Mainstream publishing has a problem and Mancunians aren’t having any of it. Meet the radical writers and DIY-publishers who transformed the literary scene of Manchester from 1977-2010, providing a platform to marginalised writers whose stories were being perpetually overlooked.
The Hard Pressed podcast features interviews with creatives that shaped a lively spoken word and print scene, plus striking readings that convey the true lives of Manchester’s people past and present.
Hosted by Heena Patel & Radhaika Kapur. Title music by Jowonio
A Cultureword production
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players.
Follow us: @cultureword
Visit our website: www.hardpressedmcr.co.uk
Panshine Press was set-up in the late 1990s by Jan Whalen and Suzanne Batty who wanted to address the poor representation of women in poetry publications – both on the editorial and writing side. In this episode you’ll hear what contemporary Manchester poets Ella Otomewo and Roma Havers make of Rain Dog and other Panshine publications, including their favourite pieces, alongside a commentary on the state of poetry publishing today.
Hosted by Radhaika Kapur and Heena Patel
Episode credits: Title music by Jowonio
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
22 Sept 2025
Hard Pressed: Just Lately, I Realised
The 1948 British Nationality Act gave the status of Citizen to people residing in the Commonwealth countries, encouraging many to move to the UK, seeking a better life. Just Lately, I Realised, published by Gatehouse Books in 1985, captures stories of the West Indian migrants who had settled in Greater Manchester during this period. In this episode contemporary writer Daniella Edwards describes the striking experiences captured in the book alongside her evocative poem-response Dear Gran.
Hosted by Radhaika Kapur and Pete Kalu
Episode credits: Title music by Jowonio
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
28 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: The Representation Ripple Effect
A first-hand account of the profound impact that indie presses have. Writer Neil Campbell went from browsing magazine’s in Manchester’s Central Library to a decades long writing career – all catalysed by the city’s small presses. This episode is a frank discussion between Neil and Cultureword’s Pete Kalu.
Warning: Contains strong language.
Episode credits: Hosted by Radhaika Kapur. Title music by Jowonio
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
27 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: Citizen 32
‘Annoy the people who should be annoyed, inspire the people who should be inspired’
John G Hall, one of the founders of Citizen 32 magazine, is passionate about politically conscious literature. In this episode you’ll hear John speaking on the origins of Citizen 32 and the ongoing need for a radical political arts magazine. John was recorded in May 2024 at a Hard Pressed event in Manchester & in conversation with Dr Anna Percy in June 2025.
Hosted by Radhaika Kapur
Episode credits: Title music by Jowonio
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
27 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: Cheers Ta
Hear from the quintessential Manc Mike Garry about his poetic origins and how he started his press Cheers Ta in the early 2000s, publishing poetry with a distinctly live feel.
Mike was in conversation with Cultureword’s Pete Kalu in February 2025.
Hosted by Radhaika Kapur
Episode credits: Title music by Jowonio
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
27 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: Nailah
Being seen, being heard, being visible. Nailah writing group and magazine was formed in the 1980s by a group of women in Moss Side searching for a place to express themselves and heal from the struggles facing their community. In this episode you’ll hear from 3 key members: Pauline Omoboye, Angi Weir and Elaine Okoro.
Hosted by Ella Otomewo and Radhaika Kapur
Episode credits: Title music by Jowonio
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
www.hardpressedmcr.co.uk (https://www.hardpressedmcr.co.uk/)
11 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: Contemporary writers respond part 2
We got contemporary writers to respond to the work in Manchester's radical presses. Here Sujata Pillai finds unlikely inspiration in the doyenne of Manchester's queer and spoken word scenes - Chloe Poems. Hosted by Heena Patel
Episode credits: Title music by Jowonio
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
11 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: Contemporary Writers Respond Part 1
We got contemporary writers to respond to the work in Manchester's radical presses. Poet Abhijeet Singh talks to Peter Kalu about the inspiration for his new pieces 'Remnant', 'Aubade' and 'Précis'. Hosted by Heena Patel.
Follow Abhijeet: https://www.instagram.com/lucknownumaa/ (https://www.instagram.com/lucknownumaa/)
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
11 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: Shagged by the Modern Cultural Multiplicity
Mongrel Press put out the merest handful of chapbooks and spoken word CDs. But it had bite and did what it set to do. Co-founder Peter Kalu tells poet and editor Martin De Mello what it achieved in its short life. Hosted by Heena Patel
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
Episode credits: Title music by Jowonio
Street dog barking by SpinOpel -- https://freesound.org/s/772715/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
11 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: Lifetimes
It's the 1970s. You're the tenant of an overlooked overspill estate on the outskirts of Manchester and you've just lost a housing dispute with the local authorities. What do you do? Write of course. Greg Wilkinson talks about how his community development work on the estate led to the publication of a group autobiography and a writing development organisation for Manchester. Hosted by Heena Patel.
The Hard Pressed heritage project is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks To National Lottery Players
Episode credits: Title music by Jowonio
Soundclips used: sexy house.mp3 by LS -- https://freesound.org/s/40854/ -- License: Attribution 3.0
funky wah-wah disco music from suno (cc-by-nc) by Timbre -- https://freesound.org/s/780529/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0
11 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: Suitcase Stories
Suitcase Books gave Black and Asian writers from northern England the space to express their complex intersectional identities and the things that mattered to them in poetry and fiction. Founders Tariq Mehmood and Peter Kalu unpack the story behind this press. Hosted by Heena Patel.
Links to The Bloods triptych
One Drop by Pete Kalu: https://www.andersenpress.co.uk/books/one-drop/
The Second Coming by Tariq Mehmood: https://darajapress.com/publication/the-second-coming
Three Bullets by Melvin Burgess: https://www.andersenpress.co.uk/books/three-bullets/
Theme music by Jowonio. This podcast is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players.
11 Aug 2025
Hard Pressed: For the Love of the Live Scene
The radical presses of nineties and noughties Manchester were entwined with its live poetry scene. In this episode we talk to people who knew its undisputed king, the late great Diké Omeje. Thanks to Yvonne McCalla, Peter Kalu, Chanje Kunda and Michelle Odugu. Hosted by Heena Patel.
Hard Pressed is a podcast and project telling the story of the Manchester's radical publishers of poetry and fiction, 1975 to 2010.
This podcast is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players.
Episode credits: Pub in London by aisselles -- https://freesound.org/s/704767/ -- License: Creative Commons 0
Dike’s Live performances:
Dike performing The X-Men and cover of Forever in My Life by Prince : https://youtu.be/VMFggmX8qs0?si=dKj82J8gjgQGfkOO (https://youtu.be/VMFggmX8qs0?si=dKj82J8gjgQGfkOO)
Dike at Speakeasy’s Black Christmas event: https://youtu.be/qjLXZ1jjil4?si=MJrxnSTrcmlp8eac (https://youtu.be/qjLXZ1jjil4?si=MJrxnSTrcmlp8eac)
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