Swindon Wordsmiths - Poetry & Comedy Night - November 2026

Swindon Wordsmiths is back with another evening of home-grown comedy and poetry! An evening of spoken word poetry and comedy organised by Swindon people, for Swindon people. You'll find us at The Well, a relaxed and friendly church space at the Abbey Meads village centre. Join us as we bring you more warm, witty and wondrous wordplay. Follow @torncurtainco and @swindonwordsmiths on Insta to stay up to date with event info. Line-up We've got another fantastic line-up of pro comics and poets for you in November: Swindon Wordsmiths is hosted by local comedian, Abbie Hope. Spoken word poet, Jude Simpson, will open the show with her whimsical wordplay. She might even get her guitar out, if you're lucky. Jude has won three national poetry slams, including the Swindon Festival of Literature slam back in 2006! She was nominated for Best Kids Show at Leicester Comedy Festival 2026, and has performed at theatres, festivals and community venues around the UK, including Glastonbury, Greenbelt, Edinburgh, Cheltenham Lit Fest and Cambridge Junction. "Jude Simpson is funny, sharp, emotional, and a terrific performer. She needs to be seen and heard wherever possible.” – Michael Rosen Our resident poet, Rebecca Rocker , will be back to share some poems from her debut poetry collection 'Blink', and to curate the much-loved Audience Poem. We'll have a feature set from award-winning author, poet and creative writing tutor, Stefan Mohamed. Stefan is the author of five novels, including surreal sci-fi detective mystery 'The House on Utopia Way', and five books of poetry. His latest collection, 'The Revelation Tapes', came out this year with Broken Sleep Books. Our headliner is comedian, and badger lover, Matt Hobs. Matt is a proud Bristolian, scientist, and silly sausage. Matt is also the country’s premier badger comedian. Following a PhD in Biochemistry, Matt started his comedy journey in 2012. Matt set about combining his loves of stand-up, science, and wildlife. Drawing on his background as a scientist, Matt explains science and scientific principles through jokes. Matt is currently touring his hour show '100% Badgers' as well as working on a new show all about hedgehogs. ★★★★★ “His storytelling is gripping, his facts are fascinating, and his punchlines are perfectly timed" –Edinburgh Reviews. Come and join us! Key Information • Doors open at 7pm, for a 7.30 pm start. • Parking: free car park at The Well, or in side streets. • Tickets: £6 (Early Bird discount) / £8 (standard price) / £10 on the door (cash and card accepted) • Drinks: bring your own. We will provide the glasses. There is a Tesco Express at the Abbey Meads Village Centre. The heart behind it... Swindon Wordsmiths is a safe space for comedians, storytellers and poets to share their stories with humour and heart. Many of the organising team are Christians, with a passion for encouraging creativity and conversation in the local community. The venue is a church, but Swindon Wordsmiths welcomes any/all expressions of faith. We want to: • Create a supportive environment for creativity and connection. • Be a non-judgmental place to share stories and spark conversation. • Give people a great night out, offering an alternative to the narrative that Swindon is ‘one of the worst places to live in the UK'! • Showcase comedy/poetry that is engaging, entertaining and accessible. • Celebrate ordinary people and their extraordinary stories. • Platform voices that uplift, inspire, encourage and challenge with care.