The Common Press Poetry Nights is quickly becoming a popular place for writers and poets to not only showcase their work but also launch poetry collections and books with us. For the festive season, we are inviting all our poetry lovers to attend to listen to talented and powerful queer voices. The evening will be hosted by Livia Kojo Alour - award-winning poet and writer.
As well as hearing from our old favourites we'd love to hear from some new faces too - if you would like to read at the poetry night, please email us at books@commonpress.co.uk and you will be added to the list. There will also be spaces on the night to sign up and hop on stage. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that everyone on the list will get the opportunity to read, but we would like to fit in as many people as possible.
🍷 Please note this invite is BYOB, you are welcome to bring your drinks to enjoy the night. There will be lots of soft drinks and hot drinks available to purchase from our bookshop.
Schedule
6:30 pm - Doors open
7:00 pm - Special guests ( renowned poets and writers)
7:45 pm - Break
8:00 pm - 9:00 - Open mic slots
9:00 - 10:00pm - Mingle and socialise until close
Host: Livia Kojo Alour
Livia Kojo Alour is an award-winning Nigerian–German–born poet, musician, and theatremaker based in London. Her solo show Black Sheep rose to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022. The show was awarded the Birds of Paradise Award for Exceptional Theatre. Livia is the author of Rising of the Black Sheep, a daring memoir-style poetry collection published by Polari Press London. She also has a 10-year touring career as a sword swallower under her belt. During this time she won several awards with different companies and performed a residency in Las Vegas. Her minimalist art piece the Female Sword Swallower’s Moon Calendar has been touring museums in Europe since 2019. In 2017 Livia held an inspirational TEDx talk about her life-threatening sword accident and overcoming fear. As a musician, she combines vocals and spoken word in a unique way to address cultural issues and speak about personal experiences. Livia’s show Black Sheep is scheduled for a second U.K. tour in autumn 2023 followed by a concert Europe tour as the supporting artist to Anne Clark.
Please note that the bar area is fully accessible, and includes disabled toilets.