On one of the bleakest, rain-soaked evenings of the year, poetry lovers braved the tempest to gather in the warm haven of the Samuel Worth Chapel. Towering majestically over the atmospheric Sheffield General Cemetery, the stunningly renovated (2018) chapel has become a sanctuary for the city’s creatives, hosting an array of gigs and literary events that never fail to impress. Look out for a Sheff Herd venue spotlight article soon! 

The event was compared by Leo, the dynamic drummer of local rock band 'MPTL Microplastics', whose wry wit and natural charisma anchored the proceedings with finesse. His persona was the perfect foil to the powerful voices that took the stage; each poet offering a unique lens on the world.

The evening was opened by prize winning “half poet, half tutor, half clown” Susie Wilson, whose work has been featured in various magazines, journals and anthologies. An incredible survivor of advanced melanoma, Wilson brought an undeniable gravity, dignity but also humour to her poetry launch of Verve Published ‘Nowhere Near as Safe as a Snake in Bed’. Her verses, at once searing and surreal, excavate the fragility of the human condition, weaving themes of mortality, survival and vulnerability with a deft and darkly comic touch. The zoomorphic ‘Wee Sleekit Cowrin’ Beastie’ imagines the melanoma as a mouse; a simile that works on so many contradictory and complex levels which she elucidated for us beautifully. Her visual poem, exploring the growth of her cancer with the determination to overcome it, was delivered to a hushed and reverent silence. And the rest of the collection– authentic, spellbinding, at times heartbreaking and at others laugh out loud funny – not only captures the essence of the cruelty of disease but is also a testament to the incredible spirit and lyrical inventiveness of this exciting Sheffield based poet. 

Next on stage was the incomparable Helen Mort, whose reputation as one of Sheffield’s literary powerhouses precedes her. Mort’s poetry is always laced with vivid imagery, ingenious structures and an unflinching emotional core. Her debut collection ‘Division Street’ is a Sheff Herd favourite (for obvious reasons!) but as is always the case with this incredible talent, Mort is experimental in all of her work (poetry, prose and non-fiction) and never produces ‘samey’ texts. Indeed, her latest work Verve published pamphlet Dad vs Dad is a complex interweaving of the account of the Fischer vs. Spassky World Chess Championship with the deeply moving story of her wonderful father who sadly suffered two devastating and life-changing strokes. Mort’s determination and genius means she has created something beautiful from the terrible; a poignant, important and beautiful collection of poems not only honouring her father but also providing a voice, both written and implied, to the emotions a person might feel when losing a parent in some capacity. The poems are visually striking – many are erasure poems with gorgeous collaged images and photographs accompanying them and, as Mort tells us, it's a pamphlet that “needs to be seen”. However, throughout her powerful reading, she had the room rapt; lost in the story of her Father’s past, his strength of character, her love for him and the relentlessly tactician-like handling of the Chess metaphor throughout.  Her ability to blend the universal with the intensely personal is nothing short of (Grand) masterful and her performance reminded all present why she remains a beloved pillar of Sheffield’s poetic community.

Finally, self-proclaimed “nerdy, queer, disabled, obnoxiously northern and neurospicy” poet and prose writer Fiona Hutchings took the stage to present her Written-Off published collection ‘Uncommon Labels’. The pamphlet is an evocative interrogation of identity and the boxes we are so often forced into.  Like her stage predecessors, Hutchings is an incredibly inspiring and incisively witty poet who has created work that resonates and educates whilst being remarkably entertaining. Her stage persona is captivating – she invites you into her life like a friend and hearing the stories in her poetry of her survival and determination in the face of near-death experiences was humbling. Poems like ‘Let the Students In’ about being a case study for trainee medical professionals, were performed with a raconteur’s talent. Her poems bridge the lyrical and the incisive, offering sharp reflections on society, the quiet rebellions of everyday life and on the things that we love and sometimes lose. On the latter, Hutchings' poem ‘Music Nerd’ powerfully explores her experience of losing a part of her identity – her passion for music - in the aftermath of her brain surgery and her performance of this piece was a deeply moving part of the evening. The final line of this poem “The band will play on/ Until the hourglass has no more grains of sand” perhaps sums up not only Hutchings’ extraordinary spirit but that of the other two poets too. 

After the show, all the collections were available to buy from our local independent bookstore Rhyme and Reason (visit the shop – it’s a treasure trove!). You can buy their collections in store or via links on the poets' websites.

The night was a testament to why Sheffield remains a crucible for poetic talent. The city’s vibrant literary scene thrives on its sense of community, its willingness to embrace both emerging voices and established figures, and its ability to transform the darkest evenings into nights of illumination.