April is National Poetry Month (something I’m happy to commandeer from our American cousins) — a time to celebrate the written word, sure, but this year, I want it to be something more. Something real. Something that doesn’t just talk about the value of poetry, but proves it — in cash.
This April, I’m running two online poetry workshops — and every single penny raised will go straight into launching The Broken Spine Poetry Award in 2026.
That means:
- No submission fees
- No corporate sponsorship
- No skimmed admin cuts
- Just one pot. Filled by poets. For poets.
We’re aiming to raise £5,000 — enough to offer three proper prizes to three deserving poets. Not ‘exposure’. Not merch. Real, spend-it-how-you-like-it money.
Untamed: Writing Without Fear
Sunday 13 April 2025
🕒 14:00–17:00 GMT
📍 Online via Zoom
🎟️ £25 / £20 concession
A no-holds-barred generative workshop for writers ready to take risks. We’ll lean into rawness, emotional clarity, and turning personal truth into poetic power.

Write the Night
Sunday 27 April 2025
🕒 14:00–17:00 GMT
📍 Online via Zoom
🎟️ £25 / £20 concession
A deep-dive into the language of night — longing, shadows, tenderness, and tension. For poems that simmer under the skin.

These aren’t just workshops. They’re a fundraising mission — to create something we’ve never had before: a prize that doesn’t demand entry fees or favours, just poetry worth reading.
Why Now?
Since 2019, The Broken Spine has been publishing daring work from emerging and established writers. Every open mic, every magazine, every event — all of it has been fuelled by community. I’ve never taken a cut. I’ve never drawn a wage. I’ve just kept going.
For six years, I’ve run this press. For over a year now, I’ve hosted #PoemsAbout most Friday, lately on Bluesky. And honestly? It’s been exhausting. But also exhilarating. Because I’ve seen what this community is capable of.
We’ve already raised a few hundred quid — but to make this award real, I need your help to take it further.
If this is the only time this award ever runs, so be it.
But I want it to matter. I want it to mean something.
The Honest Ask
Buy a ticket — even if you can’t attend.
Donate directly, if that’s easier.
Share this far and wide.
Yes, we’ve hogtied ourselves a bit by not posting on Facebook, Instagram or X. That’s politics, that’s principle, that’s personal. But if you’re still on those platforms: tag us, share the links, make some noise. We won’t be engaging, but it helps. It really does.
Look — our politics might not be for everyone. We know that. But this isn’t about ideology. It’s about access. About stripping away the barriers and just backing each other the only way that actually matters sometimes — with money.
This is #ByPoetsForPoets.
If this ends up being the legacy I leave in this community, I’m okay with that.
But let it be one that puts cash in poets’ hands — not just words on the page.
Let’s build something honest. Something generous.
Let’s make this count.