By Marjie Griffiths On Wednesday 13th November, the audience at Crosswords Open Mic were treated to a set from Nottingham’s zombie poet extraordinaire, Al Lane (a.k.a. Steve the Zombie). Now, you may be wondering what you get if you cross a zombie with a talented wordsmith …? Apparently, you get some powerfully effective advice on how to live life to the full! Al is both engaging and warm. The self-deprecating humour that runs through his work makes him instantly relatable, as…

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Take a look at some of the great literary happenings in Nottingham last year. We can be proud of our collective achievements. City of lit 2019 overview   [Nottingham UNESCO City of Lit 2019 Overview]

Review of DIY Poets Quarterly Showcase November 14th 2019. Location: City Arts, Nottingham. (First half mostly reviewed by Clare Stewart, second half mostly by Vron McIntyre.) This was my (Clare’s) first DIY quarterly gig at City Arts, I like it, I like the atmosphere, the bar is good, the location is all right, comfortable, good acoustics, yeah. Andrew Martin and Laura Grevel shared compering duties, they did v well, made the evening fun, and ensured the evening ran smoothly. John…

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In October DIY poets took part in the Poetry Funfair event at Nottingham Playhouse as part of National Poetry Day 2019. Here are some flavours of this wonderful event, and some of the lovely people that supported it.   More event photos (Photo credit Fraser Youngson) Article by Pauline Black and Martin Grey, courtesy of Nottingham City of Literature.  

DIY Poets (we’re nice and we don’t always rhyme) have been performing poetry in Nottingham for over fifteen years. Tonight, the first of our quarterly nights at City Arts, will feature an open mic, DIY Poets, plus a wonderful acoustic musician/ singer. We are also launching issue 46 of our free A6 zine. £3 entry For ages 18+. Wheelchair accessible. Hearing loop available. Gender neutral toilet. Accessible toilet. Grassroots poetry at its best. Facebook Page

We have great news for you. DIY Poets are heading north for the summer! We are very excited to announce that we have a one week residency at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Between 10-16 August around 15 DIY poets will be on hand to entertain you with our DIY Poetry Fix at The Banshee Labyrinth on Niddry Street EH1 1LG. Every evening from 8.15 – 9.15pm. We can promise short sharp poetry that makes you think, makes you laugh, makes…

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[Reviewed by Clare Stewart] Laura Grevel, in lovely colours, a pink jacket and aubergine hair contrasting with her blue eyes, had some Aristotelian questions for us. The answer to all these inventive questions was No. I’ve never roasted snakeskin and dipped it in chocolate? Does this mean I’m boring? Does this mean I live a very narrow life? No, I think it means Laura has a kerazy imagination and a philosophical turn of mind. Senora Amazon, written as a heartfelt…

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DIY Poets always provide a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere and this special event to mark International Women’s Day 2019 was no exception. Organised by a subcommittee of female DIY members “Women Say Stuff” is now in its fourth year, and goes from strength to strength showcasing fantastic, inspirational female voices performing to a mixed audience. In line with DIY Poets tradition, it was a night of three halves featuring poets Cathy Grindrod, Ioney Smallhorne and DIY’s own Hazel Warren providing music…

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By Hazel Warren and Frank McMahon Local bards DIY Poets had their thirty third show at the Maze on 14th February, Valentine’s day but it was not planned for to be on that date. The night was brilliantly compared by Jake and Hazel. There were ten DIY Poets with five minutes each, followed an open mic, featured poet Laura Grevel and headline musician Eibhleen Concradah. First poet up was Will, who gave us atmospheric “old stories of the forest” with…

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By Martin Dean As venues go this was one of the most impressive I have seen in a while. A 1920’s picture house – the only one of its kind left in Sheffield. Three DIY poets, Martin Grey, Hazel Warren and yours truly made the trip to Sheffield for the second Indie Beer Feast. This gorgeous venue was packed with a variety of mouthwatering ales/lagers and street food and was a sell-out. The food court which was originally built as…

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