Poet Ian Parks with his new collection The Sons Of Darkness And The Sons Of Light
YORK arts collective Navigators Art plays host to An Evening With Ian Parks and Friends on November 21 at The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, presented in tandem with Crooked Spire Press.
“This is one for lovers of poetry and folk music,” says organiser Richard Kitchen. “Ian is a widely published and much admired poet from Mexborough, described as ‘the finest love poet of his generation’, although his work vigorously addresses the political as well as the personal.”
Parks will be reading from his new collection, The Sons Of Darkness And The Sons Of Light, published in October. In addition, he will be in conversation with Crooked Spire Press publisher Tim Fellows.
Joining Parks will be his chosen guests, award-winning York novelist and poet Janet Dean, poet and critic Matthew Paul and singer-songwriter Jane Stockdale, from York alt-folk trio White Sail.
Navigators Art’s poster for An Evening with Ian Parks and Friends
Parks is the author of Selected Poems 1983-2023 and the editor of Versions Of The North: Contemporary Yorkshire Poetry. He has run the Read To Write Project in Doncaster for a decade.
His translations of the modern Greek poet Constantine Cavafy were a Poetry Book Society Choice.He has been a Hawthornden Fellow since 1991 and has held residencies at Gladstone’s Library, De Montfort Leicester and Hawkwood College, Stroud.
His poems have appeared in The Times, Poetry Review, the Independent On Sunday, Morning Star and Poetry (Chicago) and have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
Poet and novelist Janet Dean/Janet Dean Knight explores contemporary themes through the prism of history. She is widely published in anthologies and magazines in print and online.
Poet and critic Matthew Paul
Poet and critic Matthew Paul, originally from South London, now lives in South Yorkshire. His second poetry collection, The Last Corinthians, was published by Crooked Spire Press this year, following The Evening Entertainment (Eyewear Publishing) in 2017.
Paul is the author of two haiku collections, The Regulars (2006) and The Lammas Lands (2015) , and co-writer/editor (with John Barlow) of Wing Beats: British Birds In Haiku (2008) a Guardian book of the year, all published by Snapshot Press.
He co-edited Presence haiku journal, has contributed to the Guardian’s Country Diary column and posts blogs at www.matthewpaulpoetry.blog.
Singer-songwriter and poet Jane Stockdale is a skilled multi-instrumentalist who loves performing a cappella too.
Crooked Spire Press is a new independent publisher based in Chesterfield. Edited by Tim Fellows, it focuses on poetry pamphlets, collections and anthologies.
York singer-songwriter and poet Jane Stockdale
In 2025, it has published an anthology of poems from The Fig Tree as well as Matthew Paul’s The Last Corinthians and Ian Parks’s The Sons Of Darkness And The Sons Of Light, and will publish a further anthology of poems, based around coal mining.
Published every two months in the north, The Fig Tree is a vibrant online poetry magazine that reflects the diversity of modern life while looking back on childhood memories, working life, the natural world and family history.
The Fig Tree encourages poems in all forms that explore the relationship between poetry and the visual arts, poems that explore the tensions inherent in politics and the nature of the human condition.
“The bar will be open on Friday night and we hope to adjourn for a chat after the show with anyone who’d like to join us,” says Richard. Books will be available to buy. Tickets for this 7.30pm event cost £5 in advance at bit.ly/nav-events or £8 on the door from 7pm.
Navigators Art’s Folk & Words at The Artful Dodger, Micklegate, York, November 20
Navigators Art’s poster for this autumn’s series of Folk & Word events
ON Thursday (20/11/2025) – and on the third Thursday of each month – Navigators Art play host to Folk & Word in The Artful Dodger’s function room, in Micklegate, York, at 7.30pm.
“This is a low-key and warmly welcoming open-mic night where writers and acoustic folk musicians can present new and original work,” says Richard Kitchen. “Each month we invite a poet and a musician to co-host the evening and bring a guest performer; then the floor is open to the audience.
“Come and enjoy the safe, calm, friendly vibes of this unique monthly event. Entry is free with a purchase from the bar. Sign up from 7pm if you’d like to speak or play. Access is by the stairs only as it’s a listed building.”
Explaining the modus operandi of Folk & Word, Richard says: “Time and ethos-wise, it fits somewhere between the long-running York Spoken Word, held monthly at The Exhibition, in Bootham, and the bi-monthly Howlers sessions at the Blue Boar, in Castlegate, with the bonus of a musical element.
“Although open-mic events are everywhere these days, not many highlight poetry and acoustic sounds, so we’re focusing on people with words to perform, whether spoken or sung – and spoken word can include stand-up comedy as well as poems!
“It’s developing into a small cosy club. Everyone is supportive of each other and it feels good for one’s mental health. People leave feeling at peace, even if they move on to the bigger, noisier Thursday events elsewhere!”
Navigators Art co-founder Richard Kitchen
Navigators Art: back story
LOOSE collective of York creatives that embraces visual art, spoken and written word, live music and community projects.
“We’re passionate about giving emerging artists and performers the opportunity to shine alongside more established names,” says co-founder Richard Kitchen.
“We oppose bigotry in any form and strive to achieve gender balance and across-the-board inclusivity in all our events and activities. Since 2020, we’ve worked with more than 200 individuals and organisations.
“We welcome commissions and new collaborations with artists, writers, musicians and performers of all genres.
“Our YO Underground events offer a platform for new work and experimentation. For details of all our events, visit https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/navigators-art-performance.”