Out-Spoken: July

Mona Arshi’s debut poetry collection, Small Hands, won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection in 2015. Her second, Dear Big Gods, was published in 2019 and her novel Somebody Loves You in 2021; the latter was shortlisted for the Goldsmith Prize. She previously worked as a human rights lawyer, often representing refugees and women fleeing domestic violence.

Fiona Benson has published three collections of poetry, all of which were shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize: Bright Travellers, which won the 2015 Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry’s Prize for First Full Collection, Vertigo & Ghost, which won the Roehampton Poetry Prize and the Forward Prize for Best Collection, and Ephemeron.

British pianist and composer Benjamin Cook blends modern classical styles with influences including Max Richter, Einaudi and Chopin. With over 700,000 streams and 30,000+ followers, his music has captivated listeners worldwide and been called ‘utterly divine’ by BBC Introducing. This year, he is set to release his debut EP for piano and strings, further showcasing his expressive, cinematic sound.

Susannah Dickey is the author of four pamphlets – I had some very slight concerns, genuine human values, bloodthirsty for marriage and Oh! – and two novels, Tennis Lessons and Common Decency. ISDAL, her debut poetry collection, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize. She is an Eric Gregory Award winner.

Presented in association with Out-Spoken.