Bad Betty Live

“Fierce and bristling with life” – The Guardian

“The very best of contemporary poetry” – The Book Hive

Award-winning publishing house Bad Betty Press presents poetry from Desree (Altar, Shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection), Ashley Hickson-Lovence (Why I Am Not a Bus Driver and Wild East, East Anglian Book Awards Book of the Year), Hasti (young, dumb, and full of poems, Little Betty) plus special guests, and music and words from Davina Songbird.

Hosted by Bridie Squires and Jake Wild Hall.

BSL interpreted by Steph Lehrle.

Supported by Arts Council England.

VENUE & ACCESS:

This event is part of NAE's Friday Night Socials. It takes place in the ground-floor gallery space alongside the current exhibition by artist Simeon Barclay. A plant-based menu is available from the community kitchen. NAE has a lift and accessible toilets. The building is fitted with induction loops for enhanced sound. Disabled parking is available on request. Full accessibility info here.

New Art Exchange (NAE) is the UK’s largest gallery dedicated to contemporary visual arts from the Global Ethnic Majority. Based in Hyson Green, Nottingham, NAE champions inclusivity and equity in the creative industries, nurturing and celebrating talent from diverse backgrounds About Us page on our website.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Desree is an award-winning writer, spoken word artist, educator and producer based in London and Slough. An alumna of Born::Free Writers Collective, Jerwood Arts and the Obsidian Foundation, Desree was Poet in Residence at Glastonbury Festival 2022 and Slough’s EMPOWORD. A familiar voice on BBC Radio Berkshire, her work has been broadcast on Radio 4’s The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah; and published in JOY//US Poems of Queer Joy, Ink Sweat & Tears, Spoken Word London’s Anti-Hate Anthology and more. Altar (Bad Betty Press, 2025) is shortlisted for The Forward Prize for Best First Collection.

Ashley Hickson-Lovence is the author of The 392, Your Show and Wild East (East Anglian Book Awards Book of the Year). His nominations include the Carnegie Medal 2025 and the Black Excellence Awards 2023. He is a former secondary school English teacher with a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of East Anglia. Why I Am Not a Bus Driver is his first poetry collection.

Hasti is a poet and writer living in South East London. A member of the inaugural Southbank new poets collective and the Ledbury Poetry Critics, they are the recipient of the 2023 White Review Poet's Prize, the 2022 Queen Mary Wasafiri New Writing Prize for Poetry, and have recently published poems in bathmagg, Propel magazine, and The Poetry Review. They have co-written short sci-fi film DIGGING, produced by Film4, and published pamphlets U with Reference Press and Agitations & Birdsong with Bleet! zine. Hasti hosts open mic and poetry night Fresh Lip, and its sister show for Montes Press Radio, Fresh Air. Their debut pamphlet young, dumb, and full of poems is out with Little Betty.

Born in London, raised in Luton, and made in Nottingham, Davina Songbird is a powerful voice on East Midlands stages. She is a singer, songwriter and spoken word artist. Known for her rich, soulful vocals and harmonies, Davina’s music blends Neo Soul and spoken word. Her lyrics and poetry touch on self-love, relationships, and the Black female experience with a message to know your worth and ‘fix your crown.' Her original music influences are India Arie, Tracy Chapman, and Jacob Banks whilst her jazz influences are vocal powerhouses like Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin and Samara Joy. Poetry wise, she draws from artists such as Maya Angelou and Benjamin Zephaniah.She has been played and interviewed on BBC radio multiple times, on BBC Introducing for music and BBC Upload for spoken word.

ABOUT BAD BETTY:

Bad Betty Press is an award-winning independent poetry publisher, and curator of live literature events taking place across the UK. London-born, Nottingham-based, Bad Betty was set up in 2017 with the aim of showcasing risk-taking poetry, supporting poets’ artistic development and celebrating stories less often told.

Bad Betty was Highly Commended in this year's British Book Awards' Small Press of the Year category, has been a Midlands Finalist the last 3 years, won the Michael Marks Publishers' Award in 2022, and is the parent of pamphlet imprint, Little Betty.

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