Hammer & Tongue Hackney

From the backroom of a backstreet Dalston pub in 2011 to the Royal Albert Hall and festival stages including, for the last 5 years, We Out Here, H&T Hackney have built a reputation for putting on the best in spoken word, with high-energy, good vibes, lots of laughs, and a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere. Now H&T returns to their old haunt of The Book Club for one of just three shows for 2025-2026. Book your tickets now!

Featuring:
Amy McAllister, Dublin-raised poet and actor
DJ Close Up Things on the decks
Sam Berkson as host
And the open mic slam: 8 slots available, sign up early for a chance to perform. First come, first served. email samberkson[at]gmail.com if you want to pre-book a slot.

Details below.

Amy McAllister is a spoken word artist and activist from Dublin. She has won numerous poetry slams including the UK Anti-Slam, the Word Up Netherlands Slam Final, the Hammer & Tongue London Slam Championship, the UK Team Slam Finals at the Royal Albert Hall and the Great Northern Slam. Her debut collection Are You As Single As That Cream? is published by Burning Eye. Amy is also an actor and credits include: Breeders (Sky), A Discovery of Witches (Sky), There She Goes (BBC), Witless (BBC), Call the Midwife (BBC), Philomena (Pathe/Canal+), The Boys Are Kissing (Theatre503), Scorch (Soho Theatre and International Tour), Diamond (Bush Theatre/BBC Arts), Hecuba (RSC), and Sons Without Fathers (Arcola). http://amymcallisterpoetry.com

Open Mic Slam: 3.5 minutes on the mic, open to any poet of any style. No props, no music. Judged by the audience, highest scoring poet gets 10mins at the next event and a place in the end-of-season final in July. email samberkson[at]gmail.com to pre-book a place in the slam. Or arrive early to sign up. Doors at 7:30pm.