On Friday 22 May 2020, the Filey Literature Festival opens with a poetry dinner at Tommy’s on Hope Street. The event, that commences at 5.30pm, features three poets and a cow pie!

The poets come from the Scarborough based publishers Valley Press. Established in 2008, Valley Press has in their stable local authors from Scarborough, York and Leeds, alongside not-so-local writers from London, Brighton, the US, Bermuda and China. They are bringing the world to Yorkshire and Yorkshire to the world.

Three Valley Press poets present their work in the intimate surroundings of Tommy’s cafe-bar on Hope Street. The poets are:

Ralph Dartford hails from Basildon in Essex, and now lives in West Yorkshire, having got there via Australia, Barcelona and Los Angeles. He was the founding member of influential spoken word collective ‘A Firm of Poets’, and his first collection of poetry, Cigarettes, Beer and Love was published in 2013. His latest collection, Recovery Songs was published by Valley Press in 2019.

James Nash, a Leeds based editor, poet and teacher, has written for The Metro newspaper, Leeds Guide, and Northern Exposure, and has been Writer in Residence for organisations as diverse as the National Library for the Blind and HM Prison Wakefield. James has had three collections published by Valley Press, Some Things Matter, Cinema Stories and A Bench for Billie Holiday.

James Nash

Wendy Pratt is a Gristhorpe based award winning poet. Wendy writes for Northern Soul as poetry correspondent and is also a columnist for Yorkshire Life magazine. Wendy has had four poetry collections published: Nan Hardwicke Turns into a Hare, Museum Pieces, Lapstrake and Gifts the Mole Gave Me.

The price includes a cow pie and mash dinner! Tommy’s is making a name with its mix of Americana food and live country music sessions. Therefore, it is entirely appropriate that this evening’s offering has an air of a cowboy’s campfire about it. Though hopefully not with a Blazing Saddles-esque soundtrack!

Tickets are priced £10 and are available direct from Tommy’s in person or by telephone on 01723 314678.

The dinner is being sponsored by Langford Villa. The Villa occupies the finest location in the charming and unspoilt town of Filey. Situated just 100 yards from the clifftop and with Glen Gardens at the rear, peace and quiet is guaranteed.