King Ink

In April 2025, we hosted the first of two collaborative events with Born Lippy. Three poets from each night went head to head, and the winners...? Poetry! From Born Lippy, we had Hold Thoughts by Lydia Bruce, Back in Blyth by Tommy23, and Blackouts from the irrascible Donald Jenkins. And from King Ink, we had Entrails by Helen Rogers, Willem Dapoem by The Hellpoet, and Penelope, Bearer of Great Enmity by our very own James Whitman. Thanks to everyone who came out to make this such an electric event - the atmosphere was pure buzzing all night. Thanks to all of our featured poets, and to our hosts with the most poets packed into medium size venue I've ever seen, Pop Recs! Until next time, toodle-oo! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. ----- Facebook | Instagram | Etsy

In March 2025, we hosted a launch event for Robin Moss. Robin’s latest pamphlet, Learning to Count on the Fingers of Two Hands is available from Mudfog Press.  Our open mic turned out in force, and we have four podcast debutants in this episode. From the open mic, we have My Island by Vinci, The Shape of It by Pip McDonald, Get Together by Marcella Martin, and Daisies in Bloom by the ever-dapper Bobby Darling. And from Robin’s headline set, we have Learning New Languages, Sex in the 1960s, and the absolutely barn-storming Sliding.  Thanks to Robin and Mudfog Press for choosing us for their launch, to our brave open mic first-timers, and to Pop Recs for being the greatest venue in our city by the sea. Until next time, toodle-oo! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. ----- Facebook | Instagram | Etsy

In February 2025, we were joined by children's author and dead canny poet, Lisette Auton. We’d met Lisette at one of Steve Urwin's infamous Writing Marathons, and she’s one of those poets who just straight-up first drafts beautiful, authentic, human poetry. Our open mic was as eclectic (and busy) as ever. From the night, we have an untitled piece by Barrie Hall, Disguises by Jose Maria Covas Lima, Shit Goggles by Sky Shone, and Eggy Bread by Rachel Emmott. And from Lisette, we have Top Deck Warrior - Queen of the North, What Would Frida Say?, and the absolutely barn-storming Second Best Room.  Massive thanks to everyone who came out to see us, to our many open mic word-mongers, and to Pop Recs for hosting us from sundown into the wee hours. Until next time, toodle-oo! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. ----- Facebook | Instagram | Etsy

Throughout the summer of 2024, Helen was Poet in Residence at Sunniside in Sunderland. And in January, she launched a pamphlet of the poetry she wrote during that residency. Woohoo! From the night’s buzzing open mic we have an untitled piece by Jack Wallace-Hunter, Table Water by Lizzie Lovejoy, a wee rap by Donald Jenkins, and Unhappily Married by Nina Mackie. Plus, from Helen’s pamphlet, we have Sunniside Up, Half of this is not Law, and What Do We Make in Sunderland Now?  Thanks so much to everyone who came along to support Helen’s launch event, to all of our many contributors, and to Pop Recs for being the best venue for spoken word in the city. Until next time, toodle-oo! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. ----- Facebook | Instagram | Etsy

We weren’t able to record an episode in December, due to James being laid low with lurgy. Sad times. But... James never throws any audio away, so we have a couple of festive poems to tickle your baubles. First, we have Festive Fare by AJ McKenna, then Steve Urwin revisits his Ridiculous Resolutions. Thanks, as always, to Pop Recs for hosting us throughout the year, to all of our many, many contributors, and to everyone who came out to celebrate with us, whatever their winter holds. Until next time, toodle-oo! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. ----- Facebook | Instagram | Etsy

In November we lost one of our longest-standing community members, when Pauline May passed away. We all miss Pauline a great deal, and at the top of this episode, we wanted to commemorate her by sharing one of the poems from her pamphlet, Planets, Plants, and the Taste of Salt. ----- The remainder of the episode is the same poetry shenanigans you'll be used to by now. From a lively open mic, we have Capitalist King by Auburn Langley, The Distance by Aaron Wright, Shouting Geronimo by Cath Mills, Apocalypse and Verdant by Barry Hall, Our Home by Rachel Emmott, and an early version of The Failing Leaders' Club by Aidan Clarke. Thanks, as always, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to all of our many contributors, and to everyone who came out to pay their respects. At times like this, it is both humbling and a great comfort to be part of such an incredible community. Until next time, toodle-oo! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. ----- Facebook | Instagram | Etsy

All right? This month, we launched the first issue of the King Ink Collection, a celebration of our diverse, talented and raucous open mic regulars. Some of the poems in this episode feature in the collection (available to buy from our Etsy store); some were from people who just wanted to celebrate the launch with us. For your listening pleasure, we have Nil Desperandum by Helen Wilko, Tell Me, Physician by AJ McKenna, The After-Lifeguard by Ann Porro, The List by David Farn / Owen Brecon (Wales' Greatest Nature Poet, 1984), Rat With Wings by Helen Rogers, Grow by Laker Turner, and The Dahlias of St Beuno's by Mel McAvoy. Thank you so much to all of our contributors (both to the collection and to the launch night itself) and to our glorious hosts, Pop Recs. We love you all! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman. ----- Facebook | Instagram | Etsy

All right? From May to October last year, you might have bumped into some of King Ink at Seventeen Nineteen, where we were artists-in-residence. We ran writing workshops and drop-ins, produced a poetry collection and a celebratory spoken word night, and we met some wonderful people.  We also had the privilege of collaborating with fellow artists-in-residence, Dead Good. Dead Good is an environmentally conscious social enterprise supporting people with death, dying and grief, which became a focus of the work people created during our own residency. We’ll hear from some of those people in this episode, along with a few poems inspired by the time we spent at Seventeen Nineteen. ----- This special podcast episode was made possible by the Seventeen Nineteen project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Sunderland City Council, Benefact Trust, and The Churches Conservation Trust. The King Ink podcast is produced by James Whitman, and this episode included contributions from Posy Jowett, Bill Dove, Pat Bell, Katy Vigurs, Sharon Milley, Odette Johnson, Lee Van Roth, and Laker Turner. The cover art for this episode is by the glorious Kathryn Robertson.

All right? This month, we were joined by the master of memory, Aidan Clarke. Aidan treated us to poems from his collection, Poems for No One. Following two performance skills workshops by Kirsten Luckins, our open mic performers really levelled up this month. For the podcast, we have The Bottle by Christine Fowler, Old Beetles Never Die by Steve May, Blessed by Jyoti Singh (our first erotica), and The New Age Olympics by John Edwards. And from Aidan we have The History Restaurant, Queue, and Window on the World. Thanks, as ever, to Pop Recs for hosting our growing community of poets, to Aidan for blowing us away with his headline set, and to all our many, many contributors. We love you all! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? This month, we were joined by the Brecht of Longbenton, Nev Clay. A folk singer, poet, and Olympic patter-smith, we’ve seen Nev perform a twenty minute set consisting of just one song, so we’re delighted to have three whole poems from him for the podcast! Many of our open mic performers wrote about the shameful rioting in Sunderland (and elsewhere) this month. We have Nihilist’s Mirage by Just Think Phil, Sunderland’s Riots by Emily Kitching, A Bear From a Decade Ago by Jay Sykes, and Sunderland by Karima. And from Nev we have TWOC, Son, and Alien. Thanks again to Pop Recs for hosting us every month. And thanks to Nev for his wonderful headline set. But most of all this month, thanks to everyone who was able to make it along on the night, despite anxiety about the potential for further violence in the city. Sunderland united, we will not be divided! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? This month, we were absolutely delighted for King Ink stalwart Pauline May to launch her first poetry book. Planets, Plants and the Taste of Salt explores Pauline’s relationship with her parents, and one of her sons, Sam, has also provided some music for this episode. From our open mic legends this month we have The Weaver of Lydia by John Appleton, Sorrow’s Kin by Helen Rogers, A Melange of Aggregate by Hester Dowling, and A Hollow Underside by Jack Wallace-Hunter. And from Pauline’s book we have Grinding the Lens, Reasons for Bending, and Dirty Hands. Thanks, as ever, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Pauline for launching her book at our event, and to our heroic hordes of contributors. Toodle-oo! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? We’re on the eve of a Brave New Day, so who better than King Ink legend, Aaron Wright, to steer us through the choppy waters ahead. Aaron has consulted leading politicians and political pundits, from this century and others, to help you decide how best to waste your vote in the 2024 Election. A popular member of the north-east poetry scene, Aaron often performs at King Ink and other spoken word nights around the region. This year he released a collection entitled Poetry of the Slug with his manager and writing partner, Dr. Erasmus Croc. Huge thanks to Aaron, who recorded this special way back at the end of 2023, and to Pop Recs for allowing us to record upstairs. King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? Somehow managed to miss Degna Stone at Glastonbury, did you? Well, do we have a treat for you! A couple of weeks before the big festival, Degna popped along to King Ink for an unofficial Glasto Warm-up, and we've got a taste of their incredible performance here for your ears. From our open mic heroes we have Open Mic Surgery by Aaron Wright, 80% of Your Stomach by Auburn Langley, Memorandum to Murmurations by Keith Ford, and Barbican Garden by AJ McKenna. And from Degna's moving headline set we have Love, Red Light, and A Manifesto of Tiny Commitments. Thanks once again to our hosts, Pop Recs, to Degna for their headline performance, and to our legions of contributors. Toodle-oo! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? What a night we had this month! Electric open mic (with emergency mic tech from Gary the Hat), and a proppa-scran powered headline set from Darlo's own Lizzie Lovejoy. From the epic open mic we have Auto-Gothik by Barry Hall, A New Year by Cath Mills, A Tribute to a Tree by Emily Kitching, and Saying Sorry to the Chocolate Sex Witch by the irrepressible Carl Steabler. And from Lizzie Lovejoy's gorgeous headline set we have You Are What You Eat, The Power of Books, and The River Wear Poem. Thanks, as always, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Lizzie for headlining, and to all our many, many contributors. Toodle-oo! King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? We were joined this month by the delightful Ann Porro, bookseller by day... performance poet by night! The open mic was rammed again (sorry, Luke) and from them we have I Have a Plan by Christine Fowler, Letter From an Atheist by Kev Robson, Before by Milky Brookes, and Leaving the Lakes by our very own Helen Wilko. Ann shared some wonderful poems on the night, including An Arthouse Movie Vampire Takes a Walk, Ms Nightingale, and Boy With the Red Balloon. Thanks, as always, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Ann for a truly wonderful headline set, and to all our many, many contributors. Toodle-oo! King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? In March, we were visited by the eternally puckish Harry Gallagher, who read from his most recent book, There Is An England. From our open mic poetswe have... Born of Bad Dreams by James Holbrook, Emotional Warriors by Auburn Langley, Writer's Block by Gillian Harrison, and The Dandelion Field by Jack Wallace-Hunter. And from Harry we have You Do Not Speak For Me, Youth Training (which made James cry a bit), and We Are Each Other. Thanks again to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Harry for a headline set that was equal parts tub-thumping and whimsy, and to all our contributors, debutants and veterans alike. Toodle-oo! King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? In this month's episode, we're delighted to include poems recorded at the "soft launch" of Keith Ford's book, Matters of Life and Death, along with all the usual King Ink shenanigans. From our packed open mic, we have a haiku by Auburn Langley, Holiday by Mwelwa Chilekwa, Tory Helpline by Andy Sutton, Friendshifting by Liz Dean, and Charlie Care's signature piece, A Roman Legionary Has a Vision of the Future. And from Keith's set we have Son of the North, Playlist For Mam, and (the highly NSFW) Before This City Stunk of Skunk. Thanks, as ever, to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Keith (and Andy) for travelling all the way from Nottingham, and to our merry horde of contributors. Toodle-oo! King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? Happy 2024 and welcome to our first podcast of the year. Headlining this month was the fiery Julie Easely. Hailing from Teeside, Julie is a working-class poet, a queer ally, and let me tell you, she is angry! From the open mic this month we have Imagine a River by Philip E. Cassidy, Chalice Well by Rebecca Kime, Smile by Kevin Robson, and This Gift by Helen Rogers. And from Julie's headline set we have Let Them Eat Chips, Imagine, and They Really Don't Care. Massive thanks to Pop Recs for hosting us, to Julie for travelling all the way from Saltburn, and to all of our many, many contributors. Toodle-oo! King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? For our last event of the year, we wanted to celebrate the pamphlet launch of popular King Ink regular, Gary the Hat. From his first readings in 2022 to headlining across the region and releasing his first pamphlet, Gary is an inspiration to any aspiring poet. From this month's open mic we have Some Presents from Auntie Barb (deceased) at a Night of Mediumship by Liz Dean, All Beset the Phobics by Just Think Phil, Endless Thirst by Scott Bentley, and Nil Desperandum by Helen Wilko. And from the Hat himself we have Should I...?, Neurotic, and Music To My Ears. As usual, huge thanks to Pop Recs for hosting us, and to all of our many contributors. Next year promises to be even bigger, now that we are officially a Community Interest Company. For now, enjoy some time with your loved ones, and we'll see you in 2024. King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

All right? Another month, another packed Pop Recs. This month we had a whopping 35 open mic performers, and we were visited by Teeside's finest, Bob Beagrie. From the open mic we have To a Friend by RW Thorne, Raise the Dead by Cara Brooke, Times That Cannot Be Reversed by Folasade Fasoyiro, and the long-awaited Dad Dancing by Keith Ford. And from the brilliantly bearded Bob Beargie we have It's Like..., Spell, and Kite Over Morton Castle. Massive thanks to Pop Recs for hosting another massive night, and to all of our many, many, many contributors. See you next month for mince pies and crackers! King Ink is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.