Poetry News

I had the pleasure of being part of the local authors fair at Chester Storehouse recently 

During the first release of my collection on Amazon I briefly hit a number of Poetry charts for both the e-book and paperback edition.  I hit the top 10 on the day of release in the British Poetry category and Poetry Collection category, fleetingly rubbing shoulders with John Cooper-Clarke!

In mid- March 2025 I chose to remove my book from Amazon and it will now only be available via books.by/lisa-ohare. 

I back (this time with poetry books) at the infamous and very fun Course You Can Malcolm team ahead of the next FC United match on Saturday 30 November.

In 2024 I was lucky to feature  at:

- Word Central , Central Library Manchester

- Mind over Matter Slam, Band on the Wall

- Course you can Malcolm, 

- Crooked Poets, Prestwich

- Tales of Manchester 2.0

- Natter

- Wal Goch Festival, Wrexham

- Ballin' Out by the Poetry Place at Factory International

- Sisterhood Festival, Bradford

I was thrilled to be one of 8 finalists in the BBC Words First scheme and the opportunity of performing as part of the BBC Contains Strong Language festival  is one I will remember for a long time. 

I was lucky to benefit from masterclasses from the amazing teams at Young Identity and Apples and Snakes as part of this scheme. 

On 9th November was asked to support the amazing Rose Condo at her book launch in Manchester City Library at 6pm.

In 2023 I was lucky to perform  at:

20th January - Northern Poets Society 

3Oth January - co hosting Verbose

22nd February - Express Yourself, Bask 

8th March - Salford Arts Theatre , Blue Balloon Theatre Co

9th March - Nook Open Door

17th Mark - Haigh Hall Tap Bar

27th March - co-hosting Verbose

28th  March - Shapeshifter at Fierce Bar

29th March - Mancunia TV

16th April - Switchblade Society

24th April 

Co-hosting Verbose at the Kings Arms, Salford

1 May - Sheffield Meadowhall, Reverend and the Makers Pop up shop
5th May - Corto Bar Clitheroe

21st May - Still Got it Showcase, Fierce Bar

22nd May - Co-hosting Verbose, Kings Arms

18 June - Still Got it Showcase and Ed Fringe preview at Fierce Bar Manchester

7 July - Blether

9 July - Morecambe Fringe

15 July - Llangollen Fringe

31 July - co-hosting Verbose, Lions Den Manchester

11-13 August - Edinburgh Fringe

22 August - Wandering Palate, Monton

2 September - Mic at the Mill Festival

9 September - Green Island Festival

18 September - co-host Verbose

30th October - co-host Verbose at Kings Arms Salford

9th November - supporting Rose Condo  at her book launch at Manchester Central Library

16th November - Supermarket Streets exhibition launch at Carlton Club

22nd November - Lisa & Lou's poetry show, Grub & Friends First Street

25th November - Storyhouse Chester Literature Festival Open Mic

I had a fabulous time as part of the spoken word line up at the Green Island Festival on Saturday 9 September.

The Mic at the Mill team asked Verbose to their festival on 2 September and I was able to bring a part of my show,, 'Do You Remember the First Rhyme?'. The event was a lot of fun and meeting so many people who run amazingly creative stalls at the mill was a joy.

I was lucky to be able to bring a night of poetry to the beautiful Wandering Palette in Monton in late August. 

I did a set of poems I don't usually perform together with a few from my Edinburgh Fringe Show.

I am delighted that 'Do You Remember the First Rhyme?' was shortlisted in the  Best Spoken Word Show category of the Saboteur Award. 

Verbose, the spoken word night I co-host was also shortlisted as were two anthologies featuring my poetry ( Ey Up and Hope is a Group Project. )

I never dreamed of being included in these lists when I started out sharing my work and I am genuinely so grateful to anyone who chose to nominate my show. 

On 15 July I had a wonderful time performing at the Llangollen Fringe. To perform in such a beautiful  town that is a beacon of creativity in North Wales meant so much to me.

On 20 May me and the cast of The Still Got It Showcase were invited onto BBC Radio Manchester's Upload show with David Scott. it was a lot of fun.  We got to talk about how we found our poetic voices post 40 and it was an absolute hoot. 

I was delighted to take part in a poetry roundtable with two of my favourite poets, Loll Perkins and Lou Machen, on BBC Radio Manchester on 4 March 2023, talking about the poetry community and inspirations.

As I get ready for Edinburgh I will be doing a few warm up previews alongside a number of other poets and storytellers who, like me, started sharing their work after a bit of living.  

I've called it the 'Still got it showcase' although none of us are sure what 'it' is. 

I was delighted to take part in a poetry roundtable with two of my favourite poets, Loll Perkins and Lou Machen, on BBC Radio Manchester on 4 March 2023, talking about the poetry community and inspirations.

TALES OF MANCHESTER’

Art, Music, Spoken Word and local beer! All inspired by ‘Tales of Manchester’.

A new exhibition coming to the Carlton Club with an exciting opening night on the 20th October 7pm.

Emma Evans is creating art from the poetry written by me and other amazing poets from Manchester.
The exhibition is supported by the MancSpirit Charity, a Manchester based Charity that harnesses Creativity and the Arts to inspire positive mental wellbeing.

I am bringing back the show that started my creative second life at this year's Women in Comedy Festival - on 9 October 2022.

A sunny day amongst creatives, artists, authors, poets, rappers, comedians, actors - the first C-Arts festival was an incredible day to be part of, curated  by Northern Poets Society, Switchblade Society and Natter.

A poetry workshop and a show performance at Altrincham Arts Festival;'s Wild Gathering was a huge success. 

I was part of an epic line up for packed raucous night of poetry in Blackpool recently. By the Metre is a hot ticket in the North West - get to the next one they are incredible fun.

Under glorious and hot skies I was privileged to run some poetry workshops for wellbeing at the wonderful Zennor Haven field at Boardmasters 2022.

I was thrilled to be part of the first HERstory event at YaB in Wrexham in June - a new event for women created by Evrah Rose. It was such a warm and relaxed evening.

In mid July I was delighted to have two poems played on BBC Radio Manchester's Upload show with David Scott.  I got to speak about a poem that I wrote after sharing poetry event opportunities with another poet who is now absolutely thriving in the Manchester poetry scene.

A new gently humorous spoken word show, reflecting on how I loved performance as a child and re-discovered it in my 40s with a bang.

10 July at Gullivers NQ as part of GM Fringe and 27 August at the Museum of Comedy. 

I was thrilled to be asked to run a workshop with Victoria CP School in Wrexham where children were writing poems about the town in support of the 2025 City of Culture bid.  

The day was inspirational and the love for the town was palpable in every one of their words.

In collaboration with Whats the Sketch theatre co I curated and performed at a poetry show in the woods at Into the Wild coffee shack in August, featuring some of Manchester's best poets such as Antony Szmierek, Rebecca Kenny, Louis Glazzard, Will Stevenson , Amy Harris, Lisa Simpson, Mark Forster and Rebecca Phythian. (Photo credit Karen Herman Wright)

A highlight of summer 2021 was hosting workshops for Water Aid at Worthy Pastures (aka the home of Glastonbury Festival)

My first in real life open mic since the pandemic was at  'A Lovely Word' on 1 July 2021 in Liverpool and it really was lovely.

On Sunday 13 June I made it to the semi-finals in Belfast Book Festival's Poetry Slam, which was held online. It was such an incredible evening, fizzing with talent and a joy to be part of. 

On 1 June 2021 I headlined Testify Poetry. Testify is one of the first open mics I ever attended in real life in 2019 and they became part of my lockdown routine on zoom in 2020/2021. It was an absolute privilege to headline with this wonderful community of poets and poetry lovers. An evening in lockdown I will never forget!