Verbose is a monthly spoken word night at Fallow Cafe, 2A Landcross Road, Manchester, M14 6NA, showcasing the best poetry and prose the Rainy City has to offer. Each month sees special performances by featured guests from various writing collectives and independent publishers, along with an open mic, when anyone can get up and read their work. The first event of 2016 is on Monday 25 January, with special guests and an open mic. Free entry, doors at 7.30pm.

The headliners are from the Edge Hill Writers’ Group: Ailsa Cox, Jim Hinks and John D Rutter. Their colleague Billy Cowan will be reading on the open mic. As a special post-Xmas gift, the gang will also be giving away copies of their Cheltenham Literature Festival anthology, which features best-selling novelist Carys Bray – first come, first served! More at the Verbose site.