A chance to share your poems and join us for an hour of local voices, with guest Christina Moran. As part of Winchester Poetry Day 2026.

Winchester Poetry Day 2026

Poetry Open Mic

Poets, assemble! We’re delighted to be including an Open Mic as part of this year’s Winchester Poetry Day! This is your chance to share your work and join us for an hour of local voices.

Whether you’re a seasoned performer or a newcomer, everyone is welcome behind the mic. The event is open to poets from 16yrs+ and all levels of experience, and we can’t wait to hear what you’ve been creating!

Hosted by Southampton-based poet, artist and WPF Trustee Jo Fisher, the event will open with a special 10-minute performance from our 2025 Kathryn Bevis Prize winner, Christina Moran, before we launch into our open mic segment.

Please note: your ticket does not guarantee a performance slot.

If you’d like to perform:

Please sign up on the day at the Welcome Desk with Jo between 12:15–13:00. Slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. You must sign up in person for yourself; unfortunately, we won’t be able to reserve spaces on behalf of others.

Each poet will have up to 4 minutes to perform. This could be one substantial poem, or two or three shorter pieces. We’ll be strict with timings to ensure everyone gets a fair chance to take part, so please make sure you plan ahead!

If you'd like to attend:

And if performing isn’t your thing – or you don’t manage to get a slot – come along anyway! Bring your love of poetry, settle in and enjoy hearing some locally forged spoken word. We’d love to see a supportive audience to cheer on our performers.

A note about content:

There is no set theme for this open mic.

Winchester Poetry Festival is committed to being a safe, inclusive and welcoming space for everyone. We want to give poets and artists the freedom to share their work while also being respectful and mindful of our diverse audience.

As this is a free, daytime event in a family-friendly space, if you are reading - please choose your performance content with care. We recommend keeping adult themes, strong language, and potentially triggering content to a minimum. If your poem contains material that some audience members may find difficult, please consider giving a brief content warning before you begin, so that anyone who wishes to can step outside.

Most importantly, come ready to share, listen and enjoy an hour of poetry from our wonderful local community. We can’t wait to hear your poems!

Christina Moran lives in North Hampshire. She returned to writing in 2021 after years of being immersed in other things e.g. working in a variety of people-facing roles. She's had some poems in magazines/anthologies and was highly commended in 2023's Mslexia Pamphlet Competition and long-listed in Cinnamon Pamphlet 2025 competition. Christina won the Kathryn Bevis Prize in Winchester Poetry Prize 2025 with her poem 'Underwonderland' as chosen by Fiona Benson.

Jo Fisher is a poet, writer, editor and artist based in Southampton.

Jo is a familiar face on the local poetry scene, regularly performing at Write a Note open mic and curating and hosting Verse in the Vault as part of Music in the City. Occasionally she ventures further afield, performing in Salisbury, Alton and Barnstaple, and she recently graced The People’s Lounge at Victorious Festival 2026.

A 2019 Hammer & Tongue Slam Finalist at the Royal Albert Hall, her work has also featured on BBC Radio Solent and BBC Radio 4. Last year, she created bespoke verse for Southampton Forward's Pub Culture project, and you can find her words lit up in neon at God’s House Tower. This summer, she co-wrote her very first fringe theatre show.

Jo has been a Trustee of Winchester Poetry Festival since January 2024.

Suitable for: 16yrs+, all ages and experience.

Duration: 1 hour

Format: in person event, poetry open mic with guest reading.

Access: relaxed performance, venue is wheelchair accessible throughout.

Description supplied by the event organiser.