The North by North West Poetry Tour at various venues

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

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The North by North West Poetry Tour

14 January-11 February 2017

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Poet SJ Fowler.
Poet SJ Fowler.
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The Enemies Project is an ongoing collaboration of contemporary poets, mainly, but also prose writers and sound and visual artists. The North by North West Poetry Tour has already popped up in York, Manchester and Edge Hill, with Leeds Wharf Chambers next (9 February, 7.30pm), then Sheffield Bank Street Arts (10 February, 7.30pm) and finally Liverpool Everyman on Saturday 11 February (7.30pm). All events are free.

Eighty-odd writers will be joining forces across the six dates to produce more than 60 collaborative works created specifically for performance on the tour in January and February 2017.

At the events, there is a core group of six touring poets: project lynchpins SJ Fowler and Tom Jenks, co-founder and host of Manchester’s top experimental poetry night The Other Room, plus Linda Kemp, Robert Sheppard, Christopher Stephenson and JT Welsch. Alongside, poets local to each area will perform. Contributors include Richard Barrett, Jazmine Linklater and Alec Newman, headliners at November’s Verbose; Fat Roland of Manchester’s Bad Language; live literature scene regulars Geraldine Monk, Lauren Bolger, Joey Frances and David Gaffney, and BBC Radio 3’s The Verb presenter Ian McMillan.

 

Where to go near The North by North West Poetry Tour at various venues

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Burgess Cafe Bar
at IABF

Small but perfectly-formed café – which also serves as the in-house bookstore, stocking all manner of Burgess-related works, along with recordings of his music. It’s a welcoming space, with huge glass windows making for a bright, welcoming atmosphere.

Dog Bowl bowling alley and restaurant Manchester.
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Dog Bowl

A bar and 10-pin bowling alley combined, Dog Bowl is a neon-lit venue that serves up cocktails and Tex-Mex food to go with your time on the lanes.

The Ritz Manchester live music venue
Manchester
Music venue
The Ritz

The Ritz was originally a dance hall, built in 1928, has hosted The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and The Smiths and is still going strong as a gig venue now.

Gorilla, Whitworth street Manchester
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Gorilla

Gorilla is a good choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner. From a hearty full English to meaty burgers via good vegan and veggie options. It also hosts some of the

HOME Manchester
Manchester
Theatre
HOME Manchester

Offering a packed schedule of events and things to do, HOME Manchester is one of the city’s leading hubs for arts and culture.

Manchester
Restaurant
Indian Tiffin Room, Manchester

Indian Tiffin Room is a restaurant specialising in Indian street food, with branches in Cheadle and Manchester. This is the information for the Manchester venue.

The Modernist shop
Manchester
Shop
Modernist Society

The bricks and mortar The Modernist shop opened in May 2019 in the Northern Quarter and is the only bookshop in Manchester specialising in architecture and design.

Rain Bar pub in Manchester
City Centre
Bar or Pub
Rain Bar

This huge three-floor pub, formerly a Victorian warehouse, then an umbrella factory (hence the name), has one of the city centre’s largest beer gardens. The two-tier terrace overlooks the Rochdale canal and what used to be the back of the Hacienda, providing an unusual, historic view of the city.

What's on: Literature

Jenn Ashworth at Blackwell's Manchester
LiteratureManchester
Jenn Ashworth at Blackwells

Jenn Ashworth is back at Blackwells bookshop for the Manchester launch of her latest work, reading extracts and chatting to Helen Mort about how The Parallel Path came about.

From £4.00
LiteratureLeeds
Chemistry at The Chemic

Leeds live literature regular Chemistry offers an exciting mix of open mic acts and invited poets – this month the headliners include Rosie Garland.

Free entry
Poet Mike Garry. Photo Paul Wolfgang Webster
LiteratureManchester
Word Central at Central Library

Word Central is a long-standing live literature favourite at Central Library and features open mic performers and a special guest, brought to you by Manchester Libraries and Flapjack Press.

Free entry
Cover of a book with a canal boat on it saying boater by Jo Bell
LiteratureManchester
Jo Bell at The Portico Library

Poet and now memoirist Jo Bell invites you to join her “for a friendly evening” at The Portico Library when she’ll be talking about her new “smart, funny” memoir Boater.

From £6.00

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