconie), The Castle, Manchester
26 May 2011: Flash Mob Pop-up Literary Salon (with Nik Perring), Chorlton Arts Festival, Dulcimer, Chorlton
27 April 2011: Bad Language (with Rod Tame), The Castle, Manchester
24 March 2011: Flash Mob Pop-up Literary Salon, Twestival, NoHo, Manchester
Sarah-Clare Conlon performed the première of a unique multi-platform Twitter story by Tom Mason.
23 March 2011: Bad Language (with Gerry Potter Poet), The Castle, Manchester
23 February 2011: Bad Language (with Jo Bell), The Castle, Manchester
26 January 2011: Bad Language (with David Gaffney), The Castle, Manchester
2010
27 November 2010: Unannounced, Waterstone’s, Deansgate, Manchester
24 November 2010: Bad Language, The Castle, Manchester
20 October 2010: Manchester Blog Awards (with Chris Killen), The Deaf Institute, Manchester
I've read all over the place, from Manchester, where I live, to Salford, next door, and from That London, where I used to work, to Frodsham, where I went to school. Also Bath, Bolton, Brighton, Bristol, Burnley, Bury, Chorley, Crewe, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ilkley, Kendal, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Macclesfield, Marple, Nottingham, Oxford, Preston, Rochdale, Sale, Sheffield, Stockport and, of course, online… plus Paris, France, where I made my international debut in 2014 and where I've now performed numerous times! Here's a link to the European Poetry Festival 2021 and a link to EPF 2023.
24 November 2010: Bad Language, The Castle, Manchester
20 October 2010: Manchester Blog Awards (with Chris Killen), The Deaf Institute, Manchester
I've read all over the place, from Manchester, where I live, to Salford, next door, and from That London, where I used to work, to Frodsham, where I went to school. Also Bath, Bolton, Brighton, Bristol, Burnley, Bury, Chorley, Crewe, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Ilkley, Kendal, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Macclesfield, Marple, Nottingham, Oxford, Preston, Rochdale, Sale, Sheffield, Stockport and, of course, online… plus Paris, France, where I made my international debut in 2014 and where I've now performed numerous times! Here's a link to the European Poetry Festival 2021 and a link to EPF 2023.
Here's a link to me reading at Poets & Players, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, on 14 May 2022.
Here's a link to the online book launch for my prose pamphlet Marine Drive on 30 September 2022. Thanks to Broken Sleep Books for the recording!
Paris Lit Up 2021; Paris Lit Up 2020; Spoken Word Paris 2017 (pics David Gaffney); Paris Lit Up 2014 (pic Sean Simerly)
I blather on about writing and the live lit scene in Manchester in an interview in July 2018 by Minor Literature[s] here.
My live performance is reviewed by The Short Story here. I'm interviewed about flash fiction by City Life here, and I chat alongside David Gaffney on The End of All Things podcast here, in November 2015, and we both talk to Sarah Jasmon here, in April 2013. Fat Roland gets me to talk French on the Hey Fat Roland podcast here. My regular live literature night Verbose, which I ran until June 2017, is reviewed by Humanity Hallows here with other reviews here.
You can hear me reading some of my stories at The Other Room July 2016 here, and for Literature NorthWest here, on the first-ever National Flash-Fiction Day here and here and here, and at the Manchester Book Market in 2012 here and in June 2014 here, here and here. You can hear me read one of my short-short stories on MacGuffin here. See me perform in Les Malheureux at Poets & Players here. See me perform an "exquisite corpse" collaboration with Fat Roland for the Enemies Project North by North West Poetry Tour in Manchester in January 2017 here and alongside Tom Jenks at the Leeds leg in February 2017 here. Here I'm performing with Lydia Unsworth at the European Poetry Festival 2021. My specially commissioned TubeFlash story, And Sons, is read by actor Richard Hodder at Number 1 Please Listen For Further Announcements (published 23 March 2016) here.
My live performance is reviewed by The Short Story here. I'm interviewed about flash fiction by City Life here, and I chat alongside David Gaffney on The End of All Things podcast here, in November 2015, and we both talk to Sarah Jasmon here, in April 2013. Fat Roland gets me to talk French on the Hey Fat Roland podcast here. My regular live literature night Verbose, which I ran until June 2017, is reviewed by Humanity Hallows here with other reviews here.
You can hear me reading some of my stories at The Other Room July 2016 here, and for Literature NorthWest here, on the first-ever National Flash-Fiction Day here and here and here, and at the Manchester Book Market in 2012 here and in June 2014 here, here and here. You can hear me read one of my short-short stories on MacGuffin here. See me perform in Les Malheureux at Poets & Players here. See me perform an "exquisite corpse" collaboration with Fat Roland for the Enemies Project North by North West Poetry Tour in Manchester in January 2017 here and alongside Tom Jenks at the Leeds leg in February 2017 here. Here I'm performing with Lydia Unsworth at the European Poetry Festival 2021. My specially commissioned TubeFlash story, And Sons, is read by actor Richard Hodder at Number 1 Please Listen For Further Announcements (published 23 March 2016) here.
"The detail in her observations can turn
the most mundane setting to one you want to experience ...
her style keeps listeners eagerly wanting more" - Manchester Music
"One of the most interesting and inspiring authors writing flashes today" - Flash: The International Short-short Story Magazine
"Lyrical but precisely observed little tales" - The Short Story
