Storyhouse Spoken Word Open Mic Night

Due to popular demand from our first ever event in Chester Literature Festival in June where over 20 new authors and poets took part. We are excited to be hosting a vibrant mix of spoken word and live literature from a talented bill of open mic acts from the local area in a new regular event at Storyhouse Garret Theatre.

We are looking for  poetry, prose, flash-fiction and creative non-fiction and everything in between to join our open mic on 7th October 2026 in a welcoming community that gladly welcomes all, from newcomers to bestsellers.

If you are interested in being part of the open mic, with a five-minute slot to read or perform any type of writing, email a copy of the work you wish to perform to: programming@storyhouse.com 

This event will be hosted by Holly Thorpe.  

Holly Thorpe is a writer and poet based in Wrexham and working across the UK. Her work is drawn to strange, funny and fractured points of connection, often touching on topics such as the surrealism of OCD, queerness and, for some reason, root vegetables. Working with groups such as VoiceboxWxm, The Writing Squad and Hive South Yorkshire, Holly has led panels and workshops, including acting as Young Curator in collaboration with the Young Poets Summit and 2025 Forward Prizes. She has performed her poetry at events such as The Big Gay Poetry Night, Manchester’s One Mic Stand, Flesh & Parchment and more. You can read about Holly’s published work and ongoing projects at hollythorpe.com