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New Year, new events: Verse? Aye!

I haven’t been too out and loud about resolutions this year, largely because I don’t want to be held publicly accountable when I inevitably drop the ball on them – such is the way when making resolutions. But one that I’m happy to put to paper – or to screen, if you will – is the hope that this year I will take part in more events as a writer and as a poet, rather than as a host and as an organiser (although I plan to be doing a lot of the latter, too). My first on-stage event towards this resolution is happening in February and, like all shameless self-promotors, I’m going to talk about it for the next couple of hundred words or so (get comfortable).

Matthew Nicholson – a top poet/half-decent bloke – is putting on a poetry event to fundraise money for not one, but FIVE charities (I know, right, he’s totally winning at the whole new year, better person thing). On February 10th, from 5:30pm onwards, a poetry-packed evening will be taking place at Kidderminster Town Hall (DY10 1DB) with headliners Dominic Berry and Jackie Hagan delivering what will no doubt be some amazing words, accompanied by a few other support poets, too: Genevieve L. Walsh, Leanne Moden, Fergus McGonigal, Spoz, Gary Longden, Charley Barnes (me, me, me!), and Nick Lovell.

The night will be made up of sets from the lot of us and, having seen most of these folks before, I can already tell you it will be a rollercoaster of an evening in the best way possible (God only knows how I’ve made the bill with this talented lot, but here we are).

The event page is already doing the rounds on Facebook – Verse? Aye! Spoken Word – Charity Fundraiser – so if you want more information you can have a look about for it on there, or you can leave me a little comment with your query and I’ll get back to you. This is a really huge event for Matthew, and for all of the poets involved; the venue is massive, the talent is rife, and the cause is so, so worthy. For £5 you get a night of poetry plus the warm after glow of knowing that you’ve helped a good cause, and what more could you want at the start of a new year?



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