Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features

making his debut, Joe Walsh.

Joe is from Edinburgh and lives in Aberdeenshire currently. He has had a variety of jobs including working as a butcher and in the bar-trade before working in Social Services. He then qualified as a Social Worker and after 25 years retired early to concentrate on writing. He has had poems published in anthologies by Seahorse Publications, Blot from The Blue Publications, Inherit the Earth Publications and Dreich Publications. He also has three slim collections of poetry, and a book of short stories published. He is working on a novel and a further collection of poetry. His short story ‘The Big Thing That’s Everywhere was showcased at the Edinburgh Book Festival in 2022. He is a regular at Open Mic spoken word events in Aberdeen and Edinburgh as well as online Zoom Open Mic events based in Scotland, Ireland, England and Australia.

Joe's books include 'Oppressive Love', 'oblivion disguised', 'scunner' and

'Joe A.k.a.'

All of his books can be purchased on Amazon

Joe is on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/alexander.walsh.1042

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry) Podcast features makinghis debut, David Leo Sirois. David Leo Sirois is a Canadian-American poet published 161 times, in 27 countries. His work has been translated into 13 languages (such as Hindi, Bengali, French, Spanish, Greek, & Romanian). He hosts Spoken World Online, the Zoom arm of SpokenWord Paris. His first collection is called Humbledoves (Poems to Pigeons & Plants). He won Third Prize in Winning Writers' Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest. Sirois has been honored for his “admirable contribution to world literature” by The Fertile Brains, a renowned literary group in India. He teaches workshops online for The Bombay Review, as well as The Poetry Academy of Poetry Global Network. His poetry has appeared in journals such as The Bombay Review, Artemis Journal, Angles: New Perspectives on the Anglophone World, The Poetry Village, One Hand Clapping, Poetry Super Highway, & Terre à Cièl (which also publishes his translations of French poetry, & his poems in French). Sirois has been featured on countless international programs, podcasts & interviews. His poetry has been featured in films & music. He is also a singer/songwriter, radio DJ (Channel X Radio, Maine/New Brunswick/Quebec) as well as a film/TV/theater actor. He is currently submitting 5 finished manuscripts for publication, & writing several more.Humbledoves (poems to pigeons & plants): https://a.co/d/5MRB33i

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features Andy N for a change being interviewed by Amanda (the wife) for a change talking about his new novel ‘Death’.

Andy N is the author of ten poetry collections, thelast being ‘Changing Carriages at Birmingham New Street’ and is the co-host of Chorlton’s Spoken Word night ‘Speak Easy’.

He is in the bands Ocean in a Bottle and Polly Oceanand his Podcast credits include Spoken Label and Not the TV Guide.

He has bought out two novels ‘Birth’ and ‘Death and iscurrently working on his next poetry book ‘Ghosts’ and a currently untitled Science Fiction Novella.

His links can be found at:

https://linktr.ee/andynartist

Death is described as “'Death' Andy N's secondfull-length novel is as much a sequel to his first novel 'Birth' (described as a charming come-of-age novel) as facing the end of something else altogether.

Having navigated the tumultuous waters of youth andfound his voice as a writer after having everything pulled out, 'Death' leads us to what happens next, picking up where 'Birth' left off, charting his journey through the complexities of adulthood, how his and everybody's lifearound him changes, love, loss and the ever-faithful present shadow of mortality and life itself.

Speaking with the same raw honesty and poetic gracethat defined 'Birth,' 'Death' is a book that builds an unforgettable narrative that explores the very fabric and the bittersweet beauty of life and the acceptance of its inevitability, and wherever it may lead to next.

'Death' is a powerful and moving testament to thehuman condition, a reflection on the enduring power of art, and a reminder to cherish every precious moment and live each moment like it is your last.”

Latest up from Spoken Label (Artist Podcast) making her debut is a dear friend of ours, the wonderful - the singer and artist Lou Ann Bardash. Lou Ann's bio advises "Originally from Effingham, IL, Lou Ann attended Southern Illinois University, graduating with a degree in Music Business before moving to Nashville with her first series of original songs. She spent the next 18 years singing, playing music and making art. Since moving to Austin in 1999, she has exhibited and sold her work in coffee houses and restaurants, while also producing nonprofit workplace art installations at agencies such as Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid and United Way. Her 13-piece art series, Alzheimer’s Memories, was featured in a live tv show on Channel Austin, during which Lou Ann walked through the exhibit while discussing the story behind each painting. " Her website is https://www.louannbardash.com/ * As a bonus after the chat features - a song is included with Lou Ann and her husband Tom Ovans - a cover off Tom's song with Lou Ann singing 'Song for the Homeless' from an album both her and Tom are working on #TomOvans #LouAnnBardash #Artist #Art #ArtistPodcast #Podcast #ArtPodcast #SingerPodcast #Music #MusicPodcast #Texas

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Poetry Podcast) features the debut from Liverpool, Mary Fucking Poppins.

Mary is a working class writer/poet.

She makes the UK Literary zine Word Vomit and also hosts the Word Vomit Open Mic Poetry Night at Round The Corner, Liverpool.

She has recently bought out her debut collection "Hop on the Bad Foot and do the good thing'

Some links:

https://www.instagram.com/mary_fuckingpoppins/

https://strictlyunprofessional.bigcartel.com/

https://www.instagram.com/word.vomitzine/

https://falaun.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/falaunhc/

https://www.instagram.com/back_room_poetry/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Poetry Podcast) features the return of our friend, Kate Wilson talking about her new poetry collection 'The Impossibility of Love'. ‘The Impossibility of Love’ it is stated takes the reader on a journey through a gallery of Vincent Van Gogh’s best loved paintings. The poems in this collection draw inspiration from Van Gogh’s works of art, reflecting on themes of love, loss, and memory. This ekphrastic sequence evokes the blistering colour of Van Gogh’s work in wheatfields, on moonlit plazas, and under starry skies. In this landscape the poet finds hope and a potency of feeling which often borders on destructive. The paintings become both a means of escape and a way of deriving meaning as they intersect with the poet’s own experience. Writing to Van Gogh with great tenderness, Wilson presents the reader with a collection which can be read as an extended love letter to one of our greatest artists. She explores the tragic story of his life, posing the question: what does it mean to live with such intensity? The collection has being published by Bosporus Press but copies can be purchased from Kate directly at http://www.katejwilson.co.uk/#poetrypodcast #podcast #spokenword #poetry #podcast #spokenwordpodcast #vangogh #VanGoghpoetry

Today's Spoken Label (Poetry Podcast) featuring a newcomer to the Manchester (UK) spoken word scene, Ecologist, Physicist, teacher and Speak Easy regular, Tom Butterworth. www.instagram.com/poetry.and.plants/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features the wonderful Michelle Steiner, Michelle Steiner is a disability, writer, advocate, and paraeducator. She published articles on The Mighty, Non-Verbal Learning Project, Dyscalculia Blog, The Reluctant Spoonie, Imagine the World as One Magazine, and Word Gathering. Recently she began a blog called Michelle’s Mission. Her photographs were featured in Word Gathering and Independent and Work Ready. She works as a paraeducator in a school with students with disabilities. She lives in The United States with her husband and two cats. Her website is: https://www.michellesmission.net/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Poet / Author Podcast) features our returning friend, Krystal Gypsy Orellano. A Tampa, Florida native, Krystal “Gypsy” Orellano Weldon is a spoken word poet, writer, and educator. She is known around the Tampa Bay community as an open mic artist, has been in features such as Pinot & Poetry: A Toast to Herstory and got her start at the USF Poets. Krystal is slowly transpiring as a creative nonfiction writer, being published in St. Petersburg College’s newspaper The Sandbox, Saint Leo University’s book the Sandhill Review and University of Westminster runner-up winner for the 2017 Mental Health Poetry competition. She has currently published three collections of poetry "The Evolution of Poetry", "Quench" and "Looking into the Reflection of a Biracial Afro-Latina". She is currently working on a novel called "The Lover’s Passion Lounge", her Memoir and a poetry / spoken word album. Her books can be purchased at: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BRBMHTGG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) and featuring Amanda Nicholson as special guest features the debut of a longstanding friend of ours, Phoenix Andrews.

Phoenix advises he is a "writer living in West Sussex, UK. I started out as a musician, playing piano, writing and recording songs, but soon fell in love with writing poetry and short stories. This has since progressed into novels. I am passionate about writing in the genres of crime fiction and horror and my first published book, Blood Cells is pure testimony to this. Based around a small group of central characters, I have included a a dark element of conspiracy which, I have to confess, is another guilty pleasure of mine, however farfetched! Don't worry, I don't believe everything I read.

Blood Cells is the first in a series of novels centered around these characters, with a dark, supernatural theme running through them which goes high up to the top levels of government. I hope you enjoy the thrilling ride!"

He can be emailed at ppapublishing@gmail.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091862503703

Tiktok @phoenixandrews

His book can be purchased on Amazon etc.

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist / Poet chat) Podcast features from Buffalo, New York the amazing Stephen G. Eoannou.

He is the author off Yesteryear (SFWP 2023), Rook (Unsolicited Press 2022), and the short story collection Muscle Cars (SFWP 2015). He has been awarded an Honor Certificate from The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Best Short Screenplay Award at the 36th Starz Denver Film Festival, and the 2021 Eyelands International Book Award for Historical Fiction. Eoannou holds an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and an MA from Miami University. He lives and writes in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, the setting and inspiration for much of his work.

His website is: https://www.sgeoannou.com/

New from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features the amazong Margot McMahon. Margot is a lifelong environment, scuplter, paints human, plant and animals forms to say, through art that she hopes that help decisions be made be support life on earth. Margot is the author of 1) Mac and Irene: A WWII Saga, 2) IF TREES COULD TALK A National Book Award recipient (NFPW), and 3) AIRDRIE, and 4) RESIST!: A VISUAL HISTORY OF PROTEST that wERE published in 2021-22 (Aquarius Press.) She has been published in Chicago Magazine, World Book Encyclopedia, and Scholastic Magazine. In 2020, her essay, Sculpting Forms of Nature, was published in the Remembering Fifty Anthology: 50 Years of Women at Yale. The 2021 Anthology Shades of Positively Pandemic includes her short story Soul to Soul. Her THE FIFTH SEASON: THE CHICAGO TREE PROJECT, 2nd edition 2023 (2020 First Place Mate E. Palmer Book Award (IWPA)) is in its second edition and originates from Margot’s MIT Press published paper, Transforming Nature (2018). Soka Gakkai International (Tokyo, Japan) Arts and Culture award, National Sculpture Society and Barat College, and Rose Philippine Duchesne Society have awarded her. Margot has an Environmental Journalism degree from Hamline University and an MFA from Yale University. She has taught at Yale University, Yale Norfolk, The Art Institute of Chicago, DePaul University, and other institutions. More about Margot can be read at: https://margotmcmahon.com/ https://linktr.ee/margotmcmahon

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author Chat Podcast) features the awesome Molly Garcia. Molly Garcia lives in Spain with her partner of over 30 years, they have two grown-up children. Molly has worked in social care and the NHS since 1991 and uses her experiences to guide her writing and to create complex and realistic characters and backgrounds In this Podcast we talk primarily about her new novel "Willow Weeps" Willow Weeps is "It was 1993 when Andy last saw his sister, Willow, one minute he was holding her hand, and the next she was gone. Thirty years later, Andy has a family of his own, but he’s never forgotten his little sister. How could he? Her disappearance destroyed his family and ended his childhood, and with all the leads dried up and no new clues he’s had to accept that she’s gone forever. That’s until he’s contacted by a woman who claims to have a message for him from Willow, sceptical, but unable to resist trying anything Andy meets up with her. Cleo knows things that were never made public at the time, and Andy starts to think that just maybe, she really is in contact with Willow. When one of his childhood adversaries is found murdered Andy turns to the police officer in charge of the investigation at the time for help. DCI Unwin Phelps had reluctantly retired with Willow being his only cold, unsolved case. Offered the opportunity to finally find out what happened to her he agrees to get involved. Working with Cleo and Andy they don’t realise the danger they're in. Is Willow back and seeking revenge? If so, is she dead or alive, and why are those involved in the case being picked off, one by one? Andy will have to dig deep into a dark past he’d rather forget for the answers, but will finding out break him and those he loves?" We also talk about her short story collection 'Comeuppance: Dark & Twisted Tales' and talk about her series 'The Adam and Sarah series' and so, so much. Her websites include https://molly-garcia.square.site/. http://mollygarcia.com/ Her books can be purchased on Amazon and also heard on Audible.

Latest up and the first Podcast from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features Karen Kendrick. Karen is a writer and creative writing teacher from the North West of England.She writes poetry and fiction which straddle the boundary between reality and fantasy. She lives in Astley, Greater Manchester with her husband, two sons, a dog and a snake, and many plants. Afterwards is her first novel.Afterwards is "She knows she is dead because she remembers dying. The afterlife is not what she had expected - she has awoken into a nightmare, in which everything seems hell-bent on killing her all over again. She is the only one who remembers what life was like before death and she has no idea why.Also, Girl has a secret. A secret which could end this strange world she has found herself in, if she manages to survive for long enough. As she begins to learn the horrifying truth about Afterwards, she is propelled into a journey which will change everything she thinks she knows about herself.Grim in places, Karen Kendrick's Afterwards is also fast-paced and emotionally challenging.The only way to beat the game is to keep moving forwards, even if it means the end of the world."The book is available here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Afterwards-K-M-Kendrick/dp/1914199669

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Writer Podcast) features the amazing Eve Ginnsberg.

Eve describes herself as "I'm a 36 year old queer, jewish, disabled creative writer from Manchester. I started my career off as a creative, going to drama school in London to study theatre production. I then sold my soul to the devil and abandoned my creative roots, and became a manager for various big co-oporate companies. Fast forward fifteen years, and I find myself in lockdown 2020 Manchester. I am struggling with my disabilities and begin to start writing again. I performed a small handful of online shows, which were received well, so I decided to give it a bash and make the transition to actually performing in real life! Got a few dates coming up so very exciting stuff!"

Her Instagram page is: https://www.instagram.com/eveginnsberg

Latest up from Spoken Label (Writing / Artist Podcast) features the actor, the amazing Kenton Craig. In this Podcast, we discuss Kenton's acting career, his forthcoming radio play, the book "COMEUPPANCE - DARK AND TWISTED TALES" which he has just done the audible book on among so many other things. More about Kenton can be found at: https://www.spotlight.com/6691-6728-5978#podcast #radiopodcast #radio #acting #actorpodcast #actor

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Artist Podcast) features the wonderful Jamie Woods.

Jamie Woods is a writer from Swansea. He has had poetry in Poetry Wales, iamb, and Ink Sweat and Tears; short fiction in Evergreen Review and The Lonely Crowd; and his poem ‘Ring the Bell’ was commended in the Hippocrates International Prize for Poetry and Medicine 2021.

His debut pamphlet Rebel Blood Cells was published in Jun 2023 – you can order it from PunkDust.com

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features the amazing J.P. Choquette.

J.P. Choquette writes suspense novels set in small towns and rural places. Her books, "turn pages, not stomachs," and frequently tie in the themes of art, nature, folklore, and psychology...along with an underdog theme. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

A Believer, wife, and mother (to one child and one psycho kitty), J.P. enjoys sipping hot beverages while reading great books, traveling, and spending time in nature when not writing.

For more information visit, https://jpchoquette.me/ Join the Reader's Club and get a free gift along with sneak peeks into her writing life, suspense book recommendations, and occasional book sales/freebies for club members.

Her website is: https://jpchoquette.me/

Latest Spoken Label (Author / Artist /Poetry Podcast) session features the return of our dear friend, the wonderful Alise Versella.

Alise Versella is a Pushcart-nominated, contributing writer for Rebelle Society whose work has been published in Circle Show, COG Magazine, Crack the Spine, Entropy, The Opiate, Penumbra Literary and Art Journal, Poydras Review, Ultraviolet Tribe, What Rough Beast, Steam Ticket, and Elephant Journal, among others As stated elsewhere by Kate Fuller "With dazzling formal range, these poems observe the social ills of the day, using images so beautifully real and painful that the line between the literal and figurative blurs in the way only art attuned to the universally truthful can. The rage and wildness observed and experienced in them, whether through the media or in a visit to the doctor’s office in a female body, serve as a balm to the injustices that only mortality might rectify: “perhaps the dead will breathe again,” writes Versella. Yet even in our “common stress dream” or the dream of “America,” the poet isn’t blind to the enduring spirit of not just the dead, but also the living: “the humpback whale returns to the Hudson, hope on his lips.” Hope–these poems, what these poems say–can be made from the wreckage."
More about Alise can be found on her website at: https://aliseversella.com/

The latest Spoken Label Session (Spoken Word / Poetry / Artist) Podcast features the wonderful Roz Ottery, originally from both Portsmouth and London but now based in Yorkshire.

This Podcast covers as well as Roz’s wonderful work her career of over 40 years in entertainment industrystry as a Juggler, Stilt Walker, Clown, introduced Singing Telegrams to the UK (including singing them for Tom O’Connor, Morecambe and Wise and Bob Geldof), joint work with John Lambert, director of Q20 on "The Circus of Mazelek" and then their own duo for over 20 years “Manji and Mo” into her poetry work where she has recently had work published in The Printed Words Anthology (Edited by Amanda Nicholson) ‘Nobody Left Behind’. More about Roz’s career can be read here:

https://sorchara.wordpress.com/2019/01/16/50-over-50-interviewees-roz-ottery-stilt-walker-and-clown/

She is on facebook as: https://www.facebook.com/roz.ottery

Nobody Left Behind the book Roz is featured on is here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobody-Behind-Printed-Words-Anthology/dp/B0BNKYKRCY/ref=sr_1_2?crid=20C2QZ7YCEW7X&keywords=amanda+nicholson&qid=1687073154&sprefix=amanda+nicholson%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-2

Today's Spoken Label Podcast (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features our returning friend, Yvonne Reddick.

Yvonne Reddick is an award-winning writer, editor, ecopoetry scholar and climber.

She has received a Leadership Fellowship from the AHRC, the Poetry Society’s inaugural Peggy Poole Award,a Northern Writer’s Award and a Creative Futures Literary Award. Her work has appeared in The Guardian Review, Poetry Review and New Statesman, and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC North West Tonight.

She has published four pamphlets, including Translating Mountains (Seren, 2017), winner of the Mslexia Women’s Pamphlet Competition, and Spikenard (Laureate’sChoice, 2019), which was a poetry recommendation in the London Review of Books.

Our chat today covers mostly her first book length collection, Burning Season, published by Blood Axe.

Burning Season is a book about fire and survival, climate change and nature’s defiance. Yvonne Reddick’s understanding of climate change is uniquely personal: her father was a petroleum engineer, and many members of her family worked in the fossil fuel industry. The collection speaks of the paradox that her Dad’s gift to her was her love of nature and mountain landscapes.

Burning Season includes a series of vivid, moving and heartfelt poems that explore her grief following her father’s death in a hiking accident. These are set against a wider backdrop of ecological loss and heartbreak.

Yvonne's website is: http://yvonnereddick.org/

New from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Author / Poet Podcast) features Aqeel Parvez. Aqeel Parvez is a poet who lives in Leeds, UK. He is the author of numerous chapbooks including "The Streetlights Are Beckoning Nirvana" (Analog Submission Press). His work has been published among other places in 16 Pages Press, Sludge Lit, Horror Sleaze Trash, Back Patio Press, Saturday Night Bombers and is also one of the committee members of Bone Down, the literary affinity group. He can be found on as Instagram @ap.writer, & twitter @aqeelparvez

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry / Artist Podcast) features the wonderful Amy Langley.

Amy has been writing poetry since she was 5 years old; her first experience of writing poetry was when she stayed at her grandparents, who lived in Wiltshire, in the summer holidays; she used to have a little book next to her bed; she would hear the birds singing and be inspired to write.

Amy continued my writing throughout her childhood and recalls writing a poetry book and gifting it to one of her favourite primary school teachers.

Amy used to perform on Manchester’s open mic night scene when she was 18, a lot of it was freestyling however there was some pre-written material.

There was a little hiatus from performing but the stage soon came back to being a spotlight in Amy’s heart in 2017 when she began performing at The Wonder Inn in Manchester City centre. Then followed The Old Abbey Tap House in Hulme to further expanding to Dulcimer in Chorlton, Mind Over Matter in Camden, BYOB at Box Park in Wembley, Mind Over Matter in Ancoats, Pull Up Bar in Ancoats and has spoken at Sale Write Out Loud a few times.

One thing Amy is sure of; her love of writing and performing poetry; expressing herself through word allows her to set free thoughts, feelings & share experiences that can benefit those that take the time to listen.

More about Amy can be found at: https://www.instagram.com/amythepoet_/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word Podcast) features the awesome Caitlin Kendall.

Caitlin's work is magical, melodic and homely, whilst retaining an air of politically-charged attitude. Currently firmly ensconced in the far reaches of Northern England, she got her first Bent Key publication as part of our first period zine, Bloody Hell, and is a valued member of the Bent Key community. With poetry that zips together the turbulent journey of motherhood with a deep connection with the earth and nature wrapped in human emotion, her words will grab you by the wrist and pull you into another world.

More about Caitlin can be found here - https://www.bentkeypublishing.co.uk/caitlin-kendall

Her debut collection 'Nothing is yours' can be purchased here:

https://www.bentkeypublishing.co.uk/shop?page=2

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) making her debut features Juliette Tomlinson discussing her debut novel "Longford".

Longford is set in 1864, and the great city of Manchester was Cottonopolis, rising with the sound of industry, and the boom of a hundred mills. At the heart of its energies was John Rylands. ‘the greatest merchant prince the world has ever seen’. This is the story of an empire built by a true Manchester man, given meaning and worth by the extraordinary woman Enriqueta, who loved him and a partnership that left a huge mark on the city.

Juliette can be found on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/longfordjr/

The book can be purchased from Chorlton Bookshop directly, and also on Amazon, Waterstones etc

Latest Spoken Label (Author / Artist / Poetry Podcast) features the wonderful Sara Jayne.

Sara Jayne is an established singer, who grew up in Chorlton-Cum-Hardy. Having covered many popular bars and restaurants across South Manchester since 2019, Sara Jayne recently debuted her poetry performance at the much loved SpeakEasy poetry night. Sara Jayne Provides captivating vocals as a professional singer and thought-provoking poetry that aims to decode life and it’s many contradictions using wordplay.

Her Instagram feed is: https://www.instagram.com/sarajaynehaq/

Latest Episode from Spoken Label (Author/Poet/Storyteller Podcast) features the return of our friend, the storyteller Mark Jackson aka Keith's Brother.
Mark's bio says "In 2010 Mark started writing. After the initial euphoria of finding an outlet for that creative fire burning within since childhood, he soon realised that the world wasn't quite ready for his tales of Ian Brown drinking piss, cocaine-induced paranoia, The Stockholm Monsters, the inner workings of a massage parlor, of pretending to be Norman Whiteside in Las Vegas, selling snide football programs outside the Nou Camp, of being arrested wearing someone else's jeans and one about an auntie who looks a bit like Clint Boon.
He’s written non-fiction pieces for Vice website (which were really fiction - but they don't know that), a regular contributor to United We Stand Fanzine and occasionally reads at spoken word events around Manchester and Liverpool"
His website is: www.keithsbrother.com
His Pod Play 'Sunday Morning Coming Down' can be accessed via his website or found on Spotify, Itunes/Apple or Google Podcast.

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Artist) Podcast features a dear friend of ours, the wonderful Eric Loveland Heath.

Eric Loveland Heath is vicariously a musician (E.L. Heath), owner of a tiny record label (Plenty Wenlock Records) and an author of short stories. He's also quite possibly Shropshire's only ondist. Eric has released a number of EPs and albums over nearly 20 years - including 2013's Welsh language album 'Tŷ' (released via epic45's 'Wayside and Woodland Recordings' label) - which was named album of the week by BBC Radio Cymru and Radio Foyle. He runs Plenty Wenlock Records with his partner Victoria, producing short runs of mainly intricately hand-fashioned releases by Heath, alongside others by friends and contemporaries. Eric is currently completing his first collection - 'The Arch and Other Stories' - inspired by the rural, the ritual and the obscure. In 2021 his debut short story 'THE COLISEUM' was published by the website Horrified, featuring in their 'Folk Horror - Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume 2' anthology. Plenty Wenlock Records - https://linktr.ee/plentywenlock Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ELHeathuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/EL_Heath Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e.l.heath/

Latest up from Spoken Label in a full length episode features the wonderful Tuesday Tony talking about the relaunch of Tuesday Tony Presents.
Tuesday Tony presents ia a weekly spoken word (poetry) / music / comedy
/ half ared karaoke every Tuesday at the Thirsty Scholar and Zombie Shack, Manchester, UK.
The night is being relaunched on 31 January 2023 on a weekly basis.
Free entry sign up from 7pm.
Tony can be contacted on facebook at www.facebook.com/tuesdaytony.willambolton

Bonus Episode for Spoken Label of the book launch for "The scope of art and poetry'(edited by Daniel Kay and Mel Wardle Woodend). The book is described as "This anthology aims to raise money and awareness for disability charity Scope. The book contains a selection of poetry and art from both well-known and emerging poets and artists. In each piece the art has inspired the poetry. This is known as ekphrasis. The collection includes poems about living with a disability, as well as those that explore the social and political aspects of everyday lives. The anthology is a celebration of people's lives and experiences, and all proceeds from the book will go to Scope. Edited by Daniel Kay and Mel Wardle Woodend with cover art by Paul Riding. Published by Dream Well Writing Ltd - Staffordshire based publishers of dyslexia friendly books with worldwide distribution and an environmentally conscious ethos founded in 2017 by Mel Wardle Woodend Staffordshire Poet Laureate 2019 – 2022. https://www.dreamwellwriting.simplesite.com" https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scope-Art-Poetry-Various-Authors/dp/173971055X/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1681328773&refinements=p_27%3AMel+Wardle+Woodend&s=books&sr=1-1

New from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Artist / Poetry Podcast) features Katy Naylor. Katy Naylor lives by the sea, in a little town on the south coast of England. She writes poetry, fiction and text adventure games in the time that falls between the cracks She has work published or upcoming in Outcast Press, The Bear Creek Gazette and Not Deer Magazine. She can be found on twitter @voidskrawl #poetry #spokenwordpodcast #spokenword #poetrypodcast

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast series) features the wonderful Caitlin McKenna whose debut collection "Now Say it back" has being published by Bent Key Publishing.

Her bio advises "Caitlin McKenna is incredibly talented. First appearing on our founder's radar during the On the Mic poetry evening at Leeds' Left Bank, her words are fierce, feminist and unapologetically confrontational. Barely edging into her twenties, she has taken the mantle of queer representative and run with it - delivering fast-paced wit, reflective short-form pieces and lengthier spoken pieces that force you to look at how we exist in society today."

Some links include:

https://www.bentkeypublishing.co.uk/caitlin-mckenna

https://www.instagram.com/caitisapoet/

https://www.instagram.com/bonedownlag/

https://linktr.ee/caitisapoet

https://caitcmckenna.journoportfolio.com/

https://www.bentkeypublishing.co.uk/product-page/now-say-it-back-caitlin-mckenna

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features from Stockport but originally Burnage, the brill Joy Wassell Tims.

Joy is a Stockport based writer. Her poetry has been published in various literary magazines including The North, Iota, and Dream Catcher. Both poetry and short stories have been published in Orbis.

In February 2022 she had two poetry pamphlets published by Bedford Falls Publications: Word Hoards and Shout. Both are available for purchase from the publisher.

Shortlisted for the Cinnamon Press Poetry pamphlet competition in 2017, her poems have been anthologised in Invisible Zoos, and Peterloo Poets, both 2019; Writing the Cathedral (2014) and Best of Manchester Poets (2013). Her first novel was shortlisted by North West Arts.

She is currently Writer-in -Residence at Burnage Library, running its monthly Burnage Writers group and organising their 'Wordsmith' open mic events.

Her website is https://joywasselltimms.co.uk/

Latest Spoken Label (Spoken Word Podcast) features the amazing Rhianna Levi

Rhianna Levi is a writer, teacher and academic based in Worcester, England. She holds the title of Worcestershire Poet Laureate 22/23, being the youngest poet ever to have the role. Alongside the publication of her debut poetry collection, Mortal Veins (2023), Rhianna has been published in numerous anthologies and literature mags. Rhianna has degrees from both the University of Worcester and Birmingham City University. As a writer and holistic educator, her work empathises the complexity of humanity and existentialism that in itself is a remarkable phenomenon.

Her debut book 'Mortal Veins' can be bought via Amazon where it is described as " Humanity has always had a complex relationship with the world around it, and yet it can also be a thing of beauty which inspires magic caressed in our palms. Explore the wonders of existence and thereafter inside mortal veins with poet Rhianna Levi. A debut poetry collection that brings our veins together as one."

Some words about Mortal Veins:

"Mortal Veins is a brave and bold debut collection that addresses difficult matters, confronting a plethora of problems that are all too familiar to many readers. An urgent new voice, Levi is writing into a growing canon of mental health and personal development poetry. A haunting, a fresh bruise, or a journey through recovery, there is something here for all." - Dr Charley Barnes, author of Copycat and Sincerely, Yours.

"This dramatic, dynamic debut collection explores fearlessly what it is to be human, other worldly and wild all at once. Passionate and profoundly affecting, these poems find language for those things that are both concrete and hollow in all of us and in doing so encourages us all to find language of our own." - Cathy Carson, creator of the one woman show Becoming Marvellous
"Rhianna Levi makes a striking debut in Mortal Veins. With poetry that provokes the relationship between linguistics and storytelling, Levi tackles existentialism, mental health and self-awareness whilst exploring the boundaries of language. Bold, thought provoking and distinctive." - Chloe Hanks, author of I Call Upon The Witches and May We All Be Artefacts

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Author Chat Podcast) features the wonderful Douglas Weissman.

Douglas writes " stories of friendship, of finding beauty in the grotesque, of finding magic in the mundane; stories about building bridges, about burning bridges, about growing trees, about turning trees into bridges, and the ways strangers find common ground. "

He advises his young adult series "and and New Adult novel were released by Epic Press in Fall 2016. "

His short stories have been published in 3 Elements Review, Wild Musette, Kingdoms in the Wild, Lamplit Underground, and I Must Be Off and was shortlisted in Glimmer Train's "Family Matters" writing contest in 2015. 

He is a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, fun-loving daughter, anxious dog, and indifferent cat.

His website is: https://www.douglasweissman.com/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast)

features making his debut the wonderful Mervin M. Francis.

Mervin is the author of three poetry collections,

the most recent being Life, Dreams and Challenges, a r

a reflective and insightful exploration of life;s

myriad hurdles and aspirations.

Mervin asdvises he began his journey with Book of Dreams

where he established himself as a whimsical poet. His

second volume, Dreams of Life marked a significant evolutaton

in his work as he embraced themes of positivity and inspiration.

With his latest book, he advises he has devlved even deeper

into the complexities of existence, reflecting on both the

truimphs and trials that shape our dreams.

Residing on the North Coast of Durban, Mervin continues

to write he advises in his spare time, balancing his creative

endearvours with a management company at Toyote South Africa.

Through his poetry, he seeks the freedom to share his thoughts,

emotions and reflections with the world, allowing his worss

to reasonate far beyond the page.

tiktok.com/@mervinmf

Instagram: mervinmfrancis

facebook: Mervin Mark Francis

The latest episode from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Author / Artist Podcast) is another bonus episode from the recent Ashley Edge book launch features Alice Gretton who delivered a fantastic supporting set.

Alice Gretton is an award winning spoken word artist, with their works spanning across the UK and reaching the USA. They produce Sunrose Arts Festival, joining us on 22nd and 23rd July. Their book, Fruit Salad and Rocket Ships, will be out in 2023.

Alice is on facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/alicerosegretton

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/alicerosegretton/

https://www.instagram.com/thankyoufortonight/

https://www.instagram.com/sunroseartsfestival/

https://www.tiktok.com/@alice.gretton

Latest Spoken Label session features the wonderful Lisa Moore.

Lisa advises "As a spoken word poet and writer, I've been honing my craft for over a decade. From winning a spot at the prestigious Vault Festival in 2018 with my poem "You've Lost That Loving Feeling and It's Only Been Two Weeks," to being featured on various discussion panels, I've made a name for myself in the spoken word community.

In 2019, I was commissioned to write a piece for International Women's Week, titled "Silver Foxes." The piece highlighted the plight of female actors being pushed out of the acting industry at 45+. It was published by The Conversation in an article titled "Invisible Lives: Where are all the older women in film and TV?" and featured across social media. My poem "The Menopause Poem" has also been featured heavily on various platforms, including radio, and is regularly requested at conferences and menopausal events.

In 2022, I took my show "Woman on Mute" to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show explored the various stages of a woman's life and featured spoken word pieces fused with music, movement, and comedy. After a successful run, the show is now being developed for radio."

What people have said about Lisa:

"Critics have praised my work, with Write Angel calling it "an exploration of how it feels to be invisible and silenced as a woman. Powerful words delivered with killer conviction - a must-see!!" Henry Normal said "Lisa Moore is honest, accessible, and engaging. Moore please" and Luke Wright said "Tenacious, powerful, and bloody good company. Go spend some time with Lisa Moore!"

Lisa Moore is a spoken word artist whose writing is deeply steeped in that which makes us human and ‘gets us through’ - grit, love and dark humour! Her work is full of spirit and Mancunian dialect both springs off the page and delights on stage.” – Isabelle Kenyon, Writer and Managing Director of Fly on the Wall Press"

More about Lisa can be found at: https://lisamoore.uk/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features the wonderful Tom S. Juniper recorded live in support of Ashley Edge during their recent book launch.

Tom S. Juniper (they/he) is a genderqueer autistic poet living in Sheffield. They have recently published a book of poems about monsters. They like doing slams and absolutely don't get overly competitive.

Some links for Tom include:

https://www.instagram.com/tom_s_juniper/

https://tomjuniper.poetry.blog/

https://twitter.com/tom_s_juniper?lang=en

https://twitter.com/tom_s_juniper?lang=en

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist / Poet Podcast) features the wonderful Kay Channon.

Kay Channon is a PhD Student. Her research focuses on re-telling The Hunger Games using the social, personal, and political issues she encountered during Covid 19.  She is also a Disability Arts Online blogger and qualified University Lecturer. She has a passion for philosophy and is a published Poet. Her debut poetry collection The Dark Side of Light was published in 2017. Some of her poems have also appeared in Online Magazines, such as the London Progressive Journal and I am not a silent poet. She is also a trained Makaton Signer and is currently taking online classes to gain a level One British Sign Language award. Outside of her PhD, she reads children’s literature as an Ambassador for Inclusive Minds. This company connects with publishers to seek guidance from those living with disabilities in order to provide a healthy and more accurate reading experience for younger people. Last year she was engaged in webinars with the NHS to raise awareness around complex health conditions and improve patient care.

Useful links:

1. Kay's disability arts online blog: https://disabilityarts.online/blog/author/kay-channon/

2. One of Kay's latest poems:

https://londonprogressivejournal.com/2022/09/02/division/

3. Kay's YouTube channel: (for Makaton signing and my Hunger Games film that have premiered so far with and without subtitles): 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClb5z-wkw4KLuBWveZ_AOcQ

Bonus Episode from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features the magnificent Dee Dickens recorded live at the recent Ashley Edge live launch for Spoken Label with a great support slot.

Dee's bio advises "Dee Dickens lives on a mountain in Wales with her shedding familiars and

her wizard consort. She etches symbols onto dead trees to make people hallucinate. Sometimes she does that for other people under the Llais Newydd spell. Trainee adult, she loves ribs."

More about Dee can be found at:

https://www.facebook.com/deedickenswriter/

https://deedickens.wordpress.com/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Books-Dee-Dickens/s?rh=n%3A266239%2Cp_27%3ADee+Dickens

https://twitter.com/thepontypoet

https://www.instagram.com/thepontypoet/

Latest up from Spoken Label is the wonderful Anne Delargy, author off "Rex My Love" and "Mermaids in My Basement".

Anne herself is retired and lives in Manchester, where she was born. She has been writing poems since she was six years old.

She was a labour councillor in tower hamlets, east London for 8 years. She has travelled widely in Europe and North America often on her own and speaks five languages.

Anne has worked as a legal clerk in soho, a copy editor of political publications, a technical writer on engineering magazines, a learning mentor for children with autism, a life coach and a tutor. She trained in Flamenco dance in London and Spain, and as a clown.

Her two books are available on Amazon.
She is on facebook at: www.facebook.com/anne.delargy.5

Audio version of the live event Spoken Label recently did from the book launch of Ashley Edge's recent book 'Those days, These Days' recorded last week.

Ashley's book advises "Ashley Edge was an out tomboy before it was cool. This retrospective introspective takes us through growing up, coming out and the adventures that took them through it all. In this collection, they look at love in every form. From exploring their sexuality to poems which declare heir everlasting love of football, this is a ferocious, sometimes furious but always bittersweet must-read that will have you hooked from start to finish.

The book can be purchased here - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Those-Days-These-Ashley-Edge/dp/B0BVPFYNNF?

Ashley is on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyedge.poet

Brand new from Spoken Label (Author / Artist / Poet Podcast) features from originally Salford but now Denton, the amazing Roy Page talking about his debut book "Fifties Child" as well as his love of bands and painting / drawing and growing up and around Salford (UK) in the 1950s.   Roy's book can be purchased from him direct at: https://www.facebook.com/roy.page.1297

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry / Artist Podcast) features the amazing Karina Fiorini.

Karina is a poet and an environmentalist of Maltese origin, now based in France. I started writing poetry and short stories at the age of ten and been campaigning in favour of a better environment for over sixteen years.

Her poetry is marked by scraps of fragments, teasing rhythms and subtle colours, at times postmodern and minimalist. I am the founder and coordinator of the Luxembourg Poetry Group.

In 2022, Habiba  was highly commended by poet Joelle Taylor, judge for the Ledbury Poetry Competition. In 2021, the poem The Calling  featured in PEN International and PEN Malta's A Poetry Memorial for Daphne Caruana Galizia. My poem Ruts  placed third in The Mattia Family 15th International Poetry Competition in 2013. Twelve inky years  received a special mention by the Welsh Poetry International Competition in 2018, whilst La Moselle  was chosen as an editor's choice in the 2020 Hammond House International Literary Prize, awarded by the University Centre Grimsby. In 2020 I served as a judge for Stories of the Nature of Cities, New York.

She has undertook a MSc in Sustainable Development at the Imperial College and SOAS Univeristy and a BA in Geography at the University of Malta. She is now now reading for a BA in English with Philosophy at the University of London – Goldsmiths and Birkbeck, whilst working on her first poetry collection.

www.instagram.com/karinafiorinipoetry/
soundcloud.com/user-522234864
www.karinafiorini.com
twitter.com/karinafiorini?lang=en-GB

** Contains exclusive bonus track **

Latest Spoken Label session (Artist / Writer Podcast) features an exclusive interview and session with London born now Manchester based Folk Singer songwriter Alf Whitby.

Alf's alternative folk style revolves around a core of voice, guitar and piano, and draws influence from both traditional folk (Nick Drake) and more modern alternative styles (Sufjan Stevens).

Juxtaposition between tenderness and angst is a key element to Alf's songs, with dynamic shifts bringing the listener along on a meandering ride. Lyrically the songs began as a cathartic release of thoughts and feelings too often left buried inside, but this has evolved into more structured storytelling involving an array of characters and imagery.

More details about Alf can be found on his website: https://www.alfwhitby.com/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features making her debut, Rachel Wilton.

Rachel Wilton is a artist from Liverpool and a member of the Giz a Word Collective also from Liverpool.

Rachel can be found on Instagram :- https://www.instagram.com/anne.whatt.designs.0151/

Giz a Word can be found at:

https://www.instagram.com/gizaword.collective/

OR

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562738441315

Latest Spoken Label (Poetry / Spoken Word Podcast series) session features the amazing Scarlett Ward.

Scarlett advises "I have been writing poetry for 10 years, and was first published by Verve Poetry Press in 2019. In 2022 I was shortlisted for Women Poet's Prize, and I have come runner up in several prizes such as The Spellt poetry prize, verve prize and Wolverhampton literature festival. I ofted give poetry workshops to schools and have recently ran a series of workshops with the BBC and Verve Poetry Festival.

I set up my own publishing company called Fawn Press in 2021, and I work to discover emerging and under-represented writers in the community to produce their books. Fawn Press was nominated for a Saboteur award in 2022.

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2021, when I fell into a coma and had to learn how to walk, talk, read, write and even eat again. I worked to overcome these challenges and now live with my chronic illness. I am passionate about raising awareness about this disease as I was misdiagnosed with "anxiety and period hormones" when I first started to display symptoms.

I am a queer writer, and find great strength in my poetry as a woman who loves women."

Some links about Scarlett:

https://www.instagram.com/scarlett.ward/

https://www.instagram.com/fawnpress/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCsE_lza7H0

https://vervepoetrypress.com/product/ache-scarlett-ward-pre-order-free-uk-pp/?v=79cba1185463

https://www.iambapoet.com/scarlett-ward-bennett

https://deardamsels.com/2021/10/13/my-therapist-asks-me-how-my-weeks-been/

https://inksweatandtears.co.uk/scarlett-ward-bennett/

https://www.fawnpress.co.uk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocGgKYJzZcs

https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/eqpqwh/acts/a9j9xj

Latest Spoken label Podcast (Spoken Word / Author / Artist Chat Podcast) features features the amazing Alice Godliman

Alice is a poet, writer, performer and workshop facilitator based in Manchester, who’s performed for International Women’s Day and Reclaim the Night, as well as events around London, Manchester and at the Edinburgh Fringe. You can find more of her work in the anthology Let Me Know When You’re Home, as well as Blood Orange Tarot, Twist in Time Mag,

Alice's work is fierce, feminine, fancy and fragile all at once. Combining traditional poetic form with spells and magic, her upcoming collection is not to be missed - it really is a kind of magic.

Her debut collection "The Book of (Seeing Past the)" is published by Bent Key Publishing.

Alice can be found at @alicegodliman on Twitter or Instagram.

Latest up from Spoken Label (Poetry / Spoken Word Podcast) features the brill Holly Bars.

Holly Bars is a mature student currently studying at the University of Leeds. Holly’s poems have been published since January 2021 by The Moth, Ink, Sweat & Tears, Fragmented Voices, Porridge, Anti-Heroin Chic, Visual Verse, Runcible Spoon, and more, as well as appearing in anthologies. Her debut collection, Dirty, is available from Yaffle Press.   Twitter: @holly_bars

Note… This podcast concerns itself with poems relating to childhood sexual abuse, child abuse, trauma and survivorship. Please keep this in mind as you read, and look after yourself however you need to, even if it means throwing this book at the wall. Please see poem Stay Sane for further suggestions. Samaritans are open 24/7.