In July 2025, we were joined by the glorious Kirsten Luckins. She read from her (then) new collection, Offworld, a beautiful ekphrastic experiment in sci-fi storytelling published by local press, The Braag.

From our open mic, we’ve got The Artist by Liam Stokoe, A by Brogan Brannan, Born to Grout by Gaeran Southern and Frenzied by our Community Director, Sharon Milley. And from Kirsten, we have The Art of Delicate Resistance, Seafood Handbags and Earth and Sea. Also, some gulls.

Thanks to Kirsten for sharing Offworld with us, to our constellation of open mic performers, to everyone who made this such a wonderful night, and to our long-serving hosts, Pop Recs. Best venue in the city.

Until next time, toodle-oo!

King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

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In June 2025, we travelled to the second of two collaborative events with Born Lippy. Three brave poets, and a bunch of our regulars, took the Metro to the other place. And what a night we all had!

From Born Lippy, we’ve got You’re Beautiful by Rasheeda, Nowt In by Cooper Robson, and Cigars are the Cigarettes of Fascists by Out Of Your Head’s Amy Langdown. And from our lot, we have Lotus by Lian Maltas, The Ungrim Reaper by John Appleton, and Please Click Yes To Show You Accept the Terms and Conditions by the perpetually magnificent Helen Wilko. Plus, we have bonus performances from 90Br0 and Max Gavins.

Thanks to Donald Jenkins, and everyone at Cobalt Studios and Born Lippy for making us feel welcome, to all eight of our featured poets, and to the travelling legion of King Ink regulars for showing Newcastle what we’re all about!

Until next time, toodle-oo!

King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

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All right? From September last year into January of this year, you might have spotted James hanging out at Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen. As part of a Cultural Spring Nibbles commission, he spent several months working alongside the volunteers and guests, trying to find some hidden poets.

In this episode, we’ll hear from Andrea, the Soupie’s CEO, along with some of the poems we wrote together.

Massive thanks to everyone who took the time to chat with James, and especially to Andrea and the secret poets we met who shared their poetry with us. If you’d like to support the amazing work the Soupie do, check out their Facebook page.

This special podcast episode was made possible by The Cultural Spring. You can find out more about the Nibbles programme on their website.

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The King Ink podcast is produced by James Whitman, and this episode included the voices of Andrea Bell, Helen Wilko, and GillOtters.

All right? In June 2025, we celebrated Pride month in glorious style.

This episode includes poems from the four feature sets that night, including On Being a Thing and Northern Lights by Scotters, Me, They, Them and My Sundered Land by Just Think Phil, What Do You Mean, Bill? and Tuesdays by Auburn Langley, and Esther’s Baby and Love Song For a Moderate by AJ McKenna.

Thanks to all of our fabulous featured poets, to everyone who celebrated Pride on the open mic with us, and to Pop Recs for giving us the run of the place again. Legends all.

Until next time, toodle-oo!

King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

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In May 2025, the wonderful Rue Collinge shared some poems from her collection, How to Train Your Dragon (published by Verve Poetry Press).

Our open mic was as superb as ever. This episode features I Didn’t Know by Bobby Darling, The Emperor’s New Glucose by Pip McDonald, Eulogy for a Wealthy Monarch by The HellPoet, and Genital Inspectors by our very own James Whitman. And from Rue’s headline set, we have Body Language, It's Better for the Environment, and the properly gorgeous Moon Cakes.

Thanks to Rue and Verve Poetry Press for choosing us for this cheeky pre-launch, to our glorious open mic heroes, and to Pop Recs for hosting our shenanigans every month.

Until next time, toodle-oo!

King Ink's podcast is hosted by Helen Wilko and produced by James Whitman.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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