Lit Up Poetry Performance Salon is back with their monthly event, created and hosted by poet Michael Wilson.
Presented by CAP, Lit Up is a regular poetry event with a twist. Planned headliners as well as open mic performances deliver original poetry alongside the poetic works that have inspired them. May’s event, which takes place on the 20th
May from 7.30pm – 9.30pm, features headliners Clive Oseman and Matthew Rice.
Clive Oseman is a Swindon based spoken word artist, comedian, satirist and promoter. His third poetry collection, ‘It Could Be Verse’, was published by Black Eyes Publishing in 2020. Clive’s debut one man show ‘Getting to know Elizabeth’ is a satirical look at the life of the Queen. It was first performed in February, is now being rewritten to suit the changed circumstances we all face. Although his poetry is a mixture of serious and humorous, he is currently writing humorous material as he feels that laughter is especially important at the moment. His zoom performances have been described as innovative and entertaining.
Belfast born Matthew Rice has had poems appear in Poetry Ireland Review, Asheville Poetry Review, The Dark Horse, The Tangerine, and in the anthologies The Best New British and Irish Poets 2017 (Eyewear), and Hold Open the Door: The Ireland Chair of Poetry Commemorative Anthology (UCD Press / University of Chicago Press).
Matthew was awarded runner-up for the Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing in 2017 and was selected for the Poetry Ireland Introductions Series the same year. He was the recipient of a SIAP Award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland for 2017/18 and received an IERP Award in 2020. He is currently completing an MA in Poetry and Criticism at The Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast and his debut collection of poems, The Last Weather Observer, was published in 2021 with Summer Palace Press.
There are a limited number of open mic places remaining, but you can still place you name on their reserve list. The event, which takes place on the third Thursday of every month, has a suggested donation of £3 and is an over 18 event.
To reserve your place visit www.eventbrite.com and search for Lit Up Poetry Salon or for more programme information visit www.facebook.com/lituppoetry.