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Face Your Fears: One Writer on How Overcoming Their Fears Has Become a Personal Challenge

Clowns. Public speaking. Tories. Everyone has a fear that can stop them in their tracks. And in extreme cases, fear can even severely limit what we’re able to do in life. But it doesn’t always have to be that way, as Amelia Flanagan explores...

Poet Joshua Judson on His Latest Collection, Gongoozler

Joshua Judson has released a sick poetry collection with Bad Betty Press. It’s called Gongoozler, i.e. someone who stares at canal traffic. Bridie Squires had a read-through and was blown away, so she slung the fellow Mouthy Poets alumnus a few questions about his crafts and techniques, writing about family memories with a bit of wonk, and why he’s so obsessed with the city’s nauticals.

Writer Graham Caveney Reflects on Growing Older

Writer Graham Caveney, author of The Priest They Called Him: The Life and Legacy of William S. Burroughs and Screaming with Joy: The Life of Allen Ginsberg, shares his reflections on the process of growing older...

Young Creative Awards 2021: Writer Andrew Tucker on Creativity and Why You Should Enter This Years' Competition

Writer and 2019 winner Andrew Tucker talks to previous winners of Nottingham’s Young Creative Awards about their creative process and how your life can change by entering this year’s competition… 

How To Get Hold of Issue #134

Once again we'll mainly be stocked in branches of Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Morrisons and Tesco. Plus local libraries and some lovely local delivery people. 

Metronome Have Expanded Their Virtual Line Up with Three Events from Nottingham Poetry Festival featuring Henry Normal

Following the success of the virtual festival and a string of gigs at the latter end of 2020, the venue announced further big names for their Metronome Sessions… 

Follow the Rebel Writers Trail on World Book Day

Can you find all thirteen plaques?

Under Cover Artist: Kev Grey

You might recognise his style if you’ve picked up a can from Notts brewery Black Iris, and now Kev Grey has turned his talented hands to create our cover art...

Under Cover Artist: Rob White

Multidisciplinary artist Rob White takes us inside his sixth LeftLion cover, an ode to putting 2020 behind us for good...

A Big Issue Vendor in Notts

"You’ve got to be a positive person in this job; at least, I think you do. You want people to buy mags from you because they want to, not because they feel guilty."

Poet Anthony Anaxagorou on Surrealism and Nottingham Poetry Festival 2020

As part of this year’s stellar online Nottingham Poetry Festival line-up, we chat to Anthony Anaxagorou: publisher, writer, poetry educator, Eliot Prize nominee and all-round prolific wordsmith. We talk lockdown, surrealism and his new book How To Write It...

Enter the Nottingham Poetry Hunt and Win Goodies from Rough Trade, Five Leaves Bookshop, Metronome and More...

Like a beacon of light in a seemingly endless sea of darkness, Nottingham Poetry Festival is back with (at time of printing) a nine-day programme of online events, performances and workshops. As part of this year’s festival, you can bag yourself some goodies by taking part in a poetry hunt around the city. 

Simply use the clues to work out these Nottingham venues – there’s treasure in poetic form waiting to be dug up in their windows, websites and social media pages.

The Island: Trekkah Benjamin on His New Project with Nottingham Community Arts Network Aiming to Support Young Males with Mental Health Issues

Through his charity organisation C.A.N, artist Trekkah Benjamin has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund a program that aims to help young men in communicating mental health issues...

Shreya Sen-Handley on Being the First South Asian Woman to write an International Opera

She’s had two books published by HarperCollins, written for international media and was even the regional head of a television channel at the age of 25. It’s fair to say that there are achievers in this world, and then there’s Shreya Sen-Handley. And if that impressive CV wasn’t enough, she’s now become the first Indian and South Asian woman to write a Western, international opera, called Migrations. We catch up with the multi-talented writer to find out more...

12 Stories and Poetry Collections You Should Read During Lockdown

Our Literature Editor runs down some of the books that have kept her busy during these times...

Writer Josh Helmer on His New Self-Published Dystopian Novel, Dark Wonders

With life currently feeling like it’s been torn from the pages of a dystopian novel, now seems like the perfect time to release a novel exploring themes like technology, society and the future. Luckily for us, that’s just what Joshua Helmer has done with Dark Wonders. We caught up with the Nottingham writer to discuss his self-published debut novel...

"This is the people against racism’’ - Writer and Musician Jack Benjamin on Nottingham's Black Lives Matter Protest

As hundreds of people gathered on Forest Rec to support the fight against racism, local musician and writer Jack Benjamin shares his thoughts on what the protest means, and how the day's events unfolded...

The Write Ideas: 7 Ways to Put Pen to Paper

Ever yearned to be one of those people who could just put pen to paper? Maybe you struggled to know where to start? We’ve rounded up our best ideas for creative writing at home...

Writer Eimear McBride previews her appearance at Peggy's Skylight

Ahead of her appearance at Peggy's Skylight on Tuesday 17 March, we talk to writer Eimear McBride about the highly-anticipated event - which is part of a series of literary events organised by Jon McGregor of the University of Nottingham -  during which she will be appearing in conversation alongside Ruby Cowling...

Nottingham City of Literature are Running a Creative Writing Competition for Writers Aged 10-25

Are you a youngster in our city who has gifted gears whirring away? We have a corking competition for you… 

Author Lise Gold on Her New Novel and Living as a LGBT Woman in Britain

When we hear the word innovation, we often think of scientific breakthroughs. But innovation isn’t always technological advancements – it can also be taking creative risks, making new forms of poetry, art or writing. Nottingham has seen an increase in LGBT+ writing and creative events in the past year, so we sat down with lesbian fiction writer Lise Gold to discuss her work...

Review: Nafeesa Hamid and Colette Bryce at Inspire Poetry Festival

We caught performances by poets Nafeesa Hamid and Colette Bryce as part of Inspire Poetry Festival...

Review: Patience Agbabi at Inspire Poetry Festival

We got down to Southwell Library to catch revered poet Patience Agbabi, as part of Inspire Poetry Festival...

Review: Paper Cranes Poetry at Inspire Poetry Festival

My first assumption when almost anyone says ‘spoken word’ is of slam poetry – a shouting twenty something with a beanie, comparing their emotions to a ball of yarn or a revolver. I was, however, very pleasantly surprised, when attending Paper Cranes at the Beeston library, to find it was not a group of twenty somethings in beanies, but a collective of individuals eclectic both in age range, and personality...

WRITING OPPORTUNITY: Review the Nottdance 2019 Festival

Are you an avid dance fan? Do you have a passion for writing and reviewing live events? Great. Check this out…