Our next event will feature poets Jane Yeh, Hannah Lowe and Ian Humphreys with music from Gavin Barras on double bass accompanied by Jeff Guntrun on sax, Jim Faulkner on guitar and Dave Walsh on drums. The venue is the Whitworth Art Gallery, Oxford Rd, Manchester M15 6ER, time 2.30-4.00

This is a free event open to all and there’s no need to book.

Jane Yeh

Photo credit: StateShots London

Jane Yeh is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the Open University. Her first collection of poems, Marabou, was shortlisted for the Whitbread, Forward, and Aldeburgh poetry prizes. She was named a Next Generation poet by the Poetry Book Society for her second collection, The Ninjas, which was published by Carcanet in 2012. She lives in London.

Hannah Lowe

Hannah Lowe’s first poetry collection Chick won the Michael Murphy Memorial Award for Best First Collection and was short-listed for the Forward, Aldeburgh and Seamus Heaney Best First Collection Prizes. In September 2014, she was named as one of 20 Next Generation poets. She has also published three chapbooks, and a memoir Long Time No See. Her latest poetry collection is Chan.

Ian Humphreys

After moving to West Yorkshire from London, Ian Humphreys began writing poetry and prose in 2013. His work has featured in anthologies and magazines including Poetry News, Ambit and The Rialto. He won the 2016 Hamish Canham Prize and the PENfro Open Poetry Competition in 2013. His fiction has been shortlisted three times for the Bridport Prize. Ian holds an MA in Creative Writing from MMU and is a fellow of the Complete Works III, which promotes diversity and quality in British poetry. A portfolio of his poems will be published in a Bloodaxe anthology in late 2017.

Gavin Barras

Gavin is a professional double bass and electric bass player, performing regularly throughout the UK and abroad in a variety of performing and recording projects.

In March 2017 Gavin will release his solo album  The Family Tree on  ASC Records featuring Jeff Guntrun on tenor saxophone, Jim Faulkner on guitar and Dave Walsh on drums. This new album features the double bass Gavin’s father built for him over a 15 year period. It is a fantastic instrument which sounds even better than it looks! On two short interlude tracks Gavin plays a steel string acoustic guitar also built by his father back in 1967. Recorded at 80 Hertz Studios in Manchester, ‘The Family Tree’ contains ten original compositions by Gavin influenced by the themes of fatherhood, friendship and home.