York Explore Library :

Thu 25 Oct :

6.45pm – 7.45pm :

£3 (or £2 with a York Card)

Finding the Words is a regular poetry evening every month at York Explore Library. Each evening brings together three poets and we aim to include both published writers and those working towards a collection. We’ll have a bar available and readings last around an hour. The evening is also a chance to share and chat, so please feel free to bring any news or information about poetry local, regional or national.

Sarah L Dixon lived in Chorlton for 12 years. She moved in May 2017 and is currently based in Linthwaite, Huddersfield and tours as The Quiet Compere. Sarah has most recently been published in Confluence, The Interpreter’s House, The Lake, Obsessed with Pipework, Troubadour and Curlew. She had a poem published on a beer-mat and her pamphlet, The sky is cracked was released by the same press in November 2017 (Half Moon).

Sarah’s inspiration comes from many places, including pubs and music, being by and in water and adventures with her seven-year-old, Frank. She is still attempting to write better poetry than Frank did aged 4! Frank’s line, aged 4, was “Is your heart in a cage so it doesn’t fly away?”

Ian Harrow: b.1945 Bamburgh, Northumberland. Five collections, most recent, Finishing Lines (Rack Press 2018) and Words Take Me (Lapwing 2013). Formerly Head of the School of Art, University of Central Lancashire. Lives in York.
Widely published in journals and magazines, including Stand, London Magazine, Spectator, Times Literary Supplement, New Walk.

Tristan Moss lives in York with his partner and two young children. He has had poems published in a number of online and paper journals. Most recently his poems have appeared in The Poetry Shed, Snakeskin, Amaryllis, Open Mouse, and Picaroon Poetry. In 2012 he had a short pamphlet published entitled ‘Disclaimer, by Lapwing Publications.

Sarah L Dixon @QuietCompereMcr
Tristan Moss @TristannMoss

This event will take place in the Marriott Room and cost £3 (or £2 with a York Card)

To book a ticket please click here.

York Explore Library :

Thu 27 Sep : 

6.45pm – 7.45pm :

£3 (or £2 with a York Card)

Finding the Words is a regular poetry evening every month at York Explore Library. Each evening brings together three poets and we aim to include both published writers and those working towards a collection. We’ll have a bar available and readings last around an hour. The evening is also a chance to share and chat, so please feel free to bring any news or information about poetry local, regional or national.
Nick Allen’s poetry has appeared in various magazines and anthologies – most recently, the Interpreter’s House, the Poetry Salzburg Review, Verse Matters and Un/Forced: a collection of writing from Rhubarb. His first pamphlet, the necessary line, was published by Half Moon Books of Otley, in October. He helps to organise the open mic evening, Rhubarb at the Triangle in Shipley, the last Wednesday of each month. He is a sub-editor with the on-line poetry magazine Algebra of Owls. He derives most of his sustenance from malt whisky and good espressos.

Katharine Goda writes poetry as a way of recording and reflecting on moments which would otherwise go unnoticed. Her work has appeared on the YorkMix poetry blog and been chosen for two Forward Poetry anthologies. She enjoys participating in Poetry Society stanza groups and workshops, volunteering with participatory arts organisations and running poetry writing sessions.

Pauline Kirk was born in Birmingham, and now lives in York. She has had ten collections of poetry and six novels published, three under her own name, and four as PJ Quinn. Her most recent collection, Time Traveller, was published by Graft Poetry. She is Editor of Fighting Cock Press, and a member of the editorial group of Dream Catcher.

This event will take place in the Marriott Room and cost £3 or £2 with a York Card

To book ticket please click here.

York Explore Library :

Thu 28 Jun :

6.45pm – 7.45pm :

£3 or £2 with a York Card

Headlines Two prizewinning poets, Peter Wallis and Sally Festing, present poems about the head, both in its physical and mental aspects. With special guest Carole Bromley

How does repeated brain surgery impact on families? What if the patient has an identical twin? The answers come, in Andrew McMillan’s words, in poems that see “life as something tentative as well as tender”. Similarly, how can the effects of something like schizophrenia, bear on future generations? Family history and a cache of intimate letters suggest answers.

Sally Festing’s fifth collection will be published in 2019. Four prizes fed into Swimming Lessons, Salaams (Happenstance), Font, and Doors Opening (Oversteps) which followed journalism, radio plays, academic studies, biographies and other non-fiction books. Sally runs Saltmarsh Poetry.

Peter Wallis won publication of a pamphlet, Articles of Twinship, in the Bare Fiction Debut Poetry Collection Competition 2015, was shortlisted in the 2016 National Poetry Competition and longlisted in that of 2017. He is Submissions Editor for the U.K. charity “Poems in the Waiting Room”.

Carole Bromley is the Poetry Society’s York Stanza rep and runs poetry surgeries at York Explore. She has three books with Smith/Doorstop, A Guided Tour of the Ice House, The Stonegate Devil and a children’s collection, Blast Off. Carole is currently working on a sequence of poems about her recent experience of brain surgery and will be sharing some of those poems.

To book ticket please click here.

York Explore Library :

Tue 22 May :

5.30pm – 7.45pm :

£5

Join author, poet and creative writing teacher Maria Stephenson for a poetry workshop where you can explore the benefits of cathartic writing.

Our poetry is often written for ourselves and will never see the light of day but sometimes, we realise that as well as helping ourselves, our words can move and inspire others.  This is the essence of Maria’s collection ‘Poetry for the Newly Single 40 Something’ (Stairwell Books) which chronicles the escape from an abusive marriage towards living again, also shining a light onto on-line dating experiences.  She will read from her collection and talk about the path to publication during the creative writing workshop included in the event.

Author’s Biography:

I am a creative writing teacher and a mother of two based in the lovely market town of Otley near Leeds.  Over the last few years, life has taken the wonderful turn of my being able to make a living as a writer and teacher of writing.  From a young age, my dream has been to write poems and stories that will help and move my readers and I’m delighted that this dream is becoming more and more of a reality.

My debut solo poetry collection has now come out and as well as working to promote it, I am also working on the final edit of my crime novel, ‘The Man Behind Closed Doors’ which was recently shortlisted for the international Luke Bitmead prize, in association with Legend Press,   I’m really looking forward to unleashing this on the world too.

If anyone was to ask me how it is possible to achieve success as a writer I would say, keep going, keep writing, keep believing in your voice.  Polish your work until it shines and never give up.  We can all achieve our dreams.

To book tickets please click here.