Word Wise

We're so excited about hosting Matt Abbott on Sunday. Do you have your tickets?

This show is at The Maypole on Sunday! Get your tickets now!

Word Wise #26 will take place at the Maypole Cafe, Bar & Theatre, on Friday 26th October 2018.
Word Wise is the concept of poet and performer Jamie Thrasivoulou Poet who will compere and run the evenings. Word Wise is a spoken word and poetry night uniting the best talent from around the UK and beyond, with Derby's finest performers. This month sees the BBC Poetry Slam winner of 2018, Jess Green, take to the stage alongside the brilliant poet and educator Casey Bailey.
... BBC Slam Champion, Jess Green is performance poet and playwright who has performed at Glastonbury, Latitude, Bestival and the Edinburgh Fringe. Her first collection, Burning Books, published by Burning Eye Books was shortlisted for the East Midlands Book Award 2015 and as a poetry and music show received 5* reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe and on its national tour. The theatre adaptation of Burning Books was longlisted for the Bread & Roses Theatre Award 2016 and performed to sell-out audiences at Curve Theatre in Leicester. Burning Books is currently touring nationally. Her second poetry and music show, A Self Help Guide To Being In Love With Jeremy Corbyn based around her second collection of the same name went to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 and received 4* reviews as well as receiving an endorsement from Corbyn himself who described it as ‘fantastic’. Jess also runs Leicester poetry night, Find The Right Words which was shortlisted for Best Regular UK Poetry Event in the Saboteur Awards 2018.
Casey Bailey is a writer, poet, spoken word performer, rapper and secondary school senior leader, born and raised in Nechells, Birmingham. He finished in the top 4 of the Edinburgh Fringe BBC Poetry Slam 2018.
Casey released the short poetry collection Waiting At Bloomsbury Park with Big White Shed in 2017, and his debut full collection ‘Adjusted’ with Verve Poetry Press. In the last year Casey has been commissioned nationally, by the Local Government Association and locally, by the West Midlands Combined Authority and Birmingham Civic Society. Casey’s work as a writer has been recognised by Writing West Midlands who have offered him a place on the prestigious ‘Room 204’ project. Casey’s contribution as a writer, as an educator and dedicated member of his community have been recognised by the Birmingham Mail’s ‘Birmingham Live’, leading to him being named as one of Birmingham’s ’30 under 30’ of 2018.
Open-Mic sign-up from 7:30 There's only a limited number of slots available on the night, on a first come first served basis. Show Start 8:00 PM Show End 11:00PM 16+ £5 OTD/ £3 For Performers Free Workshop 6:00-7:30 PM (Message to get your name down)
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Check out the trailer for Matt Abbott Poet's #TwoLittleDucks show, which comes to Derby on 14 Oct 🦆🦆 Support from Sophie Sparham, Jamie Thrasivoulou Poet and Matt Nicholson - Poet!
Tickets available here ⬇️ https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/word-wise- present-matt-abbot…

One month to go until we host Matt Abbott Poet's critically-acclaimed #TwoLittleDucks show as part of his 22-date UK theatre tour! Grab yer tickets now and don't miss out!
Support from Sophie Sparham, Jamie Thrasivoulou Poet and Matt Nicholson - Poet 🦆🦆

It's our second birthday this month! Where on earth did time go? Get yourselves down!

Word Wise #25 will take place at the Maypole Cafe, Bar & Theatre, on Friday 28th September 2018.
It's officially our 2nd birthday so please come along and celebrate with some top class word-smithery!
Word Wise is the concept of poet and performer Jamie Thrasivoulou Poet who will compere and run the evenings. Word Wise is a spoken word and poetry night uniting the best talent from around the UK and beyond, with Derby's finest performers.
... This month sees Gemma Fenyn bring her words to the floor words to the floor.
Gemma Fenyn is a spoken word performer from Nottingham and a member of the Do or Die Poets, a weekly creative writing workshop for people in drugs and alcohol treatment, facilitated by Miggy Angel. A firm advocate of the practice of creativity for wellbeing, she is currently working with Galli Galli Theatre Company alongside people recovering from substance misuse in Leicestershire. Fenyn finds her art in the mundane; her simple observations will take you on a journey through school yards, shopping precincts and support groups, where bonds are formed over cups of tea and true love is realised in the unlikeliest of ways.
Support comes from Akor O.S Opaluwah
Open-Mic sign-up from 7:30 There's only a limited number of slots available on the night, on a first come first served basis. Show Start 8:00 PM Show End 11:00PM 16+ £5 OTD/ £3 For Performers Free Workshop 6:00-7:30 PM (Message to get your name down)
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See you tonight people!

Word Wise #23 will take place at the Maypole Cafe, Bar & Theatre, on Friday 31st August 2018.
Word Wise is the concept of poet and performer Jamie Thrasivoulou Poet who will compere and run the evenings. Word Wise is a spoken word and poetry night uniting the best talent from around the UK and beyond, with Derby's finest performers. This month sees Northern Powerhouse Matt Nicholson take to the stage:
... Matt Nicholson is an immediate and insistent voice from the East Riding of Yorkshire. His second collection, "We are not all blessed with a hat-shaped head", published in 2018, bristles with visceral poetry and wry take on life. He will be supporting Matt Abbott on his "2 Little Ducks" countrywide tour in October and November 2018.
Open-Mic sign-up from 7:30 There's only a limited number of slots available on the night, on a first come first served basis. Show Start 8:00 PM Show End 11:00PM 16+ £5 OTD/ £3 For Performers Free Workshop 6:00-7:30 PM (Message to get your name down)
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Only a couple of days to go until this people!

Word Wise #22 will take place at the Maypole Cafe, Bar & Theatre, on Friday 27th July 2018
Word Wise is the concept of poet and performer Jamie Thrasivoulou who will compere and run the evenings. Word Wise is a spoken word and poetry night uniting the best talent from around the UK and beyond, with Derby's finest performers.
This month sees Mike Took performing material from his forthcoming Edinburgh show: Overpriced Zeitgeist. Mike is also the host of Scriptstuff Poetry.
... Support comes from Derby's own Emma Ireland a powerful and impressive voice whom demands your attention. Emma's work has recently earned the accolades of a recent feature slot at She Speaks, and the publication of her poem 'Love Letter To The NHS' by Proletarian Poetry.
Open-Mic sign-up from 7:30 There's only a limited number of slots available on the night, on a first come first served basis. Show Start 8:00 PM Show End 11:00PM 16+ £5 OTD/ £3 For Performers Free Workshop 6:00-7:30 PM (Message to get your name down)
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Just over a week to go until our next Word Wise!!

Word Wise #21 will take place at the Maypole Cafe, Bar & Theatre, on Friday 25th May 2018
Word Wise is the concept of poet and performer Jamie Thrasivoulou Poet who will compere and run the evenings. Word Wise is a spoken word and poetry night uniting the best talent from around the UK and beyond, with Derby's finest performers.
This month will be hosted by Sophie Sparham who presents a Plastic Brain Press takeover with Richard Daniels & Melody Clark
... Richard Daniels is the editor and instigator of Plastic Brain Press is an author in his own right. His novel Our Bright Dark Summer was longlisted for Not The Booker Prize in 2017.
He has spent the last 2 years developing the spoken word night which has become Crash Course in Brain Surgery in Lincoln. He recently performed at Wakefield’s Long Division Festival. His writing is weird, entertaining and mind-melding
Melody Clark is a Lincoln based poet, illustrator and one third of small press publishers Plastic Brain Press.
In her poetry, Melody subjects audiences to the Mel-Gaze: filth with lashings of comedy and pop culture. You have been warned.
Support comes from Kyle Norbury poet
Open-Mic sign-up from 7:30 There's only a limited number of slots available on the night on a first come first served basis. Show Start 8:00 PM Show End 11:00PM 16+ £5 OTD/ £3 For Performers PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS NO WORKSHOP THIS MONTH (It will be back again from July onwards)
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Tomorrow people!

Word Wise #21 will take place at the Maypole Cafe, Bar & Theatre, on Friday 25th May 2018
Word Wise is the concept of poet and performer Jamie Thrasivoulou Poet who will compere and run the evenings. Word Wise is a spoken word and poetry night uniting the best talent from around the UK and beyond, with Derby's finest performers.
May sees Coventry's Emilie Lauren Jones Writer take to the floor
... Emilie Lauren Jones is a published writer of flash fiction, short stories and poetry. A member of the SWWJ and Coventry Writers Group, she is a regular performer at open mic nights and runs monthly poetry workshops at Central Library, Coventry. Recent performances include: Plumbline Festival, Earlsdon Poetry Extravaganza, Stonefest and Coventry Peace Festival. Her debut poetry collection 'Sitting on the Pier' is available to order from Amazon and Waterstones or you can buy it on the night. Check out her website: www.emilielaurenjones.co.uk or social media pages for more information: Twitter: @emilielaurenxxx Facebook: Emilie Lauren Jones Writer
Workshop: 6PM - 7:15PM Open Mic 'Sign Up' 7PM There's only a limited number of slots available on the night on a first come first served basis. Show Start 7.30PM Show End 11:00PM 16+ £4 ADV / £5 OTD/ £3 For Performers (People who attend the workshop get in for FREE)
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A week to go until our next event with Potent Whisper, support from Emerciana Desouza and Micheal Pike (Spike) Get on it!!

Word Wise is my favourite spoken word event. The booked performers are always bang on (and bangin'), the open mic as wide ranging as any event I've been to, and Jamie is a charismatic and generous host. The place is always packed, too. If you only go to two spoken word events this should be one (I'm assuming that you've already got mine on the list)

Really felt I was in the right place. No pretentions.

Originally went to see Joolz Denby perform, but stayed for the whole evening. One of the most eclectic showcases of poetry I have seen in the last 10 years! Very entertaining.



Keep up the good work Jamie! �

Great night - one of the best fizzing poetry nights you can go to

An absolutely amazing night. Brilliant mix of big name poets and emerging talent, all brought together in a really welcoming environment by the wonderful Jamie. A top night for spoken word. Thank you to everyone who makes it happen.

Word Wise is my favourite spoken word event. The booked performers are always bang on (and bangin'), the open mic as wide ranging as any event I've been to, and Jamie is a charismatic and generous host. The place is always packed, too. If you only go to two spoken word events this should be one (I'm assuming that you've already got mine on the list)

Really felt I was in the right place. No pretentions.

Originally went to see Joolz Denby perform, but stayed for the whole evening. One of the most eclectic showcases of poetry I have seen in the last 10 years! Very entertaining.



Keep up the good work Jamie! �

Great night - one of the best fizzing poetry nights you can go to

An absolutely amazing night. Brilliant mix of big name poets and emerging talent, all brought together in a really welcoming environment by the wonderful Jamie. A top night for spoken word. Thank you to everyone who makes it happen.