Contains Strong Language

Salford
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Working with the National Poetry Centre, the Squad had a presence at the 2026 big free BBC poetry festival Contains Strong Language.

was one of the core festival poets, appearing in the Gala Reading line up. Jay was joined by other Squad grads, Helen Bowell who, among much else, is editor of Fourteen Poems and Learning Manager for the Arvon Foundation, and Fahad Al-Amoudi Poetry Editor at Penguin in a panel looking at the future of poetry along with Griot Gabriel.

The festival also gave Gregory Kearns the opportunity to do the first live recording of his podcast The Poems We Made Along The Way, interviewing Toria Garbutt.