Hollie McNish & Friends (Gig for a Gig Fundraiser)

About

For one night only, join TOM favourite Hollie McNish and handpicked special guests for an evening of superb spoken word, all surrounded by 360º of beautiful visuals AND raising funds as part of our Gig for a Gig initiative.

Taking place in TOM’s ‘Box’ format, this exclusive event invites audiences to pull up a beanbag or chair and become immersed in the words of some of the best artists on the scene today.

She needs no introduction… but here’s one anyway: Hollie McNish is a poet and author based between Glasgow and Cambridge. She was the first poet to record at Abbey Road Studios, London and won the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry for her poetic parenting memoir – Nobody Told Me - of which The Scotsman stated ‘The World Needs this Book’. She has published five further collections of poetry – Papers, Cherry Pie, Plum, and Slug and Lobster, both Sunday Times bestsellers. Her next book is out in October 2025. She loves writing.

Photo by Paul Winter

AFLO. the Poet is a Brighton-based spoken word artist, activist and academic who embraces creative expression to disrupt the status quo and inspire social change. AFLO. uses poetry as a vehicle to address hard-hitting topics, particularly racism and mental health, and has performed to crowds of thousands at Black Lives Matter protests and other demonstrations in Brighton and beyond.

Photo by Rosie Powell

Jenny Foulds (she/her) is a Brighton-based writer, poet and actor from Scotland. She’s the host and curator of Spoken Word night Rebel Soapbox. Jenny has featured at nights across the UK including Hammer & Tongue, Loud Poets, Tongue Fu and Stanza Poetry festival and is a former Scottish Slam Champion and World Slam Championship finalist. She will be touring her debut show Life Learnings of a Nonsensical Human in 2025. As an actress, she was a series regular in Two Thousand Acres of Sky (BBC) and appeared in various TV and film roles including Rebus, Mandancin’, Taggart and The Debt Collector. She founded the street art blog Happy Graffiti, which later became a book published by Octopus Books (a Hachette imprint).

Naomi Wood is a multi-disciplinary performance artist and theatre maker merging storytelling with spoken word. She creates pieces of joyful disobedience celebrating rebellion and reveling in rage whilst maintaining a healthy preoccupation with irreverence. Her solo spoken word show Gobbess, which is currently touring the UK, has been described as filled with 'Laugh-out-loud humour', 'hilarious, wholesome, powerful', 'delightful... pure magic', 'raw, and incisive'. She has been published by Backlash Press and Ink, Sweat and Tears.

This event is part of Reigning Women

A highlight of the TOM calendar, Reigning Women offers a platform for both established artists and rising stars to showcase their amazing talents.

Join the conversation - #ReigningWomen

Click here to find out more

This event is taking place In The Box

Taking events and turning them 360 degrees! In The Box, you’ll be surrounded by breathtaking visuals, allowing you the chance to see your favourite artists in a brand-new way.

Click here to find out more

This a Gig for a Gig fundraising event

This pioneering initiative sees established names help TOM to provide opportunities for the next generation of artists.

Click here to find out more