Tales from Bohemia

Local poets will be stepping out of their comfort zone next week - to try their hand at telling tales.
William Michael NearyWilliam Michael Neary
William Michael Neary

The stars of Preston’s Bohemia Poetry Night will, instead of rhyming, be showing off their skills at story telling and prose reading at their latest event.

The Story Telling Special will be the sixth in the series of Bohemia Poetry Nights at Friargate’s Beautiful Planet community cafe.

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The evenings are a spin off from the venue’s increasingly popular Bohemia Music Nights, which were begun to showcase local music talent.

The Poetry Nights are a newer event but were created to similarly support the creavity of local wordsmiths and writers and give them somewhere to show off their works.

Performers confirmed to be sharing their tales at the Storytelling event so far include Penwortham poet Lorna Smithers, local wordsmith Peter Dillon, local performance poet Nicolas Guy Williams, abstract, surrealist poet and host of the night, Dean Fraser,

And there will be a few words of wisdom from one of Bohemia’s confirmed favourite wordsmiths, Bowland poet William Michael Neary (pictured).

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Also giving their contributions to the night will be Preston’s own young urban poet, Abdulhai Dawood, who relocated to our city from London just over a year ago and whose works reflect his own life, and Chris Woodworth, who began performing at the nights after a stunning appearance in the open mic section of one of the early shows. He is promising to bring something new to the storytelling evening.

The success of the Bohemia Music Nights, whose next event will be their 17th since starting up last year, inspired wordsmiths who use the Friargate community cafe to set up their own version of the events.

Dean Fraser said: “There were a few of us poetic types who thought the idea of doing something along the lines of Bohemia Music Nights, but for spoken word, could work.

“The idea was originally talked about during the Guild last year and eventually I stepped forward to take on the project.

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“We’re on our 6th Poetry Night now and it has grown into being part of the scene.

“It is a great mix of more established poets and up and coming performers, who I love to give the chance to have a go at Bohemia Poetry, that’s why we always have an open mic session. Then anyone can get up there and have a go in front of a very appreciative audience.”

If they impress the crowds, the Open Mic poets may be invited back to appear at future Bohemia Poetry Nights.

Doors for the evening will open at 8pm on Thursday August 8.

Entry will be free.

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