Hammer & Tongue Hackney November 2026

H&T Hackney returns for their 15th season of running live poetry in the borough. We kick off in November with the Miss and Mr of the London spoken word scene - feature sets from Miss Yankey and Mark 'Mr' T Thompson. Expect poetry that is entertaining - but not just entertainment. Be prepared for live spoken word that can be funny, political, moving or inspiring, at a night that is true to the original spirit of slam poetry: continually raging against the (A.I?) machine with irreverence, humour, and a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere. Plus your chance to get up on stage and share your own poetry in the open mic slam competition! Miss Yankey : British-Ghanaian poet and multidisciplinary artist. Spanning poetry, music, theatre, television and radio, her practice explores identity, culture and the spaces between disciplines. Rooted in storytelling and driven by experimentation, she challenges conventions and pushes the boundaries of how stories are told. Mark 'Mr T' Thompson : Poet, performer and educator, born and bred in South London of Anglo-Jamaican heritage, Mark 'Mr T' Thompson released his first book of poems in 2009, and his second with Burning Eye in 2022. He has featured widely from the London Paralympics to the Criterion Theatre, Radio 4 to BBC London News. Open Mic Slam :3.5 minutes on the mic, open to any poet of any style, judged by randomly selected members of the audience. Winner gets a 10 min slot at the next event and the place in the end-of-season slam final! Sign up here for your place in the open mic slam Doors, DJ and slam sign up from 7:30pm, show starts 8pm Pay what you feel on a choice of 3 different prices.