The Other Room at Oxjam.

At the beginning of 2008, a group of loosely-associated poets met in Manchester to discuss the possibility of setting up a reading series dedicated to experimental and innovative writing. The poets concerned were not only writers but also publishers, editors, lecturers and arts professionals with a commitment to this kind of writing and a belief that an audience could be built for it in north-west England.

This discussion led to the formation of The Other Room, a regular poetry event in Manchester which, since its inception in April 2008, has presented dozens of writers to a steadily growing audience. The writers include established figures such as Tim Atkins, Caroline Bergvall, Maggie O’Sullivan and Robert Sheppard and also new and emerging writers and performers from Manchester and beyond.

The group has its own press and published an anthology marking the first year of the series in April 2009. It has also produced an ever evolving online resource (www.otherroom.org) which is archived by the British Library and holds audio-visual records of all of the readings as well as providing an information hub and a space for discussion and debate.

The Other Room have brought together three readers to perform at The Oxjam Manchester takeover on Sunday the 25th. Based downstairs in Apotheca Stuart Calton, James Davies and Tony Trehy will provide an intimate performance for those lucky enough to get in.