As you may know our current season has just finished. Firstly thanks to each and every one of you for coming along on this five year long journey with us. We couldn’t have done it without all the talented artists who have performed with us, the brilliant venues, and you, our amazing audiences, helping to keep the Sonnet Youth vibe alive.

Sonnet Youth was founded five years ago by two spoken word artists (Cat and Kev), and with our funding finishing and other exciting creative work pulling us in different directions, we feel like we’ve come to the end of the road as an organisation.

We’re so proud of everything we’ve achieved, from touring theatre shows, double Edinburgh Fringe runs, multi city cabaret shows and Scratch Nights. We’re feeling incredibly thankful for all the support, and positive for the future.

Listen to our final Podcast episode to find out about what we’re getting up to this summer, our SY highlights, listener Q’s and to get our recommendations on podcasts and TV. 

Lots of love and THANK YOU!

Team SY x

What better way to finish off a two day festival than to grab a Rioja and a chat with Kilmarnock’s finest bartender/ comedian in front of a live audience?

In our thirteenth episode, Cat Hepburn (@CatHepburnWrite) and Kevin P Gilday (@KevinPGilday) speak to Cauld Tatties host and stand up comedian BRYCE DRENNAN (@brycecreamvan) at the closing drinks of the SY Weekender festival in May.

We chat beverages (gin = bad, Tennents Super = good), finding confidence in pub quizzing, the buzz of community gigs and dabbling in poetry for the first time. Bryce is warm, sound and funny and he gives us an exclusive reading of his witty and withering takedown of Glasgow Southside hipster culture poem The Ten Commandments.

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SY & BRYCE DRENNAN SUGGESTS:

Podcast: Without a Country | Music: Dry Cleaning’s ‘New Long Leg’ | Doc: Whirlybird | Booze: Wine from Aldi and Lidl

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FOLLOW OUR GUEST BRYCE DRENNAN:

Patreon www.patreon.com/cauldtatties 

Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/search?q=cauld%20tatties

IG: https://www.instagram.com/brycecreamvan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brycecreamvan

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FOLLOW US:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sonnetyouth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnetyouthpoetry/ …...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonnetYouth …...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnetyouth/

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Cat Hepburn

https://www.instagram.com/cathepburnwrite/

https://twitter.com/CatHepburnWrite/

https://www.facebook.com/CatHepburnWrite

https://www.tiktok.com/@cathepburn

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Kevin P Gilday

https://www.instagram.com/kevpgilday/

https://twitter.com/KevinPGilday

https://www.facebook.com/kevinpgilday

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Produced by Sonnet Youth Productions //

Theme music by Amelia Bayler (@AmeliaBayler) //

Artwork by Stephen Flanagan (IG: sf_design_ok) //

Supported by Creative Scotland

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Episode 12

Joy and pain w/ playwright and poet Hannah Lavery

In our twelfth episode, Cat Hepburn (@CatHepburnWrite) and Kevin P Gilday (@KevinPGilday) speak to longtime guest of Sonnet Youth, the short story writer, poet and playwright Hannah Lavery. 

Hannah’s work is at it’s very core joyful, and explores the human experience with nuance and levity; not shying away from difficult and dark places, that are so often ignored. The Lament for Sheku Bayoh, that the play that Hannah wrote and directed (co-produced by the National Theatre of Scotland, Royal Lyceum Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival) stunned audiences last year. Hannah shares what the process meant to her, and how grateful she is to have helped tell Bayoh’s tragic story.

Hannah shares some of her gig anecdotes, including performing in an empty library to some reluctant OAP’s, and the trio discuss the dreaded poetry tent at festivals (usually a yurt within unfortunate earshot of the main stage). 

Hannah is smart, warm and funny and we loved finding out a bit more about her processes and career. 

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SY & HANNAH LAVERY SUGGESTS:

TV: Mare of Easttown. BOOKS: C+nto and Othered Poems by Joelle Taylor. PODCAST: Blindboy Podcast ‘Talking to a Neuroscientist about the Human Brain’

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FOLLOW OUR GUEST HANNAH LAVERY 

https://twitter.com/HanLavery

https://www.hannahlavery.com/

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FOLLOW US:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sonnetyouth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnetyouthpoetry/ …...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonnetYouth …...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnetyouth/

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Cat Hepburn

https://www.instagram.com/cathepburnwrite/

https://twitter.com/CatHepburnWrite/

https://www.facebook.com/CatHepburnWrite

https://www.tiktok.com/@cathepburn

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Kevin P Gilday

https://www.instagram.com/kevpgilday/

https://twitter.com/KevinPGilday

https://www.facebook.com/kevinpgilday

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Produced by Sonnet Youth Productions //

Theme music by Amelia Bayler (@AmeliaBayler) //

Artwork by Stephen Flanagan (IG: sf_design_ok) //

Supported by Creative Scotland

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Check out our fortnightly stream SY SOCIAL CLUB (#SYSocialClub) on patreon.com/sonnetyouth, every second Thursday at 8:00pm (GMT)

Episode 11

Food for thought w/ Sean Wai Keung

In our eleventh episode, Cat Hepburn (@CatHepburnWrite) and Kevin P Gilday (@KevinPGilday) speak to the wonderful poetry, performance and food maker Sean Wai Keung (seanwaikeuung.carrd.co).

Sean’s work is open, honest and full of heart, and this conversation is no different. Sean shares some of his experiences as a performer, from a terrifying first gig, to sharing poetry in a 5 star hotel in Malta. The trio chat about sentimentality, nostalgia and how food and family can inform our lives and our work.

Sean also shares his approach to writing his first full length collection ‘sikfan glaschu’, a labour of love that takes us all around some of Glasgow’s most notable food joints and deftly weaves in poems about family, culture and more. We loved speaking to Sean and recommend you go out and buy ‘sikfan glaschu’, out now with Verve Poetry Press.

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SY & SEAN WAI KEUNG SUGGESTS:

TV: Call My Agent. FILM: Ratatouille. PODCAST: Sentimental Garbage

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FOLLOW OUR GUEST SEAN WAI KEUNG & BUY SIKFAN GLASCHU

Shop: https://vervepoetrypress.com/product/sean-wai-keung-sikfan-glaschu-pre-order-free-uk-pp-due-apr-21/?v=3a52f3c22ed6

FB: https://www.facebook.com/seanwaikeung

Tw: https://twitter.com/SeanWaiKeung

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/seanwaikeung/

Website: seanwaikeuung.carrd.co

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FOLLOW US:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sonnetyouth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnetyouthpoetry/ …...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonnetYouth …...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnetyouth/

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Cat Hepburn

https://www.instagram.com/cathepburnwrite/

https://twitter.com/CatHepburnWrite/

https://www.facebook.com/CatHepburnWrite

https://www.tiktok.com/@cathepburn

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Kevin P Gilday

https://www.instagram.com/kevpgilday/

https://twitter.com/KevinPGilday

https://www.facebook.com/kevinpgilday

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Produced by Sonnet Youth Productions //

Theme music by Amelia Bayler (@AmeliaBayler) //

Artwork by Stephen Flanagan (IG: sf_design_ok) //

Supported by Creative Scotland

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Check out our fortnightly stream SY SOCIAL CLUB (#SYSocialClub) on patreon.com/sonnetyouth, every second Thursday at 8:00pm (GMT)

Episode 10

Scratching the surface w/ Iona Lee

In our tenth episode, Cat Hepburn (@CatHepburnWrite) and Kevin P Gilday (@KevinPGilday) have a marvellous meandering chit chat with Sonnet Youth regular, the poet, illustrator, musician and writer IONA LEE (@IonaLeepoetry).

The trio discuss the joys of drawing, the magic in collaborating, learning to ‘be shit’ and finding peace and passion in various different artforms.

Iona shares how as a teenager, a chance meeting with spoken word legend Salena Godden at an open mic in Edinburgh led to a fruitful and acclaimed spoken word career - all in her early twenties! Along with some truly unique anecdotes about life as a gigging artist, Iona shares some exclusive readings of her work and tells us more about her brand new satirical poetic journal KNOW YOUR SPACE, out now with Speculative Books.

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SY & IONA LEE SUGGESTS:

Milk Fed by Melissa Broder (Book), ‘Swing Hammer Swing!’ by Jeff Torrington (Book), Greentea Peng ‘Nah it aint the same’ (Song)

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FOLLOW OUR GUEST IONA LEE & BUY ‘KNOW YOUR SPACE’:

Shop: https://www.speculativebooks.net/shop/iona

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Ionaleepoetry

Tw: https://twitter.com/IonaLeepoetry

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/ionaleepoetry/

Website: https://www.ionalee.com

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FOLLOW US:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sonnetyouth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnetyouthpoetry/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonnetYouth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnetyouth/

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Cat Hepburn

https://www.instagram.com/cathepburnwrite/

https://twitter.com/CatHepburnWrite/

https://www.facebook.com/CatHepburnWrite

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Kevin P Gilday

https://www.instagram.com/kevpgilday/

https://twitter.com/KevinPGilday

https://www.facebook.com/kevinpgilday

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Produced by Sonnet Youth Productions //

Theme music by Amelia Bayler (@AmeliaBayler) //

Artwork by Stephen Flanagan (IG: sf_design_ok) //

Supported by Creative Scotland

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Check out our fortnightly stream SY SOCIAL CLUB (#SYSocialClub) on patreon.com/sonnetyouth, every second Thursday at 8:00pm (GMT)

Episode 9

Falkirk’s Boy w/ Alan Bissett

In our ninth episode, Cat Hepburn (CatHepburnWrite) and Kevin P Gilday (@KevinPGilday) have a glorious gab with playwright, novelist, performer, self-proclaimed bletherer and longtime friend of Sonnet Youth ALAN BISSETT.

The trio discuss the symbiotic relationship between writing and performing, the important and delicate nature of creating characters outwith our own lived experiences, and what it feels like to stand onstage in your boxers, in a room full of radical feminists.

Alan shares his journey from bookworm, to acclaimed writer of novels, five star theatre shows and more! Along with some cracking stories about his career, Alan also gives us an exclusive reading from his latest novella Lazy Susan (out now with Speculative Books).

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SY & ALAN SUGGESTS: Grounded by Louis Theroux - FKA twigs episode (podcast) ‘The Beatles’ back catalogue (music) & Calibre (film on Netflix) 

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FOLLOW OUR GUEST ALAN BISSETT & BUY ‘LAZY SUSAN’:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bissettism

Website: https://alanbissett.com

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FOLLOW US:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sonnetyouth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnetyouthpoetry/ //

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonnetYouth//

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnetyouth/

Episode 8

Finding your voice w/ Courtney Stoddart

In our eighth episode, Cat Hepburn (CatHepburnWrite) and Kevin P Gilday (@KevinPGilday) have an in depth chat with the insanely talented Scottish-Caribbean writer, poet and performer Courtney Stoddart (@amapoetica).

They discuss finding their art in personal dark places, the cathartic nature of writing, emotional resilience in a world where racism still painfully exists, and how a chance meeting at a festival led to Courtney’s pivotal role in Hannah Lavery’s critically acclaimed ‘Lament for Sheku Bayoh’.

Courtney shares her journey from leaving school at 15, to finding her voice, and what a voice it is! Her career has sky-rocketed since she began dipping a toe into spoken word, only a couple of years ago. Her work has been showcased at BBC Words 1st, the Black Lives Matter movement, Neu Reekie and the Scottish Book Trust to name a few. Courtney also shares some exclusive readings of two of her stunning poems. We can’t wait to see what she gets up to next.

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SY & COURTNEY SUGGESTS: ‘Xstabeth’ BY David Keenan (book), Return of the Obra Dinn - Lucas Pope (computer game), ‘Criminal’ (TV show on Netflix) and check out everything by Bob Marley (but especially the album Survival).

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FOLLOW OUR GUEST COURTNEY STODDART:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amapoetica

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amapoetica/

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FOLLOW US:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sonnetyouth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnetyouthpoetry/ //

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonnetYouth//

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnetyouth/

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Produced by Sonnet Youth Productions //

Theme music by Amelia Bayler (@AmeliaBayler) //

Artwork by Stephen Flanagan (IG: sf_design_ok) //

Supported by Creative Scotland

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Check out our fortnightly stream SY SOCIAL CLUB (#SYSocialClub) on patreon.com/sonnetyouth, every second Thursday at 8:00pm (GMT)

In our very special Christmas ep, Cat Hepburn (@CatHepburnWrite) and Kevin P Gilday (@KevinPGilday) have a wee swally and talk to pal Michael Lee Richardson (@HRFMichael), a gifted writer, youth worker and complex human person who lives in Glasgow. They discuss cancel culture, Christmas gifts - good and bad, Michael’s BAFTA winning film ‘My Loneliness is Killing Me’, festive food faves and Michael’s journey from a supervisor in a school uniform shop to award-winning scriptwriter. The trio explore the comfort in working in film and TV with a team of people to bounce off, as well as the difficulty of being a writer, and Michael shares some exclusive readings of his Ru Paul inspired poetry pamphlet You Can’t Love Yourself.

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SY SUGGESTS: TV: Frasier, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Grand Designs, Fargo - Season 4. BOOKS: Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami, Fierce Femmes And Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir by Kai Cheng Thom. PODCASTS: You’re Wrong About.

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FOLLOW OUR GUEST MICHAEL LEE RICHARDSON:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HRFMichael

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrfmichael/

Website: http://hrfmichael.co.uk

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FOLLOW US:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sonnetyouth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnetyouthpoetry/ //

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonnetYouth//

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnetyouth/

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Produced by Sonnet Youth Productions //

Theme music by Amelia Bayler (@AmeliaBayler) //

Artwork by Stephen Flanagan (IG: sf_design_ok) //

Supported by Creative Scotland

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Check out our fortnightly stream SY SOCIAL CLUB (#SYSocialClub) on patreon.com/sonnetyouth, every second Thursday at 8:00pm (GMT)

Ep 6 - The happy accident of becoming a poet w/ VICTORIA MCNULTY

In the 6th episode, Cat Hepburn (CatHepburnWrite) and Kevin P Gilday (@KevinPGilday) chat to their pal, spoken word artist and performer VICTORIA MCNULTY.

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Victoria’s debut poetry book and subsequent play Confessionals (Speculative Books) masterfully weaves themes of misogyny, football culture, poverty and domestic violence and hope together, telling the stories of the community that she grew up in and still lives - the East End of Glasgow. The trio discuss our 2018 national tour of Confessionals, the freedom in shaving your head, how it feels to be the only reigning Sonnet Youth Slam Champion, and how to reflect your own culture in your art. Victoria tells us all about how she found poetry and shares some exclusive poetry readings: Keith, Dead Clydeside (soon to be published in Exiles by Speculative Books, October 2020) and an untitled piece. She also gives some valuable tips to budding writers.

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SONNET YOUTH & VICTORIA MCNULTY SUGGESTS:

Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Computer Game)// Hear To Slay (podcast) // The Five by Holly Rubenhold (book) // Once Upon A Time in Iraq (TV - BBC IPLAYER ) // Kneecap (band).

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FOLLOW OUR GUEST VICTORIA MCNULTY:

https://twitter.com/vmcnulty67 // https://victoriamcnultypoetry.webador.com/ // https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/authors/victoria-mcnulty

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FOLLOW US:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnetyouthpoetry/ //

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonnetYouth//

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnetyouth/

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Produced by Sonnet Youth Productions //

Theme music by Amelia Bayler (@AmeliaBayler) //

Artwork by Stephen Flanagan (IG: sf_design_ok)

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Check out our fortnightly stream SONNET YOUTH SOCIAL CLUB (#SYSocialClub) on FB premier live, every second Thursday at 8:00pm (GMT)

EP 5 Peace, Love, Mustard (& Home-grown Courgettes) w/ JOHN MCMUSTARD 

In the fifth episode of the Sonnet Youth Podcast, Cat Hepburn (@CatHepburnWrite) and Kevin P Gilday (@KevinPGilday) chat to their pal JOHN MCMUSTARD, a musician, addictions nurse and frontman of the country’s favourite festival band and Barrowland Hall of Famers, COLONEL MUSTARD & the DIJON 5 (championed by 6 Music and Radio Scotland).

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Glitterballs, yellow suits and not taking yourself too seriously - expect the unexpected in the Dijonverse! From John’s work with the NHS, to playing to crowds of adoring fans all over the world, fun, laughter and making people feel good are at the heart of everything that he does. The trio discuss John’s life-long love of music, his messiest festival stories and his career highs. His unique journey to becoming the Colonel involved drafting in musicians and friends he’s known since primary school and experimenting with themed nights, face paints and different styles. John’s one of a kind, and their conversation will leave you with a smile on your face - not least because of the three tracks he shares: ‘Ted Danson (Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5)’, ‘Sun Goddess’ (Shelltoe Mel feat John McMustard)’ and ‘Scottish Swimmer / German Efficiency (John McMustard)’.

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SONNET YOUTH & JOHN MCMUSTARD SUGGESTS:

New Doves Material - Carousels and Prisoners (music) // https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LVrQUinPUBFvVD5pLqmWY

Below Deck (TV show Netflix) // The Last Dance (TV show Netflix) // The Hidden History of Glasgow's Women by Elspeth King (book) https://www.bookdepository.com/Hidden-History-Glasgows-Women-Elspeth-King/9781851584048 // The Chimp Paradox (Book) https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=the+chimp+paradox&hvadid=80814136864371&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=mh0a9-21&ref=pd_sl_546vp03fl8_e 

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FOLLOW OUR GUEST JOHN MCMUSTARD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colonelmustardandfriends/ & https://www.instagram.com/colonelmustarddijon5/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/colonel5mustard //

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colonelmustardandthedijon5/

Spotify: John McMustard: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6sLuyvlM4PDShHTClbKy0V?si=SIDjkBFNTCaowTEmEkXZlA // Colonel Mustard & The Dijon 5: https://open.spotify.com/artist/21oTPMdqBn2YbixMQ21vBR?si=4jm8-nNaSgOXB6A65BUC5Q //

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr14Uux4jgw8mxAwdXeRodg

Please shop indie and local at http://lovemusicglasgow.com/

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FOLLOW US:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonnetyouthpoetry/ //

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SonnetYouth//

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sonnetyouth/

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Produced by Sonnet Youth Productions //

Theme music by Amelia Bayler (@AmeliaBayler) //

Artwork by Stephen Flanagan (IG: sf_design_ok)

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Check out our fortnightly stream SONNET YOUTH SOCIAL CLUB (#SYSocialClub) on FB premier live, every second Thursday at 8:00pm (GMT)