dialect and ballads; Manchester 6.May'26

Subject: dialect and ballads; Manchester 6.May'26
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 29 Apr 26 - 09:51 AM

Wed' May 6th 2026
John Rylands Library Manchester
- dialect and ballads; + Jennifer Reid

Poets, curators and researchers discuss dialect and ballads, with live singing from Jennifer Reid.

"Join us for a special event celebrating dialect poetry and ballads, culminating in a specially commissioned live performance from fabulous ballads-singer Jennifer Reid.

In-person and online (1.30-3.15pm)
The event begins with a series of short presentations and readings from poets, curators and researchers exploring the role of ballads, popular poetry, and dialect, ranging from Old English, through 18th- and 19th-century Lancashire and Welsh ballad-writing, to modern Geordie and port dialects. Booking required.

In-person performance and collections (3.15-4.30pm)
The second half of the event offers in-person visitors the opportunity to hear a specially commissioned live performance from local ballad-singer Jennifer Reid, and to view ballad-sheets from the Street Literature Collection of the John Rylands Library. No booking required, but visitors to the library will be admitted on a first-come first-served basis.

Presentations will include:

-Cynthia Johnston (Institute Of English Studies, University Of London) The Harkness Ballads at The Harris, Preston and Lancashire Archives
-John Rylands curatorial staff Ballads and the Street Literature Collection in the John Rylands Library, University Of Manchester
-Julianne Simpson (Chetham’s Library, Manchester), The ballads of Chetham’s Library, Manchester
-Clare Lees (Institute Of English Studies, University Of London) and Carl Kears(King’s College London) Reading: Caedmon’s Hymn in Old English and in U.A. Fanthorpe’s Geordie translation
-Liz Lawes (UCL Special Collections) Bill Griffiths’ dialect material at UCL Special Collections
-Zoe Quick (Slade School Of Fine Art and Bartlett School Of Architecture)
Collaboratively revisioning a ballad broadsheet from The National Library of Wales, with young people and farmers, to tell news of farming in the Welsh uplands today
-National Poetry Library The National Poetry Library’s upcoming A Poet In Every Port project
-Jennifer Reid
Jennifer Reid performs Victorian street ballads and Lancashire dialect work song. She will clog dance in the Northwest style if you ask nicely. She has toured with Eliza Carthy in the UK and in New Zealand solo. She was once described as having “irreverent Puckish vim” in a mag. A force of nature.

Spineless Wonders
Spineless Wonders is an international network of artists, writers, academics and librarians, creating and researching small press publications, including artists' books, and printed materials without spines.
The network is hosted by the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL;
other members include the Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University Of London; The School of Art, Aberystwyth University; Duncan and Jordanstone School of Art and Design, University of Dundee; UCL Special Collections' Modernism, Rare Book and Manuscript collections; Senate House Library, University of London; the department of English, Stanford University, Stanford CA, U.S.A; and most recently the John Rylands Research Institute And Library, University Of Manchester."

Sponsors
The Spineless Wonders Network would like to thank the John Rylands Research Institute And Library and UCL The Lord Randolph Quirk Endowment for financial support to make this event possible.


www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/project/spineless-wonders/dialect-and-ballads-jennifer-reid-and-spineless-wonders-20260506-1330/

ticket
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dialect-and-ballads-jennifer-reid-and-spineless-wonders-tickets-1987829862630