Hello. It’s that time again!
The annual Coventry-Cork poetry exchange is now in its eighteenth year. Next month, for the second leg of the 2026 exchange, two talented poets – Seamus Harrington and Brendan Duffin – will visit Coventry (UK) as representatives of Cork (Ireland).
Coventry is the birthplace of the ‘twin city’ concept, which began in 1941 with a gesture of solidarity sent from women of Coventry to Volgograd (then Stalingrad), following the Blitz and extensive bombings of WWII. Cov has special partnerships with a multitude of cities around the world (twenty-six!), a fact many local residents take pride in – and, in 1958, we became Cork’s first ever twin city. This connection was formed due to a high number of Cork residents emigrating to Coventry at that time for work and then choosing to settle there.
The Coventry-Cork poetry exchange has been going since 2008, as a scheme for writers to promote international peace, friendship and cultural understanding between the two places as creative communities with a lot to offer society. In addition to performing at poetry events overseas, the selected poets take a tour of significant landmarks, network with other local writers, and pay state visits to both the Coventry and Cork Lord Mayors.
In August, two rising stars of Coventry’s local poetry/spoken word scene (Dangermouse# and Maxi Di Poet) travelled to Cork and headlined at legendary gigs Ó Bhéal go Béal in Cork city centre and DeBarra’s in Clonakilty. Now, across November 5th-7th, Cork poets Brendan and Seamus will be welcomed to Coventry as guest poets, including Fire&Dust open mic at Priory Visitor Centre in Coventry city centre and a special event at the Tree House Bookshop in Kenilworth. We’re hoping to see a good turnout for both events, with tons of representation from Cov’s creative and Irish communities to help our Cork visitors feel welcome – so please save the dates in your calendars!
EVENT DETAILS
Thursday 5th November, 7.30-10PM
LTB Showrooms at Priory Visitor Centre, Priory Row, Coventry city centre, CV1 5EX
Fire&Dust: Cork-Coventry Special
A special edition of this monthly spoken word poetry event in Cov, hosted by Ann Atkins and Raef Boylan. Featuring: headline sets from Seamus and Brendan, plus a poetry open mic. Slots are approx. 3 mins, request to sign up on arrival.
Drinks on sale at the venue. Doors open 7.30pm, gig starts 8pm. Pay As You Can donations/Free entry. Everyone welcome!
Friday 6th November, 7.30PM
Tree House Bookshop, 4 The Square, Kenilworth, CV8 1EB
PGR Poetry & Spoken Word: Cork Poets Special
Hosted by John Watson. Featuring: headline sets from Seamus and Brendan, plus poetry open mic and music performances. Sign up for an open mic slot on arrival. BYOB. £4 entry.
Here Comes Everyone is grateful to acknowledge the continued support of partner organisations who have funded/hosted/championed the exchange scheme, in 2026 and previous years: Coventry Association of International Friendship (CAIF), Coventry City Council, Cork City Council, Coventry Peace Festival, Nine Arches Press, Writing West Midlands, Ó Bhéal and DeBarra’s Spoken Word. Special thanks for their involvement also goes to the Ó Bhéal go Béal team, Paul Casey, Moze Jacobs, Ann Atkins, John Watson and Amy Rugg, The Long Valley pub in Cork, DeBarra’s Folk Club in Clonakilty, The LTB Showrooms in Coventry, Earlsdon Carnegie Community Library and The Tree House Bookshop in Kenilworth.
Seamus Harrington has had prize-winners/poems published in Ireland, the UK and the US. He has read his verse in Lake Orta, Strokestown and France, and contributed also to the RTÉ Radio 1 programme ‘Seascapes’. Seamus is a regular contributor at Sound Eye Cabaret. He has a certificate for a play submitted to BBC Radio 4. He has a piece accepted by the Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. He has contributed to a blog written on a transatlantic sailing voyage with two colleagues over 19 days. Also, one of his poems was highly recommended in the Gregory O’Donoghue Poetry Competition and is now framed at the Hook Heritage Centre. (Seamus believes the muse frequents lighthouses, especially at night.) He has just published his first Book of Poetry, Time and Tide, with Revival Press.
Brendan Duffin is a writer, musician and photographer based in Cork City. His poems have been published in The Stony Thursday Book, Swerve, Frogpond, Modern Haiku and The Mainichi. He is the 2025 winner of the Noel Brazil Song Competition and is a member of the Cork City-based band ‘MacBóchra’. Named after the oldest storyteller and shapeshifter Fintan mac Bóchra, the project adapts Irish folklore and medieval Irish literature into new music, poetry, dance and visual art. They have released two EPs to date: ‘Inis Ealga/Inis Fáil’ and ‘MacBóchra’. They are currently working on their first album.
“Made at Fire & Dust,
local Coventry poet and cleaner
often seen looking angry at paper,
touting rhymes and spinning web
from cats, crackheads, to Sunday dinners at your nan’s.
And always willing to entertain
the silly, serious and strange.”
Dangermouse# was the 2021 winner of Positive Images Poetry Competition and in later years served as a judge for the competition. He has headlined at various events, including ‘Fire&Dust’, ‘Pure & Good & Right’ at the Tree House Bookshop and ‘Coventry Fusion: When Music Meets Words’. His work has been published in a handful of local publications and zines, and also commissioned for inclusion in a poetic film about growing up in Coventry. In 2023, Dangermouse# was the poet-in-residence for Springboard Festival at the Criterion Theatre.
“Coventry based poet with Caribbean roots, awakened and living in truth. My poetry is therapy, healing and I envelope, embody and dance in that feeling. Poetry remains my truest element. I sit within it and remain ever present. Poetry helps me, never lose my voice, I hope you enjoy my art and are in tune.”
Maxi Di Poet has performed at Coventry’s Godiva Festival (2024) and in 2026 he headlined at both Fire&Dust in Coventry and Pure & Good & Right in nearby Kenilworth. He makes regular appearances on the Birmingham poetry scene, performing at Poetry Jam, Empower, Kohetry and Poet’s Palace. Maxi has supported Alison Manning with Sparks Young Writing Group at the Belgrade Theatre and was also a co-host for a collaborative event between Action Rayz and Fire&Dust at Coventry Cathedral, which combined open mic poetry with a screening of the Linton Kwesi Johnson film ‘Dreadbeat an’ Blood’. He was also shortlisted for the role of Coventry Poetry Laureate in 2025. Maxi’s visions for the future include getting a typewriter to do pop-up poetry for people in Coventry.