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The Nottingham Poetry Festival 2019 Has Launched

We got down to the Nottingham Poetry Festival preview event, at the Fox & Grapes on Friday 5 April, where Notts local scene poets, including our very own Bridie Squires and Chris McLoughlin, came together to give us a sample of what’s to come as the fest this year. The Nottingham Poetry Festival 2019 will take place from Friday 26 April to Sunday 5 May...

Review: Crime Club at The National Justice Museum

We headed down to the National Justice Museum to check out their first ever Crime Club... 

Desire, Love, Identity: An LGBTQ exhibition at the National Justice Museum

It’s fair to say that most Nottingham folk still call it the Galleries of Justice and associate it with ghost tours and a family day out in a scary old prison, but there have been new developments at the rebranded National Justice Museum lately. This includes making more innovative use of the temporary exhibition space, accessible for free. Our Rebecca headed on over to check out their newest exhibition...

Proper Good Poetry Stuff To Do In Notts

Here's a list of what we think are the best poetry events happening in Nottingham...

Notts Hosts 2018 Games of Remembrance

Many of you will know the story of the Christmas truce, where both British and German soldiers temporarily cease-fired to play a football match during World War One. Perhaps it’s fitting that with 2018 marking 100 years since the end of the First World War, that a football match between British and German soldiers took place.

Notts Poet and Austerity Opposer Lytisha Tunbridge Tells Her Story

Lytisha Tunbridge won the Expanding Horizons Award 2018 at Nottingham Writers’ Studio, for her work supporting World Jam, DIY Poets, Poetry Aloud, Poets Against Racism, Social Model Writers, Sisterhood and Solidarity, Support the NHS, Young Voices, Reading with Dementia, and We Shall Overcome. Somehow she managed to find the time to share some words with us, and tell us her story...

Nottingham Comedy Promoters Just The Tonic are Celebrating 25 Years in the Business

We’ve got bleddy birthday fever this month. Just The Tonic, Nottingham’s prime comedy promoters, have been bringing the funnies to the city for 25 years. From Johnny Vegas to Ross Noble, Darrell Martin has booked some right belly-twisting boggers, so we asked him to take a look back at his time over the years as the don of stand-up around these parts...

Violets are Blue: Miggy Angel Launches New Poetry Collection

Miggy Angel is a locally loved poet based in Nottingham, having moved originally from London with his family fifteen years ago. Last Friday, Miggy took to Waterstones' Sillitoe Suite to launch his latest collection Extreme Violets, and we sent our Benjamin Knight down to check it out. 

Jam & Chutney Session with Just Grow Project

Last Tuesday, Windmill Community Gardens hosted a jam and chutney making workshop and gee whiz it was a real treat! 

Henry Normal on His New Poetry Collection and Preparing for Live Shows

The ever delightful poet, producer and screen-writer, Henry Normal, sat down for a quick chat about his latest poetry collection, This Phantom Breath, and what to expect from his upcoming live show, Nature V Human Nature.... 

Some Things About Panya: Poet and Author Releases First Poetry Collection

With a career spanning over twenty years and work published in all manner of magazines, anthologies and journals, few poets have made a name for themselves in the way Panya Banjoko has. We sent our Kevin Jackson down to Five Leaves for the release of her new collection Some Things, and it's fair to say she made quite the impression. 

Poetry Profile: A Self-Help Group for People With Too Many Feelings

One year on from their debut, Between the Shadow and the Soul has quickly become a bastion of pleasant poetry. Ahead of their big birthday bash, I had a chat with co-founders Jim Sharpe and Kaia Hristova about the success of their infant poetry night, their own creative processes, and the importance of celebrating good feels. 

A Cave Tour, Quiz and Batman Screening for National Justice Museum’s Superhero Season

The National Justice Museum kicked off their Superhero Movie Season with a screening of the 1989 classic Batman. Jason England took a break from sweatin’ cobs to head down and check out the event…

Superhero Movie Season at The National Justice Museum

The National Justice Museum are back with another brilliant film season...

Black Writers Network's Ioney Smallhorne Talks New Anthology When We Speak

When We Speak: An Anthology of Black Writing in Nottingham is a new collection showcasing the work of nine poets from the city’s Black Writers Network. The pamphlet, edited by Panya Banjoko and published by New Art Exchange in association with Nottingham Black Archive, “challenges how blackness is seen or is expected to be seen” and aims to raise awareness of the continuing rich literary tradition of the African Caribbean community in Nottingham. We caught up with one of the poets included in the book: writer, filmmaker, and educator Ioney Smallhorne…

Button Poetry Video Contest Runner-Up Jasmine Gardosi Headlines Poetry is Dead Good on Tuesday

Back in 2015, she won the Poetry is Dead Good Mix it up Midlands Slam, now she's bossing it on the Button Poetry YouTube Channel as one of the first Midlands poets to feature. This Tuesday, she headlines Poetry is Dead Good before the event breaks for the summer. Check out her poem, Raise Your Hand, here...

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. 

We Went to a Zombie Life-Drawing Class and it was Awesome

Notes from the Middle Kingdom: Just Add Oil

Here at LeftLion, we believe that the ultimate summer body should refer to anything that is capable of efficiently devouring ice cream down Skeggy Beach. However, if you're looking to whip your bod into shape, look no further than our man in Beijing James Kramer, who has a load of advice to get yourself fit and healthy in time for your jolly holidays. 

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.

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.