Out-Spoken: October

Out-Spoken moves to the Queen Elizabeth Hall for London Literature Festival, inviting an even bigger audience to enjoy an outstanding evening of words and music.

Out-Spoken is London’s premier evening of poetry and live music. Each month we celebrate diversity in voice and performance with a stellar line-up of the hottest UK poets and world-class musicians.

This month’s edition features poetry from Simon Armitage, Jackie Kay and Michael Rosen, reading from his work for adults, with music from Daisy Chute and Errol Linton.

As ever, the night is hosted by TS Eliot prize-winner, Joelle Taylor, with Sam ‘Junior’ Bromfield spinning the best in reggae, soul and R&B throughout the evening.

Presented in partnership with Out-Spoken

Simon Armitage was born in West Yorkshire and is Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds. His award-winning collections include Seeing Stars (2010), The Unaccompanied (2017), Magnetic Field (2020), Blossomise (2023) and Dwell (2025). Simon Armitage is Poet Laureate.

Daisy Chute has found a loyal following through her Grammy award-winning songwriting and
jaw-dropping vocals, selling out shows and performing at festivals including Glastonbury with her original folk/Americana music. She is currently co-writing a musical, Coven, about the Pendle Witch Trials, premiering at the Kiln, London.

Jackie Kay was born and brought up in Scotland. She is the author of – among other books – The Adoption Papers, which won the Forward Prize, Red Dust Road, winner of the Scottish Book of the Year Award, and, most recently, Coorie Doon. She was the third Makar, or National Poet for Scotland (2016 – 2021).

Described by The Guardian as the figurehead for contemporary British blues, Errol Linton is an award-winning singer, harmonica player and songwriter, and leader of one of the most dynamic live bands in the UK. This is Brixton-born Black British music with roots in Mississippi and New Orleans, Kingston and London.

Michael Rosen was born in 1946 in north London. One of the best-known figures in the children’s book world, he is renowned for his work as a poet, performer, broadcaster and scriptwriter. As an author and by selecting other writers’ works for anthologies he has been involved with more than 140 books.