PODCAST · arts
MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN
by Nols Nathankski
a poetry experiment by nols nathanski.poetry to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.an experimental queer poetry podcast where poems are made and performed automatically, pushing the boundaries of the form.each episode: a conversation with a poet, three timed automatic writing prompts done live - guest and nols both and then the open mic. no editing. no polish. just the poems that arrive.we close every show the same way: a shout out, the name of a collection a poet haven't written yet, and words of wisdom about fifty minutes is always planned - but neurodivergence does what is does.send us your poems innit
Episodes
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HOW TO MAKE A POETRY FESTIVAL FROM THE DEPTHS
Nols Nathankski takes an hour away from festival organising to talk you through what to expect from the Hold Space Poetry Festival 1-5th October 2026 in the Crypt Gallery. The Crypt Gallery sits under St Pancras New Church on Euston Road. It was a burial ground until 1854 and an air raid shelter…
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS ON A PODCAST NAKED
This week Nols welcomes the poet, performer and filmmaker Ernesto Sarezale and, true to form, the whole conversation was recorded with both of them completely naked in Nols's living room. There's a lineage to that: Ginsberg's Howl gave us the "starving hysterical naked," and Ernesto's own film...
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HOW TO TAKE POETRY FROM THE LIBRARY TO THE CASTLE
Nols Nathankski sits down with Adam de Salle. Adam will not call himself a poet. He introduces himself as a Senior Library Assistant and an open mic performer, and leaves it there. Other people say the word behind his back. He is a public librarian in south London, which he'll tell you is not a…
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HOW TO MAKE CRYPTOLOGICAL POEMS FOR THE UNINITIATED
Nols Nathanksi records underground, in the Crypt Gallery beneath St Pancras Church during HOLD SPACE POETRY FESTIVAL in April 2026, while the Euston Road went on with its own noise a few feet above our heads. We took the Holy Week prompts down with us and used them the way you use a spade. Seven...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS HOLDING YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S HAND
Nols gets an email from an unknown poet from Iceland called Nikulás so of course they record a podcast a few days later. Nik and Nols talk about his writing practice and hopes of sharing his work. Nik talks to leaving his home in Iceland because London and the world was more interesting. He write...
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HOW TO MAKE QUEER POETRY FOR 88 YEARS
Nols meets a Willie Leo Coakley, legend of New York Queer Poetry at the Open Mic! Eighty-eight years is a long time to keep faith with a line of verse. William Leo Coakley has managed it. Poet writer and peace activist. Lover of men. Nols sits down with him to ask the one question worth asking a...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS WITH KRAZY EYES & NO BELIEF
Recorded in Holy Week, beneath the St Pancras New church, among the 557 dead that reside there. Nols makes poems with HOLD SPACE poetry festival residents Emma Keun and Maria Cohut. Some voices you have to go down to reach. This one we recorded in the dark of Holy Week, in the crypt where sixteen...
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HOW TO FIND DIVINITY IN LUST AT THE OPEN MIC
In February 2026 Nols Nathankski had the honour of sitting down with Robert Stanley Adams: a 73-year-old Canadian poet who writes from the seam where the divine and the erotic are not two things but one breath. This podcast only happened because Robert walked out of the open mic with Nol's coat!...
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HOW TO SAVE AN OLD CHURCH WITH AN OCTAVE
This week Nols is joined by Mikey Kirkpatrick flautist, singer, composer, improviser and performer and writer, who makes work for street, stage, film and radio. Mikey records and tours internationally as Bird Radio, his singular take on new British folk (voice, flutes, loops, bones, homemade...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS WHEN NO ONE KNOWS WHERE YOU COME FROM
Nols and Ameer make poems on the first day of Hold Space Poetry festival on April fools day 2026 Ameer Azad is a Pakistani-Bengali poet and author living in London. His work often covers surrealism, social satire and spirituality. Usually seen yelling at open mics in a scary voice. In this…
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HOW TO MAKE CHAOTIC GNARLEY PROJECTIONS FUNNY
Nols Nathankski and H Phillips sit down to make poems in the crypt during HOLD SPACE poetry festival. H is a London based queer and silly poet. H began her open mic journey by doing a poetry for performance course @citylit. H talks from grief through objects and absurdity. A resident at Hold…
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS OUT OF QUEER FAILURE
Nols takes a register of ten artists, poets, and authors who were told by courts, critics, markets, and silence that they had failed. They had not failed. This is their work. Read it. Look at it. Go toward it. Nols improvises ten poems in response to their stories and encourages you to do the…
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS THAT DELVE INTO THE SUBLIME
Nols Nathankski delves into the sublime with Molly O'Leary Molly May O’Leary is an interdisciplinary performer. Her art has always and already been from/for the body but she has recently been approaching its rebellious and growing multi-dextrous power more directly… with ever-increasing glee and...
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HOW TO BUILD COMMUNITY WITH POETRY
Nols Nathankski talks community with Dean Atta on the podcast! Dean Atta is a BAFTA-winning British poet, author and filmmaker, current chair of the Society of Authors Poetry and Spoken Word Group. Of Greek Cypriot and Jamaican heritage, Dean was named one of the 100 most influential LGBTQ+…
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HOW TO IMPROVISE A POETRY WORKSHOP
Nols Nathankski introduces the Make Poetry Weird Again series of summer workshops raising money for HOLD SPACE POETRY FESTIVAL 1-5th October 2026 as part of the Bloomsbury Festival. Nols takes listeners through how he designed the workshops and how you can do them all too wherever you a re either...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS IN A CRYPT TO FEEL ALIVE AGAIN
Nols sits down in the crypt in february with Hebah Aboud and Cassie with a special feature from Richie Bliss of Ava' Word. Hebah Aboud is a poet, writer and community organiser. She runs poetry events in Rome and London. Check out @ancharnia for her poetry events. Cassie is a writer, art…
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS HEART WISDOM KNOWS
Nols sits down in HWK in Hackney Wick to speak to MIKE the beautiful soul that has allowed MPWA to take up residence in their venue over the summer for the HOLD SPACE POETRY FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER OPEN MICS (see link below for tickets) mike runs HWK, a venue in hackney wick and the home of hold…
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HOW TO ACHE FOR TRANSCENDENCE IN A FAILSPACE
Nols Nathankski gets spiritual with Chloe Smith a South Londoner who fell in love with reading and words 8 years old by reading the magical far away tree. Chloe then discovered poetry through substitute teachers at school. She was published as a young writer in primary school. As a teenager she...
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HOW TO SPIT POETRY IN FRONT OF 1500 PEOPLE
Fresh from our Hold Space Poetry Festival in the Crypt Gallery @nolsnathankski was given tickets for @spitnights biggest ever show @theroundhouse in Camden by his friend the sensational poet Hebah Aboud. @hebah_a Nols decided to make some guerrilla radio by gauging audience reactions to a sell…
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HOW TO BRING THE SPIRIT OF THE TÁIN BÓ CÚAILNGE TO THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski flys through the sky with Jo Morrigan Black (They/Them/It) Jo is a Paris-born writer, visual artist and performance poet. They have worked with indigenous leaders in Colombia, left stray feathers in Berlin and stalked the streets of Dublin as a vampire. Their stage performances...
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HOW TO KEEP RUNNIN' AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols sits down on a rainy February day with Jake Nathan a poet and artist, from East London. They talk about mental health, masculinity, social justice and being working class in England. The show explores how Jake went from hip hop to open mic and the challenges of open mic burn out. Jake is a...
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HOW TO HOLD SPACE IN A CRYPT DURING HOLY WEEK
Nols Nathankski provides all you need to know about the Hold Space Poetry Festival. A sober gift to the London Open Mic scene in collaboration with the Crypt Gallery running from the 1st - 7th April 2026. A festival dreamed up and produced in only 2 weeks to run during the most sacred days of the...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS WITH 7 POETS IN A CRYPT
Nols Nathankski makes a very chaotic field recording of day 4 in the Crypt gallery London during the February residency. Expect all kinds of phantasmagorical goings on. Nols made poems with N00mi, Rosie Reed Gold, Jo Delvauney, Pid'Or, Choral Poetique and Tanyeli Taze. The episode is endurance…
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HOW TO TELL A STORY AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski sits down to tell stories with Adam RW, a poet, writer and literary tour guide based in London. Adam runs Bookmarked, a literary walking tour company, and Storytime, a weekly storytelling night. His first poetry collection was published in December 2023. Adam and Nols discuss the...
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HOW TO MAKE TRASHFIRE POETRY IN YOUR GARDEN
Nols Nathankski sits down with Maddy Kilsby-McMurray a non-binary poet & writer based in Southend-On-Sea, UK. Maddy describes writing as their therapy, a way to process a world that is too harshand too fast for their queer, disabled heart. Nols and Maddy talk 'Trash fire poetry' written in haste...
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HOW TO WHISPER POEMS IN A CRYPT (DAY 2)
Nols Nathankski makes poems in the crypt on Day 2 of the Make Poetry Weird Again Residency. No other poets show up so Nols has a bit of an existential crisis about the project and works through a series of prompts. Does his pages and meditates on what a successful residency is. Mainly he speaks…
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HOW TO MAKE ACTUALLY ENJOYABLE BUT OBVIOUSLY HORRID POETRY
Nols Nathankski sits down in the Crypt gallery with Teresa Rendell, a poet and creative director based in London. Teresa makes sense of the world in fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Her poetry deals with very serious themes of childhood trauma, listener discretion is advised. Nols and Teresa speak...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS THAT BRING DRACULA BACK TO DERBY
Nols Nathankski sits down in the crypt with Dan Webber an award winning LGBTQ+ poet, performer, producer and events coordinator based in Derby. Who while yet to win a slam won Nols's heart with his tales of gothic queerness. The pair made poems as part of day 3 of the Make Poetry Weird Again...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS ON A RESIDENCY IN A CRYPT DAY 1
Nols Nathankski's field recording of day 1 of the crypt gallery residency. Nols has created a series of poetry prompts on day 1 of the residency. Poets are welcome to come to the crypt between 16th - 20th February 2026 to create poems and perform them under penance conditions. Prompts. Write a…
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HOW TO PERFORM POEMS WHILE AWAKE INSIDE THE DREAM
Nols Nathankski and his friend the Bulgarian Pop Star Ivka Fox decided to record a catch up episode onFriday 13th February 2026 to talk to Ivka's new role as a pole dancer at a central London strip club and how this has influenced her writing. However the bad luck lived up to its favourite Friday...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS THAT SET FIRE TO DATA CENTERS
Nols Nathankski sits down with Kestral Gaian (They/Them) Queer Writer and Poet, to talk about making poems on the Tube, The best sandwich and why we need to make poems that burn down data centers. Nols and Kestral make love poems with prompts from Kim Addonizio's book Ordinary Genius. You can buy...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS IN A CRYPT
OPEN CALL TO POETS! MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN PRESENTS PENANCE RESIDENCY @ THE CRYPT GALLERY, LONDON. We are very excited to announce that we will be having our first PENANCE residency at the historic Crypt gallery in London. FREE ENTRY FOR ALL. From @nolsnathankski : "Hey lovely human 🌒 I wanted…
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HOW TO MAKE POETRY OUT OF 7 PEOPLE COMING TO YOUR PAMPHLET LAUNCH
We put on a wake for Nols Nathankski's pamphlet "Oh, Nols!" at Burley Fisher Books on the 12th February 2026. The event Sold Out but only 6 poets and a wizard showed up so Nols turned the event into an impromptu poetry workshop which you can hear in its badly recorded entirety. When life gives…
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HOW TO MAKE PEOPLE FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR POEM AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski inspired by Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi makes an episode on stage craft at the open mic for beginners and people wondering whether they should come to a local open mic. His only expertise being his own addiction to performing at the open mic. Nols provides his own insights about…
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS THAT DISINTEGRATE
Nols Nathankski gets to stan one of his favourite poets Kiik Araki-Kawaguchi who is the author of THE BOOK OF KANE AND MARGARET (FC2 / UAP) and Nols favourite poetry book of 2025 - DISINTEGRATION MADE PLAIN AND EASY (Piżama Press). Kiik is also a mentor and educator at Western Washington...
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HOW TO FEED THE POETS AT THE WORD ZOO
Nols Nathankski takes a trip to the Word Zoo with host Tyger Soul. They talk about the last decade in the scene, the best tomatoes and how to jam with a band as a poet. The Word Zoo happens every 1st Thursday of the month, at The Others in SToke Newington. There are always Open Mic slots, a…
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HOW TO PRAY FOR TIME AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski takes to the sofa with Erika Loch. They talk shared open mic experiences and how to find quiet to write. Erika is a poet, lyricist, and a creative and commercial writer – writing in defiance of modern book burning, she leaves messages for those who seek to read between the lines....
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HOW TO GET BRITS TO SIGN YOUR YEAR BOOK AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski its down for a cup of tea with Leatrice. An American Poet who is now living in Oxford. Leatrice makes intricate poems exploring early relationships, memory and connection. The pair discuss the stress of slam scores, the difference between New York & London open mics and making…
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HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COOKING AND EATING AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski and Vidya Gosain sit down to cook about disenfranchisement at the open mic. Changes in the scene and how to give space to people with lived experience of racism and homophobia. Vidya (she/her) is a writer who finds the comedy and tragedy in everyday life; constantly searching for...
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HOW TO FIND A PLACE TO ATTACK FROM!
Nols Nathankski presents a fuck you to writing retreats and writing holidays. In this episode Nols will take you through some ideas of how you can find time every week to find a place to attack from. Not spending loads of money. Not going away anywhere. How to reclaim your time and dedicate it to...
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HOW TO ESCAPE INTO ENGLISH AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski meets Hedde Annerberg (@heddeee_) who is a grassroots poetry organiser & writer from Stockholm. You can find their events @openmicpoetrynight ; if you're in Stockholm and can present your self there, they'd love to hear what you have to bring. They send their love to everyone who…
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HOW TO FOLLOW YOUR BUTTERFLIES AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski sits down with Emma Keun, (she/her) to discuss following your butterflies, the queering of religious imagery and the best places to get emo at the open mic. Emma is published online (Dark Poets Club) and in hard copy anthologies (Kite String II and III; via Word Space, an open mic...
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HOW TO MAKE VEGAN GOTH POETRY AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Nols Nathankski sits down with Gwilym a Goth poet living in Wales. They talk about making gothic love poems in grave yards. They talk to the catharsis of poetry, vegan cooking and the end of the world. Nols and Gwilym make poems from prompts from Stevie Grant Gwilym's book is called Talking...
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HOW TO SELF-PUBLISH OR DIE TRYIN'
Nols Nathankski talks about self publishing "Oh, Nols!" his first poetry pamphlet and why you should self publish to. This episode was pre-recorded to be released after his surgery on the 13th January 2026...just in case he dies on the operating table. Nols discusses his feelings of uncertainty...
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HOW TO GET PERMISSION TO HURT AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski talks hardcore poetry with Pulling Teeth a London based poet who writes about love, spider webs , alcoholism and more importantly accidentally going on a date with a racist. They talk to his poetry video series Im Not Leaving Yet which is an exploration of the London Open Mic…
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HOW TO READ THE TAROT AT THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski sits down for a chat and a tarot reading with Hebah, a jack of all trades, regularly performs a variety of moving yet comedic poetry in the London poetry circuit using her outfits and other items as props. Blending her acting, directing and DJing skills she has enhanced the…
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HOW TO PERFORM POEMS AT A HARDCORE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski explains how to perform your poems with a hardcore backing band for THROW WORDS DOWN the MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN x AVA WORD Open Mic night - born on the podcast with Redeeming Features. The night is poetry experiment to try and raise £500 for MIND the mental health charity at the...
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HOW TO PERFORM POEMS AGAINST HOMELESSNESS
Nols Nathankski and friend of the show Stevie Grant make a special episode to promote Stevie's fundraiser for Hackney Night Shelter on the 22nd January 2026 at Stoke Newington Bookshop. Stevie Grant is a poet, performer and emergency shelter worker from Hackney who works with the people suffering...
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HOW TO MAKE POEMS WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE CANCER
Trigger warning: Death, Cancer, medical scenes, invasive surgery, lots of swearing. Nols first episode of 2026 looking back at a year of medical drama. The poems in this episode were made across 2025 around the multiple hospital and doctors visits Nols has to find out if he is dying too quickly…
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HOW TO BRING BIG BOOK ENERGY TO THE OPEN MIC
Nols Nathankski and Dr. Lee Campbell meet at betwixmass to make poems, talk queer love and gardening. Dr Lee Campbell is an artist, poet, filmmaker, co-curator of POW! Play on Words (a regular spoken word platform in London along with Colin B. Osborn) and Senior Lecturer at University of the Arts...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
a poetry experiment by nols nathanski.poetry to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.an experimental queer poetry podcast where poems are made and performed automatically, pushing the boundaries of the form.each episode: a conversation with a poet, three timed automatic writing prompts done live - guest and nols both and then the open mic. no editing. no polish. just the poems that arrive.we close every show the same way: a shout out, the name of a collection a poet haven't written yet, and words of wisdom about fifty minutes is always planned - but neurodivergence does what is does.send us your poems innit
HOSTED BY
Nols Nathankski
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN have?
MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN currently has 85 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN about?
a poetry experiment by nols nathanski.poetry to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed.an experimental queer poetry podcast where poems are made and performed automatically, pushing the boundaries of the form.each episode: a conversation with a poet, three timed automatic writing prompts...
How often does MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN release new episodes?
MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN has 85 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN?
You can listen to MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN?
MAKE POETRY WEIRD AGAIN is created and hosted by Nols Nathankski.
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