Chelping at The Leeds Library
Written by @mattabbottpoet
Tonight sees the launch of a new monthly spoken word night at The Leeds Library, which I’ve been invited to programme as part of their 250th birthday celebrations. It’s one of the oldest libraries in the UK, and is an incredible venue for spoken word.
Our first event stars Joelle Taylor and Genevieve L. Walsh, with following months including sets from Theresa Lola and Matt Nicholson; Cat Hepburn and Kevin P. Gilday; Sabrina Mahfouz and Kirsty Taylor (tickets); Helen Ivory and Martin Figura; and Cecilia Knapp and Vicky Foster.
It goes without saying that it was a huge honour for me to have been invited to programme this night, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it continues into 2019. One of the main aims of the night is to bridge the geographical divide which exists in the UK scene; either programming the best London-based talent in Leeds, or in Cat and Kevin’s case, offering leading Scottish artists their first gigs in England.
Matt Abbott Poet 