Poets & Players

Poets & Players have been organising free events since the late Linda Chase launched its first edition in 2004. Operating monthly, but often with breaks over the summer, the format reaches the far corners of creativity by combining poetry on bills with music, dance and visual art, but always remaining accessible.

Working across venues such as the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, John Rylands Library, Hallé St Peter’s and Whitworth Art Gallery, the events have featured artists both new and established, including Jackie Kay, Jo Bell and David Constantine.

Poets & Players have also been running poetry competitions since 2013, with all entries judged anonymously. It’s £4 per poem (or three for a tenner), but the reward of £500 for the winner means it’s worth trying your hand. The closing date for 2017’s award is 27 February and this year’s judge is Michael Symmons Roberts, who himself has won a raft of awards and is currently Professor of Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The next line-up features poetry by Jane Yeh, Hannah Lowe and Ian Humphreys, supplemented by Matthew Halsall’s dextrous jazz trumpeting. That’s all happening at Whitworth Art Gallery on Saturday 25 February from 2:30-4pm.