Poetic Edge Publishers

07/11/2025

THIS SUNDAY FOLKS!! (9th Nov) @ 7pm UTC/GMT.

ONLINE OPEN MIC! Hosted by our very own Ashley Edge and Kate Jenkinson

Get your ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1917962309899?aff=oddtdtcreator

FREE/Pay-what-you-can (details will be shared on the night)

Still open mic slots (5mins each folks oooo). Hit us up for yours at [email protected], or dm me :)

An online open mic for disabled folk, run by disabled folk!
Come and enjoy an event that shines a light on all disabilities, whether physical or mental, hidden or unhidden. Please note that self-diagnosis is Valid. Open to all, but priority will be given to those with a disability and/or those who wish to share words about disability. So please join us to celebrate and lift the performers among us that are often left uncatered for.

Run by neurodivergent poets we understand how difficult it can be to perform when the world is set up for the abled. This is one of the reasons we are an ONLINE event. Being online means no distance is a barrier, we want to hear voices from around the world, but please be aware that the hosts' language will be in English. This is a pay-what-you-feel/can event, instructions on how to donate will be given during the event.

25/10/2025

So proud of Hongwei Bao, such a talent, such a deserving poet 😁❤️ and again, thank you to our special guests for your support and for sharing your stunning poetry with us. A glorious night, forever not to be forgotten thanks to the joys of the 'record' button!

21/10/2025

Welcome to the recording of our special online Poetic Edge BOOK LAUNCH, celebrating the release of Self-Portrait as a Banana, by the talented poet, HONGWEI BAO.

We had a fantastic night, and for those that couldn't make it, we have you covered! You can watch here, at your leisure, with a nice cuppa. Worth every second.

Dripping with powerful, poignant poetry from Hongwei Bao, Robert Hamberger, Gregory Woods and Maria Jastrzębska, guided by the exceptional hosting skills of Fay Roberts, we had an amazing time, and I'm delgihted we were able to record it for you all.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Hongwei's new collection, you can order it here: https://amzn.eu/d/1rf9UIi

21/10/2025

Welcome to the recording of our special online Poetic Edge BOOK LAUNCH, celebrating the release of Self-Portrait as a Banana, by the talented poet, HONGWEI BAO.

We had a fantastic night, and for those that couldn't make it, we have you covered! You can watch here, at your leisure, with a nice cuppa. Worth every second.

Dripping with powerful, poignant poetry from Hongwei Bao, Robert Hamberger, Gregory Woods and Maria Jastrzębska, guided by the exceptional hosting skills of Fay Roberts, we had an amazing time, and I'm delighted we were able to record it for you all.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Hongwei's new collection, you can order it here: https://amzn.eu/d/1rf9UIi

Welcome to our special online Poetic Edge BOOK LAUNCH, celebrating the release of Self-Portrait as a Banana, by the talented poet, HONGWEI BAO.Get ready for ...

12/10/2025

Well now! Friday's launch for Hongwei Bao's latest collection, Self-Portrait as a Banana was a wonderful night! It's taken us until now to share a post, we've been recovering from the adrenaline of such a glorious evening!

A night that touched on family, connections, queer life, our vital queer history, life as a migrant, and more. The feedback from the audience has filled our hearts even more. We are all about lifting these unique and important voices, and to know it was heard and fed your souls is exactly what we had hoped for.

The event was recorded, so if you couldn't make it, fear not! The recording will be available here and on YouTube in the coming days.

You can order Hongwei's book here: https://amzn.eu/d/0GOtbOo

Thank you to our special guests that made this evening all the more powerful. Robert Hamburger, Gregory Woods and Maria Jastrzębska. All incredible talents with collections available so please take a look at their work too. You will not be disappointed!

Thank you to the audience, for filling our screens and your lovely comments throughout the night. These events are Nothing without You.

26/09/2025

So proud of Hongwei Bao and his stunning new poetry collection. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you can grab a copy here: https://amzn.eu/d/hoMK8Fu

Dear MCLC members, I am pleased to announce the publication of my new poetry collection Self-Portrait as a Banana (Poetic Edge, 2025). The book can be purchased online. You are also kindly invited…

25/09/2025

**AMAZING NEWS!**

Hongwei Bao - Self-Portrait as a Banana is OUT NOW!

We are delighted to bring you this stunning collection that will pull at multiple strings in your heart! The comments from those that have heard tasters are as we hoped and expected: FOLK ARE EXCITED!!

You can get your copy here: https://amzn.eu/d/0GOtbOo

"Hongwei Bao's latest collection, Self-Portrait as a Banana, is a candid exploration of his queer, diasporic, East Asian identity and cross-cultural relationships. Appropriating, subverting and queering cultural tropes like the banana, rice and beckoning cat, and identities such as queerness and Chineseness, this is a powerful journey. A bold, humorous and refreshing celebration of queer desire, identity and cultural differences."

Hongwei Bao (he/him) is a Nottingham-based queer Chinese writer, translator and academic. He is part of the Fifth Word Playwrights, GOBS Spoken Word Collective and Nottingham Playhouse Writers' Room. He is also a Middle Way Mentee for writing fiction and a New Earth Theatre theatremaker. His work explores queer desire, Asian identity, diasporic positionality and transcultural intimacy.

Hongwei is the author of Dream of the Orchid Pavilion (poetry pamphlet, Big White Shed, 2024), The Passion of the Rabbit God (poetry collection, Valley Press, 2024) and Queering the Asian Diaspora (nonfiction, Sage, 2024). His short story ‘A Postcard from Berlin’ was a runner-up for the Plaza Prize for Microfiction in 2023.

Hongwei has performed poetry at Bad Betty Live, City Arts Nottingham, Dandelions Poetry, DIY Poetry, ESEA Authors LitFest, ESA NE Newcastle, Five Leaves Bookshop, Fluent in Both, Lighthouse Bookshop Edinburgh, Kif Kif Antwerp, Nottingham Central Library, Nottingham Poetry Festival, Nottingham Playhouse, Notts Poetry, Nowhere Netherlands, Paper Crane Poetry, Prague Pride, Shaded Writers, Speech Therapy, and The Common Press London.

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07/09/2025

We are barely drawing breath folks, because it's time for our next poet to fill your bookshelves and to step onto our virtual stage to showcase his poetic talent!!!

We are giddy with joy at this boldly queer and cross-cultural collection by the wonderful talent that is HONGWEI BAO.

If you haven't heard of this poetic powerhouse, then you are in for an absolute treat.

"Hongwei Bao's latest collection, Self-Portrait as a Banana, is a candid exploration of his queer, diasporic, East Asian identity and cross-cultural relationships. Appropriating, subverting and queering cultural tropes like the banana, rice and beckoning cat, and identities such as queerness and Chineseness, this is a powerful journey. A bold, humorous and refreshing celebration of queer desire, identity and cultural differences."

Hongwei Bao - Self-Portrait as a Banana, OUT 27th SEPTEMBER
Pre-order here: https://amzn.eu/d/dEB7WHP

Book Launch: Hongwei Bao, Self-Portrait as a Banana, FRIDAY 10th OCTOBER
Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1671793572579?aff=oddtdtcreator

FB Event Link
https://fb.me/e/4Vi70oG0c

30/08/2025

Wow! And how! What a night!

Last nights party for our new anthology Away with the Faeries went fantastickally!! What a night for our ears, minds and souls.

Every single performer blew me and everyone else away. Thank you each and every one of you for being the amazing writers we know you are. Thank you also to the audience for coming to support and enjoy this magickal collection. And thank you to my co-host, Charlotte Faulconbridge, for powering through flu to ensure I wasn't stranded solo-hosting, you were frickin awesome buddy!

My heart is So Full right now with how truly lush this party was. The best one yet! I am now going to savour this moment and all the hard work that went into creating this lil beauty. But watch this space, we are not done filling your bookshelves, not by a long shot!!

If you'd like to read what all the fuss is about, link to buy is in the comments😃

17/07/2025

New anthology web page is now live and ready to lure yall in with its powers of persuasion!

Pre-ordering will be available soon ❤️

Away with the Faeries – Poetic Edge Publishers

Away with the Faeries OUT 17th August!! A collection of poetry and short stories by various authors that will fill your soul dripping with magick! Enter a land of myths, magick and the mystical in …