Poetry Reading with Roy Macfarlane and Virginia Hall

Two local poets will read from their recent poetry collections and share their poetry journey.

Roy McFarlane is a poet, playwright and former youth and community worker born in Birmingham of Jamaican parentage. He now lives in Brighton. From Amsterdam to Philadelphia, Roy has shared his passion for social justice, equality, identity, love and the healing power of poetry as a witness to our times. His debut collection, Beginning With Your Last Breath, was followed by The Healing Next Time, shortlisted for the Ted Hughes award and longlisted for the Jhalak Prize. His third collection, published in October 2022, is called Living by Troubled Waters.

He's a Canal Laureate and Birmingham & Midlands Institute Poet in Residence as well as being former Birmingham Poet Laureate.

Virginia Hall is a writer and story strategist based in Hove. She has had a varied career across mainstream media, non-fiction books, TV and as a consultant for major corporations. 28 Days, a personal reflection on the menstrual cycle, is her first book of poetry, winning the Prole Prize last year.

Signed copies of both poets' work will be available to purchase.

Host or Publisher Kemptown Bookshop