Virtual Verbose

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

Visit now

Virtual Verbose

28 September 2020

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

Poet Amy King.
Book now

Following a short summer break after successful forays into the online live lit world in May, June and July, Manchester regular Verbose is back on the internet for a fourth time, touting “a trio of exciting young poets” taking on headline duties, plus the usual packed bill of open micers.

First on the featured performer line-up is Amy King, a queer, northern spoken word poet currently based in Manchester. She is a co-founder of the Sheffield open mic night All Mic Long, a Great Northern and Say Owt slam winner, and she has supported poets such as Jackie Hagan and World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker. Amy has featured on BBC Sounds and her poetry explores topics such as sexuality, feminism and her undying love for Kate Nash.

Verbose is back on the internet for a fourth time, touting “a trio of exciting young poets” taking on headline duties, plus the usual packed bill of open micers.

Also adding to the Manchester madding crowd, Reece Ayres, aka The Fragile Poet, has been enjoying the local poetry scene since moving up from Cambridge. Having been putting pen to paper for many years, he is actually fairly new to performance (hence the moniker, we assume), and this event will see him share a mixture of emotional verse and political poetry.

Last of the three, Antony Szmierek has two novels Albatross Point and The Hypocrite – under his belt, along with a collection of short stories and poetry, Ultimate Denim Concert USA. He has performed at Didsbury Arts Festival, Switchblade Poetry and the BBC Upload Festival Comedy Tent, after his work was featured on BBC Radio Manchester. Antony’s most recent project has been setting his poetry to music, and his debut EP Some Worries I Had At The Party is avilable on Spotify.

Sign up to attend Virtual Verbose #4 via Eventbrite for free and you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the online event page, where you will find a Zoom meeting link – follow this on the night to join the event. If you fancy sharing your own poetry or prose via the open mic, details for how to sign up for a three-minute slot are available on the Eventbrite page – click the “Find Out More” button to find out more.

 

Where to go near Virtual Verbose

Manchester
Restaurant
Maki & Ramen

Japanese sushi and ramen restaurant on High Street, Northern Quarter, founded by Teddy Lee. House-made noodles, eight-hour broths, plus sushi, donburi and vegan options.

Restaurant Orme
Manchester
Restaurant
Restaurant Örme

A hidden gem in the suburbs of Greater Manchester, serving high-level British small plates to a soundtrack of indie rock and roll.

The Abbey
Manchester
Restaurant
The Abbey

Historic Hulme pub with a very good live gig space, brought to you by the very capable team behind YES, Gorilla, Now Wave and Manchester Psych Fest.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Pigeon Beer Wanderer

Pigeon Beer Wanderer brings wine-level ceremony to Manchester’s new “Beermuda Triangle”, courtesy of Joshua Lightfoot and his crack team of booze experts.

Image courtesy of Unitom.
Castlefield
Gallery
UNITOM Projects

The exhibition arm of Manchester indie bookshop UNITOM is a dedicated space for contemporary visual culture in the St John’s neighbourhood.

City Centre
Restaurant
Portfolio

Portfolio is a Champagne boutique on Manchester’s Bridge Street, offering a set menu of fine-dining small bites.

Manchester
Gallery
Bridge 5 Mill

Bridge 5 Mill is a sustainable event space and community hub on Beswick Street in Ancoats, hosting independent cultural projects and ethical supper clubs.

1853 gallery 1
Manchester
Gallery
1853 Studios

1853 Studios and Gallery is a Creative Studios and community of creative professionals occupying the 3rd floors of Osborne Mill, Oldham.

Deansgate
Restaurant
Podium

Podium delivers high-end, seasonal dishes, largely geared around produce and ideas from the British Isles, but with a few deft twists and turns.

Tai Wu
Manchester
Restaurant
Tai Wu

Long-standing, trend-swerving Chinese restaurant on Manchester’s Upper Brook Street, with a reputation for authentic dim sum and traditional Cantonese cuisine.

Culture Guides

Food and Drink in the North

It's heatwave time, so set your small talk phasers to 'weather' and get out there and grab some cold drinks and delicious food.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre

Discover the summer's most rewarding theatre in libraries, pubs, Fringe venues and unexpected spaces across the North.

“the ripple” artwork by Crowns & Owls courtesy of Good Machine.
Music

From post-industrial romance to experimental country, here's a hot new batch of weird gigs in small venues.

Blue triangles with white clouds on them against a beige backdrop. A gold sun is in the middle.
Exhibitions

Five exhibitions worth your time this month - and between them, a lot of ground covered.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.