Poison: A talk and poetry reading with Louise Warren

POISON

Entertain your dark side in this theatrical exploration of poison, where chemistry, folklore and storytelling intertwine in a macabre evening of discovery.

Join poet Louise Warren as she takes us into the shadowy world of toxins and their histories - from arsenic to strychnine, belladonna to venom. Hear about the strange and often unsettling stories behind poisonous substances: unfortunate foragers, embittered spouses, exploited workers, and professional poisoners, all brought vividly to life.

We explore what makes something poisonous - how these substances are found in nature, refined by humans, feared, used, and misused. From fungi to fugu, from plant to powder, this is a descent into the darker corners of the natural world.

Expect an evening that is illuminating, macabre, engaging and richly theatrical - part talk, part storytelling, part performance.

Copies of Louise's book, Poison, will be on sale on the night. Tickets include a complimentary glass of Devil's Botany absinthe!

‘A dark and gothic sense of enjoyment of the sinister. Horribly amusing’. High Window Press.

'Throughout the collection Warren uses her transformative imagination to advantage changing commonplace perspectives to something fresh and memorable.’ London Grip.

Louise Warren is a poet and writer. Her work spans poetry collections and collaborative projects, often drawing on history, place and transformation. Her latest collection Poison was published by Tuba Press in 2025.