Spoken Label

New from Spoken Label features making his debut is the amazing Alistair Lawrie.Alistair Lawrie is from Peterhead and now lives in Stonehaven. His short story “Delivery” won the William Soutar Prize in 2016 and his poem “Twists And Turns” won the McLellan Scots Poetry Prize in 2023. His poetry and short stories have been published in “The Interpreter's House”, “The Poets' Republic”, “Northwords Now”, “Lallans”, “Poetry Scotland” and various anthologies; he coedited the Scottish sea anthology “A Glimmer Of Cold Brine”. His poetry collection “Caal Cries” was published in 2023 by Drunk Muse Press. He runs weekly creative writing sessions for Mearns Writers. He writes in Doric and English, occasionally Scots “… but the words and the rhythms of those voices I heard as a boy breathe their lilt through all of it”This chat is about Alistair's new poetry book "Opent Petals" available from Drunk Muse Press which describes at the book as "following on from his acclaimed debut, Caal Cries – confirms his position as one of the most accomplished and entertaining poets writing in Scots today. Winner of the 2023 McLellan Scots Poetry Prize, he alternatives adeptly between Doric and English across a range of themes. Whether he's recalling a telling childhood incident or casting a rueful eye over politics and culture, there is wit and insight aplenty in these poems that will resonate widely."

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features making his debut is the wonderful Half Beard Half Poet.A product of the early 2010s Mancunian poetry scene Half Beard Half Poet (then using the alias Benny-Jo Zahl) burned bright but briefly. Three years after discovering poetry in 2009 he was published as a member of the Working Verse collective alongside Kieren King and Dave Viney Via Flapjack press (The Prequel to the Sequel), co-wrote and performed two plays with Working Verse that debuted in the Lowery theatre (Amateur Thematics – 2012, Writer's Retweet – 2013) and co-hosted Bang Said The Gun: Manchester. In May 2014 at the Evidently poetry night in Salford he gave his last performance, until one fateful day in October 2023, when he walked into a therapist's office holding notebook and pen…What some people have said about him: “The great ape swings again! I've admired these poems for years, but for too long they've not been on our stages. It's amazing to see not only their return but also even more exciting, emotive, excellent new words coming from this engaging and inspired writer and performer. Yes, heavier than metal, and shining twice as brightly! – Dominic Berry, 2017 Glastonbury Festival Poet in Residence and winner of the Saboteur ‘Best Spoken Word Artist' award 2020 and 2017.“I like the ones with the guinea pigs” – Kim Moores, Love of my life.“That's pure gold” – Rupert Holmes, singer song writer of “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” upon hearing a performance of the poem on page 17.More details can be found here:https://halfbeardhalfpoet.co.uk/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features the return of our friend, the amazing Krystal 'Gypsy' Orellano Weldon.Krystal “Gypsy” Orellano Weldon is a Tampa, Florida–based spoken word artist, poet, writer, and composition professor. As an educator, she teaches writing at the college level, where she is passionate about helping students find their voice, develop critical thinking skills, and use writing as a tool for self-expression and empowerment. Her work in the classroom reflects her broader mission to uplift diverse voices and create space for meaningful storytelling.Known throughout the Tampa Bay community for her presence in the open mic scene, Krystal has been featured in events such as Pinot & Poetry: A Toast to Herstory and began her artistic journey with the USF Poets. Her performances are rooted in authenticity, emotion, and cultural expression, resonating with a wide range of audiences.Her writing spans poetry and creative nonfiction, with publications in The Sandbox (St. Petersburg College's newspaper), The Sandhill Review (Saint Leo University), and recognition as a runner-up in the University of Westminster's 2017 Mental Health Poetry Competition.In addition to her academic and literary work, Krystal is currently in the process of producing a poetry album that blends spoken word with musical expression. She is also working on her upcoming novel, The Lover's Passion Lounge, continuing to expand her voice across multiple creative platforms.* Contains as a bonus track - a song from Krystal's forthcoming album 'Gravity 105 BPM G Minor' *

Latest up from Spoken Label (Poetry Podcast) features making her debut, the amazing Talin “Tally” Vartanian.Talin “Tally” Vartanian is a writer, actress, and photographer who resides somewhere in Los Angeles, CA.When she's not struggling to keep her head above water, she loves to play video games, walk on hiking trails, and cook something new in her tiny kitchen.The Instagram feed, which we do an in-depth study on, can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/talinthepoet/

* Re-edited Podcast *Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features the return of our friend, Amanda Crundall.Amanda Crundall (a.k.a. “The Glam Poet”), is an accomplished and multi-faceted author, poet, spoken word performer, poetry workshop facilitator and radio presenter, at Beverley FM. She is based in East Yorkshire, UK.Her poetry, known for its raw emotion and honesty, explores vulnerability and resilience, resonating deeply with readers and audiences. She is unafraid to share own vulnerabilities, frailties and her darkest moments as well as her joys and loves. Amanda's truth, humility, honesty and openness, connects profoundly with those who have encountered her work. Many find comfort, inspiration and empowerment in her writing - enabling them to feel understood, acknowledged and not so alone. Amanda has performed at various events and festivals: the Festival of Love, Doncaster; Scunthorpe Pride; No Limits Festival; and Ripon Poetry Festival. Her writing has featured in: The Script Magazine; the High Wolds Poetry Anthologies; the Dark Poet's Society; LiveWire Poetry and Online Anthologies. As the co-founder and former co-host of “Rabbiting On” spoken word/poetry group, she helped establish a thriving poetry community. Amanda has been delighted to see the group go from strength to strength, since passing over the baton with hosting duties. Amanda has published two poetry books. The most recent is “The Emboldened Heart” which is the primary focus of this Podcast.

Latest up from Spoken Label (Poetry / Spoken word Podcast) features the return of our friend, the amazing Aakriti Kuntal.Aakriti Kuntal is a poet, writer and multidisciplinary artist.She spends most of her time writing and reading, seeking refuge in nature. At other times, she explores photography, asemic writing, visual art and short experimental films. Her work has appeared in The Night Heron Barks, Rasputin: A Poetry Thread,IceFloe Press, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, and Poetry at Sangam, among others. She is the author of the chapbook “God, am I your eyelid?” (Sigilist Press, USA) and the full length collection “Night breaks apart, like pomegranate seeds in my palm (The Indian List).Her accolades include the Reuel International Prize (2017); she was shortlisted for the RL Poetry Award (2018) and nominated for Best of the Net.

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features the return of our friend, Amanda Crundall.Amanda Crundall (a.k.a. “The Glam Poet”), is an accomplished and multi-faceted author, poet, spoken word performer, poetry workshop facilitator and radio presenter, at Beverley FM. She is based in East Yorkshire, UK.Her poetry, known for its raw emotion and honesty, explores vulnerability and resilience, resonating deeply with readers and audiences. She is unafraid to share own vulnerabilities, frailties and her darkest moments as well as her joys and loves. Amanda's truth, humility, honesty and openness, connects profoundly with those who have encountered her work. Many find comfort, inspiration and empowerment in her writing - enabling them to feel understood, acknowledged and not so alone. Amanda has performed at various events and festivals: the Festival of Love, Doncaster; Scunthorpe Pride; No Limits Festival; and Ripon Poetry Festival. Her writing has featured in: The Script Magazine; the High Wolds Poetry Anthologies; the Dark Poet's Society; LiveWire Poetry and Online Anthologies. As the co-founder and former co-host of “Rabbiting On” spoken word/poetry group, she helped establish a thriving poetry community. Amanda has been delighted to see the group go from strength to strength, since passing over the baton with hosting duties. Amanda has published two poetry books. The most recent is “The Emboldened Heart” which is the primary focus of this Podcast.

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Last up from Spoken Label (Our Spoken Word / Writer Podcast) features Part 2 of our extended chat with the Environmental Poetry collection ‘I am Nature', this time an extended chat with the wonderful Andrew Sumner andPatricia (Pat) Sumner. Andrew Sumner grew up near Stroud in Gloucestershire,surrounded by deep woods and floriferous meadows thronged with butterflies. These places he explored with his mother, father and younger sister. Sadly, all that rich nature has since gone under the plough and the conifer. Later, his father's work took the family south to Somerset and the new and differentlandscapes of the Somerset Levels, the Quantock Hills and the Mendip Hills.Andrew's poems have been published in group anthologies and poetry collections, including ‘Travelling with the Saints' (Y Lofa, 2013) and ‘Both Sides of the Border – An Anthology of Writing on the Welsh Border Region (Gwasg Carreg Gfwlach, 1998). He has illustrated a children's book written by hiswife, Pat and enjoys walking, gardening, turning wood, drawing, painting, and researching family history. *Patricia Sumner (Pat) grew up on the Isle of Anglesey and nowlives in the Vale of Clwyd. She has loved creative writing ever since she was very young. As an adult, she studied under the poet and author Dr Gladys Mary Coles,namong other writers. It was at these Creative writing classes in Chester that she met her husband, Andrew.As a poet, she has had two collections published. Her pamphlet ‘Beyond the Glass' came first in a national poetry competition run by Thynks Publications. Pat's second collection of poems and readings, ‘The Promise of Dawn: Rites of Passage for all Beliefs', is published by Veneficia Publications.Pat has won awards for some of her poems and plays, and her poetry has appeared in magazines and anthologies. Pat has a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Philosophy, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education.  This book (which is recommended) can be found here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/I-Am-Nature-Environmental-Poetry-ebook/dp/B0FH7PRW78/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SAZ97SPX6WAQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.boHw9Hvv-eiwk0u6a82ZqWgjmK5G_sB28inaUJj0xhnHDE2LARcrHr8SrLCATjQSwE33nT3rAzsmfAznxsyx5IGxWZdQS_e_hS0b6ZwycAw.ulpWQy3YfH1rRkpCS96xbDozvPLa_m20qWAIz00uIUc&dib_tag=se&keywords=andrew+sumner&qid=1771620249&s=books&sprefix=andrew+sumner%2Cstripbooks%2C591&sr=1-1

New from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Chat Podcast) an returning chat with Amanda Nicholson.Amanda Nicholson is the author of ‘Ghost of Me' which was a finalist in the thriller category of The Author Elite Awards after its release in March 2020. It is now being re-released this February.She also runs the Substack page ‘I Am Not Calm'.Book will be available on all of the usual place.

Latest Podcast from Spoken Label (Author / ArtistPodcast) features making her debut, Lucy Beth. Lucy Beth (she/her/hers) is a multi-award-winningemerging performer, theatre-maker and lecturer from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.​​She graduated with Distinction from the University of Glasgow's MLitt Theatre & Performance Practices Course after being awarded a PGT Excellent Scholarship bythe University.​​Lucy has worked on various stage, screen, and audioprojects. Her recent credits include Blanca in Ten Feet Tall's production of "Guilty" by Rona Munro at Granite Noir Festival. Penny in “How To Train Your Dad To Be A Feminist” at the Aberdeen Arts Centre, and she has alsostarred in TMM Recruitment's Christmas Advert, “Scary Tale of New Work,”​Beyond conventional performing, part of Lucy's practiceconcerns dialect preservation. She speaks Doric and seeks to create and perform works in Doric as a means of continuing to render the dialect present. Her Doric works have reached critical acclaim and have earned Lucy several awards.​Her Doric solo theatre show, “Ma Name Is Isabelle” wasperformed at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was highlighted as one of SNACK Magazine's Picks of the Fringe. It also received an Edinburgh Fringe TheatreAward from the Fringe Theatre Awards. The show has received 5-star reviews in the press.​Lucy won the Best Newcomer Award at The Doric FilmFestival for her film, "Fit Wye Nae" in 2024. In 2025 she performed in "Sticky Business", winner of the Best Film Award at the 2025 Doric Film Festival.​​Lucy's Doric poetry won her a place in the finals of the Loud Poet's Slam Poetry Competition in Aberdeen in June 2025 and made a guest appearance at the LoudPoet's Edinburgh Fringe show, which was awarded 5 stars. ​​She was one of the Young Women's Movement's 30 Under 30 Honourees for 2025.​​Lucy was also a 2025 Scottish Emerging Theatre AwardsWinner. More details can be found at: https://www.lucy-beth-performer.com/

First of a two part Podcast today from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features discussing 'I am nature' an Environmental Poetry book with two of their poets, Leaf Pettit and Diana Sanders.Leaf Pettit lives in the vale of Clwyd with her husband and three children.Rural north ales has been her home since she was three years old and she has developed a deep connection with its landscape and environment, choosing to raise and home-educate her children.Leaf has been active in caring for local green spaces and has played a leading role in a community project to develop a green space at the heart of her village, including planting native hedging to forma wildlife corridor and wildflower areas.Leaf has a BA (Hons) in Literature Life and thought and imaginative writing and an MA in Creative Writing.Leaf's work has also appeared in the writer's wheel magazine and a couple of local publications, including the 'stillness' pamphlet produced from the Wellbeing Weekend at Saint Eidan Pilgrim Church in 2023.Diana Sanders is a composer and award winning poet. She is the composer of six published works for flute and has curated several events that combine music and poetry, some of which have been on podcasts and local radio.Her poetry publisjed has been published in magazines and anthologies in the UK, USA and India and her poem 'Birth' was third in the Welsh Poetry Competition in 2016. She has a BA from Nottingham Trent Creative University in Creative Arts (Music and Drama), In partnership with her friend, Pat Sumner, she runs a monthly writing group. She is the editor of the local Friends of the Earth magazine and is passionate about caring for the environment.More about this book can be read here: https://www.veneficiapublications.com/product-page/i-am-nature

Latest up from Spoken Label (Poetry Podcast) features the return of our friend Sarah James (also known as Sarah Leavesley ) talking about her new poetry book 'Darling Blue'.Darling Blue interweaves ekphrastic poems with a book-length fictional poetry narrative of love, lust and letting go. The poems inspired by Pre-Raphaelite artworks include QR codes, which readers can scan to view the pieces after or alongside their reading. Blue here is more than a colour or inspiration; it is desire, secrecy and sorrow – the essence of ‘feeling / really alive', yet ‘distance's illusion'.“A fascinating creative hybrid weaving ekphrasis and cohesive narrative, Darling Blue deftly balances its fictional speaker's personal response to various Pre-Raphaelite artworks, with rich descriptive hints that resonate way beyond the mere visual. Exploring the complex tensions between the public sphere and private activities, this collection is a gallery tour of the narrator's unfulfilling relationship with an unattainable partner, through to the ultimate redemption of self-worth and new love. James's finely crafted and intelligently controlled poems brim with vivid imagery and lush sensory detail, reminding the reader ‘how brightly sunlight shines through // when freed from a cracked mirror'.”Sarah Doyle, Pre-Raphaelite Society Poet-in-Residence“James uses the lyric and ekphrasis to create a profound and moving collection on the cost of love; what endures and how we survive its wake. As vivid and emotive as its pre-Raphaelite sources, Darling Blue is also startlingly direct, eloquent and consoling on the things we find hardest to put into words. An unmissable collection.”Luke KennardMore details about said book can be found here;https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191

Latest up from Spoken Label features making her debut, Suzy Aspell.Suzy is a Bedfordshire poet, living and writing in Luton. Curious about world cultures, she has worked in the travel industry for many years including repping in Spain and teaching ESL in Taiwan. Her poems are published in numerous anthologies, online and print magazines. Suzy also tutors GCSE English students struggling with ADHD and Dyslexia. She is passionate about art, politics and the planet and has a very pampered cat full of mischief and brio.Her debut book 'Webstrung' is now out.More details here:https://poeticedgepublishers.com/ORhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1917408056?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_TTZ92CBDFTX850KXECZ5_1&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_TTZ92CBDFTX850KXECZ5_1&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_TTZ92CBDFTX850KXECZ5_1&bestFormat=true

Happy New Year all folks!Back with a bang, the first Spoken Label (Spoken Word Podcast) Podcast of the year features the Hongwei Bao.Hongwei Bao (he/him) is a Nottingham-based queer Chinese writer, translator and academic. He is part of the Fifth Word Playwrights, GOBS Spoken Word Collective and Nottingham Playhouse Writers' Room. He is also a Middle Way Mentee for writing fiction and a New Earth Theatre theatremaker. His work explores queer desire, Asian identity, diasporic positionality and transcultural intimacy.Hongwei is the author of Dream of the Orchid Pavilion (poetry pamphlet, Big White Shed, 2024), The Passion of the Rabbit God (poetry collection, Valley Press, 2024) and Queering the Asian Diaspora (nonfiction, Sage, 2024). His short story ‘A Postcard from Berlin' was a runner-up for the Plaza Prize for Microfiction in 2023.Hongwei has performed poetry at Bad Betty Live, City Arts Nottingham, Dandelions Poetry, DIY Poetry, ESEA Authors LitFest, ESA NE Newcastle, Five Leaves Bookshop, Fluent in Both, Lighthouse Bookshop Edinburgh, Kif Kif Antwerp, Nottingham Central Library, Nottingham Poetry Festival, Nottingham Playhouse, Notts Poetry, Nowhere Netherlands, Paper Crane Poetry, Prague Pride, Shaded Writers, Speech Therapy, and The Common Press London.Instagram: @patrickbao123Bluesky: @queercomradesSelf-Portrait as a Banana can be purchased from here - https://amzn.eu/d/0GOtbOo

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features Dr Jack Hunter.Dr Jack Hunter is an anthropologist exploring the borderlands of consciousness, religion, ecology and the paranormal. He is an Hon-orary Research Fellow with the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and a tu-tor at the Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture, Uni-versity of Wales Trinity Saint David. He teaches on the MA in Ecol-ogy and Spirituality and the MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrol-ogy. He is also a tutor for the Alef Trust on their MSc in Conscious-ness, Spirituality and Transpersonal Psychology, where he teaches on the ‘Approaches to Consciousness' module, and teaches ‘The Va-rieties of Anomalous Experience' for the California Institute for Hu-man Science. He is the author of Manifesting Spirits (2020), Spirits, Gods and Magic (2020), Ecology and Spirituality (2023), and The Folklore of the Tanat Valley (2025). He is the editor of Deep Weird (2023), Greening the Paranormal (2019) and Damned Facts (2016), and co-editor of Talking With the Spirits (2014), Mattering the Invis-ible (2021), Folklore, People and Place (2023) and Sacred Geogra-phy (2024). He lives in the hills of Mid-Wales with his family.

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features the return of our friend with Part 2 of an extended chat, tea buff, weird fiction aficionado and abstracted songwriter, Eric Loveland Heath, professionally known as E.L. Heath.In this return on Spoken Label, we review Eric's releases on Plenty Wenlock Records in 2025 and also the venture of his label into more publishing as well as discuss what is next for this label. Some links include:https://www.facebook.com/ELHeathuk/https://plentywenlockrecords.bandcamp.com/https://x.com/PlentyWenlockhttps://www.instagram.com/plentywenlock/https://plentywenlockrecords.bigcartel.com/https://bsky.app/profile/plentywenlock.bsky.social

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features the return of our friend with Part 1 of an extended chat, tea buff, weird fiction aficionado and abstracted songwriter, Eric Loveland Heath, professionally known as E.L. Heath.In this return on Spoken Label, we review Eric's releases on Plenty Wenlock Records in 2025 and also the venture of his label into more publishing as well as discuss what is next for this label. Some links include:https://www.facebook.com/ELHeathuk/https://plentywenlockrecords.bandcamp.com/https://x.com/PlentyWenlockhttps://www.instagram.com/plentywenlock/https://plentywenlockrecords.bigcartel.com/https://bsky.app/profile/plentywenlock.bsky.social

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry / Author Podcast) features Shan Powell.Shan is a Elder goth/swamp hag in Kitchener. Aurora finalist. Brave New Weird winner. Work in Augur, The Deadlands, On Spec, Prairie Fire, ALOCASIA, Nighmare, Feminist Studies Journal, Arc Poetry, & more.Neurospicy, antifascist, Indigiqueer, disabled. Raised on the land & off the grid. Ex JW-kid/army brat. Retired dancer, industrial DJ, & model. Addicted to learning—may be turning into a witch.

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Latest up from Spoken Label, features making her debut is the wonderful Rachel Hammond.Rachel Hammond is an actor-musician, writer and theatre maker based in Manchester. Rachel trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, and since then has worked in theatre nationally and internationally, including: Climax: A Work in Progress (Close to Home), Underneath a Magical Moon (Tutti Frutti), Joy Unspeakable (Ordinary Glory), Firebird and Pulse (Bamboozle Theatre Company), Give it Back Mak! (Riding Lights), Twitchers and A Force to Be Reckoned With (Mikron Theatre Company), The True Adventures of Maid Marian and Robin Hood (Barn Theatre, Cirencester), A Christmas Carol (TNT Theatre), Swallows and Amazons (York Theatre Royal), Much Ado About Nothing (Northern Broadsides), Babe - The Sheep-Pig (Mercury Theatre, Colchester), Macbeth (Wiltons Music Hall).Rachel loves making new work, and is passionate about telling the untold stories in our society. Writing credits include: Joshua (and Me) (The Pleasance Theatre & International tour), Rising Tides (Small Disasters Theatre Company), and Dear Lilian (Northern Broadsides Young Writers). 

Latest up from Spoken Label features making her debut is the wonderful Saira Anwar (Saira the Poet).Saira Anwar is an educator, poet, author, content creator, and spoken word artist. Her debut poetry collection, The Death of a Beautiful Dream, was released in January 2014 and went on to reach Amazon's Top 20 Bestsellers list.Saira writes about the beauty and struggle of life with themes like marriage, divorce, healing, self-love, and emotional resilience, to help others heal through poetry.Her poetry has been published in twelve anthologies, and she's performed at events including MACFEST with Professor John McAuliffe, Poetry Bonanza with North-West Poets, and Word Central. She's also been featured twice on BBC Upload with BBC Radio Manchester.Her second book, Rising From Despair: A Journey to Hope, is a powerful and long-awaited follow-up, combining poetry, personal reflection, and space for readers to begin their own journey of healing.

Bonus Podcast today for Spoken Label (Poetry Podcast) with the return of Amanda Nicholson and Courtney Ward assisting me interviewing the return of Lee McShane talking about his debut poetry book 'The House built from Shadows'.Lee McShane is a Neurodivergent actor, filmmaker, and published writer and poet from Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. His work often blends psychological horror with themes of mental health, creating emotionally charged and thought-provoking narratives. His writing has appeared in All Your Stories, All Your Poems, and the PoeticEdge Fantasy Anthology. He will appear in the next anthology by Black Eye Publishing. He headlined Spoken Word Online in July 2025 and is set to headline an online AccessAbility Arts event.Lee's book 'The House built from Shadows' can be found on Amazon

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) making his debut is Steve Schlam.Steve advises he first gained entry to the City of Words through the doors of the public library in Brooklyn, New York, where he was born and spent a good part of his childhood; and has maintained his residency ever since while living in cities and towns across the United States and in Mexico. An actor as well as an author, he has performed on stages in all the places he has called home, and earned a Master's Degree in Creative Writing and English under the tutelage of Joseph Heller, renowned author of "Catch-22." He lives currently in Southern California in a pretty little Craftsman bungalow with orange and lemon trees growing in the backyard, in the company of his wife, Liora. His debut novel, "The Harvesting of Haystacks Kane," was released in March 2024.More about Steve can be found at: https://www.steveschlam.com/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word Podcast) featuresmaking his debut, Ray Whittaker.Ray advises he has been writing both prose and poetry since he was seventeen. What Ray is writing now is very different from what he wrote those so many years ago. All writers and poets are writing out of "the Self" however there are directions that the self speaks into, that change. Now Ray is attempting to put foremost in his work, just who he is writing for. He intends on writing for the everyday man and woman. He firmly believes that poems need to reach into the everyday person's pictures in their minds, and engage with those. This is where he aims to make a difference in his creative writing. Ray does readings around the state of North Carolina [USA], and is a member or the North Carolina Poetry Society, the Winston-Salem Writers, and The North Carolina Writer's Network. He has thrice been a ‘Writer-in-Residence” at the North Carolina Center For The Arts and Humanities, at Weymouth, in Southern Pines,NC. He is the father of two daughters. Originally from the South, he now lives in Colorado, where he is seeking venues.More details can be found at:https://raywhitakerblog.wordpress.com/

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Crossing with the Writing Way Podcast, Andy N and Amanda Nicholson fresh off the release of their books 'Threads and other stories of isolation (Andy N under his real name A.E. Nicholson) and 'Under the Manchester Skies (Amanda as Alicia Nicholls), the pair of them invite Courtney Ward, author of the forthcoming poetry book (Out Spring 2026) 'Nights like this' to talk about all of their books, what lend to writing this and so much more.Courtney is on:https://www.instagram.com/courts_ward/https://substack.com/@courtneywardpoetAmanda is on:https://iamnotcalm.substack.com/https://nowriteway.substack.com/https://www.facebook.com/AmandaNicholsonAuthorAndy N is on:https://www.facebook.com/andynstorytellerpoethttps://andynartist.substack.com/https://www.instagram.com/andynpoet/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author Chat Podcast) features Deborah Weitzman making her debut to talk about her debut novel ‘The Sinking of the Leonardo Da Vinci'.“The Sinking of the Leonardo Da Vinci' is described as “Itis 1976, in New York. Joanna, a dreamy and sensitive young woman, suffers deep loneliness and a sense of never belonging. The world of music, of songwriting,draws her toward something deeper, if only she had permission to enter that world. When she meets Luca, onboard The Leonardo da Vinci, her wildest dreams come true. He-the young navigator of the ship, rebellious and passionate-gives her that permission. They fall hopelessly in love, and against all odds, shetravels to Rome to be with him. When she arrives, he has drastically changed.Never knowing what turned him so callous, this dark seed contaminates the rest of her life.Back in NY, she runs into her former professor, Stuart, avisionary environmentalist, and they marry. Older than Joanna, he is her anchor and benevolent father figure. To never be burned again, she vows to stay far from the rocky shoals of passion. To keep that vow, she buries her creativesoul, her real voice, and her music. When Stuart unexpectedly dies of a heart attack, her unlived self awakens with a vengeance. Hoping to heal, she travels to the walking trails of Cinque Terre, where she unexpectedly reawakens bothpassion and comfort in her relationships, finding herself along the way.Her book is on Amazon etcSubstack link: https://open.substack.com/pub/deborahjeanneweitzmanFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/deborahjeanneweitzmanInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/deborahjeannew/Her website is:https://deborahjeanne.com/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author Podcast) features making his debut is Craig Snelgrove.Craig Snelgrove is a writer from Manchester and a PhD in Creative Writing. Craig is author of the short story cycle Young Mancunians, and the creator of The Existential Reader and The Subtext: The Art of Storytelling. (Both available on Substack).

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Latest up from Spoken Label, features making her return is the wonderful Julia Webb.Julia advises "I was born in London but grew up on a council estate in Thetford, a small town in rural Norfolk surrounded by pine forest. Thetford is known for being the home of The Iceni tribe, the birthplace of Thomas Paine, the place where they filmed a lot of Dad's Army and (in the 1960s) as a London Overspill town.My ambitions to be a writer started when I was six-years-old and read The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton. I can trace my interest in magical realism, surrealism and love of language right back to the things read as a child - Dr Seuss, Enid Blyton, A.A. Milne, Tolkien and fairytales. However I left school (and home) at 16 with no qualifications and went to live in a commune. I continued to write short stories and poetry over the years, but with no real writing community I didn't really know how to improve them, and after my son was born I gravitated more towards art and printing while working as a pre-school supervisor. When I was 40 I had an epiphany of sorts and realised that writing was my first love. I quit my job and did a degree in creative writing at Norwich School of Art and Design (now known as NUA). After that I went on to do an MA in poetry at the University of East Anglia."Her website is: https://juliawebb.org/Her new book - Grey time can be found at all of the usual places including - https://ninearchespress.com/publications/poetry-collections/grey-time

Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features making her debut is Caroline England.Known as the ‘Duchess of Dark Domestic Noir', Caroline England is the author of seven psychological suspense thrillers, BENEATH THE SKIN, the bestseller MY HUSBAND'S LIES, BETRAY HER, THE SINNER, THE STRANGER BESIDE ME and THE RETURN OF FRANKIE WHITTLE. Her next thriller, BEHIND HER SMILE, will be published in November 2025. She also writes gothic-tinged psychological thrillers as CE Rose, namely THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN SECRETS, THE HOUSE ON THE WATER'S EDGE, THE SHADOWS OF RUTHERFORD HOUSE and THE ATTIC AT WILTON PLACE.Caroline writes ‘scarily brilliant', dark twisty stories that delve into complicated relationships, secrets and the moral grey area. Drawing on her career as a criminal and divorce lawyer, she creates characters who get caught up in extraordinary situations, moral dilemmas and crime. She guarantees a jaw-dropping ending!To find out more about Caroline, visit her website or follow her on social media:Website:  https://carolineenglandauthor.co.ukAmazon: https://amzn.to/4aC9BGeX: https://x.com/CazEnglandFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CazEngland1/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cazengland1/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/cazengland.bsky.socialTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cazengland1Linktree: https://linktr.ee/carolineengland1Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-england-35888064/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Poetry / Artist Podcast) features Lee McShane.Lee McShane is a Neurodivergent actor, filmmaker, and published writer and poet from Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. His work often blends psychological horror with themes of mental health, creating emotionally charged and thought-provoking narratives. His writing has appeared in All Your Stories, All Your Poems, and the PoeticEdge Fantasy Anthology. He will appear in Rise of the Badger and the Great Shrubbery by Black Eye Publishing.

Latest up from Spoken Label (Poetry Podcast) features Mark Quinn.Mark is described as "I'm a poet, writer, and performer based in Manchester. My work blends humour, honesty, and heart — sometimes thoughtful, sometimes cheeky, always real. Whether it's on the page or the stage, I'm here to connect with people through words."Mark's books can be all be purchased on Amazon and his website is https://markquinn.uk/

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Author Podcast) features Linda Quinn.Linda Quinn did most of her growing up in a caravan in West Country fields and byways, and later as a child of the state. She was inspired by the written word when she received her first postcard at the age of three, and set out to rescue as many printed words as she could from the local recycling dump, a collection that continues to grow.After working in the Music Industry she trained as an actress at East 15 Drama School, and was the founder of Freefall Theatre Company, performing one woman shows and ensemble pieces, and contributing to and learning from additional projects with The Magdalena Project in Cardiff, Virginia McKenna, Cristina Castrillo in Switzerland and Linda Marlowe. She also worked as an actress in a variety of small television and film roles, including the most magical time with Glenda Jackson, Joan Hickson, Anthony Quayle and Richard Harris.She created and directed performances as diverse as local community theatre and Manumission Club spectaculars for audiences of 10,000 in Ibiza, and was the co-founder of Pikes Ibiza Literary festival. Throughout this time she was scripting and editing from improvisations and developing skills that led to writing scripts, and an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck in London. Her work continues to attract noteworthy attention in the film industry, but has yet to reach the screen. Short stories have been published in various anthologies, including the online ‘Citizens Story' at The Word Factory writing community in London. After decades of living in London and teaching Creative Writing at City Lit, she now lives in France. Her debut novel ‘The Toffee Man & The Kingdom of Ends' was published earlier this year (2025), after winning the Pen to Print Book Challenge – and has been well received. It is adapted from her script ‘The Toffee Man.' It is currently receiving many five star reviews, and sitting at the top of the booklife critics list for Fiction.You can read more about the details, awards, reflections and ongoing projects in the blog via her website, coming very soon.

* Containing topics not suitable for everybody *Latest up from Spoken Label, and the second part of a full length two part Podcast is with LKN. LKN is a poet who won the UK's Wordplay Awards 2023. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize (2023, 2024), T. S. Eliot Prize (2024) & Forward Prize (2025). He was part of A Given Grace by Squircle Line Press, winning the gold medal, both at America's eLit, and the Independent Book Publishers Awards 2022. LKN has been featured at literature festivals in Toronto, Nottingham and Singapore. His poems were showcased at History Channel's HistoryCon, Weiner Holocaust Library & the Poetry Society of New York, HCE Magazine's Fire & Dust and the Polyglot Magazine.LKN was 1st runner-up at 2019 Singapore Poetry Slam and a finalist at the 2020 Toronto Poetry Slam. He has performed as a busker and street performer in Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.https://heylink.me/thelknpoetry

Latest up from Spoken Label, and the first part of a full length two part Podcast is with LKN. LKN is a poet who won the UK's Wordplay Awards 2023. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize (2023, 2024), T. S. Eliot Prize (2024) & Forward Prize (2025). He was part of A Given Grace by Squircle Line Press, winning the gold medal, both at America's eLit, and the Independent Book Publishers Awards 2022. LKN has been featured at literature festivals in Toronto, Nottingham and Singapore. His poems were showcased at History Channel's HistoryCon, Weiner Holocaust Library & the Poetry Society of New York, HCE Magazine's Fire & Dust and the Polyglot Magazine.LKN was 1st runner-up at 2019 Singapore Poetry Slam and a finalist at the 2020 Toronto Poetry Slam. He has performed as a busker and street performer in Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.https://heylink.me/thelknpoetry

Latest up from Spoken Label features making his debut is Andy Farhan.Andy Farhan is a Manchester Based Stand Up Comedian, Theatre Actor and Poet. Been a Theatre Actor for 3 years now. Been on the Radio 4x. Been doing stand up comedy for over 1 year and runs his own Stand Up Comedy Open Mic in Manchester.

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Latest up from Spoken Label (Poetry/Spoken Word Podcast) features the return of our friend Anthony Doyle in a full length Podcast.Anthony Doyle was born in Dublin and raised in Wicklow, Ireland. He has been living in São Paulo, Brazil, since 2000, where he works as a translator of fiction, non-fiction and film scripts from Portuguese. In addition to short stories and poems, he published the children's book O Lago Secou (Companhia das Letrinhas, Brazil, 2013) and the novel Hibernaculum (Out Of This World Press, USA, 2023). He is a member of the Old Scratch Press short-form collective.This Podcast talks primarily about his new book Jonahs Map of the Whale and other poems which is described as "Dive into the mythic in Jonah's Map of the Whale and Other Poems, a daring and dazzling collection from Anthony Doyle (author of Hibernaculum). In the submerged world of Flounder- part everyman, part flatfish-shipwrecked longing, philosophical wit, and lyrical precision converge.Doyle's sea-born metaphors shimmer with heartbreak, absurdity, and revelation across the tide pools of memory and myth. From underwater boathouses to data-streamed cubicles, Doyle threads ancient voices through postmodern pulses. Featuring Flounder, Blundra, Alex Iden Gray, and more, this collection drifts between high poetry and sly humor, from trenches of despair to flickers of grace. Jonah's Map of the Whale and Other Poems is a poetic deep-sea dive into the soul accessible to poetry and literature fans alike.

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Latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features making his debut, Richard Sparks (and yes, that is Jack Black in the picture who is talked about in the Podcast).Richard's bio advises "One morning in 1979 I got a call from an understandably excited Rowan Atkinson.“John Cleese just called. He's asked me to be in his new charity show – and can I do The Schoolmaster?”Er, yes.I'd written The Schoolmaster for Rowan the previous year, for a revue at the Hampstead Theatre (Rowan with Elspeth Walker and Peter Wilson). John and his co-producer, Martin Lewis, had seen it; and a year later, Rowan and I were backstage at Her Majesty's Theatre, meeting John and other members of the cast of The Secret Policeman's Ball.Rowan went on stage an unknown, with his gown and clipboard and pen, and came off a star. The Schoolmaster became his signature piece, the encore of his live shows. Eventually, he got tired of doing the same old routine and wrote another (ruder) version, generously giving me half the royalties.By that time, I'd cut my teeth on various TV shows, from HTV (Wales) to ITV (Southern and Central) to the BBC. I'd also written some stage shows (reviews, original plays, and adaptations of Goldoni comedies), and done a lot of freelance script editing. In 1992, I was hired by Columbia Picture Television to work with Blake Hunter and Marty Cohan, the creators of Who's the Boss?. My wife and I moved with our young daughter to her parents (converted) garage and we've lived in Los Angeles since.I've written a number of libretti for operas, almost all for the LA Opera – some original pieces, some translations from German or Italian. My writing partner, the composer, Lee Holdridge, was – in a way – once G.R.R. Martin's ‘writing partner' in that he composed the scores for the TV series Beauty and the Beast, for which Martin was a script writer.I'd been a hard-core RPG gamer for years when the idea for these books just fell out of the sky one morning, and I started writing. I have hardly had a moment to log on to any game — I'm too busy exploring the New Rock stories as they unfold.My publisher, Caezik SF & Fantasy, is a company of enthusiasts who love these genres. I am delighted to join their family of authors, and to be working with their executive editor, Lezli, Robyn.Three sequels – New Rock New Realm, New Rock New Rules, and New Rock New Roads, have been completed and will be published in due course. I'm currently working on the fifth book."More details including where to buy Richard's books can be found at: https://richardsparks.com/

2nd Part of a longer Podcast today from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features Genevieve Ray.Genevieve Ray is a Spoken Word Artist, Poet, Director, Producer, Playwright, Actor and Spokeswoman based in Bedfordshire, East England. She has been published in over 25 publications ranging from anthologies to digital and print magazines. She has been a guest star in 12 podcasts and a headline act for performances across the UK. She has been invited to be a Spoken Word Artist/Speaker in the USA (Massacuettes, New York), South Africa, Nigeria and Bhutan. She has produced a show with Diaspora Dames in collaboration with the National Trust in June 2025.Her debut book 'Free Roaming Adult Woman' is out now.

Part 1 of a longer Podcast wth Part 2 to follow next week, today's Spoken Label (Poetry / Spoken Word Podcast) features making their debut, Genevieve Ray.Genevieve Ray is a Spoken Word Artist, Poet, Director, Producer, Playwright, Actor and Spokeswoman based in Bedfordshire, East England. She has been published in over 25 publications ranging from anthologies to digital and print magazines. She has been a guest star in 12 podcasts and a headline act for performances across the UK. She has been invited to be a Spoken Word Artist/Speaker in the USA (Massacuettes, New York), South Africa, Nigeria and Bhutan. She has produced a show with Diaspora Dames in collaboration with the National Trust in June 2025.Her debut book 'Free Roaming Adult Woman' is out now.

Making her long overdue return today to Spoken Label (Author Podcast) is Kristina M. Serrano.Kristina M. Serrano graduated from Cape Fear Community College with an Associate's Degree in Arts, as well as a BFA in Creative Writing Fiction and a Certificate in Publishing from The University of North Carolina Wilmington, landing on the dean's and chancellor's lists. She was the Executive Editor and Prose Editor of an online literary magazine, and, while in college, had the privilege of singing the national anthem at four large events. Slow Echoes is her first published novel, but she has dozens of unfinished YA fantasy and paranormal romance novels stored away for a rainy day.Slow Echoes, her book we talk about mostly is described as "Selk Baioumi is Croatian. She's also Egyptian. And American. Despite her vast heritage, the only family she has known is her mom and late grandfather. Other than that, the closest relationship she has is her friendship with her boxing/kickboxing instructor, Cliff. And she's perfectly happy with her life, until two new men show up in her cozy hometown of Snow Hill, Maryland. The first, Whistler, an ill-reputed boxer with a paranormal secret. The second, Zahid, the Egyptian father who'd left her mother the day after Selk was born. Zahid's return brings the truth about Selk's ancestry and promises of death for many, including Whistler, the not-so-bad boy who's stolen her heart with his dry smile and effortless empathy. In order to obliterate those promises, Selk and Whistler must enter and survive an alternate Egypt where crocodiles swim in venom, stained-glass labyrinths come to life, and mummies can slow your every move, even speech—if overprotective Cliff doesn't kill Whistler first."Slow Echoes is available on Amazon and all of the usual places.Kirstina's website is: https://kristinamserrano.wixsite.com/

Latest up from Spoken Label features making her debut, Lucy Heuschen.LucyHeuschen is a Pushcart and Forward Prize-nominated poet, born in London and living in the Rheinland, Germany. She is The Poetry Society's Stanza Rep for Germany. Lucy's work appears in journals such as Dream Catcher,Lighthouse, Obsessed With Pipework, The High Window, Green Ink, Skylight 47, The Storms and Ink Sweat & Tears among others, and in anthologies from Black Bough, Sídhe Press, New Contexts and Yaffle. She was commended in the Poetry Society's Stanza Competition 2024 and shortlisted for Ink Sweat And Tears' “Pick of the Month” for October 2024. Lucy is part of Wave 2 of The Broken Spine's “Untamed” anthology series and is the author of two poetry chapbooks: We Wear The Crown (Hedgehog Poetry Press, 2022) and Loggerheads (The Broken Spine, 2024).

The latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features Amanda Nicholson doing a live launch of her new novel, 'Death to all men' of course hosted by Andy N.Amanda Nicholson is an author, poet, podcast co-host and copywriter. Her recent novel has the memorable title Death to All Men.Amanda's poetry has been broadcast on BBC Radio Manchester, and she won the Bradford Cares 2023 Competition. She Has a Creative Writing MA, and has articles published by Ask.com, Harlequin and Reader's Digest UK, among others.Her book can be bought from including:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-All-Men-Amanda-Nicholson/dp/B0DVDN2NB6

The latest up from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) features Part 2 of a longer Podcast, making her debut the amazing actress, Jessie Liang, perhaps best known for her appearance in season 1 of 'The Night Agent'. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Jessie Liang is a Taiwanese-Brazilian graduate of Studio 58's prestigious Acting conservatory-style program based in Vancouver, Canada. Best known for her recurring roles in The Night Agent and Maid (Netflix), guest starring in Nickelodeon's Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and her appearances in popular series like Virgin River (Netflix) and Supergirl (CW), Jessie also played Janet in the Arts Club touring production of Kim's Convenience. She is an emerging theatre director, playwright, instructor, and acting coach, and can be seen in the upcoming season of Animal Control (Fox). Jessie speaks Portuguese fluently and is a full member of UBCP-ACTRA.Some links include:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9089635/bio/https://www.instagram.com/jessieliang21/?hl=en

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Bonus Episode today from Spoken Label (Author / Artist Podcast) featuring our returning friend, Hayley Lynn Gordon from Giz A Word Collective (Pictured with co-host Rachel Wilton) of which Andy N and Amanda Nicholson will be headlining on Saturday 07 June 2025 over in Liverpool.More about Hayley and Gizaword "Hayley Gordon aka Twisted TalesPoet/Spoken Word Artists/Performer, Co-Creator and Co-Organiser of Giz A Word Collective - @gizaword.collectiveA Scouse spoken word artists and performer and recently had a first publication in The Poetry's Dead Anthology (£10 Amazon)Also been featured on North West radio shows, podcasts and comedy shows in Liverpool. Giz A Word Collective will be hosting their own stall at All Ears Poetry Expo at Liverpool Exhibition Centre on 4th July and hosted by Joseph Roberts. This will be the UK's first ever poetry expo as they contribute towards making poetic history in Liverpool!! Tickets available online either go to Instagram @allearspoetry and click the link in the bio.Or book directly: - www.exhibitioncentreliverpool.com"

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features making their return is out friend, Ashley Edge.Ashley is the co-host of the online spoken word event 'Prickly Pear' and runs the poetry publishers 'Poetic Edge Publishers' as well as regularly running writing workshops.some links include:https://poeticedgepublishers.com/https://www.eventbrite.com/o/ashley-edge-66407590783https://www.facebook.com/ashleyedge.poet