Up Coming Events / Poetry Readings / Videos

EVENTS: Summer 2021

Saturday 17 July ‘Country Voices’, 2.30-4pm, with David Bingham, John Sewell & Kuli Kohli in a marquee at the Water Rat, Buildwas Road, Ironbridge, TF8 7BJ. Tickets £5 on the door. Yes, we really are re-starting ‘Country Voices’!

Wednesday 21 July - Sandwell Asian Mental Health Group - facilitating a taster writing workshop with Jasmine Gardosi and Kuli Kohli (Sparks Project - working with Creative Black Country).

Saturday 24 July - Walsall Art Gallery 11 - 12 pm - facilitating a taster VV/writing workshop with Ishtiaq Hussain and Kuli Kohli. Also offering a tour of the art gallery for the group after the workshop. (Sparks Project - working with Creative Black Country).

Wednesday 28 July - Kuli Kohli will be reading at 'Spoke in the Lamp', 7.30pm, Brownhills Community Centre, Chester Road North, Brownhills, Walsall, WS8 7JW. This is a free event.

Wednesday 29 July - Lye Community Centre 10:30 am- visit before facilitating a taster VV/writing workshop with Ishtiaq Hussain and Kuli Kohli. (Sparks Project - working with Creative Black Country).

Sunday 1 August - Newhampton Arts Centre - 12 pm - 4 pm - facilitating 2 taster VV/writing workshops with Ishtiaq Hussain and Kuli Kohli. (Sparks Project - working with Creative Black Country).

Thursday 5 August - Lye Community Centre 10:30 am - 12 pm facilitating a taster VV/writing workshop with Ishtiaq Hussain and Kuli Kohli. (Sparks Project - working with Creative Black Country).

Ironbridge - Festival of the Imagination

Saturday 11 September - ‘Kuli Kohli In Conversation’ with Simon Fletcher, her editor at Offa’s Press. Kuli will talk about her extraordinary life and read some pieces from her new poetry collection A Wonder Woman . Coalbrookdale Community Centre, 2-3pm. Tickets £5 to include ‘chai’.

Saturday 18 September - ‘Kuli Kohli & the Punjabi Women’s Writing Group’ (12-1pm) MC Simon Fletcher. The Anstice Building, Park Avenue, Madeley, Telford, TF7 5BB. Ticket £5

Saturday 18 September - ‘In the Sticks’ (countryside poetry) with Cherry Doyle & Simon Fletcher & guests (including Kuli Kohli) in the marquee at the Water Rat, 2.30-4pm. Tickets £5

From July 2020 - Commissioned to write for Sandwell Stories by Multistory. ‘Black Country Wonder Woman' by Kuli Kohli is a commissioned long-form poem exploring the anxiety of giving birth to a premature baby at a time of crisis. With beats and rap verses by her son Akaash. You can listen to the poem here: https://bit.ly/3819jIP

I am available performances at gigs, schools, colleges, libraries etc.

I am happy to take commissions.

To contact me please email kuli.kohli@hotmail.co.uk

Poetry for me has been a very important aspect of expressing myself personally, emotionally and getting the people around me to realise that there is someone very sensitive who lives in my body. I was born with cerebral palsy and throughout my childhood and teenage years I was ashamed of myself. I wanted to be “normal” all my life, however, I didn’t know myself what normal was.

Sharing your voice and views to complete strangers can be a scary process but also very rewarding. At first I was petrified, but as I began to perform more to different audience I began to enjoy it, because I could see my work was making an impression.

I think performing is important because the audience can get a feel of the poet, why and what drives them to write. When I sit down on the stage to read my poetry there’s a sudden silence in the room. When I get going the audience begin to relax and start to enjoy my poetry and by the end of the performance the audience fall in love with me. The audience seem genuinely interested in hearing my poetry and stories.

I have read and performed at many events and festivals across the West Midlands, London, Oswestry, Ironbridge, Coventry’s Peace Festival, Shrewsbury Literature Festival and via Skype to University of Delhi, India.

In November 2018 I was invited as guest lecturer at Humboldt University in Berlin.

I have been involved in many projects - including readings at the University of Greenwich and Liverpool Hope University.

In December 2019 I was invited to the British Museum in London for Purple Light Up event for International Disabled Persons Day 2019.

In 2020 I have been commissioned to write bespoke poetry for many events, especially during lockdown, where it has not been possible to attend gigs. I have been commissioned to write, record, video my poetry which has been shared on social media and other media platforms.