This is How I Fight: poetry and resilience - Rosie Garland and Holly Winter Hughes. Open Mic.
St Paul's Church Cheltenham, Cheltenham, GL50 4EZ
Friday 10th April 2026
Sponsored by Dark Poets Club.
Two exciting contemporary poets read from new books that celebrate poetry’s power to empower and strengthen, even in the darkest times. Plus, please bring a poem to share in our poem mic.
Rosie Garland (‘one of the UK’s most compelling LGBT+ writers’ - Val McDermid) writes poetry, fiction, song lyrics & sings with post-punk band The March Violets. Her collection What Girls Do in the Dark (Nine Arches) was shortlisted for the Polari Prize 2021. In This Is How I Fight (Observer Poetry Book of the Month for June 2025), she explores where we might find the courage to forge a way through the world, one word at a time, proposing kindness as a radical act.
Holly Winter-Hughes reads from her potent and exhilarating new collection How to Leave a Body (Verve Press) described by John McCullough as ‘ Darkly imaginative and pearled with fresh phrase-making.. poems that compel attention and linger.’ In How to Leave a Body Winter-Hughes explores themes of trauma, resilience, and re-connection with one's body through writing and poetry.
About our event Sponsor - Dark Poets Club.
Dark Poets Club is an international platform dedicated to the art of dark poetry. In this space, writers and readers come together to explore verse that is haunting, unflinching, and beautiful in its honesty. They celebrate work that dares to confront the shadows: from gothic and surreal to raw and contemporary. Through their recurring @darkpoetsclub Poets Prize, themed challenges, and digital publications, they give poets worldwide the chance to share their voices, gain recognition, and connect with a growing creative community. For readers, they offer a gateway into powerful, thought-provoking poetry that lingers long after the final line.Step into the shadows at www.darkpoets.club
Please Note
For schools and other group bookings, please email the Festival Box Office [email protected] for information on discounts.
Two exciting contemporary poets read from new books that celebrate poetry’s power to empower and strengthen, even in the darkest times. Plus, please bring a poem to share in our poem mic.
Rosie Garland (‘one of the UK’s most compelling LGBT+ writers’ - Val McDermid) writes poetry, fiction, song lyrics & sings with post-punk band The March Violets. Her collection What Girls Do in the Dark (Nine Arches) was shortlisted for the Polari Prize 2021. In This Is How I Fight (Observer Poetry Book of the Month for June 2025), she explores where we might find the courage to forge a way through the world, one word at a time, proposing kindness as a radical act.
Holly Winter-Hughes reads from her potent and exhilarating new collection How to Leave a Body (Verve Press) described by John McCullough as ‘ Darkly imaginative and pearled with fresh phrase-making.. poems that compel attention and linger.’ In How to Leave a Body Winter-Hughes explores themes of trauma, resilience, and re-connection with one's body through writing and poetry.
About our event Sponsor - Dark Poets Club.
Dark Poets Club is an international platform dedicated to the art of dark poetry. In this space, writers and readers come together to explore verse that is haunting, unflinching, and beautiful in its honesty. They celebrate work that dares to confront the shadows: from gothic and surreal to raw and contemporary. Through their recurring @darkpoetsclub Poets Prize, themed challenges, and digital publications, they give poets worldwide the chance to share their voices, gain recognition, and connect with a growing creative community. For readers, they offer a gateway into powerful, thought-provoking poetry that lingers long after the final line.Step into the shadows at www.darkpoets.club
Please Note
For schools and other group bookings, please email the Festival Box Office [email protected] for information on discounts.
