Poets from the floor welcome
Louise Walker was born in Southport and lives in SE London. She taught English for 35 years at girls’ schools. She has been Highly Commended in the Frosted Fire Firsts Award and longlisted in in The Alchemy Spoon Pamphlet Competition. In 2023 she was shortlisted in the Bedford Competition and won 3rd prize in the Ironbridge Poetry Competition. Her debut collection, From There to Here was published by Dithering Chaps in 2024.
Mat Riches is from Norfolk, but lives in Beckenham. He has previously worked in a plastics factory, a variety of pubs, and a book wholesaler, but currently works in market research and as ITV’s (unofficial) poet-in-residence. He’s also a trainee Bongosero. When he’s not doing those things, he’s either being a parent, a husband or running. Sometimes all of them at once. He co-runs Rogue Strands poetry evenings, and blogs at Wear The Fox Hat. A pamphlet, Collecting the Data, is out via Red Squirrel Press.
Neil Elder won the Cinnamon Press debut collection prize with The Space Between Us, as well as their pamphlet prize with Codes of Conduct, also shortlisted for a Saboteur Award. He has a number of other publications; his latest work is Like This, from 4 Word Press. Widely published in magazines and journals, he is now looking for a home for the next collection. Neil occasionally writes at https://neilelderpoetry.wordpress.com/
