Kieren King\u00a0is a Manchester-based spoken word artist with 17 years of performance experience. In that time, he has performed at venues and festivals across the UK and Europe, including Glastonbury and Kendal Calling, and for organisations including Amnesty International and Musicians Without Borders.<\/p>\n
Kieren was one of the hosts of\u00a0Bang Said The Gun: Manchester\u00a0and the creative mind behind the acclaimed spoken word nights\u00a0Evidently\u00a0and the\u00a0Word War Slams.<\/p>\n
He is a\u00a0Great Northern Slam champion\u00a0and a\u00a0four-time UK National Slam finalist\u00a0(Hammer & Tongue\u00a0\u2013 2016 & 2017,\u00a0Farrago\u00a0\u2013 2023 & 2024). During the Edinburgh Fringe run of\u00a0Stand Up & Slam, he was undefeated in a competition pitting poets against stand-up comedians.<\/p>\n
He was commissioned by\u00a0Guy Garvey\u00a0of\u00a0Elbow\u00a0to curate a spoken word event as part of his\u00a0Meltdown\u00a0festival at the Southbank Centre.<\/p>\n
His latest gig is hosting Slamchester, a night which celebrates spoken word, as you watch 8 poets go head to head at 53two next month. We caught up with Kieren to find out more.<\/p>\n
Where did your journey into Spoken Word begin?<\/p>\n
When I was about 15, my parents dragged me kicking and screaming to a gig at the Bridgewater Hall. They were into punk growing up, and the gig featured the likes of Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto from the Buzzcocks and Mark. E Smith of The Fall. But the one that stood out for me was John Cooper Clarke. He had a rowdy crowd of old school punks in the palm of his hand, and I remember thinking, \u201cWait\u2026 poetry can do this?\u201d<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t start writing myself until I was 28 and a friend of mine dared me to get up onstage at a cabaret night at a place called The Green Room (It\u2019s Gorilla now). I only had to fill a minute, but I can\u2019t sing or play an instrument, so I read out a poem that I\u2019d written in a style very much inspired by JCC. I was amazed by how well it went, the audience really responded, and the venue kept inviting me back to do longer and longer sets. Eventually, I ended up headlining.<\/p>\n
When did you realise it was something you could explore as a career?<\/p>\n
I could say the first time I got paid to perform \u2013 getting handed \u00a320 and a pint in exchange for a few poems. But the real shift came after I started making waves on the slam scene. Winning the Great Northern Slam Championship helped people take me seriously. From there, the invites started rolling in. It\u2019s not the most traditional career path, but there\u2019s something gratifying about earning a wage from something you have created from scratch.<\/p>\n
If someone wants to get involved with Spoken Word, how can they start?<\/p>\n
Start small. Go to local open mics, not even to perform at first, just to listen. Get a feel for the vibe, the different voices and styles. There\u2019s a brilliant community in Manchester, and loads of welcoming spaces where you can find your voice. Two I always recommend are Verbose at The Kings Arms and Rhyming Words at The Rat & Pigeon. Once you\u2019ve soaked that in, start writing. Don\u2019t worry too much about structure or rules. When you\u2019ve got a piece that feels right, sign up for an open mic. You don\u2019t need to be a \u201cpoet\u201d; you just need something to say. And remember: your voice matters. One of the beautiful things about spoken word is that there\u2019s no \u201cright way\u201d to do it. And if you are under 25, definitely check out Young Identity. They run workshops that help you develop as a writer and performer. A lot of the most exciting voices on the scene right now have come through YI.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How did Slamchester come about?<\/p>\n
Slamchester was born out of a genuine desire to celebrate a scene I care deeply about. Manchester\u2019s spoken word community is packed with incredible talent, and I wanted to create a night that brings some of the city\u2019s best voices together under one roof for an evening that\u2019s as entertaining as it is powerful. I used to co-run a slam night called Word War, which had a great run before the pandemic. After stepping back for a while, I found myself itching to build something new, something fresh that captures the energy of the scene today. When I started talking to 53Two, it all fell into place. This first Slamchester is a one-off to test the waters, but the long-term vision is to grow it into a regular event that champions local voices and creates a real buzz while doing it.<\/p>\n
You were commissioned by Guy Garvey to curate a Spoken word event in London\u2019s South Bank. What was that like?<\/p>\n
It was surreal! I co-ran a spoken word night at the Eagle Inn called Evidently, which had developed a bit of a cult following. As luck would have it, the venue was just down the road from the studio where Elbow record their albums<\/a>, so Guy would occasionally pop in. When he was curating the Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre, he got in touch and invited me to put together an Evidently event as part of the programme.<\/p>\n At first, I couldn\u2019t quite believe it. Programming that show was a huge honour. I assembled a line-up of some of my favourite poets from across Manchester, and we packed out the space. Performing in one of the country\u2019s most iconic venues, knowing that the singer from Elbow<\/a> had personally chosen us, was unforgettable. More than anything, it felt like a moment of validation. That poetry, and especially Northern voices, can hold their own in the biggest artistic spaces. It felt like we were putting our region\u2019s voice on a national stage, and that meant a lot.<\/p>\n What do you love about Manchester?<\/p>\n First and foremost, it\u2019s the people. A city is just bricks and concrete without its community, and Manchester\u2019s got a beating heart like nowhere else. There is a creative pulse too; the music, comedy, and spoken word scenes are all brimming with talent \u2013 you can\u2019t swing a cat without hitting someone who moves in at least one of those circles.<\/p>\n And then, of course, there\u2019s the weather. You\u2019ve got to really love what you do to keep performing in the rain. But I think it gives Manchester\u2019s artists a unique edge \u2013 That\u2019s what makes them special.<\/p>\n Why should people come to Slamchester?<\/p>\n Because it\u2019s going to be electric. Eight of Manchester\u2019s best poets, all on one stage, going head-to-head with nothing but their words and voices. Add a headline set from Jardel Rodrigues \u2013 in my opinion, one of the most captivating performers in the country right now \u2013 and the incredible venue that is 53Two, and you\u2019ve got something that feels more like a gig than a traditional poetry reading.\u00a0<\/p>\n Expect to laugh, cry, cheer, shout \u2013 maybe all at once \u2013 and leave thinking about it for days. If you\u2019ve never been to a poetry slam before, this is the one to start with. And if you have, well\u2026 you already know.<\/p>\n Tickets for Slamchester at 53two<\/p>\n