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It’s our first SPOTLIGHT show of the year and as the environment begins to unhibernates around us, we thought it’d be the perfect time to theme the event all around the natural world, with poets and musicians sharing pieces that connect us to and help us appreciate the green spaces around us. Guardian Diarist Nic Wilson will be discussing her debut book, Land Beneath the Waves, which inspires us to develop a meaningful bond with our local natural spaces and landscapes, and Birmingham-based poet Leah Atherton (Verve Press, Fawn Press) will be sharing some of her bucolic poetry to boot. We’ll also have some of our regular Shout-or-Whisper-ers taking to the stage, so make sure you don’t miss out on this truly wild event.
Nic Wilson is a writer, editor and Guardian Country Diarist based in North Hertfordshire. She has nearly 30 years’ writing experience spanning academia, education, journalism and narrative non-fiction. She works for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, mainly specialising in wildlife and wildplants. Her writing has featured in many magazines, journals and anthologies. In Nic’s debut book, Land Beneath the Waves, (Summersdale/Hachette 2025), she revisits her childhood to trace the influence of the natural world on her life. As she grapples with revelations from the past, the boundaries between self and land become increasingly porous, and the lure of the wetlands around her home threatens to engulf her.
Leah Atherton is a linguist, poet and runner based in Birmingham, UK. She is the author of A sky the colour of hope (Verve Press 2020) and Mycelium (Fawn Press, 2024) and has had poems about her adventures featured by iRunFar, Porridge magazines, and Brum Radio Poets. Elsewhere, her work has appeared in Birmingham Art Gallery and on BBC Radio WM, and was included as part of Beatfreeks anthology Wilder Dreams and Louder Voices.
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Doors open: 19:00, Start time: 19:30
The Market Theatre Cabaret Bar - 6A Sun St, Hitchin SG5 1AE
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Tickets operate on a pay-what-you-feel model, starting at £5 for Spotlight events. A portion of all proceeds from ticket sales go towards supporting our community initiatives.
It’s our first SPOTLIGHT show of the year and as the environment begins to unhibernates around us, we thought it’d be the perfect time to theme the event all around the natural world, with poets and musicians sharing pieces that connect us to and help us appreciate the green spaces around us. Guardian Diarist Nic Wilson will be discussing her debut book, Land Beneath the Waves, which inspires us to develop a meaningful bond with our local natural spaces and landscapes, and Birmingham-based poet Leah Atherton (Verve Press, Fawn Press) will be sharing some of her bucolic poetry to boot. We’ll also have some of our regular Shout-or-Whisper-ers taking to the stage, so make sure you don’t miss out on this truly wild event.
Nic Wilson is a writer, editor and Guardian Country Diarist based in North Hertfordshire. She has nearly 30 years’ writing experience spanning academia, education, journalism and narrative non-fiction. She works for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, mainly specialising in wildlife and wildplants. Her writing has featured in many magazines, journals and anthologies. In Nic’s debut book, Land Beneath the Waves, (Summersdale/Hachette 2025), she revisits her childhood to trace the influence of the natural world on her life. As she grapples with revelations from the past, the boundaries between self and land become increasingly porous, and the lure of the wetlands around her home threatens to engulf her.
Leah Atherton is a linguist, poet and runner based in Birmingham, UK. She is the author of A sky the colour of hope (Verve Press 2020) and Mycelium (Fawn Press, 2024) and has had poems about her adventures featured by iRunFar, Porridge magazines, and Brum Radio Poets. Elsewhere, her work has appeared in Birmingham Art Gallery and on BBC Radio WM, and was included as part of Beatfreeks anthology Wilder Dreams and Louder Voices.
—
Doors open: 19:00, Start time: 19:30
The Market Theatre Cabaret Bar - 6A Sun St, Hitchin SG5 1AE
—
Tickets operate on a pay-what-you-feel model, starting at £5 for Spotlight events. A portion of all proceeds from ticket sales go towards supporting our community initiatives.