A Lovely Poetry Festival presents... Nymphs & Thugs: LIVEwire

Join the UK's leading spoken word record label Nymphs & Thugs for an evening of electric spoken word poetry!

Rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the most exciting nights in their field, Nymphs & Thugs' 'LIVEwire' events will leave you wondering how poetry managed to be so dull at school.

Featuring nationally and internationally renowned acts alongside the very best emerging talent from the region. This Saturday night slot at Lovely Festival stars Zena Edwards, Tony Walsh, Casey Bailey, and Amina Atiq.

Hosted by the extraordinary Kevin P. Gilday, and a DJ set by Roy.

www.nymphsandthugs.net 

ZENA EDWARDS

Zena Edwards is a poet and performer who uses song, movement, and global influences as a jump-off for her words. She defines the fusion of poetry and music by including traditional African-instrumentation (the Kalimba and Kora) and new technology, to create her own soundtracks for her poems and stories, producing a body of work that reaches culturally and generationally diverse audiences on an international level. She fuses Jazzy Hip-Hop grooves, heavily influenced by her world music collaborations, with South African musicians including Pops Mohamed, one of her most important mentors.

She has performed at Festivals worldwide and works in schools and colleges, and recently became Consulting Artistic Associate for Apples + Snakes. Zena has shared the stage and anthologies with some of her most admired predecessors: Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sonia Sanchez, Lemn Sissay, Jean Binta Breeze and Roger McGough.

TONY WALSH

A former Poet in Residence for the world-renowned Glastonbury Festival, Manchester poet Tony Walsh (aka Longfella) has taken his words to rock festival and stadium main stages, to national television events, major sporting occasions and a standing ovation at a BAFTA awards ceremony. Along the way, he has picked up a host of celebrity fans and commissions from the likes of The Guardian, The Observer, Channel 4 News, The Imperial War Museum, the Lake District National Park and many times by the BBC. With his second full collection underway and a newly-signed three book deal with Hachette Children's recently announced, Tony was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Salford in 2018.
“Now a national hero” (The Guardian) having "stunned millions of people" (Huffington Post) with his iconic performance after the Manchester arena bomb in May 2017, international audiences are now discovering what has been an open secret for over 15 years: a performance from Tony Walsh is a rip-roaring rock and roller-coaster ride from a profoundly inspiring artist at the very top of his game. Forget what you imagined a poetry set could be and expect belly-laughs, tears and everything in between from this stunning, big-hearted performer who often leaves audiences on their feet, dazzled and breathless. Think that you won't enjoy a poetry night? Think again!

"Seriously amazing!" BBC.COM
"...stirring...stunning..." TIME magazine, USA
"Astounding" BAFTA

CASEY BAILEY

Casey Bailey is a writer, performer, and educator born and raised in Birmingham. He's the Birmingham Poet Laureate 2020 – 2022 and the Greater Birmingham Future Face of Arts and Culture 2020. Casey’s second full poetry collection Please Do Not Touch was published by Burning Eye in 2021.

He was commissioned by the BBC to write The Ballad Of The Peaky Blinders in 2019. In 2020 the poem was internationally recognised, winning a Webby Award. Casey has performed his poetry nationally, and internationally. Casey was named as one of Birmingham Live's 'Birmingham "30 under 30" of 2018, he is a Fellow of the University of Worcester and in 2021 was awarded an honorary doctorate by Newman University.

AMINA ATIQ

Amina Atiq is a Yemeni- Scouse poet, performance artist, creative practitioner, and award-winning community activist. BBC Words First Finalist 2019 and Young Associate & Anti-racism group member for Curious Minds. Artist fellow of DadaFest & Weston Jerwood Creative programme.  

She is currently working in collaboration with 20 Stories High; a new public arts project coming to Liverpool 8. It involves working closely with young Muslim people and is titled Poets' Gift. New work can be seen at the Imperial War Museum One Story, Many Voices installation, also a selection of poems at the Sutton Manor: Just Beyond Reach. ‘Broken Biscuits & Collection of Works’ is coming to Dada International Festival 2022. ‘Broken Biscuits’ explores her grandmothers 1970s Yemeni- British household. 

In 2020, she produced a short documentary, Unheard Voices, commissioned by DadaFest, capturing the stories of Yemeni shopkeepers in Liverpool.  She is working on a new online and print project, Scouse Pilgrimage, commissioned by Unity Theatre. Upcoming publications found at Speaking Volumes and Cordite Poetry Review.

Presented as part of A Lovely Poetry Festival