She was one day coming homeward, when there met her a spirit or devil in the shape of a boy...
...He bade her stay, saying to her that if she would give him her soul, she should have anything she would request...
First Draft have commissioned a line up of talented artists to create new performances inspired by the library's mysterious collection of books on the occult. Throughout the evening, they'll take you into a world of witches and necromancers, demons and magicians, and ghostly apparitions bringing warnings from beyond the grave.
Don't miss this special Halloween evening of cabaret at the atmospheric Portico Library - one of Manchester's most beautiful hidden gems.
LINE-UP
RISHI DASTIDAR
A member of Malika’s Poetry Kitchen, Rishi’s poetry has been published by Financial Times, New Scientist and the BBC amongst many others. His debut collection Ticker-tape is published by Nine Arches Press, and a poem from it was included in The Forward Book of Poetry 2018.
THE DELIGHTFUL SAUSAGE
Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill combine to become surreal sketch double act, The Delightful Sausage. Known for their enviable gag-rate and use of unsettling multimedia, the duo have quickly established themselves on the circuit. The Guardian listed their last show as one of their 'Best Shows of the Fringe’.
KATE FELD
Kate is a journalist, lecturer and writer of fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction. She runs the Manchester-based creative non-fiction night The Real Story, and her work has been published widely by The Stinging Fly, Neon Magazine, Unthank Books, The Lonely Crowd, and many more.
SHAGUFTA K IQBAL
An award-winning artist and poet, Shagufta is one of the most talked about performers in the region. Her poetry collection, Jam Is For Girls, Girls Get Jam, published with Burning Eye Books, has been recommended by Nikesh Shukla (editor of the 2016 best-selling ‘The Good Immigrant’) as ‘a social political masterclass in its exploration of cities, cultures, race, food and family’.
TRISHA STARBROOK
Writer and short story slam winner Trisha Starbrook has given memorable performances at First Draft events and been a special guest host many times over the last few years. She excels at spooky tales and we can't wait to see what she comes up with this Halloween!
PAULA VARJACK
Paula is an artist working in video and performance. Her work explores identity, communities, and making the invisible visible. Her show Show Me The Money explored making a living as an artist in the U.K. based on interviews with artists across the country.
Her latest show, The Cult of K*NZO, a playful critique of consumer culture and high fashion, tours next spring.
WARDA YASSIN
Warda is an EAL English tutor at a Sheffield school and a poet at night. She has performed alongside the likes of Buddy Wakefield, Jean Binta Breeze and Hollie McNish and delivered workshops for children with the Writing Squad and Bridlington Poetry Festival.