This Thursday evening (15 May 2025), I’m facilitating a writing workshop at the Working Class Movement Library in Salford. I’ll invite participants to respond to poems from the 1984-85 miners’ strike, which feature in the library’s new exhibition.

Both my father and paternal grandfather worked as coal miners. My connection to the coal mining community has impacted my career massively, mainly through organisations such as the Orgreave Truth & Justice Campaign.

The workshop will take place from 1830-2000 BST and tickets are free, although you need to book in advance here. There’s an initial charge of £3 plus a booking fee, which is refunded after the workshop (minus the booking fee).

I hope to see some of you there! Also, in case you missed it, I now focus most of my online time on my Substack page. Paid subscription costs £5 per month in return for two weekly posts, alternating between creative and practical resources for poets.