Join The Leeds Big Bookend and Becky Cherriman for the launch of her pamphlet 'Echolocation', a poetic journey into single motherhood, infertility, the adoption process and more by a writer who has lived them all. Becky will be reading alongside poet Michael Brown whose poetry has often dealt with familial relationships and the experience of being a father in our time.

There will be an open mic session too so if you would like to read, please arrive promptly with your poems on parenting or being parented. Due to time constraints, each performer will be limited to a 3 min slot.

This event is aimed at adults but is family friendly and is run in partnership with the Leeds Library and the Hyde Park Book Club, celebrating International Women’s Day 2016.

Due to the small size of the venue, booking is essential. Please reserve your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/poetry-pamphlet-launch-echolocation-by-becky-cherriman-tickets-20671243245

Becky Cherriman is a writer, workshop leader and performer based in Leeds. Published on umbrellas, by Mslexia, New Walk, Envoi, Mother’s Milk, Bloodaxe, Well Versed and in Poets For Corbyn, she was resident poet for Morley Literature Festival in 2013. Her work has been translated into opera, film, art and into Italian for the socialist magazine Internazionale.

After thirteen years as a workshop facilitator, she works regularly for a number of key organisations and charities and is well-respected locally for her work.

A current collaboration is Haunt, an Imove commission, working with writer Steve Toase and people experiencing homelessness. The Hepworth Wakefield, The Rotunda Museum, Humbermouth Literature Festival, Imove and Grassington Festival have all commissioned her writing in the past. Much shortlisted in competitions, Becky’s poem 'First Date' was runner up in the Yorkshire Open 2013. Poems 'Namesake' and 'Paisley Quilt' won first prize for The Speakeasy Open 2012 and second prize in the Ilkley Literature Open Mic 2011 respectively.

Echolocation is published by Mother’s Milk Books (http://www.mothersmilkbooks.com/) and is her first pamphlet. Her first full collection is due out late in 2016 with Cinnamon Press (http://www.cinnamonpress.com/).

In the run up to the publication of 'Echolocation', Becky is embarking on a series of weekly blogs. Each of these will focus on a different inspiring mother, the first was Mary Woolstonecraft, mother of feminism and Mary Shelley. Her website is www.beckycherriman.com.

Michael Brown has been published widely including in The Rialto, Lighthouse Journal, Other Poetry, Crannog, South Bank Poetry, Envoi, The North, Brittle Star, New Walk and The Interpreter’s House. In 2014 he won the Untold London Brazen Valentine Competition with his poem, From Hungerford Bridge, Looking East. He recently contributed to the Irish anthology 'Fathers and What Needs to be Said' with a poem about his daughter. The poem 'The Bridge' about his sleeping daughter was published in the Irish magazine Crannog last year. Michael was placed third in the York Poetry Prize, 2015, with the poem 'Water Lilies'. He was one of the six shortlisted poets by judge Andrew McMillan for Bare Fiction’s 2015 Collection Award.

He recently collaborated with the Liverpool poet Maria Isakova Bennett in a project at the Walker Gallery as part of Light Night. They will be running a poetry workshop together on 13th February at the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

His pamphlet 'Undersong' (2014) is available from Eyewear Publishing. Michael is currently working towards a first collection.

The original cover image for 'Echolocation' was taken by Jane Cardie at Whitby in July 2012.