All right? We were joined this month by the delightful Ann Porro, bookseller by day... performance poet by night! The open mic was rammed again (sorry, Luke) and from them we have I Have a Plan by Christine Fowler, Letter From an Atheist by Kev Robson, Before by Milky Brookes, and Leaving the Lakes by our very own Helen Wilko. Ann shared some wonderful poems on the night, including An Arthouse Movie Vampire Takes a Walk, Ms Nightingale, and Boy With the Red Balloon. Thanks, as always, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Ann for a truly wonderful headline set, and to all our many, many contributors ..read more

All right? In March, we were visited by the eternally puckish Harry Gallagher, who read from his most recent book, There Is An England. From our open mic poetswe have... Born of Bad Dreams by James Holbrook, Emotional Warriors by Auburn Langley, Writer's Block by Gillian Harrison, and The Dandelion Field by Jack Wallace-Hunter. And from Harry we have You Do Not Speak For Me, Youth Training (which made James cry a bit), and We Are Each Other. Thanks again to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Harry for a headline set that was equal parts tub-thumping and whimsy, and to all our contributors, debut ..read more

All right? In this month's episode, we're delighted to include poems recorded at the "soft launch" of Keith Ford's book, Matters of Life and Death, along with all the usual King Ink shenanigans. From our packed open mic, we have a haiku by Auburn Langley, Holiday by Mwelwa Chilekwa, Tory Helpline by Andy Sutton, Friendshifting by Liz Dean, and Charlie Care's signature piece, A Roman Legionary Has a Vision of the Future. And from Keith's set we have Son of the North, Playlist For Mam, and (the highly NSFW) Before This City Stunk of Skunk. Thanks, as ever, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Keith (a ..read more

All right? Happy 2024 and welcome to our first podcast of the year. Headlining this month was the fiery Julie Easely. Hailing from Teeside, Julie is a working-class poet, a queer ally, and let me tell you, she is angry! From the open mic this month we have Imagine a River by Philip E. Cassidy, Chalice Well by Rebecca Kime, Smile by Kevin Robson, and This Gift by Helen Rogers. And from Julie's headline set we have Let Them Eat Chips, Imagine, and They Really Don't Care. Massive thanks to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Julie for travelling all the way from Saltburn, and to all of our many, many con ..read more

All right? We're slightly behind schedule this month, but it's worth the wait. In this episode, we have three poems from our irregulars: Grandkids by Gary the Hat, Adventures in Wordle by Gillie Harrison, and Striker by Kevin Robson. And we have two poems from AJ McKenna's blistering headline set: Hot Fat Utopia Timeline and Not Just a Fancy Word For Nowhere. As always, thanks to all of our contributors. May's King Ink has come and gone, but we'll be back in Pop Recs on the second Thursday of June. King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. This season is supported by You ..read more

All right? We have a home-grown headliner for you this month (via Albuquerque): former TV weatherman (and current darling of the Metro), J Archer Avary! We've an almighty ten poems in this episode: Little Boy by Phil Wardle, Meet You on the Picket Line by Gillie Harrison, Summary Justice by Kevin Robson, an untitled poem by Lian Maltas, Smart Phone by Gary the Hat, Kelly Dances in the Kitchen by Helen Wilko, plus Cactus Daddy, Prime Seat in the Beer Garden, Poem Written the Night Before a New Job and Tales of Near Death by J Archer Avary. As always, thanks to all of ou ..read more

For our festive King Ink, we signed off the year with a bang. We had two fabulous headliners, Pauline Plummer and Mel McAvoy, fifteen open mic poets, and a packed house! We've included five poems in this episode: The Devil's Shoes in the Back Home Shop by Pauline Plummer, Is a Dream by Philip Wardle, Death of Civilised Society Averted by a Bus Wave by Iain Rowan, Leveling Down by Sharon Milley, and Read Poems as Prayers by Mel McEvoy. Thanks to all of our contributors, and everyone who braved the winter chill to make our last event of the year so special. Seeya in 2023! King Ink is hosted by H ..read more

All right? For our last event of the year, we wanted to celebrate the pamphlet launch of popular King Ink regular, Gary the Hat. From his first readings in 2022 to headlining across the region and releasing his first pamphlet, Gary is an inspiration to any aspiring poet. From this month's open mic we have Some Presents from Auntie Barb (deceased) at a Night of Mediumship by Liz Dean, All Beset the Phobics by Just Think Phil, Endless Thirst by Scott Bentley, and Nil Desperandum by Helen Wilko. And from the Hat himself we have Should I...?, Neurotic, and Music To My Ears. As usual, huge tha ..read more

For our maiden episode of King Ink, we have a poem from the late Patrick Shannon, some poetic instruction from Stephen McGowan, contemplative prose by Steve Urwin, a Lakes-inspired poem by Helen Wilkinson, advice for young poets from Chris Hodgson, pandemic poetry by J. Archer Avary, a poem with bite by Sharon Milley and onanistic oration by Gary the Hat. King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. This season is supported by Your Art funding from the Cultural Spring ..read more

All right? Well! What a month October was! We had one of the most heart-warming moments in King Ink history on stage (if you were there, you know). And we had a headline set from Kate Fox! From the King Ink Irregulars, we have The Stricken Oak by David Farn, Songbird by Helen Rogers, Invisible by Karima, and an untitled poem by Jay Sykes. And from Kate Fox we have Lots of Planets Have a North, Opposite Sides of the Wall, and This Run is for You. It was an extra busy night, so extra big thanks to Pop Recs, and to all of our many, many contributors. Plus, big hugs for Chris and Sharon! (Like I s ..read more