A Lovely Word featuring Leilah King

A Lovely Word, downstairs at the Everyman, is Liverpool’s most eclectic poetry night.

It features two halves of open mic poets, and a headliner beginning the first half. Hosted by Alex Ferguson and team, this free event is a fun, relaxed and friendly evening of performance poetry.

HEADLINER

Leilah is a half-Iranian queer footballer and coach, mental health advocate, and stand-up poet.

She grew up in a rural town in Wales and started writing poetry in her teens. She enjoyed writing as an escape from her feelings of loneliness. She was not open about her sexuality, and her family were one of the few dual heritage families in the area, which compounded her sense of estrangement. Through her writing she could be authentic, sharing romantic poems about women. Leilah’s poetry evolved as she was inspired by her Iranian heritage and her time spent in Tehran and Shiraz, her mother’s home city. Leilah’s recent work is informed by her dual heritage and her experiences as a gender non-conforming queer woman. She examines how these identities intersect, balancing the expectations of her family of origin with her gender and sexuality. 

Her debut poetry collection Midnight Picnics in Tehran was published by Burning Eye Books. Her new collection We Are Hungry for Androgyny is recently out with Polari Press. 
She is the co-founder and host of an open mic night in Bristol called Time of the Month Open Mic, a performance space for female/trans/nonbinary/GNC performers.

"Politically in-your-face, but always authentic, always original, Leilah writes with intelligence, wit and nuance in precise and vivid language."
Melanie Branton

"You never know what’s coming next, but you really, really want to take the leap and find out. A brilliant performer and sparky poet to fall in love with"
Malaika Kegode

TAKE PART

Whether you are a new poet performing for the first time or a seasoned poet who wants to try out some new stuff, sign up to perform by
I) emailing [email protected] with a confirmation of your full name, mobile number
II) turning up to the Bistro at 7.30pm for an 8pm start (slots are VERY limited so emailing is a preference)

When signing up to perform, you are signing up to these principles of the open mic.