NORTH Gwent poet Ann Drysdale - winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize for Poetry in Performance - will launch her latest book at the next Hen and Chicks Poetry Upstairs event on Tuesday, April 30 in Abergavenny.

Also on the programme is Brecon-based poet Gareth Writer-Davies and poet and singer Mike McNamara of Northern Ireland who is now living in South Wales.

Vanitas, her second book from Shoestring Press, is the seventh collection from Ann Drysdale who has a won prizes from Manchester, Cardiff, Peterloo, Housman Society, Bridport and National poetry competitions.

Ann was born in Manchester, raised in London, married in Birmingham brought up three children on the North York Moors and now lives at the highest point of a terrace on the west side of Blaina.

Publications include two memoirs, a quirky guidebook called ‘Real Newport’ (Seren), four volumes of poetry (Peterloo) and another ‘Quaintness and Other Offences’ by Cinnamon Press.

Gareth Writer-Davies was shortlisted twice for the Bridport Prize, won the Poetry Society’s Prole Laureate Competition in 2017 and was also Commended and Highly Commended in the Welsh Poetry Competiton.

Two pamphlets – ‘Bodies’ and ‘Cry Baby’ (Indigo Dreams) were followed by his first collection ‘The Lover’s Pinch’ (Arenig Press) last year.

He is Hawthornden Fellow 2019.

Mike McNamara is lead singer with Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band and his collection of poetry ‘Overhearing the Incoherent’ was published by Grevatt and Grevatt.

He has been published in Envoi, Orbis, Tears in the Fence, New Welsh Review, and Acumen.

A selection of his work is included in ‘The Pterodactyl’s Wing’ (Parthian).

The Hen & Chicks pub is located on Flannel Street, Abergavenny and the event will commence at 8pm.

Entry is charged at £5 on the door.