Summer of LOVEwire tour with Salena Godden & Co.

NYMPHS & THUGS PRESENTS... THE 'SUMMER OF LOVEWIRE' TOUR SALENA GODDEN WITH SUPPORT FROM MATT ABBOTT LOUISE FAZACKERLEY AND TORIA GARBUTT PLUS OPEN MIC Fronted by poetic powerhouse Salena Godden, the Nymphs & Thugs label presents an evening of dynamic, engaging and politically charged spoken word. The tour launches Salena Godden’s brand new 2LP gatefold vinyl release of her critically acclaimed ‘LIVEwire’ audio collection, which has been shortlisted for The Poetry Society's Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry. "A SPOKEN WORD ALBUM THAT TRULY IS ELECTRIC" 5*, THE I PAPER "EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HEAR LIVEWIRE", PROWL HOUSE "GODDEN IS AT THE VANGUARD OF THIS PARTICULAR PUBLISHING MOMENT" EMPATHY LIBRARY With support from SALENA’s N&T label mates, the tour will showcase the UK’s flourishing spoken word scene at its finest. This is poetry that will make you laugh, make you cry, make you shake your fist in anger and make you reach for a pen yourself: this is poetry for the people. SALENA GODDEN Salena Godden is one of the UK’s foremost poets; regularly topping the bill at literary festivals, whilst continuing to drive her art form in her third decade of performing. 2016 saw Salena release audio collection ‘LIVEwire’, and feature in highly-acclaimed book ‘The Good Immigrant’. LOUISE FAZACKERLEY Louise Fazackerley is one of the most exciting spoken word performers in the UK. Her 2CD release ‘Council House Poetry’ includes ‘Love Is a Battlefield’, the result of a BBC Radio 3 New Voices commission, as well as her ‘Bird St.’ collection. Longlisted in the 2016 Saboteur Awards. MATT ABBOTT Matt Abbott has recently established himself on the UK’s thriving scene, having appeared on stages around the UK for the last decade. He fuses socio-political commentary and contemporary kitchen sink realism; presented with a natural wit and an engaging, accessible style. TORIA GARBUTT Toria Garbutt is rapidly taking the UK scene by storm; bolstered by the fact that she’s just been announced as one of Dr John Cooper Clarke’s support acts. Her début album ‘Hot Plastic Moon’ was released in May 2016, and her confessional, heartfelt poems are vital and visceral. Open mic slots will be available on a first come, first served basis. BYLINE FESTIVAL We are also launching Salena Godden's role as Poet Laureate at Byline Festival [https://www.bylinefestival.com]. Byline is the first festival to celebrate independent journalism and free speech. As part of Salena's role, she will curate The LIVEwire Salon; showcasing N&T poets, and poetry's rebels and renegades. We're delighted to be able to offer you a unique 50% discount on weekend tickets, using the code SGBYFEST. It runs from 2-4 June in West Sussex, with an incredible range of acts and speakers from various artforms and disciplines.