Word Central with guest poet Steve Mingle!

Word Central hosted by Tony Curry.

Open Mic Poetry and Spoken Word Presented by Flapjack Press and Manchester Libraries.

Book your open mic slot from noon on Tuesday 10th September via mail@flapjackpress.co.uk.

N.B. Open mic slots are 3 minutes per performer – it is essential that you stay within this timeframe.

Performance slots are allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis from the stated booking time. If they are already filled you will be offered a place on the reserve list.

September’s special guest is Steve Mingle, a retired actuary turned football author who first trespassed into spoken-word world in 2019. His favourite pastime is swearing at strangers and he’s been delighted to discover that if you do it from behind a microphone then some people will call it art. Steve’s output so far comprises seven books about Manchester City together with a recently released poetry anthology, More Poems About Rucksacks and Phones. Amongst this collection’s visceral rants and absurdist humour can be found traces of gentle nostalgia together with affectionate tributes to some of his heroes. However, any temptation to suggest that he’s going soft in his old age should be strongly resisted.

Event host Tony Curry is a poet, playwright, and workshop facilitator who runs literature-in-the-community projects with a specific leaning towards mental health and wellbeing. His work has been exhibited at Manchester’s museum and art galleries, and his play, The Teddy Bear, was staged at Contact Theatre. Tony’s solo spoken word shows include Brit Boy, Complicit Relations, Moving and The Odyssey, performed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre. In 2024 he will be touring his new show, Tall Tales for All Men, adapted from his collection Tall Tales for Tall Men Who Fall Well Short [Flapjack Press, 2012].