On Friday, the inaugural Outspoken event in Bethesda took place to a sold-out Neuadd Ogwen audience.  I  quickly exchanged Dydd Santes Dwynwen cards with my wife at home then hurried along the read some alternative love poems at the new event.  Two of the poems can be read here. while another poem is available in Verve Poetry’s anthology on male suicide.

Tim ‘Double-Barrelled’ Humphreys-Jones had begun the evening with a breathless series of spoken word poems and ended on a slower note with verse on his grandmother’s final words.  The poets Karen Ankers and Ness Owen read about politics and place and equal rights. The session of guest poets was ended by Martin Daws who mixed his spoken word work with print poems on slavery and scenery and the central space of home.

An Open-Mic session was fully subscribed; a new event in North Wales’ poetry calendar secured.

Huge congratulations to Jess Melville-Richards for organising and compering the event and for establishing another platform to listen and share and speak and to be heard.