Uncut Poets

Uncut Poets returns to Exeter Phoenix on Tuesday 24 November, from 7.30pm to 10pm. It's a monthly poetry night that runs on the last Tuesday of every month at the Phoenix, with an online session on the second Tuesday of the month. Chrissy Banks and Matt Bryden co-host the evening, and the format is straightforward: published poets read from their work, with open mic slots for the audience in between. If you've got something you're working on and want to read it, you'll need to book your slot in advance.

Chrissy Banks is an award-winning poet with several collections to her name. Matt Bryden is an award-winning poet and educator based in the South West, and the night has pulled in a good range of voices over the months. Recent readers have included Greta Stoddart, Fiona Benson, Vishvantara, Tom Weir, Chaucer Cameron and Helen Dewbery, so you'll get a mix of established names and newer voices on the same bill. The open mic slots mean the audience gets a say in the line-up too, rather than just sitting and listening.

There's a bit more to it than just the monthly night. Uncut Poets feeds into the Black Ven Stanza Group, facilitated by Sarah Acton and Matt Bryden, which meets monthly to edit and give feedback on work-in-progress poems. The group's zine, The Silken Twine, is on sale at the event, so if you're into the local scene, it's a good place to pick up some of the poetry that's being worked on behind the scenes.

Tickets are £5, with a £3 concession. You can pay on the door, so there's no ticketing system charge. It runs from 7.30pm to 10pm at Exeter Phoenix, so it's a mid-week evening that doesn't run too late.