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Poetry Profile: Talking Psst. with Christopher Lanyon

In the immortal words of Björk, it's been oh so quiet in Nottingham this month with the launch of Psst., the latest in a long line of poetry events based in the city centre. The brainchild of Christopher Lanyon, Psst. is (in addition to being a grammatical nightmare), a prime example of the newest breed of Nottingham poetry: inclusive, soft, powerful and punchy. I popped down to Jam Cafe for their debut, and while I was there I managed to collar Chris for a chat over a pint of posh ale. 

Penguin in Nottingham: Under-represented Writers Needed WriteNow

World-famous publishers Penguin Random House are launching a new campaign – WriteNow – that seeks to engage writers you wouldn’t normally see on the bookshelves. They’re spreading the programme over three different cities in the UK, and thanks to UNESCO City of Literature, Writing East Midlands and NTU, Nottingham has been chosen as one part of the trinity. Last week saw a launch event on Broad Street with plenty of local talent kicking things off in style, all expertly hosted by Ben Welch…

Ayup Duck: The Latest Nottingham News

Backlit Galllery Are Looking For a Writer in Residence

The St Ann's gallery is offering up a very exciting opportunity for one of you wordy-whizzes... 

Poetry Profile: Crosswords

On the second Wednesday of every month in a cosy cave three floors below the Malt Cross you'll find Crosswords, Nottingham's only subterranean spoken word open mic. Our Martin Grey popped down to May's event and also had a chat with the organisers, Leanne Moden and Jake Wildeman, and this month's headliner, Gemma Baker.

Art Review: Zanele Muholi's Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail The Dark Lioness at New Art Exchange

We got down to New Art Exchange's latest exhibition Zanele Muholi: Somnyama Ngonyama, Hail The Dark Lioness

Poetry Profile: Translating Activism Workshop with Kalyani Thakur, Sipra Mukherjee, and Jo Dixon

If you thought that we'd be sick of poetry after last week's festival, you'd be dead wrong. Today we're highlighting the incredible work of Kalyani Thakur, a Dalit poet and political activist from West Bengal, following her appearance at the Translating Activism workshop hosted by the Postcolonial Studies Centre at Nottingham Trent University. 

Nottingham Poetry Festival 2018 in Photos

We had a bleddy blast checking out what the bards had to say...

Robin Hood Vs Sheriff of Nottingham Rap Battle and Mark Grist at Nottingham Poetry Festival in Photos

It was absolute carnage down at the Fox and Grapes for Poetry is Dead Good, as part of the Nottingham Poetry Festival...

Nottingham Poetry Festival 2018: Thank Poetry It’s Friday!

LeftLion fills its boots on Poetry Glorious Poetry (as Oliver didn’t say!) at Poetry On A Plate and NPF PRESENTS: Elvis McGonagall, Stephen Thomas and Bridie Squires…

Nottingham Poetry Festival 2018: Hollie McNish & Cleo Asarbre-Holt Warm Up The Old Cold Store

With millions of YouTube views and wit to rival any stand up, Hollie McNish is the friendly face of home-grown British poetry. Nottingham’s thriving poetry scene packed into the Old Cold Store (round the back of the Vat & Fiddle) to see her and Notts-based Cleo Asarbre-Holt perform.

Nottingham Poetry Festival 2018: All We Need Is The Art of Love

We've been looking forward to this one: “super sibilant sisters” Panya Banjoko and Abii spent their evening exploring their heritage through vibrant verse and music at the stellar Soetry event. We sent our Chloe Rose Whitmore down to hear what they had to say. 

Doing the Bookshop Hop at Nottingham Poetry Festival

A dazzling evening of new connections and resonant readings at two of Nottingham’s thriving bookshops, Blackwell’s and Five Leaves…

Nottingham Poetry Festival 2018: Lions and Tigers and... Trees?

Oh my. We've had a great time observing this year's poetry festival from the shadows, but this Thursday it was our turn to hog the limelight. Under a web of fairy lights, MC and organiser Aly Stoneman and co showed off some of the best and brightest poetry we at LeftLion have to offer. 

Nottingham Poetry Festival 2018: Tuesday's Child is Full of Poe(try)

Another day, another evening of poetic wonderment. We sent our Chloe down to the Fox and Grapes to check out this month's Poetry is Dead Good special, featuring comedy rap-battle legend and fastest tongue in the west Mark Grist. 

Comedy Poet Elvis McGonnagall is Tartanned Up in Nottz

Described as “side-splittingly funny”, “flamboyant” and compared to performance poets Adrian Mitchell and John Cooper Clarke, World Slam Champion and festival favourite Elvis McGonnagall is set to take Nottingham by storm on Friday night at Antenna. Tackling topics of the day head-on, his stand-up style of delivery and polished verse critiques the world’s woes with charm, intelligence and a bag-full of Scottish colloquialisms. LeftLion caught up with him for a quick chat ahead of his show with support from Poetry is Dead Good’s Stephen Thomas and our very own Bridie Squires…

After They Left The Lion...

We’ve had thousands of brilliant and interesting people contributing to the mag for fifteen years. Plenty have gone on to do some proper interesting stuff after working with us. Here are a handful of the boggers…

Nottingham Poetry Festival 2018: Another Manic Monday

This festival has us rushing about like a bunch of blue-arsed flies, and we love it. Here's today's round-up of all the groovy poetry that came out of Monday 24th April, 2018. 

The Nottingham Poetry Festival 2018 Survival Guide

Nottingham's gone poetry mad, and with stellar events popping up in venues all over the city it can be hard to know where to start. Thankfully, your old pal LP Mills is here to give you the rundown on this year's Nottingham Poetry Festival. 

Storytelling in Notts: Beeston Tales at the White Lion

Our Lily got down to The White Lion in Beeston for a night of gripping storytelling, belly laughs and great company. Here she tells us all about this little-known monthly event and why she encourages the rest of us to check it out...

Riding on Solomon’s Carpet: Poetry from Nottingham’s Refugees

“Projects like this open doors for people like me,” says Victoria Mponda, of her experience with Riding on Solomon’s Carpet, an anthology of poetry from refugees and asylum seekers living in the East Midlands...

6 Notts Books You Need To Read This Month

Back in January, we celebrated Nottingham’s literary prowess with a whole issue dedicated to the wordy goods that’ve come out of the city and its edges. In the same breath, together with UNESCO City of Literature, we asked your lot to review your favourite Nottingham books in a competition to win book tokens and a feature in this here rag.

The winners of said competition were Sue Barsby and Melanie Jane, the top two reviews on this here page. Check ‘em out in all their critiquing mastery, and remember: if you’re from Notts and want to get your pages poked, drop us a line on books@leftlion.co.uk...

Nottingham Poetry Festival 2018

Festival season officially starts here, and it’s kicking off with a right wordy celebration of all things lyrical...

Exploring Technology, Spoken Word and Writing our Roots at WEM’s The Writers’ Conference

Last week, Nottingham’s literati gathered on a snowy Saturday to do some listening, learning and creating at The Writers’ Conference, all hosted by Writing East Midlands. We got down to check out some of the talks and workshops…

Sound of the Lion #67

With Cecille Grey, Hellebore, Charlotte Evans, Distant Blue, Le Terme, The Hip Priests, VVV, Jetlines and Georgie...