Southport’s poetry scene is about to level up. The Poetry Conjecture launches on March 19th, 2025, at Royales on Lord Street—the birthplace of The Broken Spine. This bi-monthly poetry night is where raw talent meets a welcoming audience, offering headline poets, open mic slots, and live music in one of the town’s most creative spaces.
A gem at the South end of Southport’s iconic Lord Street, creative hub Royales is a family-run bar with old-school community spirit. Ran by Roy & Jenny Wren Carnall, it hosts regular live music, creative classes, special artistic events, and boasts the only vinyl jukebox in town. It’s also home to the giant guitar!
Royales is the perfect venue for an intimate evening of original spoken word by poets wanting to share their work and find new communities of creative people in the local area.
🔹 Paul Robert Mullen – Southport-born poet, musician, and co-founder of The Broken Spine Artist Collective. His work appears in leading international journals, exploring themes of identity, memory, and the human condition.
🔹 Robert Sheppard – A pioneer of innovative British poetry, Sheppard has spent decades pushing linguistic boundaries. A widely published poet and critic, he’s known for work that challenges both form and expectation.
🔹 Alan Parry – Poet, editor-in-chief of The Broken Spine, and author of Neon Ghosts and Twenty Seven, Parry blends cinematic storytelling with lyrical depth, crafting poetry that resonates long after the final line.
✅ Headline Poets – Featuring big names who push the form forward.
✅ 8 Open Mic Slots – Step up, whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth.
✅ Live Music – A guest musician closes the night with original sounds.
✅ Sell Your Work – Poets can bring books, zines, and merch to share.
✅ A Community That Gets It – No gimmicks, just words that matter.
📅 First Event: March 19, 2025
📍 Venue: Royales, Lord Street, Southport
🕖 Time: 19:00 Sharp
🎟 Entry: Free
Secure your open mic slot now: paul.robert.mullen.1982@gmail.com
This is poetry without pretence—a night for bold voices and real connections. Don’t miss it.
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The Broken Spine is a poetry and arts collective proudly published on the coastal edge of North-West England. Founded in 2019 by Alan Parry and Paul Robert Mullen – two school friends reunited after twenty years through a mutual love of poetry.
