Event type: Literature

WoWFEST 2026: Joelle Taylor: Maryville

Joelle Taylor brings a staged reading of her new poetry collection to WOWFest; a searing, poetic excavation of 50 years of lesbian counterculture.

Following-on from her TS Eliot Prize-winning poetry collection C+nto & Othered Poems, Joelle Taylor’s Maryville charts the lives of four butch lesbians through five decades of underground queer history; tracing the culture, clubs and resistance that shaped their world.

With a vividly sketched cast of characters, the Maryville butch bar becomes a lens through which to consider the underground histories of queer London. The violence and pain of oppression and the beauty and intimacy of community are rendered in awe-inspiring high definition.

The performance is directed by acclaimed writer and director Neil Bartlett, with visuals from artist and filmmaker Sweatmother. Maryville explores the scars, hopes and potentialities of dyke identity and the queer underground.

Joelle Taylor is a queer, working class author of six plays, a novel, and four collections of poetry. Her most recent, C+NTO & Othered Poems won the 2021 TS Eliot Prize, the 2022 Polari Book Prize for LGBT authors, and is currently being adapted for the theatre. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the host and co- curator of Out-Spoken, the UK’s premier poetry and music club, currently resident at the Southbank Centre.

Neil Bartlett’s recent stage work includes Orlando in the West End with Emma Corrin and a live version of Derek Jarman’s film Blue at the Tate Gallery, with Russell Tovey, Travis Alabanza and Joelle Taylor. His most recent novel was the Polari Prize-nominated Address Book.

Sweatmother is an artist and filmmaker based in London, whose moving image work blends performance, self-recorded documentation, internet and archival materials to explore and make visible queer lived experiences.

Joelle Taylor: a staged performance of her new collection MaryvilleDate: Thursday 14th  MayTime: 8pmVenue: The Music Room, Philharmonic Hall Hope St, Liverpool L1 9BP

Writing on the Wall – The Writer’s Bloc Toxteth

 

The Writer’s Bloc is Writing on the Wall’s dedicated creative writing centre in Liverpool – a welcoming space where writers of all backgrounds can write, connect and grow together.

The Writer’s Bloc brings together a vibrant community of writers and creative thinkers from across the Liverpool City Region. It’s flexible, friendly and supportive: a place where inspiration and encouragement go hand in hand.

Our next two Writer’s Bloc sessions at Toxteth Library will be:

Friday 10th April – Time To Write 

This session will start with a couple of writing prompts as a warm up and then the rest of the time is yours to work on whatever you like. There will be a chance to share your work at the end of the session if you choose to. 

Friday 24th April – Script Writing with Maurice Bessman 

Maurice is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. He began writing scripts for a BBC Radio Merseyside drama and wrote the drama series DOCTORS and a single drama SING OUR OWN SONG for BBC Radio Four.

His television work includes BROOKSIDE, CASUALTY, HOLBY CITY, ACCUSED, COURTROOM, HOLLYOAKS and a single comedy drama A LITTLE PINCH OF CHILLI.

Both sessions will take place at Toxteth Library, Windsor Street, Liverpool, L8 1XF

Please confirm your attendance at either session by clicking this link and filling in your details: Writer’s Bloc Registration Form  

Tea and coffee will be available at each session.

 

Book Launch: Melete by Jennifer Lee Tsai (Bloodaxe Books)

 

In this first full-length collection, Jennifer Lee Tsai explores family history, intergenerational trauma, love, loss, and belonging through the lens of a second-generation British Chinese identity. Melete weaves together dual cultures and heritages through narratives of memory, migration, and mysticism, spanning Liverpool, China, and Hong Kong. This expansive collection establishes a powerfully distinctive lyric voice in contemporary British poetry.

Jennifer will be joined by fellow Bloodaxe poet and Costa Book of the Year Poetry Award winner Hannah Lowe.

We are delighted to celebrate the launch of this book, which will include readings from Jennifer and Hannah, followed by a conversation with arts curator and host Marie-Anne McQuay.

This event is presented in partnership with the Centre for New and International Writing, University of Liverpool.

 

April Writing Advice Desk

The Windows ProjectWRITING ADVICE DESK

 

WEDNESDAY 1st APRIL at Liverpool Central LibraryWilliam Brown Street L3 8EW

 

Drop in between 5.30pm and 7.00pmfor one-to-one appraisal of scripts, stories, poemsand details of publishing opportunities, performance venues, workshops and courses

with 

ALISON DOWN Screenwriter and poetBAFTA Rocliffe’s Emerging Children’s Writer.

 

DAVID WARDAuthor and poetEditor ‘Smoke’ magazineNominated for Carnegie Medal

 

Please book in on arrival.  Each individual session usually lasts 20 minutes.

Writing on the Wall – The Writer’s Bloc Bootle

The Writer’s Bloc is Writing on the Wall’s dedicated creative writing centre in Liverpool – a welcoming space where writers of all backgrounds can write, connect and grow together.

The Writer’s Bloc brings together a vibrant community of writers and creative thinkers from across the Liverpool City Region and is now launching at Bootle Library. It’s flexible, friendly and supportive: a place where inspiration and encouragement go hand in hand.

Our first two Writer’s Bloc sessions at Bootle Library will be:

Wednesday 29th April Creating Work For The Stage workshop with Helen Jeffery 

In this session, Helen will explore what makes great theatre & how playwriting differs from other types of storytelling.

Practical writing exercises and lots of space for discussion and questions.

Wednesday 13th May  Time To Write

This session will start with a couple of writing prompts as a warm up and then the rest of the time is yours to work on whatever you like. There will be a chance to share your work at the end of the session if you choose to. 

Both sessions will take place at Bootle Library, 220 Stanley Road, Bootle, L20 3EN.

Please confirm your attendance at either session by clicking this link and filling in your details: Writer’s Bloc Bootle Registration Form 

Tea and coffee will be available at each session.

 

 

 

Writing on the Wall – The Writer’s Bloc Birkenhead

The Writer’s Bloc is Writing on the Wall’s dedicated creative writing centre in Liverpool – a welcoming space where writers of all backgrounds can write, connect and grow together.

The Writer’s Bloc brings together a vibrant community of writers and creative thinkers from across the Liverpool City Region and is now launching at Birkenhead Central Library. It’s flexible, friendly and supportive: a place where inspiration and encouragement go hand in hand.

Our first two Writer’s Bloc sessions at Birkenhead Central Library will be:

Monday 27th April Creating Work For The Stage workshop with Helen Jeffery 

In this session, Helen will explore what makes great theatre & how playwriting differs from other types of storytelling.

Practical writing exercises and lots of space for discussion and questions.

Monday 11th May  Time To Write

This session will start with a couple of writing prompts, then the rest of the time is yours to work on whatever you like. There will be a chance to share your work at the end of the session if you choose to. 

Both sessions are free of charge and will take place at – 

Time: 10.30am-12.30pm

Venue: Birkenhead Central Library, Borough Road, Birkenhead CH41 2XB England 

Please register for either session by clicking this link and filling in your details: Writer’s Bloc Birkenhead Registration Form 

Tea and coffee will be available at each session.

 

 

 

 

Baby Book Club

 

These sessions offer a wonderful opportunity to bond with your baby, connect with other parents and carers, and start building a lifelong love of books together through fun, creative storytelling.

Led by artist Roger Hill, each session includes time for discussion and sharing, book recommendations and reviews, individual and group reading, and fun activities centred around the weekly core story.

It’s never too early to start reading with your baby – book now to secure your place.

£52 (for 6 weekly sessions – booking required)

 

Haunted Book Club at Norton Priory

A Book Club you don’t have to do the reading for.

We will read something unsettling to you…

For enjoyers of eerie tales, curious to know more about the stories that make their skin crawl.

Join ‘Norton’s Narrator’, Gav Cross and author John Reppion as they delve into the stories behind some of your favourite spine-tingling tales.

Whether you’re a seasoned ghost story expert or a newcomer to the realm of creepy fiction, Haunted Book Club welcomes all new members with open (and possibly skeletal) arms.

Joining the Phantoms at Norton Priory we will be bringing ‘The Curfew’ by Lucy M. Boston.

This haunted story of open graves and lost bell towers, is widely considered to be inspired by Norton Priory.

Lucy M. Boston, perhaps best known for her ‘Green Knowe’ series of children’s books, lived on the estate before the final demolition of the house.

Whatever you do. Don’t ring the bell on the way out…

Join in the conversation or sit quietly in the dark. Whatever you choose.

Keep glancing over your shoulder…

 

John Reppion is a writer, born in Liverpool. Since 2003 he has co-written comics in partnership with his wife, Leah Moore, as Moore & Reppion. John’s solo-scripted comics work has also appeared in 2000 AD, Judge Dredd Megazine, and Heavy Metal Magazine. He has written books and articles on Weird History, Folklore, Superstition, and Magic for the likes of The History Press, Fortean Times, Daily Grail Online, and Hellebore Zine. John’s Horror and Weird Fiction has appeared in anthologies from the likes of Titan Publishing, PS Publishing, Swan River Press, and Sarob Press.

Gav Cross is a storyteller and performer. He creates weird and scary shows for grown ups and families. ‘The War of the Worlds – An Abridged & Performed Reading’, he brings humour, heart, and a touch of chaos to venues, festivals, and theatres across the UK. Currently ’Norton’s Narrator’ for Norton Priory, bringing terror and shouting to the good people of the area.

Haunted Book Club is an online bi-weekly free Substack gathering.

12+ Suggested.

90 mins plus an interval.

March Writing Advice Desk

The Windows ProjectWRITING ADVICE DESK

WEDNESDAY 4th MARCH at Liverpool Central LibraryWilliam Brown Street L3 8EW

 

Drop in between 5.30pm and 7.00pmfor one-to-one appraisal of scripts, stories, poemsand details of publishing opportunities, performance venues, workshops and courses

with 

ALISON DOWN Screenwriter and poetBAFTA Rocliffe’s Emerging Children’s Writer.

 

DAVE WARDAuthor and poetEditor ‘Smoke’ magazineNominated for Carnegie Medal

 

Please book in on arrival.  Each individual session usually lasts 20 minutes.

In Conversation with Adrian Jeans: The Portrait Paradox

The Portrait Paradox is an exhibition which brings together portraits from the Williamson’s collection and Adrian Jeans’ portrait-based sculpture, drawing, photography and video.

Adrian Jeans will be in conversation about his work, the inspiration he found in our collection and the intentions of the exhibition.