Event Write-ups

Medway River Lit Quiet Compere Write up from 2nd June 2023

Belated blog due to access issues to my website – Events were 1st-4th June 2023

Workshop – games and play-themed went well.

Lots of random photos from...Read More »


The Quiet Compere Live and Online 2022 Tour Finale and photo albums of random parts of the tour

We did it!! And I made it to everyone and thoroughly enjoyed splitting some of the responsibility and tasks with my co-hosts and Nina, Super online event Tech. ...Read More »


Bristol Blog - Bath retreat, Banksy, brilliant venue and dog cuddles - plus lots of poetry and an after party

Co-host and performer, Caleb Parkin

From Caleb’s book All the cancelled parties my favourites in it were...Read More »


Quiet Compere 16th September Marsden Mechanics

Thanks to Rose Condo for photo of me 🙂

So, this is my first local gig since moving to this county, so I felt some pressure to...Read More »


Quiet Compere stop 6 - Zoom August 17th

Workshop

We had a widespread group for the workshop on the Tuesday (I had to move it to the day before as I have started a full-time job and run out of holiday days). 

After a brief panic because both Zoom and Eventbrite...Read More »


Bradford City Library Quiet Compere 11th June

The venue often feels like an extra performer. Bradford City Library (hosted by the excellent Dionne V. Hood) was no exception to this. They provide a cosy space between the shelves and a bust of Humbert Wolfe, a...Read More »


Quiet Compere 2022 - Morecambe - Stop 3

Return to the bay

I went back to Morecambe, a place I fell hard for last year. One of the places I felt I could escape from the lockdown hangover and find pockets of normal, where I met such a supportive and friendly bunch of creatives. I return when I...Read More »


Chatham Quiet Compere (& Canterbury Stag)

On the way to Quiet Compere – Chatham, I called in to The Stag Café in Canterbury to perform my first live guest set since COVID started. It felt so good to be up there and engaging with an audience again. Brilliant sets from Tim Taylor, Christopher Horton, Gary Studley,...Read More »


Publication History 2021

January

‘Road-signs’ in The Journal #63
25th ‘Book-fort haven’ Haiflu haiku 



Haiflu – Liv Torc (9 photos as part of this project too)
 
Stream A Northern Idol (for Clare Shaw) by Sarah L Dixon | Listen online for free on...Read More »

Quiet Compere 2022 - Tour plans and arts council bid going in really soon


Mechanics Institute, Marsden, April 2022
Venue TBC, Chatham, April 2022
West End Playhouse, Morecambe May 2022
Bradford Libraries, date TBC 2022.
The Arena, Wolverhampton date TBC 2022
Venue TBC, Bristol, October 2022

Plus 3x online zoom events as part of the tour. 

Watch this space!...Read More »

2021 Dates



Photo credit: Sharon Larkin 

Cafe Writers – Zoom Norwich – 11th January 2021  (guest)
Yes we cant – Zoom Walsall – 7th February 2021 (guest)
Marble Issue 8 launch – Zoom – 8th February 2021 (reader)
Speakeasy – Zoom Worcester – 11th February 2021 (6 min set)
Locked Down Launch...Read More »

The Poem Place - Episode 3

Hi All,

I am delighted to feature in this podcast hosted by Matt Chamberlain along with Bethany Goodwill and David Dykes.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/680696/2790415?fbclid=IwAR3GbjcIjhMOYK9OE7JEJkwy_QqEQcJBZSBVlkEoSTjOgk2OJRH7UqHE29E

My poems from the podcast are below:

I could talk of childhood beaches

of the rock-pools at RhosColyn,

saltwater rashes

and the eel...Read More »


Adding wax patterns to Wednesday launch - 30th November 2018 - Three Drops Press


Launch at The Lloyds, Chorlton, Manchester Friday 30th November 7.30-9.30pm

Special guests: Simon Howarth. Chris Woods and Kate Garrett.

FREE ENTRY

‘Here dance the figures of anger, frustration, resentment and desire, following the skewed steps of Surrealist spells and charms for coping. Dixon’s pithy and...Read More »


Review from David Mitchell at Sabotage Reviews

The Sky Is Cracked by Sarah L Dixon

...Read More »

The sound of a stick trailed across railings or The Quiet Compere at Poetry Swindon

      

Warning: This is longer than my usual blogs as it is trying to cover the Poetry Swindon weekend, rather than just Quiet Compere event.

 

I knew before I arrived at Poetry Swindon this was going to be the friendliest place to spend my 40th birthday weekend having met a...Read More »


Robin Williams, apple sorrow and elephants in every corner (the blog of Quiet Compere at Worcs LitFest 2016)

 

After a walk along Kleeve Walk beside the Severn and through the locks I found Ye Olde Talbot where I stayed last year and had a slow pint in the pub garden gazing at a small...Read More »


Oceans of Bisto, sausage rolls and mustard memories – Hebden Blog

Firstly, The Nutclough Studio was a perfect space for a Yorkshire-sized audience, the venue was truly a 12th performer on this night, adding it’s personality to the event and we had a visit from the lovely Fern Bast to check we settled in and again at the end of the...Read More »


The Quiet Compere and Thursday Lates at Whitworth Gallery - 4th February 2016

Firstly, massive Crowd-funder thanks and shout-out to Mary R Crumpton who could not make it on the night.

Secondly, a Big Crowd-funder hug to all that have supported to make this happen.

I planned a workshop and made suggestions of art-work and how attendees could use...Read More »

Quiet Compere End of of Year Review (4/4) featuring Ulverston, Chesterfield and Cheltenham.

Ulverston – Committee of poets My poetry highlights: Mark Carson: ‘This poem is written in oils, I have been adding layers since May.’ Maggie How: Performed her set a tribute to her father. The heart-breaking phrase ‘You smudge my heart with your art of dying.’ Kim Moore was the 12th poet in the room:...Read More »

Quiet Compere Review of 2015 3/4 featuring Camden, Hackney and Hull events.

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-quiet-compere-poetry-and-gallery-tour-2016 Camden – Outbreak of poets The sound of the sewers under the streets was eerie after reading about in The Ghost Map (Steven Johnson) In the 1853-4 epidemic having a pint was safer than trusting the pumps (as they had their own water source). I found the site of the...Read More »

Quiet Compere Review of the Year 2016 2/4 - Features Worcester, Halifax and Exeter

Worcester – a hive of poets I met the lovely Steve Wilson, who is in charge of the event at The Hive and stayed in an old inn with sloping floors (who let me eat fish and chips in my room while I got ready because I was short of time). My...Read More »

Quiet Compere 2015 Review of the Year (1/4) - Part 1 - Durham, Oxford and Norwich and an apology to Exeter and Manchester 52 gatherings for no blogs

Firstly, an apology to the poets at both 52 gatherings I organised around the tour dates. I fully intended to write in-depth reviews of these events, but life and other poetry admin got solidly in the way, to a point when it felt like an after-thought. I loved every minute...Read More »

A Cheltenham Finale, trial by video and a Sarah who wears space

I will start with a link to my guest blog on Sarah Snell-Pym’s site (more about here below) that explains why the final was in Cheltenham, several reasons including it being the first place I ran an event away from home (somewhere I had never been and knew no-one in...Read More »

Vodka, patient ghosts and the key of self-destruct

The Bird Cage had a chippy that delivered to the venue. Happy Sarah installed with fish and chips and a Punk IPA. As Catherine Woodward was not available as the date moved nearer, she massively helped promote it but left me in the trustworthy hands of Rufus Lunn. Rufus was...Read More »

An Allen key called Allen, nothing but storm and a trace of stars

I had an adventure on my way to The South Bank. Trying to find the shard I wandered into the familiar site of a Hospital (17 years in the NHS – I seem to be drawn to them) looking up and forwards all the time. I turned around and there...Read More »

Inappropriate shoes, Star Trek Clerihews and spaces between the rings of Saturn or Camden Blog

Having arrived a couple of hours early I took my book The Ghost Map with me and searched out some streets on the map from the cholera epidemic of 1854. It was eerie listening to the sewer noise on the streets that suffered so much from not having this infrastructure....Read More »

The Jean Brodie Room, The Grand Witches’ Ball and poets ready for rain or The Quiet Compere Exeter blog

I arrived in Exeter late afternoon and checked into my accommodation. I was delighted to find I had been allocated The Brodie themed single room, with private Brodie bathroom and quotes and film posters on the wall and a copy of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in the bedside...Read More »

The Quiet Compere Hull - Meet me at the nose of this cow a week on Friday. Bring Cake (Sue Lozynskyj).

I had never been to Hull before and enjoyed a jaunt around the Arcades and the indoor market, complete with the Hull Wall of Fame including The Housemartins, Philip Larkin and others I knew of and surprisingly, to me, Reece Shearsmith. I found Ye Olde White Harte on Silver Street....Read More »

A Shrinking of shrugs, mermaids and carbon monoxide poisoning - Worcester blog

On arriving at the Hive I met Steve Wilson (after so many phone calls and emails in planning stages) who was taller and didn’t have the right colour hair for my phone vision. The Hive and Steve were brilliant hosts. I discovered the venue was unlicenced and decided to grab...Read More »

The night we left as wolves, slightly scumbled and with smudged hearts - Ulverston Quiet Compere blog

I could get used to having a committee of six (?) to plan for me. Caroline swapped a workshop (I came out with two strong pieces I have already performed) for a Quiet Compere t-shirt and drove me to get ale and to the venue. We arrived there ten minutes...Read More »

A backdrop of books, fingerprints and late butterflies or Blog of Oxford event - Stop 4 Quiet Compere National Tour 2015

I had checked out the location earlier and bobbed in to say Hi to Dennis at the Albion Beatnik Bookshop. I gave myself plenty of time to get there. Then my phone maps app took me on a scenic route by changing my destination to The Pitt Rivers Museum. This...Read More »

The kindness of strangers, hospital happenings and a patchouli poem - Chesterfield blog - Stop 3

Poems about hospital and kindness swamped this night and this was not surprising a week after an election shock and in a Labour Club. More poems about the good and the kind, I say. More poems about the good and the kind, I say. Yey! for nourishers and everyday heroes...Read More »

Recurring Lancelot with a washing machine backdrop or Durham Quiet Compere review

The Laundrette was a unique venue. The venue runs as a Laundrette until 6pm and then sets up chairs to become a gig space. They have a variety of ales and sweet snacks and were very welcoming. These photos will not be like any others on the tour, unless a...Read More »

An orange raincoat, shared Prosecco and two space-themed sets – Halifax blog

The first gig on the tour has to be a bit special and I made it local, but not as comfortably local as last time. I had met all but two of the performers and knew three well enough to count them as friends (they might disagree). A complacent place...Read More »

The Quiet Compere Tour 2014 - End of year blog (Part 3/3) - York/Leeds/Sheffield/Stockport/Special Mentions

York – dislocation of poets One of the parts of the tour I was looking forward to was savouring local accents and slang, in this respect York was a disappointment, but in terms of poetry, poets, audience friendliness of locals for a first gig away from home this was a...Read More »

The Quiet Compere End of Year Blog 2014 - Part 2 (of 3) - Featuring Manchester/Liverpool/Lancaster and Chester

Manchester – a familiarity of poets Gina Frost and John Topliff let us hire Three Minute Theatre, a venue I knew well and loved. Narrowing down the hundreds of poets in the area was my hardest task here and I ended up choosing poets I felt most encouraged other...Read More »

Quiet Compere End of Year Blog - Part 1 (of 3)

Featuring Blackpool/Kendal/Newcastle and Birmingham round-ups 4 dates on the tour sold out: Out of these, two were co-hosted by regular nights (Ann Wilson of Verbalise in Kendal and Jenni Pascoe of Jibba Jabba in Newcastle). Another was the first date of the tour and on home turf. Blackpool – a raucousness...Read More »

Stockport blog - A buzzing finale with a 'questioning' of poets, two wasp poems and a man in a Lacoste tracksuit

The Blue Cat Café in Heaton Moor was an excellent venue to host the finale of The Quiet Compere tour of the North. I think the audience gathered earliest of all this year with the venue buzzing by doors at half seven.   This could have been a very different event for...Read More »

Medical Poetry, Poetry Bites

Claire Walker’s blog of Medical-themed poetry night, Cheltenham:...Read More »

Dr. Who, puberty, and an organisation of poets at Alexander’s Bar, Chester

Chester has an organisation of poets. Most had printed off running order and had timed their sets to perfection. The venue was perfect for poetry and the only issue was a change of lighting which meant the poet was either blinded or in almost darkness. It was mainly a page...Read More »

Blue Gnus, woofers and tweeters and The Old Dungeon Ghyll - Lancaster blog

I have had a couple of comments by audience at other venues that none of the poets rhyme and they would have been content with the number of poets who rhymed and rhymed well, without strife/life and rain/pain making any kind of appearance within couplets! Steve Fairclough’s first volume poem was...Read More »

Paper boats and dancing poets at Shakespeare's, Sheffield

  Sheffield, I love your space and street art, your compactness and charm. Sheffield is a place I feel I could direct people around after two days of finding my way. From the back streets of Vicar Lane and Campo Lane to West Bar roundabout in rush hour and...Read More »

Raucous, yet Respectful. An Illuminated Exit - Blackpool Blog - 22nd August 2014

This was the scariest run up to a gig I have had so far this year. On Thursday I checked and we had sold one online ticket, on Friday (day of the gig) we had sold five!!! One performer had made his way over from Spain and I was hoping...Read More »

Charvas, The Crown Posada, a conversation with a buttercup and smoke-soaked poetry

Jibba Jabba: Thanks so much for letting me use the space and the night and silencing Jenni for a couple of hours. Ettrick Scott’s love poem to dry shampoo is genius. Ettrick owned the stage and usually performs as one half of PiPE RiOT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EeI-z8tr8o Sky Hawkins: I don’t often laugh out...Read More »

Emergency Shoe Shopping, Mangoes and Superman - Leeds blog

Emergency shoe shopping, Mangoes and Superman (Leeds blog) First of all, Seven Arts is a cracking venue. Secondly, I arrived in Leeds at 3pm and had to go shoe shopping. I knew I’d forgotten something and after visiting 6 shops I found some suitable size 6 ½ wide-fit vaguely ladylike shoes....Read More »

Bat Applicants at Blackburne House Cafe - Quiet Compere Liverpool Review

Bat Applicants at Blackburne House Cafe Bat applicants. Bat Applicants. Bat Applicants. Bat Applicants. Go on. Say it out loud. You know you want to! This is the phrase I came away with from last Friday’s Quiet Compere gig at Blackburne House. This was in Cath Nichols set and I love her...Read More »

Kendal Review

The Brewery Arts Centre The venue was spectacular and massive. I found every time I left the studio I was in a different art gallery, bar or an entrance to another event. Though the space was impressive the lay-out of seating was a bit strange with seats on three sides to...Read More »

Writing Process Blog

‘My Writing Process’ Blog Tour I was honoured to be invited to this blog tour by the excellent  Cathy Bryant, her Comps and Call on the Write Out Loud site steel dozens of poets to send their pieces out and there are many successes on the back of this.  Here is...Read More »

Birmingham Quiet Compere Review

983605_10152682619357388_1781399691_n Suburban Tourist Magnolia and laburnum weigh down Selly Park roads Everywhere seems to be a Road around here. Do they hide their avenues and crescents behind huge deciduous lawn decorations that gleefully break up the sun? I wouldn’t want to meet these branches in moonlight.   A sign for Kidderminster, I play the word across my tongue but know nothing of it’s people...Read More »

York event review

York Blog

 

Shared Earth, York  – My destination

 

As a claustrophobe

who is 30% control freak

the prospect

of  living within walls appeals.

 

The Minster

where the sceptical are converted

The wavering of faith

compelled to return

 

Sharp-edged houses

a book-width at the corners

form

natural single volume bookshelves

 

I discover 13 year old me

loitering in Shared Earth

in a blanket...Read More »


Manchester Event Review of sorts

The Manchester event at Three Minute Theatre SOLD OUT. I was still juggling numbers as I climbed into a taxi at half six. Facebook and Twitter cancellations and then people keen to buy tickets. I felt like a tout for 45 minutes. This event was the best possible start to The...Read More »

Manchester event a triumph!

Manchester event a triumph!

Three Minute Theatre delightful venue. All performers stuck to time (with a little nudge here and there!). The event was SOLD OUT. The audience were appreciative and reports were glowing. Everyone involved deserves a huge round of applause once more!

...Read More »

Planning deeply underway for Quiet Compere Tour

Hello People,

Firstly, I went on the radio, which was a terrifying prospect to me. Steph Pike, however, helped me relax into it and the two hours went very fast, particularly as we had no technical assistance (and the listeners had to listen to us talking with no jingles or my...Read More »


Promo Photo

Promo Photo

The Quiet Compere Promo Photo

...Read More »