JO BELL
Jo Bell is an award-winning poet working across the UK with poetry talents from Ian McMillan to Brian Patten and Gwyneth Lewis. A performer, playwright, project manager, programmer, producer and a few things that don’t begin with P, Jo is former director of National Poetry Day, sometime programmer for Ledbury Poetry Festival and others, and occasional broadcaster. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter for a poetry news service.
Jo lives on a narrowboat and is the Canal Laureate of the UK, appointed by the Poetry Society and Canal and River Trust. She devised the immensely successful online poetry group 52 – part of her mission to use social media as a stimulus for good poetry.
The Word Cafe
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The Barrel House Ballroom
The Word Cafe and The Barrel House Ballroom presents The Lockdown Podcasts. Fourteen of the UK’s top poets take the guise of seven podcasts. Hosted by Matt Harvey & Julie Mullen during the lockdown of 2021.
These seven glorious poetry podcasts were created with support using public funding by Arts Council England.
The Word Café is the brainchild of the wondrous Julie Mullen. Since 2010 Julie has hosted sensational poetry and music events at an array of locations including The Cott Inn Dartington, The Landmark Arts Centre Teddington, The Pleasance Theatre London, The Rosemary Branch Theatre Islington, The Pleasance Theatre QueenDome and Bunker One Edinburgh, The Old Sorting Office Barnes & The Tea Box Richmond.
Since 2019, the home for The Word Café has been The Barrel House Ballroom Totnes, with whom this project is a collaboration.
The Word Café in the kind words of Roger Mcgough, “These are the kind of events that really bring poetry to life.”
Credits
Series Editor – Billie Eliot
Music – ’This’ by Wax Machine
