Longfella brings poetry and punchlines to Rochdale’s Literature Festival

Tony Walsh, or ‘Longfella’ as he is also known, is quite literally a giant of the performance poetry scene

Tony Walsh, one of the UK’s most renowned performance poets, has been confirmed on the line up for this year’s Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival.

Tony, or ‘Longfella’ as he is also known, is quite literally a giant of the performance poetry scene.

On Sunday October 26 he’ll be reading from his recent book – ‘Sex & love & rock & roll’ – described as musical poems which soundtrack our lives, brimming with northern warmth and humour.

Tony, who performs at packed out venues and festival tents around the UK, is set to be a big draw in Rochdale. His work has been published internationally and he’s a multiple award winner, including being the current Manchester Literature Festival Comedy Slam Champion.

With a direct, accessible style, his acclaimed live set takes audiences on a rock and rollercoaster ride from comedy to the deadly serious. A regular on television and radio, Tony’s trademark mix of intimacy and controversy, comedy and tragedy has been stunning audiences from grass-roots poetry gigs to international literature festivals for the last 10 years.

Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival runs from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 October, with a feast of events covering drama, comedy, dance, music, theatre, films, visual arts and children’s shows.

Tony said he’s thrilled with the reception his new book received and loves performing it live: “My poetry is rooted in my Manchester upbringing and has always gone down well with Rochdale audiences. Whether you love poetry or think that it's not for you, I'm sure that you'll find something to make you laugh, or even cry in my poems. Rochdale’s new Central Library and this festival are both excellent and I can't wait to share my poems and meet up with Rochdale friends, old and new.”