We are so excited to announce that we are bringing together a group of exceptional poets and performers on Thursday 26th November for an online celebration in support of our local domestic abuse support charity RISE.

All ticket sales will be donated directly to RISE.

We asked RISE to tell us a bit about the amazing work that they do. Community Builder Ewa told us:

"RISE is a Sussex - based charity that supports people affected by domestic abuse and violence. Our vision is freedom from abuse and violence: we support survivors from crisis and early intervention, through to recovery and onwards into safe and healthy futures. Apart from our support and advice services, we also run community programmes which help survivors to connect and thrive, and ultimately be free from abuse."

We are running the event as part of our support for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. This is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day.

TICKET DETAILS

The event will be hosted on Zoom and ticket-holders will be sent the event link and password on the day of the event.

If you are unable to afford a donation at this time please do send us an email at info@thefeministbookshop.com as we have some concessionary tickets available and will try our best to accommodate anyone who would like to attend.

LINE UP

Naomi Wood will be hosting the evening and has curated a fantastic line up .

Our Host - Naomi Wood

Naomi is a performance artist who creates pieces that incite riotous acts of joyful disobedience celebrating empowerment and rebellion merging the circus with storytelling.

Naomi regularly hosts creative writing workshops at The Feminist Bookshop and her debut poetry collection This is a Heist has been extremely popular at the bookshop and has completely sold out. The book is a tribute to all the ways in which we find freedom in unusual circumstances - through loss, through play, through the inane and through embracing change.

Joelle Taylor

Joelle Taylor is an award-winning poet, playwright, author and editor. She has performed across the UK and internationally, reading in a diverse range of venues from the 100 Club, the 02 Arena, the Royal Festival Hall and Ronnie Scott’s to the Royal Court, the Globe, the ICA, Buckingham Palace and various prisons including Pentonville and Holloway.

She has published three full collections of poetry: Ska Tissue (2011, Mother Foucault Press), The Woman Who Was Not There (2014, Burning Eye Books), and her latest collection Songs My Enemy Taught Me (2017, Out-Spoken Press).

Her most recent collection was inspired by fusing her own story of surviving sexual abuse with masterclasses engaging groups of vulnerable women across the UK. Speaking to refugees, prisoners, young mothers, survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, the collection powerfully evokes the struggles women still face globally in the 21st Century.

AFLO. the poet

AFLO. the poet is a Brighton-based spoken word artist, activist and academic. Her work often focusses on themes of race, mental health and trauma: through sharing her lived experiences, AFLO. is able to encourage healing and connection with those who choose to listen. AFLO. the poet has performed to crowds of thousands at recent Black Lives Matter protests and continues to encourage others on their anti-racist journeys.

Priss Nash

Uncensored, Unfiltered, Unapologetic and Oversharing; Priss is a Brighton-based poet/spoken word artist telling their stories through verses, bars and pars. Priss’ work covers a range of hard hitting subjects, with a focus on race, trauma, identity and mental health. Offering an extremely personal and uncensored viewpoint through her poetry, Priss’ work and performances often push for real and tangible change by making audiences question their own biases and prejudices.

Debra Watson

Debra Watson is a performer and poet interested in performing intimate 1-2-1 multi-sensory readings and experimental performances using poetry as text and lyric. She has performed in London, Berlin, Barcelona, Utrecht and Antwerp.

Her themes include retelling fairy-tales, female empowerment and climate collapse. Her collection ‘Laments and Incantations’ was published in 2019.

Her most recent in person performance was a socially distanced event at the top of a medieval tower in London, where she performed works written in lockdown accompanied by violinist Henni Linnea.

Social media: Fb – debrawatsonperformanceandpoetry/Inst – Debra Watson/Twitter – Debra_Watson

We also have some special guests on the line-up offering a series of 5 minute performances, including the winners of the RISE creative competition.

If you any questions do contact us at info@thefeministbookshop.com.

Can't wait to see you there!