Nols Nathankski and Vidya Gosain sit down to cook about disenfranchisement at the open mic. Changes in the scene and how to give space to people with lived experience of racism and homophobia.

Vidya (she/her) is a writer who finds the comedy and tragedy in everyday life; constantly searching for meaning in mundanity and trying to tell you stories about what she finds. Her favourite colour is green and her favourite chef is Anthony Bourdain.

They make poems with prompts from Kim Addonizio's book Quiet Genius.

First ever open mic night: @houseofrhymes_

@where.the.word.things.live

NY poetry night - @voicesinpower_ / host: @imsuperdope_

The book I mention at 58 mins is called "Big Magic (Creative Living Beyond Fear)" by Elizabeth Gilbert (@elizabeth_gilbert_writer)

Favourite poets / poet shout outs:

@sumnerbrook

@theadamrw

@zakariyyee

@aaronmccallumhepple

@l.p.macpherson

@hannahwallwork87

Favourite open mics / open mic shout outs:

@everythingpoetrynight

@storytimelondon

@rhymesandstitches

@versespoetrynight

Keep this podcast cooking and Nols eating

www.patreon.com/make poetryweirdagain

Nols Nathankski presents a fuck you to writing retreats and writing holidays.

In this episode Nols will take you through some ideas of how you can find time every week to find a place to attack from.

Not spending loads of money. Not going away anywhere. How to reclaim your time and dedicate it to your work.

This episode looks at where to write, what sort of schedule you should set yourself and how you can comfortably and cheaply focus on your writing without having to go much further than a local library, church or cafe.

Nols provides example schedules and prompts for how to begin and end writing sessions. Focusing on attention, rest and encouragment.

If you have a writing practice you wish to share get in touch, we would love to hear from you!

Keep this show going on patreon.

www.patreon.com/makepoetryweirdagain

Nols Nathankski meets Hedde Annerberg (@heddeee_) who is a grassroots poetry organiser & writer from Stockholm.

You can find their events @openmicpoetrynight ; if you're in Stockholm and can present your self there, they'd love to hear what you have to bring.

They send their love to everyone who is a part of these nights; to co-host Ryan without whom they would not be doing this; to @alabaster_deplume for sending them to this podcast & for the work he does; to you, here, reading this, possibly listening, thank you

A whatsapp group conversation about which open mics to attend while here, turned into an invitation to record an episode about Hedde's English speaking open mic in Stockholm.

Nols and Hedde talk about making poems in the face of societal collapse and fascism. Why people need to be needed more, and their new pamphlet that they have just released.

Nols and Hedde make prompts from Gwilym

Hedde shouts out

Alabaster de Plume

@theopenmicpoetrynight

Lets get this podcast international

www.patreon.com/makepoetryweirdagain

Nols Nathankski sits down with Emma Keun, (she/her) to discuss following your butterflies, the queering of religious imagery and the best places to get emo at the open mic.

Emma is published online (Dark Poets Club) and in hard copy anthologies (Kite String II and III; via Word Space, an open mic and poetry collective). She lives in London and when not performing or writing, attempts making and growing things. She has a poetry website https://elkwrites.substack.com/and can be found on Instagram as @elkwrites000555.

Nols and Emma make poems from Kim Addonizio's Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the poet within.

Emma Shouts out

@wordspace

@lostsouls

@steviepoems

@s-barks LGBTQIA open mic @ Morocco Bound

Everything Poetry @ The Walrus, Lambeth

Firepit Tales @ Firepit Art Gallery, Greenwich

That Goddamn Poetry Jam @ Fiddlers Elbow, Kentish Town

Poets in Putney

Crossword Lyric

See Emma perform at Stokey Bookshop on the 22nd January 2026 as part of a fundraiser for Hackney Night shelter.

Support this podcast on our patreon.com/makepoetryweirdagain

Nols Nathankski sits down with Gwilym a Goth poet living in Wales. They talk about making gothic love poems in grave yards. They talk to the catharsis of poetry, vegan cooking and the end of the world.

Nols and Gwilym make poems from prompts from Stevie Grant

Gwilym's book is called Talking Headstones and can be purchased through his linktree

https://linktr.ee/Praxis_Studios?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

Gwilym shouts out his all time favourite artist - Suzi Sabotage

https://gothsforpalestine.bandcamp.com/album/goths-for-palestine-vol-ii

https://suzisabotage.bandcamp.com/?search_item_id%3D2777158925%26search_item_type%3Db%26search_match_part%3D%253F%26search_page_id%3D5002153631%26search_page_no%3D0%26search_rank%3D1

Some Great Goth music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27HaBqJgfBM

https://luxmala.bandcamp.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll5wq7_2B3g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTC-vGWJaDQ

Gwilym gives a big shout to Romanian Poet Paul Damian.

https://eruptingspirit.com

If you want to fund Nol's decadent lifestyle please support the patreon.

www.patreon.com/makepoetryweirdagain

Nols Nathankski talks about self publishing "Oh, Nols!" his first poetry pamphlet and why you should self publish to. This episode was pre-recorded to be released after his surgery on the 13th January 2026...just in case he dies on the operating table.

Nols discusses his feelings of uncertainty about the pamphlet and examines Maurice Blanchot's philosophy of literature to try and finds a weird friend in a dead French philosopher.

In this episode Nols talks to the triumph and despair of self publishing your first poetry pamphlet. The weirdness of sending poems into the world to not be yours anymore.

Who owns poems and what happens when it is not you reading them at an open mic?

This is a poetic existential crises with some new poems thrown in and bits from the pamphlet.

Expect poetic despair and a desperate request to join the patreon so the box of pamphlets does not haunt Nols like a ghost.

Nols printed his pamphlet at the burley fisher bookshop community press:

Merch – Burley Fisher Books

If Nols is still with us, he will be hosting a wake for the pamphlet at the shop on Thursday 12th February 2026 at 6pm-9pm

This podcast was very influenced by

The infinite conversation by Maurice Blanchot

The Space of Literature by Maurice Blanchot

The Space Of Literature

The @hermetix episode below was also really informative.

Maurice Blanchot, Literature, and Language with Bryan Counter

An immodest proposal by Joseph Brodsky out now in

On Grief And Reason

Join the Patreon to get a copy or message Nols on instagram.

www.patreon.com/makepoetryweirdagain

Nols Nathankski talks hardcore poetry with Pulling Teeth a London based poet who writes about love, spider webs , alcoholism and more importantly accidentally going on a date with a racist.

They talk to his poetry video series Im Not Leaving Yet which is an exploration of the London Open Mic scene through poets performing their poems in the street.

Nols provides some hardcore prompts for them to make poems from.

Pulling Teeth shouts out

Mikey

T.Mo

Nols and Pulling Teeth are working together to put on THROW WORDS DOWN an open mic with a hardcore backing band on the 29th January 2026 at the Fiddlers Elbow in Camden,

Pulling Teeth is planning an open mic of his own so follow his pages for more info!

Pay Nol's dentist bills by subscribing to the patreon.

www.patreon.com/makepoetryweirdagain

Nols Nathankski sits down for a chat and a tarot reading with Hebah, a jack of all trades, regularly performs a variety of moving yet comedic poetry in the London poetry circuit using her outfits and other items as props.

Blending her acting, directing and DJing skills she has enhanced the listener experience by focusing on the way poems sound and feel, exploring the senses with her words.

Her tarot and astrology work have also had measurable impact on her art as she fuses her tarot cards into her poetry performance.

She plays with language as an English teacher and Corporate language coach, helping others to present themselves with confidence. She continues introducing blended poetry with 3 languages and cultures fusing her Iraqi origins with her British/Italian life living between London and Rome.

Managing illness, death and instability have all played a major role in her spoken word and poetic resonance.

She would like to thank and shout out the following people mentioned in the podcast:

@deptforddoggerels

@resonance.poetry

@cwiththec

@natethelyricist

@spitnights

@louisthehippie

@houseofvox

@iam_tariqq

@yourstruly_reverend

@jessica_fowler_actor

@storytimelondon

@rachel._.loveday

@wordsoneggsontoast

@kofi_anchina

@wowromapoetryslam

@gio_drew

Nols and Hebah make prompts from POW's Dr Lee Campbell.

Hebah has an open mic planned in Rome at the Cabaret Voltaire Galleria at the end of January.

Keep this podcast going by subscribing to the Patreon

www.patreon.com/makepoetryweirdagain

Nols Nathankski explains how to perform your poems with a hardcore backing band for THROW WORDS DOWN the MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN x AVA WORD Open Mic night - born on the podcast with Redeeming Features.

The night is poetry experiment to try and raise £500 for MIND the mental health charity at the most miserable time of the year.

On the 29th January 2026 at 6.30pm you can bring your poems to the Fiddlers Elbow in Camden and scream them into a microphone.

Every performer will get 3 minutes and they will have the opportunity to have fast, slow or fucking extreme music backing them.

Nols thinks all poets quietly want to be rockstars so this is a way to do it loud.

If you are not a poet and just want to make loud noises then this is also a night for you.

Nols explains how the night has been planned to work and plays clips from the very chaotic band practices which included Redeeming Features, Richard Allen, Rich Bliss, Colin B Osborn and Im Not Leaving Yet.

Nols make poems based on some of the themes of the night.

Screaming and shouting is very good for the soul, reduces anxiety and can be cathartic. We all need to scream our poems sometimes...

See you on the 29th January 2026 - Tickets can be purchased below!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/make-poetry-weird-again-presents-throw-words-down-tickets-1977797556733?aff=oddtdtcreator

If you want to get the first word on events and sneaky discounts - SIGN UP TO THE PATREON

www.patreon.com/makepoetryweirdagain

Nols Nathankski and friend of the show Stevie Grant make a special episode to promote Stevie's fundraiser for Hackney Night Shelter on the 22nd January 2026 at Stoke Newington Bookshop.

Stevie Grant is a poet, performer and emergency shelter worker from Hackney who works with the people suffering from homelessness in London.

Nols and Stevie make prompts for each other and make poems on the show.

They also perform new material they have both been working on.

If you wish to support Hackney Night Shelter please make a donation.

We need your support | Hackney Night Shelter

If you would like to know more about volunteering for Hackney Night Shelter email: [email protected]

Find Hackney Night Shelter on insta: https://www.instagram.com/hackneynightshelter?igsh=MTFtMGUycTdwNTdxOQ==

Find Stevie at SteviePoems on insta: https://www.instagram.com/steviepoems?igsh=MW83Z3A4Mzl0MzFrYg==

Ticket page: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/hackneynightshelter1/2002560

Don't bother signing up to the Patreon - give your money to someone that needs it.

www.patreon.com/makepoetryweirdagain