Live Poetry at Riverhouse, our monthly series bringing the spoken word to the warm, intimate setting of the Barn stage, returns with more guest poets reading and discussing their work, plus the ever popular Open Mic spots, where you have the chance to read your own work to a friendly, appreciative audience! The evenings are once again hosted by Riverhouse Poets tutor Katie Griffiths.
This month, Katie will be in conversation with headliners Alwyn Marriage, whose Travelling Light won the Hedgehog Poetry Prize, and Mat Riches, co-presenter of the Rogue Strands poetry evenings, and ITV’s (unofficial) poet-in-residence.
Alwyn Marriage's eighteen books include poetry, fiction and non-fiction. She gives frequent readings and lectures all over Britain and Europe and occasionally in Australia and New Zealand. She won the Hedgehog Poetry Prize for Travelling Light, which recounts her adventures travelling around the world on work. Her most recent commission was to write poems responding to twenty-five artworks in an exhibition this spring. An experienced workshop leader, mentor and lecturer, she particularly enjoys giving poetry readings from her many collections. Formerly a philosophy lecturer, magazine editor, environmental consultant, CEO of two international NGOs and Managing Editor of Oversteps Books. www.marriages.me.uk/alwyn
Mat Riches is from Norfolk, but lives in Beckenham. He has previously worked in a plastics factory, a variety of pubs, and a book wholesaler, but currently works in market research and as ITV’s (unofficial) poet-in-residence. He’s also a trainee bongosero. When he’s not doing those things, he’s either being a parent, a husband or running. Sometimes all of them at once. He co-runs Rogue Strands poetry evenings, and blogs at Wear The Fox Hat. A pamphlet, Collecting the Data, is out via Red Squirrel Press. One of these facts is not true.
Katie Griffiths is author of The Attitudes and the prize-winning My Shrink is Pregnant. She came second in 2018’s National Poetry Competition, and in 2024 won the Gregory O’Donoghue International Poetry Prize. Her next book Mindset Mindrise is due from Nine Arches Press in September 2026. She regularly mentors, and leads poetry workshops including here at Riverhouse.