Tubthumping at The Old Woollen

Promising a “rip-roaring” evening featuring some of the UK’s most dynamic spoken word poets: Nymphs & Thugs presents Tubthumping at The Old Woollen, this time round featuring Khadija Ibhrahiim and Toby Campion.

Khadija Ibhrahiim is a writer, theatre maker and literary activist, born in Leeds of Jamaican parentage and educated at the University of Leeds. She is the founder and artistic director of Leeds Young Authors, and executive producer of the documentary We Are Poets. She has appeared on BBC Radio 1Xtra, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4, and her work has been published in multiple university journals and poetry anthologies, as well as in her own collections, including Another Crossing with publisher Peepal Tree Press.

Toby Campion is an award-winning poet, playwright, presenter and poetry educator. A former UK Poetry Slam Champion and World Poetry Slam finalist, his poetry won the Aurora Prize for Poetry 2019 and the Poetry on the Lake Prize 2017, awarded by former Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. His debut short poetry collection, Through your blood (Burning Eye 2017), was nominated for the Polari First Book Prize and Highly Commended in the Forward Poetry Prizes 2018. His work has been featured on BBC Sunday Politics, The Arts Show with Jonathan Ross, Channel 4 and BBC Radio 4. Andrew McMillan said of the book: “These are poems with an easy intimacy; Campion speaks to the reader about childhood, discovery of sexuality, place and young adulthood with striking humour, wit and honesty.”

Taking place in Farsley (note the new venue!), between Leeds and Bradford, Tubthumping – meaning “the expression of opinions in a loud or aggressive way” – is presented by Nymphs & Thugs and hosted by the spoken word label’s founder Matt Abbott alongside poet and performer Maria Ferguson.

Matt Abbott founded Nymphs & Thugs in 2015 to produce spoken word events around the UK – featured artists include Wigan-based writer and performer Louise Fazackerley, Salena Godden and Luke Wright. Matt’s one-man show Two Little Ducks received rave reviews when it debuted at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe, leading to a 22-date UK theatre tour in autumn 2018 and resulting in both a studio album and a debut poetry collection of the same name, which was published by Verve Poetry Press.

Maria Ferguson is a writer, performer and multi-award-winning theatre-maker from Romford. She has been a resident artist for Roundhouse and Battersea Arts Centre and commissioned by Royal Academy of Art, Stylist and BBC Radio 1. Her debut solo show, Fat Girls Don’t Dance, won the Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Show and her second show, Essex Girl, was shortlisted for Soho Theatre’s Tony Craze Award and won Show of the Week at VAULT 2019. Her debut poetry collection Alright, Girl? was published by Burning Eye Books in 2020 and was highly commended for the Forward Prize for Poetry, while her poem ‘My Letters’ was highly commended in the Forward Prize 2021.

Tubthumping is part-funded by Leeds Inspired, and organised in partnership with the team behind Trouble At Mill and The Old Woollen.