Last Sunday we were back at the Great Western for the third Yes We Cant since we returned to in-person events. It’s starting to feel like home, as we work out how to best make use of the space, and our audience reacquaint themselves with our very special poetry night. The room was packed – and so was the Zoom room, because this is a hybrid event – and it was a pleasure to see faces both familiar and new, because Yes We Cant is a social event just as much as a poetry one. Thank you all for coming.
Our headliners – yes, we had two this month – were Martin Figura and Helen Ivory, who’ve been busy criss-crossing the UK, and joined us fresh from a gig in Leeds and on their way to a reading in Worcester on Monday. After five of our open-mic poets had shared their work – and how wonderful it was to hear such a range of voices – Helen led up to our half-time interval by reading from her latest book ‘Constructing a Witch’ which explores the monstering and scapegoating of women through the ages. Compelling stuff, and highly recommended.
A break for half-time oranges, or half-time cobs, or even a half-time pint, and we were back for the second half. Another five open-mic poets covering everything from the seasons to self-empowerment to a rapper’s guide to gardening, and then it was time for Martin Figura to take to the mic. He started with tales of growing up in foster care, and took it from there, leading us through a spell-binding performance.
Both Martin’s and Helen’s books are available (for those of you who didn’t manage to snaffle one on the night) here. Us? We’ll be back at the Great Western on Sunday July 6th. Put the date in your diaries, and join us to enjoy more top-notch poetry!
