Search results for ""flapjack press""

Henry Normal's first poetry collection in over twenty years, combining both new and selected poems from his previous performance work. This collection encompasses the subjects of love, death, loneliness, loss, human frailty and other classic conversation stoppers. Published by Five Leaves in 2016, revised and reissued by Flapjack Press in 2018. "Succinct, heartrending and peppered with gentle punchlines" - The Guardian "The Alan Bennett of poetry" - The Scotsman

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Collected Poems, Vol. 1 includes all of the poems from Henry's first three titles with Flapjack Press - Staring Directly at the Eclipse, Travelling Second Class Through Hope, and Raining Upwards. Staring Directly at the Eclipse was Henry Normal's first poetry book in over twenty years, combining both new and selected poems from his previous performance work. It encompasses the subjects of love, death, loneliness, loss, human frailty and other classic conversation stoppers. Travelling Second Class Through Hope contains poems personally selected by the author from his 20th century works. Raining Upwards was Henry's first all-new poetry collection in over twenty years. These poems explore relationships with science, nature, humanity and other vital matters we are usually too busy to think about.

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Ten-year-old Dom knows the power of a wonderfully weird imagination. He knows all there is to know about goblins, zombies, ninjas, and the horror of too many mushy peas. Whilst Dom is trying to adjust to moving home, an unexpected event suddenly changes everything. With his whole world turned upside down, how far will he go to be accepted at a new school where attitudes seem very different to anything he has seen before? The story of Dommy B's Best Adventure Ever! is filled with humour and memorable, magical rhymes. It is adapted from the author's exciting poetry-theatre show for children ages 5 and over.

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Journeying from coming of age, coming to Manchester and coming to terms with life, Rob Steventon wrangles humour from the more preposterous - and disgraceful - aspects of modern society. Political, radical and filled with social commentary, astute wit and comic observation, How I Made My Millions proves that accessible poetry is not the sole property of advertising companies.

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When the pandemic started, Paul Cookson began to write a poem a day, little thinking that before it ended he would have written a thousand. Volume Two continues his compassionate, societal and humorous documentation of the nation's wellbeing and resolve, crafting an extraordinary collection for these truly extraordinary times. Illustrated by Martin Chatterton.

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If this poetry collection has a theme, it is that of impermanence. Coping with change, temporality and uncertainty is one of our great struggles. We are deluded if we feel our lives are built on rock solid foundations. Despite this we strive to create some little temporary paradise for ourselves and, quite surprisingly, for others. "The flame of Beat poetry still flickers brightly in Bolton." - Greg Freeman, writer & reviewer

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In the middle of the night there is a noise - a snuffling and a shuffling and a splintering of wood. A line of Troll prints lead out the door, across the lawn and into the deep, dark forest... Nikki's goldfish, Great Bumbleduke the Third, needs rescuing! Dommy B's adventure for children over 5 is adapted from his high energy, poetry theatre show, and includes puzzles and over 40 b&w illustrations.

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A poet called Dave gives his unique insight into a background that rarely pushes poets to the foreground. A funny, unflinching and heartfelt journey from the streets of Stretford to a stage near you, this is what happens when two very different worlds collide. "One of the authentic voices of Manchester" - Jo Bell, UK Canal Laureate

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"Before extreme shyness, before understanding trauma, in colourful council of infancy, Folly Butler takes root..." Gerry's fifth collection of domestic fantastic, theatre verse. A genre defying opus. The Chronicles of Folly Butler is a three act collection of poetry and plays, and also includes an Epilogue to his previous collection, Fifty. LGBTQ+

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"There is no dragon scarier, no, not in any place. His face looks like his bottom and his bottom like his face!" Rick loves poetry. He thinks it's exciting, funny and imaginative. But all across the land poets are being silenced - by a dragon! How can Rick avoid being eaten and help save the village from this fiery fiend? Dommy B's adventure for children over 5 is adapted from his high energy, poetry theatre show and includes puzzles and over 40 b&w illustrations. It is the third of four exciting stories in his Dragon series.

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Men, hey? Rumbustious buccaneers and fallible flotsam. They set sail upon calm seas and weather storms; they love, they long, they grieve and hopefully find safe harbour. From childhood to supposed adulthood, these simple yet complex creatures battle expectation and seek understanding. It's a fantastical voyage in a changing world where a wave can sometimes be mistaken, but where there are still countless treasures to be found... This book is also intended as a resource to work with young men and men, in enabling them to relate to the different aspects of their lives through the use of planned and evaluated workshops. Adult poetry.

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Includes all the poems from Henry's collections Strikingly Invisible, The Beauty Within Shadow and The Distance Between Clouds, and features many of the poems from his award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, 'A Normal...'.

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Entertainment with the emphasis on "tert". Since running away from home at the age of 28, award winning writer Hovis Presley (the award wasn't for writing) has found fame as the inventor of the bra-less strap and the individually wrapped baked bean. His interests include postal kerplunk and choosing the eight sandwiches he'd take to a desert island - currently seven cheese and an egg mayonnaise. He has produced this book using only a pin and a dictionary. In memory of Richard Henry McFarlane (Hovis Presley), 1960-2005. This re-issue of Poetic Off Licence is based on the 'Bumper Edition' of 2005.

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Welcome to The Anthology of Tomorrow... A collection of poetry exploring what may come to pass, composed by the award-winning poets, playwrights, spoken word artists and seers of Flapjack Press. Includes specially commissioned and previously unpublished work from Dominic Berry, Cathy Crabb, Tony Curry, John Darwin, Rosie Garland, Dermot Glennon, Jackie Hagan, Ben Mellor, Sarah Miller, Dave Morgan, Henry Normal, Steve O'Connor, Anna Percy, Steph Pike, Gerry Potter, Pete Ramskill, Melanie Rees, Thick Richard, Rebecca Audra Smith, Rod Tame, Laura Taylor, Dave Viney and Geneviève L. Walsh. Edited by with contributions from Paul Neads.

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Celebrate the human existence with extraño, a defiantly hopeful collection of adult poetry offering lifelines of creativity and compassion for those of us who’ve taken more than our unfair share of beatings. Includes a Foreword by poet Geneviève L. Walsh. “Like the sting and throb of a new tattoo these are painful and beautiful poems, worn on the sleeve and inked with care and precision. Unwrap their clingfilm, they will speak to the sunshine of rain.” — Tony Walsh AKA Longfella, poet & educator “The love for people observed or well-known in their own complicated existences shines. Women in this collection have inner lives more vast and important than their outer appearance.” — Anna Percy, founder of Stirred Feminist Collective

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Firmly established as Manchester's premier Queer Vegan Poet, Dominic Berry is renowned for his eloquent yet uncompromising stage shows and a desire to confront inequality. No Tigers includes a series of poems detailing his experiences whilst working in India, plus many of the poems featured in the internationally touring show 'Playing Mortal Kombat Guarantees You Inner Calm'. Includes a Foreword by Jack Nicholls. Adult poetry / LGBTQ+ "Hilarious and moving, Berry's work crackles with energy and humanity." - Tim Clare, poet "Whether he is fiercely flying the flag for vegans or proudly probing into the politics of sexuality, he does so with a smile on his face and a fire in his gut." - Sara Hirsch, UK Poetry Slam Champion

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An all-new poetry collection from the creator, writer and performer of the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, A Normal… Written between October 2018 and July 2019, these poems are concerned with the nature of change, identity, worth, and other abstract notions that get in the way of lunch. “Distinctly funny.” - Time Out “The Alan Bennett of poetry.” - The Scotsman “Witty and uncannily accurate with his observations.” - The Stage “Dovetails bittersweet poetry with a sublimely observant wit.” - The Guardian “A gentle giant of stand-up poetry.” - The List

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"Memories were people too, y'know!" Within the tenements of the notorious Scottie Road, amidst dockyards and back-kitchen sink dramas, the Butlers navigate Liverpool with stoic wit 'n' brio. For Gerrid, the seventh son of a seventh child, born in the seventh month, and youngest to the matriarchal May, childhood is fuelled by observation and imagination. But it too-soon becomes clear that resilience must prove the most life-formative skill required to comprehend communal and familial, repetitive, grief... The first autobiographical instalment from the author of Planet Young - as seen on BBC TV's Between the Covers.

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This is a collection about the land. This land. It’s about the politics of the UK, its identity and how it can be re-defined. It’s about the environment, social disquiet, anger, intolerance and the rise of righteousness. It’s about love and intimacy, exploring change and the passing of time. This is a collection which embraces hope and creates the future.

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Written daily throughout the UK's COVID-19 regulatory restrictions, Paul Cookson's new collection picks up directly from his first volume, Fighting Talk. These poems document the period of July to mid-October 2020 - from the pubs re-opening through to the introduction of the 'Three-Tier System'. Compassionate, humorous, political and principled, here is another extraordinary collection for extraordinary times and a continuing discourse on the mood of a nation. "Paul Cookson is on the ball with poetry and life in the here and now. These trying times need poets to help us find a compass. This book is a must." - Michael Rosen "Paul's poetry gives voice to all the things that scare us and all the things that lift us, and everything in between. When we look back at 2020/21 and think what was all that about? his work will help us to remember and to see how far we've come." - Rev. Kate Bottley "A sublime collection of instinctive and honest poems that will undoubtedly serve as a poignant and definitive record of a challenging, turbulent year." - Badly Drawn Boy

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Written daily throughout the UK’s restrictions to combat coronavirus, Pig’s Ear, Dog’s Dinner picks up directly from Volume 2, Can of Worms. Covering the period from the introduction of the ‘Three-Tier System’ through to the anniversary of the first lockdown, Paul’s third volume is filled with humour and compassion, and is a reflective documentation of the nation’s wellbeing. Illustrated by Korky Paul.

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A Moonless Night was written between December 2022 and December 2023. "Poetry about embracing darkness, finding light, and exploring the depths of my lack of substance."

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Twenty years since moving from Canada to the UK, critically-acclaimed and multi-award-winning poet Rose Condo considers the features, facets and philosophies for determining a sense of belonging. This collection explores community, identity, personal growth and societal wellbeing through compassion, sharp political observation and finely honed humour. It is a love letter to home, wherever you might find it.

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Vaudavillain is the first time punk poet Thick Richard's words have been securely trapped in a book - a cornucopia of political and personal vitriol, acerbic humour and points well-made. Illustrated throughout by the author. "Thick Richard's poems remind you of things you'd forgotten were true. His words are rattling and brilliant and shoot life back at you in all its futility and chaos and wonder." - Kate Tempest "I like a bit of fun, but this is ridiculous!" - Dr John Cooper Clarke "John Cooper Clarke channelling the spirit of Frankie Boyle." -Terry Christian "Thick Richard is an idiot on drugs. The thundering verse tramples over you leaving an acrid smell in its wake. Excellent. Much funnier than William Wordsworth." - Arthur Smith "Thick Richard put the how in show business." - Hovis Presley “Uncompromising biting wit, brutally funny and true. An angry orator, a comedy wiz and super-talented wordsmith!” - Sophie Willan "Thick Richard is one of the greatest spoken word performers of his generation. His fierce, funny diatribes offer an essential antidote to an ever more sanitised and derivative culture. A unique and authentic working-class voice." - Byron Vincent "Viciously vivid, violent, vehement, visceral, venomous, vulgar vernacular verse vented and vocalised vigorously at volume via a vexed and volatile virtuoso verbal vagabond. Variously vile, vitriolic, vibrant, virulent and vital." - Tony Walsh AKA Longfella

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In his sixth autobiographical collection of poetry and prose, Gerry explores his fascination with Ireland and a culture steeped in storytelling. Recalling news reports from his childhood he retraces history, experiencing passion, politics and conflict in a poignant and provocative road trip through time. Adult poetry / Play / LGBTQ+

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"We are killjoys, painting portraits of tulips in full-bodied growth, when you ask to see us naked we hand you an album of flowers." By turns tender and intimate, forthright and unabashed, the lustful feminist killjoys explore inclusivity, equality and identity to combat imposter syndrome and patriarchy. An eloquent collection about desire and loss from the founders of Stirred feminist collective.

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In his seventh autobiographical collection of domestic/fantastic theatre-verse, Gerry navigates an ocean of poems and little splashes. From Scottie Road to saunas, Hammer films to heartfelt and articulate politics, and the lost and found of loves and lives, this is where mythos becomes proven fact. Accidental Splendour of the Splash also includes the script of Gerry's hit play 'Miracle', and a Foreword by Roger Hill. Adult poetry & plays, LGBTQ+.

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Love, loss, losing your mind... Perceptive and affecting, intimate and accessible, Anna Percy's first full poetry collection is a passionate declaration featuring many of her prize and slam winning poems. "An assured and potent exploration in blue of the littoral zones between city and country, love and leaving; the places where light and shadow lay bruised in each others arms." - Adam Horovitz, poet "Adventurous and truthful in equal measure and by turns tender, angry, grief-stricken and joyful, sometimes within the turn of a line. These poems will move you and make you think." - Steven Waling, poet & reviewer "A savage lyricality that lifts the beauty of brokenness and the brokenness of beauty to a transcendence of glorious primary colours." - Dan Holloway, Eight Cuts Gallery "Full of warmth and insight and connection. This poet sings a deep sexy note, you feel it in your chest, where the heart lives." - John G. Hall, poet

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The Distance Between Clouds is an all-new collection written between June 2020 and March 2021. "Finally, a collection of poetry about joy, positivity and optimism, before I die unloved and forgotten." - Henry Normal.

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This Phantom Breath was written between August 2016 and August 2017. The poems in this collection are concerned with love, death, truth and other inconvenient distractions. "The Alan Bennett of poetry" - The Scotsman "Dovetails bittersweet poetry with a sublimely observant wit" - The Guardian "Witty and uncannily accurate with his observations" - The Stage "The nerd triumphant" - Manchester Evening News “Distinctly funny" - Time Out

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From the seclusion of the Scottish isles to the urban vigour of Manchester to the lowlands of East Anglia, Anna Percy observes an ever-changing world wherein change is sometimes imperceptible. This passionate and enticing meditation of ecopoetry also explores modern feminism and its societal perception, whilst thematically embracing sensuality, mental health and wellbeing, love and loss. Contains adult themes and strong language.

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James Hartnell is a poet. This is not what he does, this is just who he is. These are not simply songs of submission, they are beautiful songs to submit to.

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At the start of the coronavirus lockdown, Paul Cookson set out to write a poem a day - and kept on going. Featuring his opening five hundred poems, Volume One is an authentic and poetic discourse on the mood of the nation, composed with compassion, humour, and adroit takes on the day to day of life throughout challenging times. Illustrated by Martin Chatterton.

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"You'll never live more life than wha' I'm livin' through right now..." Join Gerry Potter on a voyage into social relativism and the domestic/fantastic in a punchy 'n' pithy, yet generously discursive, collection. Contemplating both the ingrained and fleeting fears of a life enlightened through c-PTSD diagnosis, these are li'l poems addressing big issues.

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Johnny Carroll-Pell is a young artist from Brighton who is diagnosed as severely autistic. Though he finds verbal communication challenging, he finds expression through painting. To coincide with the first major exhibition of his paintings at the Phoenix Art Gallery in Brighton, this book contains 100 pictures celebrating his art. The title replicates his popular Facebook page 'Art By Johnny' and several further exhibitions planned around the country. The paintings and photos here are selected by his parents, Henry Normal and Angela Pell, who have written a book about bringing Johnny up called A Normal Family. Johnny is also the subject of several BBC Radio 4 shows, a couple of poetry books written by his dad, and the inspiration for the film Snow Cake, written by his mum. Edited by Henry Normal. "Many artists would envy the spontaneity and freedom of expression that Johnny shows as he paints - and the joyous and arresting results speak for themselves. Years ago, we used to say that people with autism showed no emotion and had no imagination: looking at these beautiful paintings makes me ashamed that we could ever have been so blind." Jane Asher - President, National Autistic Society

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A curse has been imposed on the land of Chromatia by The Shadowfolk: all colours, apart from black and white, have been taken from the world. Frustrated by the curse and the wall surrounding their home in Monotown, two children, Talia and Aaron, agree to go on a dangerous adventure - a fantastic quest to solve the riddle of The Puzzlestone, unravel the mystery of the three circles, recover the stolen Heartstone, and bring back colour to their world... A story for all the family to share. Suitable to be read from age 8 and perfect to read to younger children. "Fans of Lord of the Rings and Labyrinth will enjoy this excellent story. Pitched perfectly for the family ... Colourquest is an engaging tale for kids of all ages" - Salford Star

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Critically acclaimed playwright Cathy Crabb brings her expert imagination, wit and lucidity to the page in her first poetry collection. Whether dealing with invasive mind spam, brain worms or family, contemplating loss, the inevitability of change or having the odd drink, the corner of her mind's eye is right in front of you. Includes a Foreword by John Henshaw. "What I admire is a writer who constantly seeks to question, to pull apart, to discover and share. Cathy Crabb is the ultimate example of the seeker. God bless 'er!" - Tony Curry, poet, playwright & workshop facilitator "From the most private of moments to the most public of places, Cathy Crabb swishes her tales like a born storyteller. Funny and tender, raw and real, her poetry is a revelation." - Tony Walsh AKA Longfella, Glastonbury Festival Poet in Residence 2011

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Melanie and Sarah met when they shared a big white house on an island next to a passing place. They waded out, sang selkie songs to a seal they named Sir Douglas, shared stories, poems, wine and secrets, and decided to create something together. This is their potent and poetic debut collection. Includes a Foreword by Gerry Potter. RUNNER UP Best Collaborative Work, Saboteur Awards 2015 "This is a collection to enjoy slowly, piece by piece, like the very finest chocolates - and then, because it's better than chocolates, to enjoy and appreciate again and again." - Cathy Bryant, poet & editor of Best of Manchester Poets "Rees and Miller depict our awkward, impossible world using believable voices that complement each other, summoning up lovers, relatives and totemic birds to capture the idiocy / wonder / terror of life." - copland smith, poet "Love and joy are the predominant emotions: these are positive poems with their feet planted on the ground and their heads in the air." - Steven Waling, poet & reviewer "From Sydney to Scotland via Salford and Barrow-in-Furness, Melanie and Sarah transport the reader to strange yet recognisable worlds." - Rosie Garland, poet, novelist & March Violet

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The hottest bar in a hot Southern city. A US State Highway twisting its way into the Appalachians. An overcast afternoon in an abandoned park in Manchester... Using a mixture of intimate confessions and half-imagined anecdotes, Fergus weaves a transatlantic gaggle of modern day folk-tales and quiet revelations. It's full of the stories you tell people when they ask you where you're from, and learning that once you leave, you can't go back. It's about making a home from the things you have to hand. Includes a Foreword by Michelle Green. Adult Poetry / LGBTQ+

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"There's no point jangling if you don't hear the jingle." Gerry Potter, creator and destroyer of the infamous gingham diva Chloe Poems, welcomes you to his first collection of domestic/fantastic theatre-verse. Biographical, confessional and rich with spell-weaving imagery, Planet Young is a magical history tour, thrusting you forever forward through Liverpool's Scottie Road before brake-slamming and horn-pounding into a wider world. Adult Poetry and playscript. LGBTQ+.

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Open the door of this book and step into the universe of Dr Dermot Glennon and you may not be able to get out again. You may not want to. You may want to get help. Arranged in broadly thematic chapters with style guide introductions and explanations of the underlying ideas and philosophies that led to the writing of the poems within, this book offers poetic and philosophical pleasure by way of financial appropriation and benefits from a design that fits most standard bookshelves and coffee tables. "A mystery ranging from everywhere to nowhere, calling for an intelligent open mind. Funny, hard and relatable." - Lauren Bolger, Paradox "Like a picture by Escher, only funnier. Behind the formal mastery and strong sense of order lies real depth, sometimes constructed from a cleverly realised unreality. And when the harlequin mask is occasionally dropped the illusion is punctured by a startling emotional honesty." - Simon Rennie, poet "Dermot's poetry is like a horror film. You want to hide but you can't stop yourself looking." - Rod Tame, Write Out Loud

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Henry Normal's Collected Poems, Volume Two includes all of the poems from This Phantom Breath, The Department of Lost Wishes and Swallowing the Entire Ocean. The poems in This Phantom Breath are concerned with love, death, truth and other inconvenient distractions. The Department of Lost Wishes contains more than one hundred poems selected by the author from his early works. The poems in Swallowing the Entire Ocean are concerned with the search for meaning and identity, and other foolhardy adventures.

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Laura’s third collection with Flapjack Press is a rallying call for action and challenges inequality, oppression and division with passion, objectivity, empathy and humour. This is socially conscious and uncompromising poetry, which explores the slippery and inconclusive condition of language, the power of ideology and the process of myth-making, addressing the wellbeing of a diverse nation governed by a political and social elite and their culpability.

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A collection of uncompromising poetry observing the negativity and self-fulfilling futility of division counterpoised with the importance of care and empathy to explore what really matters. Includes a Foreword by Professor Mike Thomas, Vice Chancellor UCLAN. Fault Lines is Laura’s second collection of poetry from Flapjack Press. “One of the country’s finest poets, both on the page and on the stage. A spirit at once empathetic and revolutionary. Real words for heart-breaking times, a call to action!” - Attila the Stockbroker, poet & musician “A poetic battle cry. I’d like my teenage daughter to read these poems because, as women, we shouldn’t have to wait for middle-age to claim the right to be ourselves.” - Alice Nutter, ex-Chumbawamba, screenwriter & playwright “Defiant, furious, vulnerable, bloody-minded and wonderfully joyous, this volume encourages us all to hang on in there. Fill your heart. Read this book.” - Steve Pottinger, poet & performer “This is poetry that does not just describe our world: it challenges you to change it. And it does so with such class.” - Janine Booth, writer, poet & activist “Laura has the key quality to be a true poet: something to say. This book is of and for the times we are living through and ought to be on school curricula.” - Julian Jordon, Director of Write Out Loud “Personal, political, social and relational. Her strength and consistency as a poet is raising sometimes difficult but often comic issues to our attention.” - Professor Mike Thomas, V-C of UCLAN

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Dominic Berry presents his favourite pieces for performance from his four adult collections with Flapjack Press - Tomorrow, I Will Go Dancing, Wizard, No Tigers and Yes Life - along with new poetry designed to engage and inspire.

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Manchester's full of stories... tell-tale and multi. In this bountiful collection of "first draft explosions" the infamous gingham diva rides the sound waves of Manchester, revealing the people and places which stir and shape her creative muse. "Ever wondered what a night around Manchester with Chloe Poems as a tour guide would be like? Well, here it is, improvised and filled with the crackling energy that comes from trusting those initial sparks of inspiration." - conor a, Per Verse "Chloe Poems is an inspiration. Heroic, poetic and honest." - Mike Garry, poet & author of Mancunian Meander "At the end of the last century and over into this one, Chloe Poems held the poetry scene together in Manchester with her own lovely bare hands. She is simply one of the greatest live poets you will find." - Neil Bell, actor & sonic poet

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An inspirational collection containing the unabridged scripts of Rose Condo's three acclaimed poetry theatre shows: The Geography of Me, How to Starve an Artist and The Empathy Experiment. In The Geography of Me, Rose journeys through foreign and familiar lands, recounting hilarity and heartbreak, and disarming even the most reluctant of armchair travellers. How to Starve an Artist is a series of poems and stories about creative nourishment and how to feed your 'inner artist'. It was runner up in the Best Spoken Word Show category at the Saboteur Awards 2017. The Empathy Experiment asks if you could survive for one day without your phone - and if empathy is facing extinction, are smartphones are to blame? Rose explores tech addiction and compassion using herself as the test subject ... but does her experiment work? Winner Best Spoken Word Show, Gtr Manchester Fringe Festival 2019. After the Storm also includes QR codes to access accompanying music by Eleonora Rosca, full colour artwork by Jen McDonald, and a Foreword by Tina Sederholm.

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