Peter Barlow’s Cigarette at Dulcimer & the Carlton Club
Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature EditorVisit now
Peter Barlow’s Cigarette
The Carlton Club, Manchester
10 May 2025
Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.
Peter Barlow’s Cigarette has a treat this spring as the team – Tim Allen, Joey Frances and Rachel Sills – organised an open mic in April and have invited along guest readers in May.
Following on from the now-annual open mic fundraiser pops up at Dulcimer, on the main drag in Chorlton, to raise a bit of cash towards future events, contributing to travel costs for readers visiting from further afield, for Peter Barlow’s Cigarette #48 – our favourite “afternoon of alternative poetries” (aside from this one-off) – back at the Carlton Club in Whalley Range, the line-up is Kyle Lovell, John Phillips and Steven Waling.
Kyle Lovell will be launching their new pamphlet in Manchester – described as “exquisite”, God Bless All Petty Thieves is just out with Chaff, an imprint by our friends over at The Poet’s Hardship Fund (with, we understand, any profits from its sales going to the Poet’s Hardship Fund). Kyle Lovell is the editor of Fathomsun Press and a co-author of its Sonnets for Hooch seasonal pamphlet series, alongside the formidable Maria Sledmere and Mao Baiocco. Lovell’s poems have appeared in Blackbox Manifold, Pamenar Press and LUDD GANG, and they are the author of Each Sharper Complication (legitimate snack, 2020) and In the Debt of Love (And False Fire, 2021).
John Phillips’s latest new collection, Language Being Time, came out recently with Shearsman, and follows Shape Of Faith with the same publisher in 2017. Michael Dennis said of Shape of Faith: “These poems have no extraneous cargo. You could write most of these astute and pristine poems on a post-it note and carry it in your pocket for later use.” Described as “poet of the impossibly simple”, John Phillips was born in St Ives in Cornwall and his other books are Heretic (Longhouse, 2016), What Shape Sound (Skysill Press, 2011) and Language Is (Sardines Press, 2005), as well as a number of chapbooks.
Steven Waling is the author of several books of poetry, including Lockdown Latitudes (Leafe) and Spuds In History (SRP). His poetry has been published extensively from Australia to Scotland and beyond. He would like it known, however, that the poems of his latest publication (out with zimZalla), Ony Road Up North, are actually by the elusive but intriguing poet Mankyo, of the island of Wyzensho, and he denies all responsibility for them. He is merely a channel, who happens to like gin occasionally and owns a cat in South Manchester.
The regular PBC is free entry, so just turn up and enjoy!
