Bad Ideas Club at Dudley Library
Bad Betty Press is running a new poetry workshop and open mic night at Dudley Library on Tuesday 31 October.
Led by Sophie Sparham and Casey Bailey it features a workshop with Casey at 3pm and an open mic session for all poets, aspiring, accomplished or in-between at 7pm.
It’s a friendly warm, inclusive setting for poets to share new work, first drafts, ideas and more. No need to be afraid.
Casey Bailey is an award winning writer, performer and educator, born and raised in Nechells, Birmingham, UK. Casey was the Birmingham Poet Laureate 2020 - 2022.
He has had three poetry books published and had his poetry published in a number of anthologies and journals. As a playwright, Casey has brought plays to the stage in Birmingham and London, including GrimeBoy which had a sold out run at the Birmingham Rep. In 2022 Casey won a Royal Television Society award for a film for his poem “Dear Brum”.
A number of organisations have commissioned pieces from Casey, including the BBC and the Royal Shakespeare Company and he has performed his work internationally. Casey is a fellow at the University of Worcester, and in 2021 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Education by Newman University
Councillor Ian Bevan, cabinet member responsible for libraries, said:
“We’re really pleased to be welcoming Bad Betty Press to Dudley library for this new event. Writing, especially writing poetry can feel quite isolating and it’s hard to gauge how your writing is going.
“This workshop with talented writer Casey Bailey and friendly, informal open mic session with Casey and Sophie Sparham is the perfect environment for poets to share their work, try out new ideas and relate to an audience.”
Stephanie Rhoden, Better partnership manager for Dudley Libraries said:
“People can find reading, writing or listening to poem a bit daunting, but poetry is for everyone and this event is so warm, unpretentious and inclusive that everyone will feel welcome.
“Even if you think you’re not a great poet, remember a bad poem’s just an early draft. Join us to make the best of your work and enjoy some performance poetry.”
Places are free. Book via Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bad-ideas-club-tickets-718444385497
Contact Information
Dudley Council
Notes to editors
Bad Betty is an award-winning independent publisher of new poetry, and curator of live literature events taking place across the UK.
London-born, Nottingham-based, Bad Betty Press was set up in 2017 by Amy Acre and Jake Wild Hall with the aim of showcasing exciting and risk-taking poetry, supporting poets’ artistic development and celebrating stories less often told.
Bad Betty won the Michael Marks Publisher’s Award in 2022, and was a regional finalist for the British Book Awards Small Press of the Year in 2023. Their books include a Michael Marks Pamphlet Award winner, a Telegraph Poetry Book of the Month, five Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice selections, Laurel and Polari First Book Prize longlistees, and a BAMB Readers’ Award shortlistee. It’s supported by Arts Council England.