The sixth Liver Bards poetry event of 2025 is titled ‘Art is the Dealer of Heart’ and is coming to the Rum and Rumour Kabaret Bar in the basement of Ma Boyle’s on Tuesday 1st July, featuring Jeremy Dixon.
Jeremy Dixon (he/him) is a prize-winning poet, editor and workshop leader. He is the author of the pamphlet In Retail (Arachne Press, 2019). His first full collection A Voice Coming From Then (Arachne Press, 2021) won the Wales Book of the Year Poetry Award 2022. His new pamphlet of Polari-inspired poems ‘Bold in the Life’ was published by Broken Sleep Books in April 2025.
Please contact me (Ali) if you know you would like a poetry slot and will be there (5 minutes maximum). Please stick to the time! Thank you to the 125 bards who have performed thus far this year.
Whether you’re a Liver Bards regular or new to sharing your poetry publicly, you are most welcome. Or if you simply wish to listen.
Performing bards and audience will come together at Ma Boyle’s L3 1LG.
Come speak your truth and listen to others speak theirs.
Choose to adopt, adapt or ignore the title.
There may be the opportunity for poets to sign up on the night at the venue from 7.30pm if all the spots are not filled.
Jake Archer is due to start the music sometime after 7.
The poeteering begins at 8.
This will be my 103rd Liver Bards as host.
About the title ‘Art is the Dealer of Heart’:
‘Art is the dealer of heart’ is a quote in Illuminationist Depictions (2015) by Nadia Maftouni, from the artist Hossein Nuri. He was born on 1st July 1954 in Iran. He became obsessed with painting in elementary school and showed his ability in various styles of painting at an early age. Before the Iranian revolution of 1979, he wrote a play which was a political satire in defence of human rights, so he was tortured as a 17-year-old by the Shah regime and consequently lost his ability to move his hands and legs. But he continued painting with his mouth and so far, he has organized more than a hundred exhibitions in Iran, France, China, Germany, Algeria, Lebanon, and Austria. The left-hand side of the Liver Bards publicity shows Nuri bringing his aesthetic depiction of Virgin Mary in front of the Danish embassy in Tehran ‘to respond to ugliness with beauty’ as he put it.
The right-hand side shows Jeremy on Bold Street, and also my ‘Baby.Alien.Blue.’ artwork – commenting on Liverpool’s deep historical links with Transatlantic Slavery - on Bold Street in 1999, shortly before it was exhibited at Parr Street Garages as part of the first Independents Biennial. Bold Street is named after Jonas Bold, a slave merchant, sugar trader and banker. In 1802, Bold became Mayor of Liverpool.
Hope to see you at Liver Bards.
Ali
Also check out other Arts events in Liverpool, Literary Art events in Liverpool, Fine Arts events in Liverpool.
