WORD OF MOUTH’S CHRISTMAS PARTY Excellent news that Whitstable’s finest ukulele band THE USELESS PLUCKERS will play at WORD OF MOUTH’s Christmas party at #Whitstable‘s fabulous Umbrella café  on Thursday 5 December, 6.30 – 8.30pm. THIS FREE EVENT features London poet Agnes Meadows, Pauline Holmes of ‘Talk to the Paw’ fame (one of Kent’s funniest poets) & Iranian poet and musician, now living in Kent, Kadir Samad. I will be your host as usual, sprinkling the evening with seasonal poetry.

At all Word of Mouth events, there will be up to 10 OPEN MIC slots of five minutes each, yours for the asking on the night. Whitstable’s licensed Umbrella Café will be open, serving tea/coffee and cakes, and a hot meal if you fancy it. Please come!FAVERSHAM SPECIAL STARTS OUR NEW YEAR On Thursday 9 January, 2020, 6.30 – 8.30pm, the ‘full-time artistic dynamo’ Angela Dye will help us into the New Year at Word of Mouth with some of the coast’s finest writers, all from Faversham and around. Christopher Hopkins will read from his magnificent new collection published this week, The Shape of a Tulip Bird, Rosemary McLeish will make us laugh and cry with her collection published last year, I am a Field, Melinda Walker will sing as well as read her courageous poetry and, a first for Word of Mouth Whitstable, we have the mighty Katy Evans-Bush. As a special treat, folksinger Helen North has agreed to come too. Helen’s lyrics are beautifully crafted and her music always hovers with me for days. Particular songs of hers leave with me with something in my eye every time…

FEBRUARY IS A MARGATE SPECIAL On Thursday 6 February, 2020, 6.30 – 8.30pm, Jess Taggart, currently up to her eyes in organising Margate Bookie 2019, will come and read her gorgeous poetry and will bring Margate talent with her. Tanya Royer, Roger Sapsford and Joshua Cialis have been mentioned and when the Bookie dust has settled, we will confirm details.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY IN MARCH Word of Mouth on Thursday, 5 March 2020, 6.30 – 8.30pm, falls in the week of International Women’s Day and we will celebrate our marvellous variety as women with readings by Maggie Harris, Fiona Sinclair, Gillian Laker, Clair Meyrick and hopefully (baby Freya permitting) Setareh Ebrahimi.

Helen North has just agreed to come and sing for us again that night. Many of her songs, her own compositions, sum up our complex female lives brilliantly.

People of all genders and none are always welcome to read at our open mic.

RAINING MEN IN APRIL? On Thursday 2 April, 2020, 6.30 – 8.30pm, I’m planning a line-up of excellent male poets and music. More details soon!

Many thanks to the Umbrella Café for giving Word of Mouth #Whitstable such a wonderful home.