We’re delighted to be hosting our fourth multilingual open mic night to celebrate International Mother Language Day 2026.

We welcome readings in any language. You can choose to read your own poems or a poem by a well-known poet (or not so well-known). If you’re still unsure, please just turn up and you can decide whether you want to read on the night. You might want to choose something spontaneously from our collection or just stay and listen.

This year we will also be joined by special guests to celebrate our collaboration with The Festival for Endangered Languages, Afrocats and Manchester City of Literature. Places to read will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Refreshments will be provided.

Voiced: The Festival for Endangered Languages celebrates artists working in endangered languages and dialects through poetry, performance, talks, live events and visual art. The UK’s first creative festival of its kind, Voiced highlights both international linguistic vitality and endangered dialects thriving within the UK. Co-curated by artist Sam Winston and poet Chris McCabe, the programme introduces fresh ways of thinking about – and engaging with – language.