Lunch Bite: Poetry

Ralph Dartford’s first pamphlet, Cigarettes, Beer and Love was published by Ossett Observer Presents in 2013. His next collection, Recovery Songs, was published by Valley Press in 2019, and Hidden Music followed in October 2021. In 2024, his 3rd collection for Valley Press, House Anthems’ was published to great acclaim and completed a trilogy of themed work.
Ralph is the poetry editor at northerngravy and is currently studying for a Creative Writing PhD at the University of Huddersfield that focuses on the tensions between ‘performance poetry’ and ‘page poetry’. For an honest living, Ralph is a project manager working within criminal justice for the National Literacy Trust.’

Zara Sehar, a Muslim British-Pakistani Poet, was born and raised in Halifax, West Yorkshire. Her work often delves into the intricacies of the British-Asian diaspora. She was shortlisted for the Yorkshire Asian Young Achievers award in the Arts and Creative Industries category (YAYA Awards 2023), placed third in the Roundhouse Slam (2024), and won the audience vote. She has shared her work on BBC Woman’s Hour, anthologies and online.

Kate Fox is a stand-up poet, spoken word artist and broadcaster, known for her sharp wit, warmth and distinctive Northern voice. A regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s The Verb, she has been Poet in Residence for Glastonbury Festival and the Great North Run. Her books include Where There’s Muck There’s Bras, On Sycamore Gap and Bigger on the Inside, which explores neurodiversity through the lens of Doctor Who.