Verbose Manchester

Manchester’s award-winning spoken word and live literature event featuring headliners and open mic acts

About this event

Manchester’s
award-winning spoken word event – every last Monday of the month at The
King’s Arms! Verbose brings a vibrant mix of spoken word and live
literature from a talented bill of open mic acts and wonderful
headliners. Expect poetry, prose and everything in between from a real
community vibe that gladly welcomes all newcomers.

Tickets are
FREE at the point of service but donation tickets are available and
greatly appreciated! Our open mic bill is now FULL for this event.

HEADLINERS

ELIZABETH MCGEOWN

Elizabeth
McGeown is a Pushcart-nominated poet from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
She has work published or forthcoming in journals including Banshee,
Abridged and Under the Radar. She is the current UK Slam Champion, the
highest ranking woman in the Paris 2022 World Cup of Slam, was
longlisted in the Saboteur Awards 2021 and 2022 for ‘Best Spoken Word
Performer’ and represented Northern Ireland in the Hammer & Tongue
UK Slam Championships 2019 and 2021. Her first poetry collection
‘Cockroach’ was published by Verve Poetry Press in July 2022 and, along
with the accompanying stage show, was written with funding help from
Arts Council Northern Ireland.

LEON THE PIG FARMER

Jack
Horner aka Leon the pig farmer is a Manchester based, Yorkshire beat
poet. An ex-serviceman who began writing verse to help him deal with a
PTSD diagnosis, Leon has an assertive take on spoken word with fast
firing rhythmic verse and a sharp outlook on both his mental health
recovery and other social topics and observations that catch his eye.

An
energetic delivery that has been compared to both a belt fed mortar
explosion and a staccato assault full of energy and emotion which can
silence and mesmerize an audience.

Leon continues to document his
mental health journey in verse and regular DIY performances for
charities and unexpected music collaborations. A recent nod by Post
punks Cabbage band gave the opening track to their second LP a reference
to Leon.

His performance deliveries vary between rehearsed off
book energetic verse and readings which he regularly swaps around to
keep his performances fresh and unpredictable.

His latest venture
post lockdown in 2021 was the release of a self-published collection of
verse with collaborative illustrations from a local artist friend where
money from the book is donated to Emmaus charity Mossley. ‘Talking
myself out of trouble’

He is fast becoming the busiest artist in
the north west with continued bookings and guest appearances at music
and spoken word events. He has also collaborated with musicians to
create one off pieces for airplay and streaming.