LYR is a band comprised of author and current British poet laureate Simon Armitage, singer-songwriter Richard Walters and multi-instrumentalist & producer Patrick Pearson.
…the discovery of a filthy word on a Post-it note triggers an-out-of-body romantic reunion; the names of expensive artisan paints as markers of social stratification; never trust a person who won’t offer a sugar lump to a horse; the lifespan of a relationship that begins in a park in June and ends in downpour in September; a vagrant scavenges a living in the central reservations of Britain’s motorway network; the hand that plucks the buttercup still throws a decent uppercut; the Second Coming about as likely as a single-track train arriving on time in the twilight hours of modern western civilization; a room-to-room expedition through the Great Indoors in search of “home”; the infinite swansong of the run-out spiral of an old vinyl album; left to his own devices a jilted lover itemises examples of near-weightlessness…
Simon Armitage, Patrick James Pearson and Richard Walters are LYR. LYR is Land Yacht Regatta. Land Yacht Regatta are proud to present their debut album Call In The Crash Team, the culmination of a triangular collaboration that took shape against a backbeat of social alienation, a backcloth of austerity politics, a search for beautiful noises and the uncontainable urge to fuse language and music. An album that gives poetic voice to acts of resistance and surrender, Call in the Crash Team is a sonogram of small personal victories, an audio X-ray of momentary emotional capitulations, and a twenty-first century soundscape that echoes the exquisite ache of day-to-day life, all the lovely heartbreaks and the painful joys.
Following a sold out appearance at Wrecking Ball Arts Centre in late 2021, poet Hollie McNish returns to the venue on July 13, this time joined by prize-winning poet, writer and Neu! Reekie! co-founder Michael Pedersen.
Michael Pedersen is a prize-winning Scottish poet, scribbler, stitcher. He’s produced two acclaimed collections of poetry (Polygon Books) with a poetic prose debut, Boy Friends, which will be published by Faber & Faber in July 2022. He won a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship, the John Mather’s Trust Rising Star of Literature Award, and was a finalist for the 2018 ‘Writer of the Year’ at The Herald Scottish Culture Awards. With work anthologised by the likes of Pan MacMillan and Canongate Books, his writing has attracted plaudits from voices as luscious as: Irvine Welsh, Jackie Kay, Stephen Fry & Charlotte Church. Pedersen also co-runs and co-founded the literary collective Neu! Reekie!, who’ve been launching poetic rockets for over ten years noo.
You are invited to join Matt Nicholson as he launches his fourth poetry collection – Untanglement – published by Yaffle Press. Accompanied by special guests Helen Mort and Dean Wilson, plus other guests to be announced, at the Wrecking Ball Arts Centre, on Friday 10th June, from 7.30pm.
Matt is a poet, proud of his East Yorkshire roots, and Untanglement is the product of those roots, of years of learning, self-analysis and watching the world and people change. It follows on from 3 successful prior publications and many miles of travelling the UK to read his work.
Special Guests
Helen Mort is a poet and novelist. Her collections Division Street and No Map Could Show Them are published by Chatto and her third, The Illustrated Woman is due in 2022. She’s a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and teaches at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Dean Wilson – a poet, a painter, and, on the Holderness coast, the King of Pebbles. Dean once described himself as the 4th best poet in Hull but those who have seen and heard him on stage know better!
Local legends, actor and director Barrie Rutter, award-winning folk musician Eliza Carthy, original Hull Truck member and actor Alan Williams, Hull’s fourth best poet Dean Wilson and actor Rachel Dale will combine forces to present a unique evening of story telling, poetry and music based around a maritime theme.
From classic poems about sailors, fishermen and the sea, tall ships to trawlers, tall tales to sea shanties, anecdotes to ballads, this power ensemble promise to entertain.
In a concerted effort to get promoted from 4th to 3rd best poet in Hull, Dean Wilson returns to the stage that saw him perform to great acclaim in 2021 for two very special gigs. Dean has recently signed a record contract (with indie label Irregular Patterns) and recordings of both nights will constitute his first LP ‘Sometimes I’m So Happy I’m Not Safe On The Stage.’
The performance on Friday 13th of May will feature Dean’s legacy set, with him selecting favourite poems from his first 20 years of writing and performing. The Saturday 14th May gig will feature more recent work as well as many of his most celebrated poems.
Both nights will include a spectacular surprise support bill, which will remain secret until the gigs actually begin. Anyone who came to the sold out DeanWorld Premiere Galas in 2021 will have an idea what’s in store – music, comedy, poetry and (hopefully) a touch of mayhem.
The ticket price has been kept as low as possible so you can select which era of Dean you’d like to enjoy or – ideally- attend both and get the full Wilsonorama experience. Please buy early to ensure you become part of recording history.
Hollie McNish is a poet whose readings are not to be missed.
Hollie is based between Glasgow and Cambridge. She won the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry for her poetic parenting memoir – Nobody Told Me – of which The Scotsman stated ‘The World Needs this Book’.
Her online poetry videos have garnered millions of views worldwide, shared by the likes of Pink, Emma Watson and Tim Minchen. Live, she has performed alongside Irvine Welsh, Kae Tempest, Helen Pankhurst and Young Fathers. She has just completed a re-imagining of Sophocles’ Greek Tragedy Antigone. She loves writing.
Expect strong language and adult content ribbon-wrapped in carefully and caringly sculpted poetry.
Free Spoken Word Special in association with Arthouse Hull and A car Load of Poets.
November 10th at Arthouse 14 Princes Avenue Hull tel 07850376851
Poets are Sheffield’s Stan Skinny, Helen Rice and Hulls Ian Winter with Car Load of Comics Paul Rainey hosting.
Starts 8pm tickets @eventbrite or tel Arthouse.
Join us at the Wrecking Ball Arts Centre for an evening of poetry from Carcanet Press published poets.
Katherine Horrex, Charlotte Eichler and Maryam Hessavi will all read their work at this event.
Charlotte Eichler is a poet based in West Yorkshire. Her work has recently appeared in Carcanet’s New Poetries VIII anthology, and magazines including PN Review, Stand and The Island Review. In 2020 she won the Barjeel Poetry prize. Her debut pamphlet, ‘Their Lunar Language’, came out with Valley Press in 2018.
Maryam Hessavi is a freelance writer, poet and critic. She currently works as the Assistant Reviews Editor for The Poetry School and Contributing Editor for Ambit. Her work has featured in various publications and was recently selected for Carcanet’s New Poetries VIII anthology. She is also a member of the Ledbury Poetry Critics.
Katherine Horrex grew up in Hull. Her first poetry collection Growlery was published by Carcanet in 2020 and has so far received acclaim in the Guardian, Forward Prizes, Sabotage and Morning Star. It is a collection which dwells on a world of civic tensions, in the twilit zone between city and country. Most recently, it was a finalist in the Seamus Heaney Centre First Collection Poetry Prize. Katherine works as a tutor in a secondary school in Salford.
Carcanet Press is one of the outstanding independent literary publishers of our time. Now in its fifth decade, Carcanet publishes the most comprehensive and diverse list available of modern and classic poetry in English and in translation, as well as a range of inventive fiction, Lives and Letters and literary criticism.
Away With Words is the longest running and finest spoken word night in Town.
The night was featured on the 2017 Sky TV documentary about Philip Larkin and the Sean McAlister film “A Northern Soul”.
Our monthly open mic night is back at its spiritual home the wonderful Union Mash Up.
Come down and perform your stuff – spoken word, poetry, comedy, monologues, sketches – anything goes providing it’s close to being legal.
Hosted by the almost legendary Jim Higo, the event welcomes all performers whatever your talent or experience. No preferential treatment, no favourites, no hosts hogging the limelight – the night is all about you!
Message the hosts or post on the event to book your slot.
This special Hull celebration culminates with the world premiere of jazz violinist Matt Holborn’s new suite Here, inspired by Hull’s history, people and sense of place and commissioned as part of Hull Jazz Festival’s Kickstart Commissions programme.
Six of the city’s finest artists open the double bill with a programme of new music, spoken word and classic soul and jazz covers inspired by Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Etta James and Tom Waits to name a few.
The first Spoken Word Open Mic Afternoon presented by Wotlarx, which will take place at Wrecking Ball Music & Books on the first Tuesday of every month.
Everyone is welcome. Take part, or just grab a coffee, sit back, relax and enjoy! It’s free!
Enquiries 07517 874632.
On the Hull Truck Theatre Website, Click the BUY TICKETS button and you will be prompted to select whether you would like tickets for the live show at Hull Truck Theatre or an online livestream ticket.
The Broken Orchestra, Lyn Acton, Vicky Foster, Emily Render and Ruthie Scott Plus special guests and full 8-piece band
Hereafter by The Broken Orchestra is a celebration of a brighter tomorrow featuring four of Hull’s most revered female vocalists.
An evening of atmospheric song, spoken word and electronica, with the collective lining up and perform for the first time as a 10-piece band.
Offering a dynamic perspective through the words and songs of four distinct northern female artists, Hereafter presents views on hope and revival as we move on from the surreal dystopia of lockdown into a new tomorrow.
Commissioned by Hull Jazz Festival to welcome live music back into our city with a positive view on times ahead.
Running Time: 75 mins approx. (no interval/break)
HOW TO ACCESS THE LIVESTREAM
If you have booked a livestream ticket you will receive an email with your e-ticket attached. This e-ticket will contain information about where to go to access the livestream along with some simple FAQ’s. You will need to have your email address and Hull Truck Theatre password to hand, in order to log in to the website.
If you don’t receive your e-ticket straight away after purchasing, please check your spam/junk folders.
If you are using a smart TV, you should be able to access the show through your browser.
John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original ‘people’s poet’.
His unique poetry was put to music by producer Martin Hannett and a band of Mancunians The Invisible Girls.Seminal tracks such as Beasley St and Evidently Chickentown featured on the album Snap Crackle and Bop, one of 4 hit 70/80s album releases. JCC became one of the most prolific artists of the Punk years.
His 1980s poetry collection 10 Years in An Open Necked Shirt featuring the lyrics to classic tracks from his albums and more, is one of the UKs biggest selling poetry collections of all time.
Since then his career has spanned cultures, audiences, art forms and continents.
Today he performs purely as a stand-up solo poet. His unique poetry show has been touring worldwide for over 15 years.
The 2010s. 2010-2019. What was it all about?
Henry Raby defines the decade through sharp performance poetry. From riots to Royal Weddings to Referendums. A decade of technology & austerity summed up in funny & insightful spoken word. Are the Baby-boomers actually in charge anymore, are Millennials ruining the world, and will Generation Z save it?
Henry is Artistic Director of Say Owt, 1/2 of Vandal Factory Theatre Company and published by Burning Eye Books.
“Part of a new generation of spoken word” – Attila The Stockbroker
Age Advisory 16+
Pay on the door
Radio 4’s long running religion in society programme, Beyond Belief, examines the religious poetry of Persian Sufi mystic Rumi in front of a live audience at the Contains
Strong Language festival.
RUNNING TIME: 1 hr 15 mins
LOCATION: Hull College, The Horncastle Building, Charlotte Street, Hull, HU1 3DG
WARNINGS: Min age 8+ (under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult)
ACCESS: If you have any access provision requirements, please contact editor@wreckingballpress.com in advance of the event but please book your ticket first.
Born to a Scottish mother and Nigerian father, Jackie Kay MBE was adopted by a white couple at birth and brought up in Glasgow. Jackie was named Scots Makar—the National Poet for Scotland in 2016, swiftly followed by the publication of her collection Bantam.
Peter Knaggs lives in Hull and works at the university as a note taker: when not taking notes for undergraduates, he is a noticing notebook filler. He makes these notes into poems, in his kitchen while listening to James. His poems can be found in the books Cowboy Hat and You’re So Vain You Probably Think This Book Is About You.
RUNNING TIME: 45 mins
LOCATION: Hull Truck Theatre, Studio Theatre, 50 Ferensway, Hull, HU2 8LB
WARNINGS: Under 18’s must be accompanied by an adult
ACCESS: There are limited wheelchair spaces available. If you are unable to transfer in to a seat please do not book a ticket online, we have wheelchair spaces held back from general sale for you. Please book by calling 01482 323638. If you are unable to communicate via telephone you can also email boxoffice@hulltruck.co.uk.
