MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN

OPEN CALL TO POETS! MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN PRESENTS PENANCE RESIDENCY @ THE CRYPT GALLERY, LONDON. We are very excited to announce that we will be having our first PENANCE residency at the historic Crypt gallery in London. FREE ENTRY FOR ALL. From @nolsnathankski : "Hey lovely human 🌒 I wanted to invite you to PENANCE at the Crypt Gallery, beneath St Pancras Church, running 16–20 February 2026....

We put on a wake for Nols Nathankski's pamphlet "Oh, Nols!" at Burley Fisher Books on the 12th February 2026. The event Sold Out but only 6 poets and a wizard showed up so Nols turned the event into an impromptu poetry workshop which you can hear in its badly recorded entirety. When life gives you lemons - eat cake and make poetry. The prompts we worked to were Write an elegy for Nols Love is...(r...

Nols Nathankski inspired by Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi makes an episode on stage craft at the open mic for beginners and people wondering whether they should come to a local open mic. His only expertise being his own addiction to performing at the open mic. Nols provides his own insights about performing at the open mic and gives examples of reading from your phone, from paper and straight from the dome...

Nols Nathankski gets to stan one of his favourite poets Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi who is the author of THE BOOK OF KANE AND MARGARET (FC2 / UAP) and Nols favourite poetry book of 2025 - DISINTEGRATION MADE PLAIN AND EASY (Piżama Press). Kiik is also a mentor and educator at Western Washington University. A chance encounter with Kiik's poetry online, led to Nols being forever changed. Kiik makes weird g...

Nols Nathankski takes a trip to the Word Zoo with host Tyger Soul. They talk about the last decade in the scene, the best tomatoes and how to jam with a band as a poet. The Word Zoo happens every 1st Thursday of the month, at The Others in SToke Newington. There are always Open Mic slots, a chance to say your poems or songs with our houseband Vibe Machine, plus featured acts and a book raffle. Sea...

Nols Nathankski takes to the sofa with Erika Loch. They talk shared open mic experiences and how to find quiet to write. Erika is a poet, lyricist, and a creative and commercial writer – writing in defiance of modern book burning, she leaves messages for those who seek to read between the lines. Erika collaborates with artists, brands, galleries, and organisations – she takes commissions via WORDS...

Nols Nathankski its down for a cup of tea with Leatrice. An American Poet who is now living in Oxford. Leatrice makes intricate poems exploring early relationships, memory and connection. The pair discuss the stress of slam scores, the difference between New York & London open mics and making poems on the tube. Nols and Leatrice make poems with prompts from Vidya Gosain. Leatrice shouts out th...

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...

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...

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...

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 gr...

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_...

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 fri...

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 m...

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 tar...

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 Fid...

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. T...

Trigger warning: Death, Cancer, medical scenes, invasive surgery, lots of swearing. Nols first episode of 2026 looking back at a year of medical drama. The poems in this episode were made across 2025 around the multiple hospital and doctors visits Nols has to find out if he is dying too quickly or not. Nols explores how death and dying have been key influences on his poetry and his life in 2025 an...

Nols Nathankski and Dr. Lee Campbell meet at betwixmass to make poems, talk queer love and gardening. Dr Lee Campbell is an artist, poet, filmmaker, co-curator of POW! Play on Words (a regular spoken word platform in London along with Colin B. Osborn) and Senior Lecturer at University of the Arts London. His debut poetry collection ’See Me: An (Almost) Autobiography’ was published by London Poetry...

Nols Nathankski presents an end of year podcast with a round up of some of THE BEST POEMS made and spoken on the show. With highlights of moments from poets across the last 6 months. Someone told Nols that getting past 40 episodes means that he is a real podcaster now. Comment your thoughts below. This is a recap to celebrate the end of the first 6 months of MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN and a desperate...

Nols reviews Pertinent Interruptions a very weird experiment in open mic with interruptions and heckling. The brain child of Play On Words Dr Lee Campbell and Colin B Osborn the night allowed the crowd to jump in with poems or just loud sexual innuendos. The night was a very raucous end of year poetry jam but also taught Nols a lot of respect for the silence of the open mic and being held rather t...

Nols Nathankski sits down with Sarthak Mukherji London Slam Champion 2025 and CENTURION of the London Open Mics about what it takes to perform at 100 open mics. Sarthak Mukherji is a London based poet whose work navigates the immigrant experience, mental health and relationships. Known for blending heartfelt honesty with sharp wit. He has quickly made a name for himself on the city's slam scene, w...

Nols Nathankski went to make poems with the Longplayer a 1000 year song at The Trinity Bouy Wharf Experimental lighthouse to celebrate a year off the booze. He wrote to 36 prompts below. Trinity Buoy Wharf is home to the iconic Experimental Lighthouse- London’s only remaining example- built in 1864. The Lighthouse was never used to aid navigation on the Thames, but to experiment. Nols has played t...

Nols sits down with Colin B Osborn to talk going punk to poetry. Osborn poetry navigates the landscapes of personal history and keen observation with a lyrical and accessible style. These poems are a testament to self-discovery, celebrating the moments—both quiet and profound—where we define our own narratives. For lovers of contemporary poetry that is both thoughtful and resonant, is a compelling...

Nols Nathankski sits down with Tom Manning (shout out to Dawn Web for also hanging out!) Tom is a London-based spoken word artist and a self-described ‘poet for non-poetry fans’. Using direct, colloquial, and rhythmic lyrics, Tom pours his heart onto the page to cover topics such as mental health, addiction, hedonism, love and relationships. Nols and Tom make poems with live prompts from Dawn who...