[Reviewed by Leanne Moden] Martin Dean is a poet with an incredible talent for lush descriptive imagery and the poems in his first collection, ‘The Curious Dance between Life and Death’, tackle the theme of mortality. It’s an incredibly ambitious subject, and Martin explores it by focusing on individual moments, captured through his evocative words. The collection takes readers on a journey across differing time periods and geographical locations, but the underlying message is the same – life is strange,…

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[Reviewed by Leanne Moden] Imagine if George A. Romero had written Dawn of the Dead as a series of delightfully witty, irreverent and gruesome poems, or if Capcom had made Resident Evil with an even more lyrical sensibility. Imagine if Sam Raimi had told the story of Evil Dead as a surreal public service announcement, and Ash spent the entire film kicking butt and talking in haiku. If that all sounds like good fun to you, then you will absolutely…

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In his latest blog, DIY poet Martin Grey reflects on life changes, procrastination, exhaustion and stepping outside your comfort zone. For anyone trying to fit writing around nine-to-five working this is a real breath of fresh air. Please do take a look.

[Review by Leanne Moden] Sue Allen is a witty wordsmith with a talent for finding the Funny in every situation. ‘Rude Awakenings’ is her first collection of poetry, and it’s just as saucy as the title suggests. There’s plenty of sex and rock & roll sprinkled throughout the book, and Sue does a great job balancing the surrealist pieces with the more serious poems. Whether she’s longing to be Johnny Depp’s string vest, lamenting the puckish nature of her own…

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Compiled by Martin Grey I’ve been making a list of all the regular spoken word events in Nottingham. There’s 14 I know about. I might have some details wrong and might be missing some nights or have some that aren’t running, but it’d be good to fix any errors and have a full list for everyone 🙂  Between The Shadow and the Soul – Pay what you can – City Arts – First Wednesday of every month – 7.30pm to…

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I am pleased to announce the release of my first collection of poems – ‘The Curious Dance Between Life And Death’. Download a preview The theme is inspired by a quote from Lao Tzu – “Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.” The opening piece of the book sets the scene as Jack progresses towards his last breath. From this poignant beginning ‘The Curious Dance Between Life And Death’ explores human experience as one…

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DIY Poets have become a bit of a fixture at the Gate to Southwell Festival these days, so it was a pleasure to head back there for a Saturday showcase and a Sunday slam, where the winner would be crowned 2018 Bard of Southwell. Review by Martin Gray Under the red and white stripes of the Steeples Tent, with the stage being the grass in front of the ebbing and flowing crowd, our Andy Szpuk introduced six DIY Poets and…

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Congratulations to DIY poet Martin Grey who fought off stiff competition to win the accolade ‘Bard of Southwell’ at the Gate To Southwell Festival 2018. His winning poem was a tender look back at his Grandfather, fish and chips and cigarettes.

SPEAK UP! @ THE LORD ROBERTS NOTTINGHAM, APRIL 25TH, 7:30pm  Reviewed by Andy Szpuk Gaining entrance to a poetry event with a tin of sardines felt a bit surreal, like stepping out of a Salvador Dali painting, but of course this was a We Shall Overcome (WSO) event, so people were asked to bring food bank donations instead of paying admission. But, if it felt slightly bizarre, it echoed the extraordinary and outlandish evening of entertainment that was to follow….

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