Half Beard Half Poet (Spoken Label, April 2026)

Latest up from Spoken Label (Spoken Word / Poetry Podcast) features making his debut is the wonderful Half Beard Half Poet.

A product of the early 2010s Mancunian poetry scene Half Beard Half Poet (then using the alias Benny-Jo Zahl) burned bright but briefly. Three years after discovering poetry in 2009 he was published as a member of the Working Verse collective alongside Kieren King and Dave Viney Via Flapjack press (The Prequel to the Sequel), co-wrote and performed two plays with Working Verse that debuted in the Lowery theatre (Amateur Thematics – 2012, Writer's Retweet – 2013) and co-hosted Bang Said The Gun: Manchester.

In May 2014 at the Evidently poetry night in Salford he gave his last performance, until one fateful day in October 2023, when he walked into a therapist’s office holding notebook and pen…

What some people have said about him:

“The great ape swings again!

I’ve admired these poems for years, but for too long they’ve not been on our stages. It’s amazing to see not only their return but also even more exciting, emotive, excellent new words coming from this engaging and inspired writer and performer. Yes, heavier than metal, and shining twice as brightly!

– Dominic Berry, 2017 Glastonbury Festival Poet in Residence and winner of the Saboteur ‘Best Spoken Word Artist’ award 2020 and 2017.

“I like the ones with the guinea pigs” – Kim Moores, Love of my life.

“That’s pure gold” – Rupert Holmes, singer song writer of “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” upon hearing a performance of the poem on page 17.

More details can be found here:

https://halfbeardhalfpoet.co.uk/