If you can't make the festival, we're hosting the workshops again of the coming months so you don't miss out. This series offers a unique opportunity to engage with acclaimed poets and enhance your writing skills from the comfort of your home. Each workshop is designed to inspire creativity, explore various poetic forms, and provide a supportive environment for both emerging and established poets. Workshop Details: The Spring 2025 series will feature a diverse lineup of workshops covering various themes and techniques. Participants can expect interactive sessions that include writing exercises, discussions, and group feedback. All workshops will be conducted via Zoom, ensuring accessibility for poetry enthusiasts worldwide. Workshop Packages: Dozen Workshops Spring 2025 From £179.47 Half Dozen Workshops From £90.00 Trio of Workshops From £49.50 Individual Workshops: Ruth Padel Workshop - The Swerve Tue, Mar 4 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Helen Calcutt Workshop - Visiting Mary Tue, Mar 11 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Pascale Petit Workshop - Writing the Animal Tue, Mar 18 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Aoife Lyall Workshop - Soundscape Tue, Mar 25 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Theresa Lola Workshop - After Poems Tue, Apr 8 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Scarlett Ward Workshop - Speaking the Silences Tue, Apr 15 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Anthony Vahni Capildeo Workshop - Valentines Hot & Cold Tue, Apr 22 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Marjorie Lotfi Workshop - What is Home if Not a Choice? T ue, Apr 29 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Richard Scott Workshop - Ancestry, Intertextuality and Ghosts Tue, May 6 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Susannah Dickey Workshop - Lyric Shame Tue, May 20 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Victoria Kennefick Workshop - A Family Affair Tue, May 27 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Carrie Etter Workshop - The Wall Thin as a Wren's Bone: Simile in Poetry Tue, Jun 3 • 7:00 PM • From £18.50 Meet The Editor - A 1-2-1 Bespoke Power Injection for Your Poetry Tue, Jun 10 • 7:00 PM • From £59.99 Key Features: Expert Guidance:  Learn from experienced poets who will share their insights and provide constructive feedback. Interactive Sessions:  Engage in live discussions and collaborative exercises to refine your craft. Flexible Access:  Join live sessions or access recorded workshops at your convenience. How to Register: Stay tuned for updates on the official VERVE Poetry Festival website and Eventbrite page for detailed information on workshop schedules, facilitators, and registration links. Spaces may be limited, so we encourage early registration to secure your spot. Join Us: Whether you're looking to delve into new poetic forms, seek inspiration, or connect with a community of fellow writers, the VERVE Poetry Zoom Workshop Series is the perfect platform to elevate your poetry journey. We look forward to writing with you this spring! Note: For the most current information and to register for workshops, please visit the VERVE Poetry Festival Eventbrite page.

Can’t make it to VERVE in person? No problem!  Experience the vibrant energy and incredible performances from anywhere in the world with our live-streamed events . All events are streamed live  and available to re-watch for up to one month after the festival . Whether you’re in a different time zone or juggling a busy schedule, you can immerse yourself in the festival at your own pace. Why Attend VERVE Online? Global Access:  Join from anywhere in the world—no travel required. Flexible Viewing:  Missed a session? No problem! Re-watch all events up to a month after the festival. Exclusive Content:  Gain access to performances, readings, and workshops featuring some of the best voices in contemporary poetry. Community Connection:  Engage with fellow poetry lovers online and stay connected to the VERVE community. VERVE 2025 Online Events Tickets to all our streamed events are available to watch via secure link on YouTube LIVE  from the festival. Here’s what’s on: Online Pass: All Streamed Events Wednesday • 8:30 PM • From £38.62 LOUD POETS SLAM 2025 BIRMINGHAM HEAT at VERVE Thursday • 7:30 PM • From £8.30 THE PAMPHLET HOUR  featuring Laurie Bolger, Troy Cabida, Betty Doyle, Ellora Sutton Friday • 7:00 PMFrom £6.39 FRIDAY NIGHT HEADLINE EVENT  with Dzifa Benson, Anthony Joseph, Richard Scott Friday • 8:30 PMFrom £8.30 Sixth Verve Poetry Performance Lecture – Susannah Dickey: Why Not You? Saturday • 1:00 PM • From £6.39 Magma Matters: Past, Present and Future Saturday • 2:30 PM • From £6.39 'POETRY UNBOUND' SPECIAL at VERVE  with Imtiaz Dharker & Padraig O Tuama Saturday • 4:30 PM • From £6.39 SATURDAY HEADLINE EVENT  with Theresa Lola, Victoria Kennefick, Anthony Capildeo Saturday • 6:00 PM • From £8.30 BIG GAY POETRY NIGHT VERVE SPECIAL  featuring Joelle Taylor, Sanah Asan and Kandace Johnson. Saturday • 8:00 PM • From £8.30 Discovering The New Carthaginians with Nick Makoha Sunday • 1:00 PM • From £6.39 SUNDAY HEADLINE EVENT with Helen Calcutt, Pàdraig Ò Tauma, Ruth Padel & Carrie Etter Sunday • 2:30 PM From £8.30 VERVE CLOSING GALA WITH OPEN MIC with Courtney Conrad and Jamie Thrasivoulou Sunday • 4:30 PM • From £6.39

The VERVE Poetry & Spoken Word Festival isn’t just about watching poets perform—it’s an invitation to critically engage with the art form, its current trajectories, and its future possibilities. For students of creative writing and literature, these events offer a rare blend of artistic insight and practical knowledge, making them an essential part of your literary journey. THE POETRY SCHOOL: Poetry Performance Lecture with Susannah Dickey When:  Saturday, 1pm Where:  Birmingham Hippodrome Price:  £8 / £6 for students Susannah Dickey's contribution to this year's festival is not your standard poetry reading. Set on Hydra—a Greek island where cars are banned and stray cats weave through ancient alleyways—her performance interrogates the very fabric of romantic lyricism in the shadow of the climate crisis. Dickey forces the audience to grapple with language's limitations when the 'I' becomes insufficient in a world increasingly shaped by non-human forces. This is an eco-poetic exploration that challenges the traditional subject-object relationship in poetry, turning personal egotism into a space for collective reflection. For students interested in the intersections of environmental humanities and poetics, this is a rare chance to see theory and art collide on stage. THE PAMPHLET HOUR: A Quiet Celebration of Small Presses When:  Friday, 7pm Where:  Birmingham Hippodrome Price:  £8 / £6 for students Pamphlets often exist in the shadow of full-length collections, but they remain a vital part of the poetry landscape, allowing poets to experiment with form and theme in concentrated bursts. The Pamphlet Hour  brings together Laurie Bolger ( Makeover , Emma Press, 2024), Troy Cabida ( Symmetric of Bone , Fourteen Poems, 2014), Betty Doyle ( Fruits of Labour , Seren, 2024), and Ellora Sutton ( Artisanal Slush , VERVE Poetry Press, 2023) to discuss the distinct possibilities of this format. Expect an honest conversation about the role of indie presses in shaping contemporary poetry and the challenges of navigating the publishing world. This event is particularly relevant for students considering the pamphlet as their first foray into publication. MAGMA MATTERS: Navigating the Past, Present, and Future of a Literary Institution When:  Saturday, 2:30pm Where:  Birmingham Hippodrome Price:  £8 / £6 for students Magma  has long been a touchstone for poets looking to understand the evolving currents in contemporary poetry. This live iteration of the magazine offers a behind-the-scenes look at recent issues, including Obsidian  and Performance , and opens up a dialogue about the direction of future editions. With poets like Elontra Hall and Sim Pereira-Madder discussing the dynamics of performance poetry, and co-editor Josiane Smith facilitating audience interaction, the session promises to be both reflective and forward-looking. The event also honors the legacy of Gboyega Odubanjo, with reviews editor Aoife Lyall spotlighting his posthumous collection, Adam . For students, this is a chance to see how literary criticism and creative practice intersect within a respected publication. WHICHING AND PITCHING: A Practical Guide to Publishing with The Emma Press When:  Sunday, 4pm Where:  Birmingham Hippodrome Price:  £24.50 / £18.50 Publishing your first pamphlet can feel like navigating a labyrinth. This workshop, led by James Trevelyan from The Emma Press, offers practical insights into the submission process. Beyond the basics of selecting and ordering your poems, Trevelyan will demystify what editors actually look for and how to position your work within the broader literary landscape. There will be candid discussions on common mistakes, audience engagement, and the realities of indie publishing. For students contemplating the leap from workshop drafts to published works, this session provides a grounded, realistic roadmap. For local students of creative writing, poetry, and literature, the festival offers more than just performances—it presents an opportunity to witness how contemporary poets are pushing boundaries and redefining the art form, as well as insights from editors, publishers and collectives on getting your writing published. Taking place at the Birmingham Hippodrome, the festival's lineup this year invites critical engagement with pressing themes and experimental forms. Book Tickets  if you're curious. Or just show up, take notes, and see where the words take you. VERVE Poetry & Spoken Word Festival is an independent festival produced by VERVE Poetry Press.

Submissions open every 1st – 20th of each month | £3 per poem | £5 for three | £100 for poem of the month | Optional monthly theme (follow it or break the rules — we love a rebel) | Judged by Stuart Bartholomew (VERVE Poetry Press & Festival Founder) and Hayley Frances (VERVE Co-Director) | Submit your poems via our Website Form & pay securely through PayPal | This is your invitation. This is your space. YOU BELONG HERE. Enter now and let your words take center stage! LAUNCHING APRIL 1st 2025 OPTIONAL THEME - 'everything is weird & that's ok' VERVE’s Poem of the Month YOU BELONG HERE or maybe you don’t? Maybe you don’t care? Maybe you write poems that spit in the face of belonging? Either way, we wanna read ‘em! A monthly poetry competition for the bold, the beautiful, the bizarre, and the brilliant! £100 prize for the winning poem £3 per poem, £5 for three (see where the money goes below) Max 3 poems per person per month OPTIONAL monthly theme (follow it or completely rebel against it – we respect chaos) Judge: Stuart Bartholomew (VERVE Poetry Press & Festival Founder) Assistant Judges: Hayley Frances (Co-Director) & Collective Members AI-Generated Poems? Get outta here WHAT's THE DEAL? WHAT's THE TIMELINE? 1st of each month: Submissions open 20th of each month: Submissions close. (No, we will not read late poems. We are poets, not wizards.) End of Month: Winner announced + winning poem featured on our website, socials and sent out to *thousands* of poets, publishers, other poetry industry people and, dare-we-say it normal people subscribed to VERVE. WHAT's THE VIBE? Poetry doesn’t have to be serious. It doesn’t have to be traditional. It doesn’t even have to make sense. Come as you are. Write what you want. Make it POETRY! Stick to the rules. Change the rules. Ignore the rules. Break things. Make things. Submissions open April 1st. Spread the word. Tag a poet. Tell a friend. Start a movement. WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO? This incentive is not money making for us. It's not about making a profit or taking the limited funds poets / writers / artists make. Submission money is split between paying the winner of POEM OF THE MONTH and funding our FREE community poetry projects . Open Door community poetry open mic. The Collective. Poetry Mentorship. Free children's & young people's events at our annual festival. EVERY THEME FOR THE COMING YEAR Our overarching theme is YOU ARE WELCOME HERE. We've mapped out the sub-themes for each month below. Each theme encourages bold, boundary-pushing interpretations while still making room for deep, personal, and experimental writing. Use the theme's as prompts or, revolt. You have a choice! MONTH THEME WHAT COULD IT MEAN (or ignore this bit) April "Everything Is Weird & That’s OK" Celebrate chaos, embrace oddness, write like a confused fever dream. May "Touch Grass" Nature, bodies, the digital vs. the real, actual grass-touching OR complete indoor goblin rebellion. June "Loud & Unapologetic" Big energy, queer joy, protest poetry, or being quietly defiant in a loud world. July "Somewhere Only We Know" Secret places, nostalgia, hidden worlds, or something that makes absolutely no sense to anyone but you. August "Chaos Feels Like Home" Found families, unmade beds, loving the messiness of life (or being obsessed with order to rebel against this theme). September "Letters They’ll Never Read" Missed connections, rage texts, whispered confessions, or a poem in the form of a petty email. October "Ghosted (By Life, Love, or Capitalism)" Actual ghosts, existential hauntings, abandoned shopping trolleys, or eerie voicemail poetry. November "Eat The Poem" Sensory feasts, edible metaphors, food as culture, or just writing about soup for no reason. December "Rewind / Remind / Reshape" Second chances, time travel, rewriting the past, or refusing to reflect at all. January (2026) "Not Another New Year" Anti-resolutions, resisting fresh starts, embracing the same-old with gusto. February (2026) "Love Like You Mean It" Messy, radical, platonic, self, chaotic love—or writing about anything but love in rebellion. March (2026) "Speak Now or Forever Regret It" Confessions, brutal honesty, alternative timelines, or writing in complete silence. CELEBRATING INCLUSIVE, EXPERIMENTAL & DIVERSE POETRY. LAUNCHING APRRIL 1st VERVE POEM OF THE MONTH Join the POTM list! Subscribe Now You're now on the POTM list! OUR PARTNERS

Poem of the Month, VERVE Open Door Free Poetry Open Mic, Free Young Person Poetry Programme at VERVE Spoken Word Festival, Mentorship and Supporting National Grass Root Poetry Nights. * for real * COMMUNITY POETRY PROJECTS If you don't know, now you know we run a series of free poetry events, actitivities and opportunities as VERVE Poetry Festival. We make zero profit. Everything we do goes back into poets and poetry culture. Take a look at what we do below. VERVE OPEN DOOR On the second Tuesday of every month we host an entirely free open mic at THE HIVE in Birmingham with a FREE poetry workshop in the day. We'd say it sells out every time but its free so selling out make no sense at all! There's free hot drinks and our founder (also the founder of VERVE POETRY PRESS) is almost always in attendance, you might say he's scouting for poetry talent. We've seen a few poets make there way from beginners to published poets. We do it because we love it! THE COLLECTIVE The Collective is a circular initiative developing 14 newbie poets into practicing artists. We ran it with no funding, no money, entirely for free from 2023-2024. The Collective Included; 2x poetry retreat days. 1-2-1 mentorship with a poetry publisher. Monthly writing circles. Monthly workshops. 4x Sharing events at venues in the city. We're strategising the next cohort and will create a dedicated page once we've got our ducks in a row. Previous cohort members have gone on to publish books, feature at international poetry festivals and national events. SUPPORTING NATIONAL GRASS ROOT POETRY & SPOKEN WORD NIGHTS We support grass root poetry and spoken word nights by paying them to feature at our festival. These have included; Empower Poetry The Big Gay Poetry Night I AM LOUD Scottish Poetry Slam Run Your Mouth Tell it to the Music We're structuring a funding stream from VERVE to support grass root events within their community, money to help with running costs, paying poets and marketing - with your help of course. Watch this space! YOUNG PPL & CHILDREN We host free activities including workshops, performances and reading opportunities in partnership with The Poetry Foundation, The Poetry Society and The Poetry School. This is our initiative to support the NEXT GEN of poets via a free young persons event programme as part of the VERVE POETRY AND SPOKEN WORD FESTIVAL.

VERVE Poetry and Spoken Word Festival hosts an annual Poetry Festival in Birmingham, Online Poetry Workshop series, and Poetry Book Shop. VERVE FESTIVAL of POETRY & SPOKEN WORD Join our mailing list. Get early ticket access. Subscribe Now Thanks for submitting! ABOUT Not just an annual 5 day poetry festival! We also host monthly open mic nights, quarterly featured poetry, a year long Poetry Collective for new writers, and a sell out workshop series featuring established poets all year long. CONTACT VERVE VERVE has cultivated a reputation for its dynamic and celebratory approach to programming poetry of every kind, whether it be raucous spoken word events, quiet poetry readings, studious workshops, immersive poetry, collaborative projects, or open mic. LOCATION BIRMINGHAM @ THE HIVE / THE HIPPODROME / GLEE CLUB / CHERRY REDS / ONLINE MISSION & HISTORY INFO OUR PARTNERS STAY IN THE LOOP SUBSCRIBE Join our mailing list. Get early ticket access. Subscribe Now Thanks for submitting! CONTACT VERVE