This is Just To Say: spoken word open mic

Oxford Poetry Library presents a spoken word open mic night! Join us in the library on the first Tuesday of every month to enjoy all manner of word-weaving, story-sharing, and spell-casting.

We welcome poets, storytellers, and writers of all kinds to share their work (or the work of others) in a safe, supportive, and inclusive space. Slots are 2-3 minutes long, and performers sign up on the door – first come, first served and slots fill up quickly so we recommend arriving in good time for 7pm!

At OPL we want everyone to feel comfortable and has space to enjoy the night. That’s why we have a few basic guidelines that we ask everyone to follow:

• Please refrain from using discriminatory language or harmful content in your performance. If you are unsure about your performance, speak to the host when you arrive.
• You should aim to read something that’s around one page or 2-3 minutes – this ensures that everyone has enough time to read.

Every month we feature a performer with a slightly extended set and this month’s featured performer to grace our stage will be Cia Mangat. Cia Mangat is a writer and zinemaker from London. Her work has been published in fourteen poems, gal-dem, Propel, and bath magg, and has been broadcast by the BBC. She founded and edited Zindabad, a zine for people in diasporas worldwide, facilitates writing and zine-making workshops, and was selected for the 2026 Mayday Rooms & PageMasters Print Residency. Her debut pamphlet Lobe is out with The Poetry Business.

The theme for this month will be GOSSIP. Calling all busybodies, tattletales, and blabbermouths! We want your lascivious tittle-tattle and scandalous hearsay. Gossip is hard to resist, whether it’s idle chit-chat or sticking your beak in. Go on, spill the tea.

The session starts at 7.30pm (performers are advised to arrive from 7pm), at The Community Works (21 Park End St, OX1 1HU).

£7 entry (£4 concessions), performers free.

The building is accessible, but if you have any specific access needs, please drop us an email at oxfordpoetrylibrary@gmail.com beforehand!