Popular poetry event returns to Southampton’s Bookshop Alehouse in June

Popular poetry event returns to Southampton’s Bookshop Alehouse in June

Wire Wool Events and Placeholder Poetry join forces once more for the third instalment of the hugely popular poetry evening held at The Bookshop Alehouse, Southampton.

On Thursday 13th June three of the south coast’s most innovative poets will be sharing their work in the intimate basement of Portswood’s finest craft beer pub. 

Placeholder is home for poetry readings of the avant-garde, queer and radical. Following their success in Brighton, Wire Wool Events and Placeholder are collaborating to bring this unique experience to Southampton.

Reading their work at this third event are Ashley Barr, Anna Jepson and Jo Fisher.

Kat Sinclair of Placeholder says: It is a joy to collaborate with wire wool events to put on these evenings featuring local poets and those from further afield. Placeholder is never the same twice, always strange and surprising and new.’

Ashley Barr (pictured) is a creative and critical writing researcher at University of Sussex whose recent work focuses on procedural and process-based poetries. Ashley’s essay, ‘Re-scripting in the shower: a theory of the shower and creative practice’ won the 2022 British Association for Contemporary Literary Studies (BACLS) Postgraduate Essay Prize. Their work ‘Intermission’ was shortlisted for the 2023 Experimental Writing Prize, and their poetry has been published by Route 57, Permeable Barrier and Fruit Journal.

Anna Jepson is a poet up to no good. They graduated in 2023 with a Masters in Sexual Dissidence from the University of Sussex and currently work in a library and vegan restaurant. Anna is the host of Punx and Poets at the Cowley Club, a new poetry night fundraising for local activist groups. They are currently working on their first poetry pamphlet.

Jo Fisher is a writer, editor, poet and artist living in Southampton. She has been performing her original work at poetry nights and events for more than six years, and enjoys exploring the extraordinary ordinary. Recent(ish) and regular appearances include ArtfulScribe’s Write a Note open mic nights; Sonder Coffee’s poetry night in Salisbury; John Hansard Gallery’s Poetry@JHG; poetry night at Goldfinch Books, Alton; and All In The Mind Festival in Basingstoke. In 2019, she performed at the Royal Albert Hall at the Hammer & Tongue Slam Final, representing Hammer & Tongue Solent. Her poetry has been published online and can be seen lighting up the walls of God’s House Tower in Southampton.

Price: £5 from wirewoolevents.com

Limited tickets available 

This event is a toiletries donation point for Basics Bank – please bring toiletries, tampons and towels if you are able.

A raffle will be drawn, with all proceeds going to Yellow Door 

  • In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton