King Ink

All right? From September 2025 into January 2026, you might have spotted James hanging out at Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen. As part of a Cultural Spring Nibbles commission, he spent several months working alongside the volunteers and guests, trying to find some hidden poets.
In this episode, we’ll hear from Andrea, the Soupie’s CEO, along with some of the poems we wrote together.
Massive thanks to everyone who took the time to chat with James, and especially to Andrea and the hidden poets we met who shared their poetry with us.
This special podcast episode was made possible by The Cultural Spring. You can find out more about the Nibbles programme on their website.
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The King Ink podcast is produced by James Whitman, and this episode included the voices of Andrea Bell, Helen Wilko, and GillOtters.

All right? In June 2025, we celebrated Pride month in glorious style.
This episode includes poems from the four feature sets that night, including On Being a Thing and Northern Lights by Scotters, Me, They, Them and My Sundered Land by Just Think Phil, What Do You Mean, Bill? and Tuesdays by Auburn Langley, and Esther’s Baby and Love Song For a Moderate by AJ McKenna. 
Thanks to all of our fabulous featured poets, to everyone who celebrated Pride on the open mic with us, and to Pop Recs for giving us the run of the place again. Legends all.
Until next time, toodle-oo!
King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.
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In May 2025, the wonderful Rue Collinge shared some poems from her collection, How to Train Your Dragon (published by Verve Poetry Press).
Our open mic was as superb as ever. This episode features I Didn’t Know by Bobby Darling, The Emperor’s New Glucose by Pip McDonald, Eulogy for a Wealthy Monarch by The HellPoet, and Genital Inspectors by that James Whitman. And from Rue’s headline set, we have Body Language, It's Better for the Environment, and the properly gorgeous Moon Cakes. 
Thanks to Rue and Verve Poetry Press for choosing us for this cheeky pre-launch, to our glorious open mic heroes, and to Pop Recs for hosting our shenanigans every month.
Until next time, toodle-oo!
King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.
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In April 2025, we hosted the first of two collaborative events with Born Lippy. Three poets from each night went head to head, and the winners...? Poetry!
From Born Lippy, we had Hold Thoughts by Lydia Bruce, Back in Blyth by Tommy23, and Blackouts from the irrascible Donald Jenkins. And from King Ink, we had Entrails by Helen Rogers, Willem Dapoem by The Hellpoet, and Penelope, Bearer of Great Enmity by our very own James Whitman.
Thanks to everyone who came out to make this such an electric event - the atmosphere was pure buzzing all night. Thanks to all of our featured poets, and to our hosts with the most poets packed into medium size venue I've ever seen, Pop Recs!
Until next time, toodle-oo!
King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.
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In March 2025, we hosted a launch event for Robin Moss. Robin’s latest pamphlet, Learning to Count on the Fingers of Two Hands is available from Mudfog Press. 
Our open mic turned out in force, and we have four podcast debutants in this episode. From the open mic, we have My Island by Vinci, The Shape of It by Pip McDonald, Get Together by Marcella Martin, and Daisies in Bloom by the ever-dapper Bobby Darling. And from Robin’s headline set, we have Learning New Languages, Sex in the 1960s, and the absolutely barn-storming Sliding. 
Thanks to Robin and Mudfog Press for choosing us for their launch, to our brave open mic first-timers, and to Pop Recs for being the greatest venue in our city by the sea.
Until next time, toodle-oo!
King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.
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In February 2025, we were joined by children's author and dead canny poet, Lisette Auton. We’d met Lisette at one of Steve Urwin's infamous Writing Marathons, and she’s one of those poets who just straight-up first drafts beautiful, authentic, human poetry.
Our open mic was as eclectic (and busy) as ever. From the night, we have an untitled piece by Barrie Hall, Disguises by Jose Maria Covas Lima, Shit Goggles by Sky Shone, and Eggy Bread by Rachel Emmott. And from Lisette, we have Top Deck Warrior - Queen of the North, What Would Frida Say?, and the absolutely barn-storming Second Best Room. 
Massive thanks to everyone who came out to see us, to our many open mic word-mongers, and to Pop Recs for hosting us from sundown into the wee hours.
Until next time, toodle-oo!
King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.
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Throughout the summer of 2024, Helen was Poet in Residence at Sunniside in Sunderland. And in January, she launched a pamphlet of the poetry she wrote during that residency. Woohoo!
From the night’s buzzing open mic we have an untitled piece by Jack Wallace-Hunter, Table Water by Lizzie Lovejoy, a wee rap by Donald Jenkins, and Unhappily Married by Nina Mackie. Plus, from Helen’s pamphlet, we have Sunniside Up, Half of this is not Law, and What Do We Make in Sunderland Now? 
Thanks so much to everyone who came along to support Helen’s launch event, to all of our many contributors, and to Pop Recs for being the best venue for spoken word in the city.
Until next time, toodle-oo!
King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.
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We weren’t able to record an episode in December, due to James being laid low with lurgy. Sad times.
But... James never throws any audio away, so we have a couple of festive poems to tickle your baubles. First, we have Festive Fare by AJ McKenna, then Steve Urwin revisits his Ridiculous Resolutions.
Thanks, as always, to Pop Recs for hosting us throughout the year, to all of our many, many contributors, and to everyone who came out to celebrate with us, whatever their winter holds.
Until next time, toodle-oo!
King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.
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In November we lost one of our longest-standing community members, when Pauline May passed away. We all miss Pauline a great deal, and at the top of this episode, we wanted to commemorate her by sharing one of the poems from her pamphlet, Planets, Plants, and the Taste of Salt.
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The remainder of the episode is the same poetry shenanigans you'll be used to by now. From a lively open mic, we have Capitalist King by Auburn Langley, The Distance by Aaron Wright, Shouting Geronimo by Cath Mills, Apocalypse and Verdant by Barry Hall, Our Home by Rachel Emmott, and an early version of The Failing Leaders' Club by Aidan Clarke.
Thanks, as always, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to all of our many contributors, and to everyone who came out to pay their respects. At times like this, it is both humbling and a great comfort to be part of such an incredible community.
Until next time, toodle-oo!
King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.
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All right? This month, we launched the first issue of the King Ink Collection, a celebration of our diverse, talented and raucous open mic regulars.
Some of the poems in this episode feature in the collection (available to buy from our Etsy store); some were from people who just wanted to celebrate the launch with us.
For your listening pleasure, we have Nil Desperandum by Helen Wilko, Tell Me, Physician by AJ McKenna, The After-Lifeguard by Ann Porro, The List by David Farn / Owen Brecon (Wales' Greatest Nature Poet, 1984), Rat With Wings by Helen Rogers, Grow by Laker Turner, and The Dahlias of St Beuno's by Mel McAvoy.
Thank you so much to all of our contributors (both to the collection and to the launch night itself) and to our glorious hosts, Pop Recs. We love you all!
King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.
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