Poets & Players with Pascale Petit & Jo Bell at the Whitworth

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor
Poet Pascale Petit. Photo by Kitty Sullivan
Poet Pascale Petit. Photo by Kitty Sullivan.

Poets and Players at The Whitworth, Manchester 12 May 2018 Entrance is free

There’s plenty going on at the next Poets & Players event (the last before a break for summer) – vistas over the park, dynamic drumming courtesy musician Arian Sadr, the announcement of the winner of this year’s poetry-writing competition, performances from those in the running, a workshop with ‘poet off the telly’ Jo Bell and a reading by award-winning Pascale Petit!

Pascale Petit now has seven collections to her name; the most recent, Mama Amazonica, came out on Bloodaxe last year and was a Poetry Book Society Choice. She has had three collections selected as Books of the Year in the Times Literary SupplementIndependent and Observer, and her sixth collection, Fauverie, was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize (her fourth book to have done so). In 2013, she won the illustrious Manchester Poetry Prize, run every year by the Manchester Writing School, and she judged it in 2017.

The ‘players’ remit this month is covered by Arian Sadr, an international musician and percussionist who performs solo and alongside other artists and leading bands. Born in Iran, Arian is particularly interested in Persian drumming skills and percussion instruments.

In the morning, between 10.30am and 12.30, the P&P workshop (£20 per person) is in the capable hands of Jo Bell, former director of the UK’s National Poetry Day and the first-ever Canal Laureate of the UK. Places are going fast, so be sure to email davidborrott@btinternet.com as soon as possible to get your name on the list.

Poets and Players at The Whitworth, Manchester 12 May 2018 Entrance is free

What's on at The Whitworth

Until
ExhibitionsManchester
Traces of Displacement

See ‘Traces of Displacement’, the Whitworth’s major new exhibition which uses the gallery’s collection to explore the issue of forced displacement.

free entry
Until
ExhibitionsManchester
(Un)Defining Queer at The Whitworth

Through a fantastic collection of classical and contemporary artists’ work, ‘(Un)Defining Queer’ examines the use of language, histories and narratives to explore what ‘queer’ really means today. free entry

OUTDOOR ART CLUB AT THE WHITWORTH
Until
ChildrensManchester
Outdoor Art Club at The Whitworth

Enjoy fun and creative activities designed to encourage your little ones to play freely in the fresh air, while exploring nature and the outdoors with family and friends.

free entry

Where to go near Poets & Players with Pascale Petit & Jo Bell at the Whitworth

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Big Hands

Big Hands is the one-time haunt of legendary Manchester band Elbow; it’s shabby, loud and dark, with a jukebox and excellent roof terrace.

The Giving Tree
Manchester
Restaurant
The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is a cafe and community hub based in Rusholme, a short walk from the city centre.

Pankhurst Centre
Manchester
Museum
The Pankhurst Centre

The Pankhurst Centre houses a small museum and heritage centre that remains as a legacy to the Pankhurst family and the Suffragette movement born in this city.

Cafe at the Museum
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
The Cafe
at the Museum

Manchester Museum’s cafe is run by the people behind award-winning cafe Teacup Kitchen. The menu features home-baked cakes, the finest loose leaf teas and breakfast, as well as a wide selection of mains and meals for kids.

Manchester
Music venue
Manchester Academy 3

Brilliant venue for catching a touring band on the rise. The boringly titled Academy 3 or more interesting Hop and Grape, as it was once known, is a self contained…

Manchester Academy music venue on Oxford Road Manchester.
Manchester
Music venue
Manchester Academy

The Manchester Academy is a mid size, modern warehouse venue adjacent to the University of Manchester Students’ Union. It lacks any architectural merit and has always been a difficult place…

Christie’s Bistro, Manchester. Courtesy Christie’s Bistro
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Christie’s Bistro

This wood-panelled former science library – part of a cluster of neo-Gothic buildings designed for the University of Manchester by Alfred Waterhouse (he of Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum fame) – has a wonderfully bookish interior that turns lunch into something of an event.

What's on: Literature

Writer Nicholas Royle. Photo by Zoe McLean
LiteratureManchester
Ghosts at the Old Library

Levenshulme Old Library has commissioned brand-new festive ghost stories from six writers for three special atmospheric lantern-lit reading events after hours in the Carnegie building.

from £10
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Poetry at the Dusty Miller

Poetry at the Dusty Miller is a brand-new night with invited readers, organised by Carcanet-published Carola Luther and Judith Willson in the Coiners’ Room in the Mytholmroyd pub.

free entry
Nathan Parker
LiteratureManchester
Verbose at The King’s Arms

One of Manchester’s longest-running monthly spoken word and live literature events, Verbose welcomes two invited headliners to the stage each month, plus a selection of open mic performers.

free entry

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