A Gwent poet is set to take the stage at a spoken word event in the north of England.
Des Mannay, a Newport-based writer known for his "hard-hitting" poetry, will perform at Morecambe Poetry Festival, which runs from September 18 to 20 and brings together well-known names and grassroots talent.
Mr Mannay said: "Performing at Morecambe is the highlight of the year for me poetry-wise."
This year’s festival features a star-studded line-up, including Dr John Cooper Clarke, Salena Godden, Henry Normal, Jackie Kay, Robin Ince, Elvis McGonagall, Luke Wright, and Kate Fox.
Mr Mannay will perform on Saturday, the same day as Robin Ince, Demi Dhotel, Tim Barlow, Patience Abgabi, Nick Helm, and Dave Viney.
Festival organiser Matt Panesh said: "The festival is one of the hardest to schedule, with so many good people I'd like to perform requesting a slot".
Mr Mannay is a disabled Welsh writer of colour whose work often explores "hard-hitting social issues", according to Sabotage Reviews.
He is the author of Sod ’em – and tomorrow, published by Waterloo Press, and serves as an associate editor of Poetry Wales.
He is also a co-editor of The Angry Manifesto poetry journal.
Despite a challenging 2025 marked by personal difficulties, Mr Mannay continued to honour his performance commitments.
He said: "It wasn’t all doom and gloom. In fact, I probably got my largest gig ever, with an audience of a thousand."
Earlier this year, he was longlisted and highly commended in the Erbacce Poetry Competition and has had work accepted for around five anthologies, including the National Beat Poetry Foundation’s New Generation Beats 2026 in the US.
Mr Mannay has previously performed alongside figures such as Roger McGough, Carol Anne Duffy, Pam Ayres, and Henry Normal.
His poetry has appeared in publications including Poetry Wales, The Angry Manifesto, Red Poets, and The Scum Gentry.
Individual festival shows are priced at £25 plus booking fee, while a full weekend pass costs £65.
Further information and tickets are available at skiddle.com/g/morecambe-poetry-festival.
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