King Ink

Ann Porro (April 2024)

All right? We were joined this month by the delightful Ann Porro, bookseller by day... performance poet by night!
The open mic was rammed again (sorry, Luke) and from them we have I Have a Plan by Christine Fowler, Letter From an Atheist by Kev Robson, Before by Milky Brookes, and Leaving the Lakes by our very own Helen Wilko. Ann shared some wonderful poems on the night, including An Arthouse Movie Vampire Takes a Walk, Ms Nightingale, and Boy With the Red Balloon.
Thanks, as always, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Ann for a truly wonderful headline set, and to all our many, many contributors. Toodle-oo!
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

Harry Gallagher (March 2024)

All right? In March, we were visited by the eternally puckish Harry Gallagher, who read from his most recent book, There Is An England.
From our open mic poetswe have... Born of Bad Dreams by James Holbrook, Emotional Warriors by Auburn Langley, Writer's Block by Gillian Harrison, and The Dandelion Field by Jack Wallace-Hunter. And from Harry we have You Do Not Speak For Me, Youth Training (which made James cry a bit), and We Are Each Other.
Thanks again to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Harry for a headline set that was equal parts tub-thumping and whimsy, and to all our contributors, debutants and veterans alike. Toodle-oo!
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

Keith Ford (February 2024)

All right? In this month's episode, we're delighted to include poems recorded at the "soft launch" of Keith Ford's book, Matters of Life and Death, along with all the usual King Ink shenanigans.
From our packed open mic, we have a haiku by Auburn Langley, Holiday by Mwelwa Chilekwa, Tory Helpline by Andy Sutton, Friendshifting by Liz Dean, and Charlie Care's signature piece, A Roman Legionary Has a Vision of the Future. And from Keith's set we have Son of the North, Playlist For Mam, and (the highly NSFW) Before This City Stunk of Skunk.
Thanks, as ever, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Keith (and Andy) for travelling all the way from Nottingham, and to our merry horde of contributors. Toodle-oo!
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

Julie Easely (January 2024)

All right? Happy 2024 and welcome to our first podcast of the year. Headlining this month was the fiery Julie Easely. Hailing from Teeside, Julie is a working-class poet, a queer ally, and let me tell you, she is angry!
From the open mic this month we have Imagine a River by Philip E. Cassidy, Chalice Well by Rebecca Kime, Smile by Kevin Robson, and This Gift by Helen Rogers. And from Julie's headline set we have Let Them Eat Chips, Imagine, and They Really Don't Care.
Massive thanks to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Julie for travelling all the way from Saltburn, and to all of our many, many contributors. Toodle-oo!
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

Gary the Hat (December 2023)

All right? For our last event of the year, we wanted to celebrate the pamphlet launch of popular King Ink regular, Gary the Hat. From his first readings in 2022 to headlining across the region and releasing his first pamphlet, Gary is an inspiration to any aspiring poet.
From this month's open mic we have Some Presents from Auntie Barb (deceased) at a Night of Mediumship by Liz Dean, All Beset the Phobics by Just Think Phil, Endless Thirst by Scott Bentley, and Nil Desperandum by Helen Wilko. And from the Hat himself we have Should I...?, Neurotic, and Music To My Ears.
As usual, huge thanks to Pop Recs for hosting us, and to all of our many contributors. Next year promises to be even bigger, now that we are officially a Community Interest Company. For now, enjoy some time with your loved ones, and we'll see you in 2024.
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

Bob Beagrie (November 2023)

All right? Another month, another packed Pop Recs. This month we had a whopping 35 open mic performers, and we were visited by Teeside's finest, Bob Beagrie.
From the open mic we have To a Friend by RW Thorne, Raise the Dead by Cara Brooke, Times That Cannot Be Reversed by Folasade Fasoyiro, and the long-awaited Dad Dancing by Keith Ford. And from the brilliantly bearded Bob Beargie we have It's Like..., Spell, and Kite Over Morton Castle.
Massive thanks to Pop Recs for hosting another massive night, and to all of our many, many, many contributors. See you next month for mince pies and crackers!
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

Kate Fox (October 2023)

All right? Well! What a month October was! We had one of the most heart-warming moments in King Ink history on stage (if you were there, you know). And we had a headline set from Kate Fox!
From the King Ink Irregulars, we have The Stricken Oak by David Farn, Songbird by Helen Rogers, Invisible by Karima, and an untitled poem by Jay Sykes. And from Kate Fox we have Lots of Planets Have a North, Opposite Sides of the Wall, and This Run is for You.
It was an extra busy night, so extra big thanks to Pop Recs, and to all of our many, many contributors. Plus, big hugs for Chris and Sharon! (Like I said, if you were there, you know.) See you next month!
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

Nasim Rebecca Asl (September 2023)

All right? We've got a bumper episode for you this month, befitting the busiest night we've had since King Ink returned last year. Our headliner, Nasim Rebecca Asl brought her Washy posse, and she was kind enough to record three poems for us.
From the King Ink Irregulars, we have The Village by Just Think Phil Wardle, The Sea Sings by Sharon Milley, The Ouija Board by John Appleton, and Breadcrumbs of Your Love by Lian Maltas. And from Nasim we have Say Begu, #DatingWhileBrown, and Bia Zayanderud Bia.
The usual collosal thanks to Pop Rec, to all of our contributors, and to everyone who travelled to Sunderland to make the night so special. See you next month!
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. This season is supported by Your Art funding from the Cultural Spring.

Bonus Episode: Gary the Hat

All right? We're trying something a little different with this bonus episode. Gary the Hat, one of our regular King Inkers, has written a sequence of poems about alcohol, and we thought it would be cool to collect them in one recording.
Gary has been coming to King Ink since February 2022, when he read his poetry for the first time. He has developed so much in that time, and it has been mint seeing him grow as a performer.
Massive thanks to Gary for sharing these poems with us, and to Pop Recs for allowing us to record at the venue. (But not so much to the traffic warden, who gave Wilko a ticket for the sake of five minutes additional parking...)
If you like this format, with one poet reading several connected poems, do let us know, either by liking the episode or leaving a comment. Cheers!
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. This season is supported by Your Art funding from the Cultural Spring.

Steve Urwin and Jenni Pascoe (August 2023)

All right? We had a mega King Ink sesh this month, with two fabulous headliners. First, we had Master of the Goth Arts, Steve Urwin; then for second breakfast, we had Mistress of the... Purple Arts, Jenni Pascoe.
Steve opens the podcast this month with three of his Tiny Tales. From the King Ink Irregulars, we have Salt of the Earth by Lian Maltas, The Shock of the Old by Barry Hall, Poem for Tim by Keith Ford, Sunset, Nearly by Liz Dean, Regrets by Chris Hodgson, and For Yasmine by Luke Shannon. Finally, Jenni perfectly sums up King Ink with We Are Not Silent Poets.
Massive thanks to Pop Recs and all of our contributors for what was a really special evening. See you at the next one!
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. This season is supported by Your Art funding from the Cultural Spring.