The Big Gay Poetry Night invites you to a celebration of queer poetry and performance, with an open mic. Hosted by award-winning Birmingham poets Bradley Taylor and M. L. Walsh, expect all the emotional power of a poetry night combined with glorious filth, fishnets and dancing to your favourite gay anthems. 

Since its first iteration at The Heath Bookshop Literature & Music festival 2024, The Big Gay Poetry Night has appeared at The REP Birmingham, in art galleries, at charity events and as a sold out show at the Birmingham Hippodrome, featuring Joelle Taylor, Sanah Ahsan and Kandace Siobhan Walker. 

No need to pre-enter for this open mic night, simply sign up with Bradley and Maddie on the night!

Bradley Taylor is an award-winning poet born and based in Birmingham. In 2024 he won the Roundhouse Poetry Slam, the night of which was the biggest poetry slam in history. In 2025 he released his debut collection You Missed The Best Part before embarking on a nationwide tour. Bradley has appeared at the Hay Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival, The Inspirational Youth Awards, on BBC News and on BBC Radio 6 Music in which Craig Charles described him as ‘A brand new voice and a fresh perspective on the art of poetry and performance’. 

M.L. Walsh is a performance poet specializing in comic absurdism and the construction of narrative through voice and characterisation. Since finding her form in the poetic monologue, she has experimented with the translation of performance poetry from stage to page, and how theatrical technique (and its removal) can modify a text. Her debut collection My Dog Has Never Read This was released in March 2025 with Verve Poetry Press.

This event will be BSL interpreted.

This event is part of The Heath Bookshop Literature & Music Festival and is supported by National Lottery Grants Funding through Arts Council England.