Ruth is a Hawthornden Fellow, an international competition adjudicator, interviewer, reviewer, editor, workshop leader – both in the U.K and abroad – and mentor, has compered and read at poetry festivals in the U.K. and abroad. She has been translated into six languages and invited to read extensively in Asia, Europe and the USA.

On her first trip to America she read to audiences of nearly a thousand where she was the only poet and the following day read on a buffalo farm where the buffalo outnumbered the audience. (One has to be flexible to be a poet.) Her second trip involve both readings and an hour long TV interview.

Ruth has collaborated with other disciplines and nationalities including working in Mongolia with women poets (sponsored by Arts Council) which produced a book and CD. She has been awarded many residencies both in the UK and abroad and at the XXX World Congress of Poets 2010 in Taiwan was awarded a gold medal. She has fifteen full collections  (Salmon, Shoestring and Two Rivers Press) and her book of interviews with internationally eminent women poets has been said to be “a very important  contribution to world literary history.” (Professor Clare Brant, King’s College, University of London.)

Her two poetry venues, whose ethos is to promote poetry’s social dimension, enables both famous and unknown to read together with proceeds contributing monies necessary to support two Cold Weather Shelters for the Homeless – the latter are also encouraged to participate. She endeavours to bring fresh audiences to poetry – especially those who are disadvantage in some way. 

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Charnjit has an MA in Creative Writing and a BA in English Literature & Creative Writing, her work has been published in 12 poetry journals.

She was one of winners of the Art Fund Prize 2023 where her poem ‘Triggered’ was displayed on billboards throughout the UK. Last year her debut play ‘Good Mourning’ was showcased with a 4 star review.

She has performed at venues such as Somerset House, Rich Mix, the Desi Blitz festival in Birmingham and Leicester Museum. 

Charnjit has published 3 poetry collections with Atmosphere Press- Impression, For the Moment and most recently Pray Tell.

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Sami Rhymes is an Award-Winning Spoken Word Artist, Poet and Author from London, UK. She also works in Project Management and as a Freelance Creative.
Sami had her first poem published at the age of 9 in a young writers anthology. Sami released her debut collection 20 Something in 2020 and has contributed poems to other publications including It Will Be: The Black Experience and the Words By anthology.

From the playground to groundbreaking stages, Sami has performed and headlined at a number of public and private events & festivals in London, nationally and abroad in Malaysia. She has also won International Slams in New Zealand, Abu Dhabi and locally in the UK. She has featured on a number of local radio stations including BBC Radio London. Sami has also appeared on ITV News London S1:E3 of the BAFTA winning Sky Arts commissioned TV show Life & Rhymes and Islam Channel to name a few.

2022 saw Sami pick up “Best Female Spoken Word Poet” and also marked the release of her Debut EP Triple Threat . 2023 saw Sami take her rhymes to adverts, new stages and cities. From her first Sofar Sounds to her first Glastonbury Festival Sami continues grow as a creative. Her next album and book are in progress with the audio set to be released first.

Sami uses rhyme as a means of release and therapy and through her spoken word inspires people in her community to speak up and take action. Her poetry touches on everything from identity to communities and places, relationships, mental health, injustices, and day to day experiences. She also facilitates workshops, presents talks, ghostwrites, and takes on commissions for bespoke requests.

Find out more on Sami’s Website
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Shar is an Israel-born, London-based librettist, lyricist, poet, composer, director, and vocal coach. He holds an MA in Classical Singing from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and an MA in Musical Theatre from Guildford School of Acting (GSA). Shar has over 15 years of teaching experience across various international and UK-based institutions, including Urdang Academy, London Studio Centre (LSC), International College of Musical Theatre (ICMT), and Performance Preparation Academy (PPA).

As a vocal coach, Shar has worked on acclaimed productions, including the Israeli versions of Dear Evan Hansen and Waitress at The Cameri Theatre, and Rock in the
Shul at The Incubator Theatre. He frequently teaches and lectures internationally, leading courses in Israel, Italy, and the Netherlands, and preparing students for LCM exams and higher education. Many of his private students have gone on to perform in major musical theatre productions or attend prestigious institutions like the Royal Academy of Music, GSA, and The Hartt School Theatre Division in the USA.

As a librettist and lyricist, Shar is currently developing two original musicals in Israel. SONIA premiered in December 2023 at Haifa Theatre and the Israeli Opera House, marking a significant milestone in Israeli musical theatre. His second project, Manhood Part 1 recently had a workshop at The Cameri Theatre, which Shar also directed. He is an active participant in London’s prestigious BML (Book, Music, Lyrics) program for emerging musical theatre writers.

Shar is the founder and artistic director of The JEWish CABARET, a creative collective that has produced numerous shows celebrating multiculturalism, immigration, and LGBTQ+ experiences. Their debut musical, Café Named Desire, was widely acclaimed in London and toured Israel. The group is now developing a new musical, STAGES, focusing on immigrants’ experiences in London’s performing arts industry.

During the pandemic, Shar directed You’ve Got a Friend, a multilingual music video promoting racial equality, and composed Plagues, an original song addressing the rise of racism. These projects reflect his commitment to advocacy and inclusivity in the arts.Shar is also a published poet whose work has been recognized internationally. His poetry inspired the short film Poetry in Motion – Dew Drops, commissioned for the Worcester Loud & Queer Festival in 2023, and he received first prize in the Helicon writing competition in Israel.

Find out more on Shar’s Website

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Arun is a multidisciplinary artist, performer and English teacher with Mauritian heritage currently based in London, UK. His work features in The London Reader, The Black Spring Group Press’s The Best New British and Irish Poets 2019-2021, fourteen poems, Magma 89 and The Commonwealth Foundation, as well as other established literary and contemporary poetry magazines and anthologies.

A runner-up of the John Hopkins Prize (2017) and BBC Words First participant (2021), Arun is an alumnus of the Roundhouse Poetry Collective (2021-2022). He has performed at an event for Little Amal at the Roundhouse (2021), Grand Junction’s Night of Power (2022), The Last Word Festival (2022), #Kindfest 2022, Camden Inspire (2022-2023) and ‘Express Yourself Freely’ in support of Palestine (2023). He was Ink, Sweat & Tears’ Pick of the Month (November 2023).

Arun was an artist with The Mehfil Resonates: Art of Resistance 2024 cohort creating powerful testament to solidarity and resistance. He is currently on Poetic Unity’s Liberated Voices project creating a collective spoken word album in collaboration with live musicians. Arun’s debut pamphlet I Want to Be the One You Think About at Night was published by Waterloo Press (2020).

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The Bazaar is Europe’s first Middle Eastern, North African, and West Asian (SWANA) improv comedy show. Blending audience suggestions, the epic myths of; ‘The Arabian Night’s’,  ‘The Shahnama’, and especially for Poetry in the City, the the poetry of Al Muntanabbi’ the multi-award-winning cast of comedians create hilarious scenes—blending experiences of migration whilst celebrating the warmth, humor and quirks of the diaspora.

Myth.

Mirth.

Middle Eastern delights.

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