Rose Condo live stream book launch

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor
Poet Rose Condo. Photo by Charles Leek.

9 November 2020 Entrance is free — Visit now

Rose Condo has been working the live literature and performance poetry scene for a while now, accumulating a fan base around the North West and beyond, but perhaps surprisingly this event marks the launch of only her debut collection. She’s been busy in all that time, though, winning numerous poetry slams and taking three acclaimed and award-winning poetry theatre shows on the road – and the new book, After the Storm (taking the title of one of her hard-hitting performance pieces), contains the unabridged scripts of those: The Geography of Me, How to Starve an Artist and, most recently, The Empathy Experiment.

Rosie Garland says Rose Condo’s work is “a steadying reminder of compassion in a world tipped off its axis”, and the new collection is published by Flapjack Press on 9 November.

Written and performed by Rose, The Empathy Experiment received critical acclaim at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe and was crowned Best Spoken Word Show at the 2019 Greater Manchester Fringe and shortlisted at the 2020 Saboteur Awards. It sees the Canadian poet wonder whether empathy is facing extinction as a result of our inability to survive without smartphones. Weaving together observations from her own Day Of No Mobile Phones, “ask the audience”-style live participation and expertly crafted poems, the show explores tech addiction and compassion. The first of the trilogy showcased in the book, The Geography of Me takes the audience on a trip through foreign and familiar lands, recounting hilarity and heartbreak, while the jam in the sandwich, How to Starve an Artist, is a series of poems and stories about creative nourishment and how to feed your inner artist.

Described as “innovative and inspirational”, After the Storm the paper version also includes QR codes to access accompanying original music composed by Eleonora Rosca, full colour artwork by Jen McDonald and a foreword by fellow poet and performer Tina Sederholm, who says of Rose: “One of the most polished and heartfelt wordsmiths on the spoken word scene. Her subtle lyricism cradles you in a warm embrace and then gently but firmly delivers an emotional and thought-provoking gut punch.” Her publisher stablemate Rosie Garland (whose As In Judy follow-up, What Girls Do In The Dark, has just come out with Nine Arches) says Rose Condo’s work is “a steadying reminder of compassion in a world tipped off its axis”, and the new collection is published by Flapjack Press in paperback and eBook on 9 November – the same day as this special live stream book launch – with signed copies available to pre-order now.

Based in Salford, Rose Condo is originally from Canada, where she studied Theatre & Drama at the University of Winnipeg before heading to the University of Leeds to do a Masters in Theatre & Development Studies. She was longlisted for the inaugural Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship and has supported the likes of Hollie McNish. Supporting her in this live captioned event is guest poet Kieren King, spoken word artist and long-time compère and organiser of well-respected Guy Garvey-endorsed Evidently and the Word War poetry slams – Rose took the belt at Word War One…

Rose Condo - After the Storm book cover
Rose Condo – After the Storm book cover

9 November 2020 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near Rose Condo live stream book launch

Manchester
Restaurant
Fairfield Social Club

Launching in spring 2024, Fairfield Social Club is a multi-purpose site next to Angel Meadows Park in the Green Quarter.

Cumbria
Theatre
The Coro

Nestled in the heart of Ulverston, a rural market town on the fringes of the Lake District, stands The Coro —an esteemed historic hub for arts, culture, and entertainment

Cumbria
Shop
Sam Read Bookseller

Award-winning small bookshop in the Lake District. Est. by Sam Read in 1887. Run by Will Smith and Polly Atkin.

Restaurant
Capri

Capri serves up homely, family-style Italian food in North Yorkshire.

Manchester
Restaurant
Manchester Wine Tours

Manchester Wine Tours is a relaxed, fun wine tour, taking in four or five venues across three hours, plus six high-quality glasses of wine.

Sheffield
Shop
Juno Books

Friendly local queer and intersectional feminist bookshop in Sheffield. Visit for interesting fiction and non fiction books.

Restaurant
The Dusty Miller

Family friendly pub situated in the beautiful village of Mytholmroyd.

What's on: Literature

Writer Nicholas Royle. Photo by Zoe McLean
Until
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
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
Kim Deyn
LiteratureBradford
More Song at The Record Cafe Bradford

Bradford’s number-one live lit night with invited guests and open mic, hosted by Tom Branfoot. January’s headliners come in the form of award-winning Kym Deyn, Ophira Gottlieb and Hamish Rush.

free entry

Culture Guides

Music in Manchester and the North

Spotlighting global artists who all, in one way or another, break the mould, we preview the best gigs happening this side of Christmas and beyond.