Live literature night Verbose is back on Monday 23 May, with special guests from the fabulous Knives Forks and Spoons press and the usual open mic of prose and poetry performances – sign up for a three-minute slot by emailing verbosemcr at gmail dot com.

Run by Alec Newman, Knives Forks and Spoons has developed the biggest avant garde poetry list in the UK since its launch in 2010, publishing seminal international figures in experimental poetry together with many young poets and “outsider” practitioners. May’s Verbose welcomes Tim Allen, Neil Campbell and Rhys Trimble.

Tim Allen edited the magazine Terrible Work and is involved with the Peter Barlow’s Cigarette live literature events in Manchester. He has a …number of poetry pamphlets to his name. Neil Campbell has been included three times in the brilliant Best British Short Stories series. He has three collections of short fiction, two poetry chapbooks and his first novel, Sky Hooks, is out in September. Rhys Trimble is a poet and shoutyman from Wales who enjoys poetry across languages. He has performed extensively across UK and Europe.

Verbose is hosted by Sarah-Clare Conlon at Fallow café, 2a Landcross Road, Fallowfield, M14 6NA. It’s free entry and doors are at 7.30pm. Verbose takes place every fourth Monday of the month.