Liverpool’s spoken word scene is set to take centre stage once again this summer as 22-year-old viral poet Joseph Roberts prepares to host the second annual All Ears Poetry Expo at Exhibition Centre Liverpool on Friday 3rd July. The young poet, who has amassed tens of millions of views on all platforms, is on a mission to make poetry cool and inspire others through spoken word.
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Billed as the UK’s only dedicated Poetry Expo, the event will welcome poets, spoken word performers, writers, musicians and creatives from across the country for a full day celebrating creativity, connection and self-expression.
The daytime programme will focus on schools and young people, while the evening event opens its doors to the wider public, offering live performances, workshops, open mic opportunities, interactive stalls and spaces designed for reading, writing and collaboration.
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This year’s Expo carries a strong theme of Diversity & Inclusion, inspired by the spirit of a World Cup — bringing together voices, cultures and stories from different backgrounds through poetry and performance. Speaking ahead of the event, Joseph said Liverpool should be proud to host the pioneering festival.
“The All Ears Poetry Expo is the UK’s first poetry expo and we’re very proud for Liverpool to claim that,” he said. “It’s a platform and an opportunity for poets to unite and create. There’ll be poets, musicians, creatives, stalls, performances and workshops.”
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While the evening celebration promises a vibrant showcase of spoken word culture, Joseph says the schools programme is equally important to him. “The schools session in the daytime is about changing the misconception of poetry and making it cool, mainstream and accessible,” he explained. “It’s about getting the kids off their devices and creative again.”
He continues: “I’m very passionate about working with the next generation because these guys are the future. If we improve their literacy and communication skills, they are skills for life. If we can get them thinking critically, analytically, independently and creatively it’s very important. The Expo is a vehicle for that and I know that when I was younger it would have been something that would have really benefitted me.”
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Joseph’s own journey into poetry began when he was just 16 years old, performing poems during school assemblies despite initially facing ridicule from classmates. But he rose to fame and proved the doubters wrong and a major turning point came in 2019 when he watched legendary poet Benjamin Zephaniah perform at Storyhouse.
“I initially got laughed at because where I grew up it wasn’t particularly cool,” he recalled. “But over time I started making videos and performed more. I went to see Benjamin Zephaniah at the Storyhouse in Chester and he signed my book — three years later I was a guest on his show on BT Sport as he invited me on. It was a full circle moment.”
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Since then, Joseph’s rise has been rapid. He has built a successful career delivering workshops in schools, performing across the UK and collaborating with major brands including Premier League, Nike, Amazon, EA Sports, Monterex and National Trust. At the age of 20, he also supported legendary performance poet John Cooper Clarke at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall — an achievement he describes as surreal considering where he started.
“What excites me is modernising poetry and doing it in a unique way,” he said. “I want to use my platform to inspire and improve the culture of poetry, bring new audiences into the world of poetry and bring new opportunities for poets. It’s given me an amazing life and given me a sense of purpose. I want to show people that they can do it too.”
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Alongside the Expo, Joseph is also preparing to release a new book later this year through a partnership with Liverpool F.C.. The collection, titled Built Different, will feature 97 poems celebrating the identity, humour and character of Liverpool and its people. “It’s a collection of poems about Scouse quirks, charm and character and what makes us unique,” he explained.
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Looking ahead, Joseph shows no signs of slowing down. With the All Ears Poetry Expo, the book collaboration with Liverpool F.C., another big support slot for John Cooper Clarke at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall on 28th October and other big collaborations in the pipeline, it seems the inspiring young wordsmith has only just got started.
He summarises: “I’ve gone from being that young lad who was laughed at because poetry wasn’t cool to doing big things. I want to inspire people, especially young people, to show them that being creative is cool and it can make you famous and successful. I’m really excited about what I’ve started and want to keep raising the profile of poetry and keep proving people wrong.”
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All Ears Poetry Expo is taking place at Exhibition Centre Liverpool on Friday 3rd July. The day session from 9:30am is for schools and young people, whilst the evening session from 4.30pm is for the general public. The event will feature poetry, spoken word, music and creative expression, with live performances, open mic opportunities, workshops, interactive stalls and dedicated spaces to read, write and connect.
All Ears Poetry Expo / Friday 3rd July 2026 / Exhibition Centre Liverpool
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS TO ALL EARS POETRY EXPO
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