Master of poetry in dialect Mike Jenkins is the special guest Cellar Bards in Cardigan on Friday, 12 April.

Doors open at 7.30pm. Entry is £3, and open mic spots are available – just sign up on the door by 8pm – readings in any and all languages and dialects are encouraged.

A former comprehensive school teacher from Aberystwyth, Mike writes in English and Welsh, and is a master of dialect poetry which makes for fascinating listening.

His latest books are, as editor, ‘Yer Ower Voices!’ (Culture Matters) the first ever anthology of dialect poetry in English and Welsh from throughout Wales and ‘Igh Sheriff o Merthyr’ (Carreg Gwalch), poems in Merthyr dialect.

A former editor of ‘Poetry Wales’, Mike has been co-editor of ‘Red Poets’, the magazine of radical poetryin Wales, for 30 years. He has won many prizes, including Wales Book of the Year for a collection of short stories, ‘Wanting to Belong’ (Seren). Cellar Bards is the only regular spoken word event in Cardigan, meeting on the second Friday in each month. There’s a great programme planned for the rest of this year, including guest readings and performances from top poets Kathy Miles, Samantha Wynne Rhydderch, Menna Elfyn, Susie Wildsmith, Rae Howells and Tony Curtis.

Writers of poetry, short stories, micro-fiction and novels are welcome on the open mic. People who want to read their own work, or favourite pieces from other writers, can put their names down at the door on the night (max five minutes at the mic each). Or go along to listen to some great guests, plus a variety of spoken word performances from talented regulars.

See The Cellar Bards Facebook page for more information.