Greater Manchester is spoilt for literary talent. There’s the Bard of Salford, John Cooper Clarke. Tony Walsh captured the spirit of a city in mourning following the 2017 Arena bombing. Anthony Burgess penned one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. Rosie Garland is The John Rylands Library’s writer-in-residence — and that’s not to mention the countless musicians who have put their writing talents to music.
Thankfully, the city’s poetry scene shows no signs of slowing down. Every week there’s a spoken word event in a dusty pub, a renovated warehouse, or somewhere far grander.
Of course, the city has poets to thank for that — but few of them can choose to write full-time for a living. One of those is Loll Perkin, a hairdresser at P&D Haircutters on Tib Street, in the Northern Quarter.
