King Ink

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.

Rowan McCabe (July 2023)

All right? Our headliner this month was the Door-to-Door poet himself, Rowan McCabe. He treated us to poems about deer in license plate shops, Azuma trains, and all the usual unusual stuff.
From our open mic poets, we have The Timekeeper by King Ink debutant Amy Grainger, The Lines by Stephen McGowan (BA), and Hooliganism by another debutant, Olya Bowers. And from Rowan we have two poems: Surface and My Least Favourite Things.
As always, thanks to Pop Recs and all of our contributors, and an extra thanks to all the poets we met this month. 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.

Emma Conally-Barklem (June 2023)

All right? Our headliner this month was the wonderful Emma Conally-Barklem. Her poems cover a range of topics, and include the word "mithered", so you know she's a good 'un.
From our irregulars, we have Yes, I Am Me by Karima Lynn, The Alphabet Poem by Gary the Hat, Firsts by Anne Loadman, and Letter to my Parents by Innocent and an untitled poem by Nicole Stevenson. From Emma we have three poems: Best Thing Past Their Best, Bad Linen and A Meteor Landed On Baildon Moor.
As always, thanks to Pop Recs and all of our contributors. See you at Pop Recs on the second Thursday of the 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.

Kirsten Luckins (May 2023)

All right? We've got otter based shenanigans for you this month, courtesy of our fabulous headliner, Kirsten Luckins!
From our irregulars, we have Doing Bird by Malcolm Barnes, Managing the English Department Budget in a Secondary School in the North East of England in 2023 by Helen Wilko, Sing a New Song for 1955 by Chris Hodgson, and The Forgotten Place by José Maria Covas Lima. Then we have two poems from Kirsten: Dear Sophie (10th July) and Farmer Attacked by Furbag.
As always, thanks to Pop Recs and all of our contributors. See you at Pop Recs on the second Thursday of the 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.

AJ McKenna (April 2023)

All right? We're slightly behind schedule this month, but it's worth the wait.
In this episode, we have three poems from our irregulars: Grandkids by Gary the Hat, Adventures in Wordle by Gillie Harrison, and Striker by Kevin Robson. And we have two poems from AJ McKenna's blistering headline set: Hot Fat Utopia Timeline and Not Just a Fancy Word For Nowhere.
As always, thanks to all of our contributors. May's King Ink has come and gone, but we'll be back in Pop Recs on the second Thursday of June.
King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. This season is supported by Your Art funding from the Cultural Spring.