Hampshire Poet blog - Nov 2026
During his tenure, your Hampshire Poet - Damian Kelly-Basher - will be writing a series of blog posts for us sharing what he has been up to, telling us his poetic plans for the future, and inviting you to get involved in poetry in Hampshire. Read on to find out what's happening in Damian's world!
For November, Damian Kelly-Basher's Hampshire Poet blog explores Running an Open Mic night.
For this blog he has handed the reins to Basingstoke poet Shirley Carr.
Running an Open Mic night - guest blog by Shirley Carr.
Due to there being no poetry open mic in Basingstoke, I started BARDS! I’d visited other open mics and discovered no two were the same. The events were defined by two things, the character of the host and the venue. It’s good they are all different.
BARDS was able to get started thanks to a fortuitous meeting with the owner of a new bar. He offered us a regular slot. This helped us to market and develop our event. In 2026 BARDS became Basingstoke BSK Poets and moved to a new venue.
We began with poet friends and a few folk dropping in. Now we have a growing community of regular poets, including students from the local college. The age range on the open mic is 18-80+; it’s a real community vibe. We’re open and friendly and anyone’s welcome, even if you just want to be part of the audience.
As a host, I have had to learn on the job. It’s not always easy to get the balance right. I’m glad I purchased a portable speaker and microphone; it’s small but works perfectly and being battery, doesn’t need PAT testing!
Hosting an open mic is great fun. Yes, you have to prepare, but meeting new people and listening to live poetry in my hometown is great.
Basingstoke BSK Poets meet at The Bounty Inn, Basingstoke, 7pm, first Thursday of the month.
Contact, Shirley Carr basingstokebskpoets@outlook.com
OR Instagram – @shirleycarrofficial
Facebook: Basingstoke Poets
Damian Kelly-Basher is Hampshire Poet Laureate 2024-27. The appointment of the Hampshire Poet takes place every two years and is jointly led by Winchester Poetry Festival and Hampshire Cultural Trust. The position of Hampshire Poet provides the opportunity for a Hampshire-based poet to undertake commissions, lead workshops and give readings and talks throughout the county, as well as acting as an advocate for poetry and poets.
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