Events

The Fig Tree and Crooked Spire Press presents Ed Reiss

Ed Reiss will be reading from his forthcoming collection Stakeknife and will be supported by Julia Deakin and Bruce Woodcock.

The reading is free to attend, and will take place at Doncaster Unitarian Church, 60 Hall Gate, Doncaster DN1 3PB on Saturday, 18th July at 2pm.

Ed Reiss lives in Leeds. Your Sort, which was published by Smith/Doorstop, was shortlisted for the Aldeburgh First Collection Prize in 2011. His work was highly commended in the 2011 Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. His work appears in Stand, Versions of the North: Contemporary Yorkshire Poetry, and the Forward Book of Poetry anthology. His pamphlet, Now Then, was a winner in the Poetry Business Book and Pamphlet Competition in 2006. He completed a PhD in the School of English at the university of Leeds entitled Geoffrey Hill: Poet of Sequences. He is a regular supporter of poetry events throughout Yorkshire.

Julia Deakin was born in Nuneaton and worked her way north – via Shropshire, the Potteries, Manchester, York France and Leeds – to Huddersfield. The Half-Mile-High Club (2007), a Poetry Business Competition winner, was followed by Without a Dog (Graft Poetry, 2008), Eleven Wonders (Graft Poetry, 2011) and Sleepless (Valley Press, 2018), each praised by leading UK poets. Between editing Pennine Platform, walking, birding and ice skating, she chips away at her fifth collection.

Bruce Woodcock in the son of the 1940s British heavyweight boxing champion of the same name. He was Senior Lecturer in the English Department of the University of Hull from 1973 to 2013. He is the editor of The Selected Poems of William Blake and the Selected Poetry and Prose of Shelley. He was a member of the Hull band Desmond and the Decorators. Breath: Poems of Love and Loss was published by Legal highs Press in 2024.

Upcoming Readings by Crooked Spire Poets

You can also find out more about Ian Parks’ upcoming readings here, Matthew Paul’s readings here and David Harmer’s readings here.

Past Events

Crooked Spire Press and Fig Tree Launch Event

Took place on Saturday, 26th April 2025 at the Unitarian Church in Doncaster – find more about this event here

The Fig Tree Online Launch Event

Took place on Sunday, 18th May 2025 online using Zoom – find more about this event here

The Last Corinthians Doncaster Launch Event

Matthew Paul read from his latest collection on Saturday, June 7th 2pm at the Dystopia Bar (upstairs), Doncaster Brewery Tap, 7 Young Street, Doncaster, DN1 3EL with guests Victoria Gatehouse and Ed Reiss. Photos and reviews can be found here.

The Last Corinthians Online Launch Event

Matthew Paul read from his latest collection on Tuesday, 10th June at 7pm online using Zoom with guests Shash Trevett and Cliff Yates – find more about this event here

The Last Corinthians London Launch Event

Matthew Paul read from his latest collection on Tuesday, June 17th, 7pm at The Devereux, 20 Devereux Ct, London, WC2R 3JJ with guests Vanessa Lampert, Ian Parks and Mat Riches – find out more about this event here.

Matthew Paul at Read 2 Write in Doncaster

Matthew read from The Last Corinthians and led a workshop on persona writing to 26 poets in Doncaster.

The Sons of Darkness and the Sons of Light – Doncaster Launch Event

Ian Parks read from his powerful collection on Saturday, October 11th at the Unitarian Church in Doncaster – find more about this event here – with guests Susan Darlington, Steve Ely and Laura Strickland with music by Liam Wilkinson.

The Sons of Darkness and the Sons of Light – Online Reading

Ian Parks read from his latest collection (see here for more information) alongside guests Bob Beagrie, Gaia Holmes, Vanessa Lampert and Charlotte Wetton. It was an evening of fabulous poetry.

Ian Parks at Read 2 Write Doncaster

Ian spoke to Crooked Spire publisher Tim Fellows about his new collection The Sons of Darkness and the Sons of Light, the Read 2 Write team read selected poems from the book and Ian read the long title poem in its entirety.

David Harmer Launch Event

David read from his pamphlet Before It’s Too Late on Saturday, May 23rd 2026 at The Brewery Tap, Doncaster with guests Lisa Falshaw, Mike O’Brien, Alison Stark and Adam Strickson

David Harmer Online Reading

David read from his pamphlet Before It’s Too Late on Sunday, June 7th 2026 with guests Sarah James, Matthew Paul and Di Slaney.

The Fig Tree Coal Anthology Events

Doncaster Launch Event

Saturday, November 15th 2025 at at the Unitarian Church in Doncaster – event info and photos here

Online Launch Event (Zoom)

Tuesday, November 18th 2025 – With poems read by the contributors.

Garforth Library Coal Anthology Reading

Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 with guests Ian Parks and Sarah Wimbush. Photos of the event are here.

Woodhorn Mining Museum, Ashington Coal Anthology Reading

Saturday, March 27th, 2026 with guests Ian Parks and Joe Williams. With thanks to Greg Freeman for organizing.

Ian Parks supported by Matthew Paul

On Friday 21st November, 2025 at the City Screen Picture house, Coney Street, York, Ian Parks and Matthew Paul read from their collections and were supported by local poet Janet Dean and local poet/musician Jane Stockdale. The event was held in conjunction conjunction with Navigators Art.