fourteen poems was launched in December 2019 as a celebration of contemporary queer poetry. Originally conceived as a tri-annual anthology featuring just 14 poems in every issue, it has gone on to publish almost 200 established and emerging queer poets from across the globe and be stocked internationally. In 2022, fourteen poems expanded to publish pamphlets by new queer poets and has since gone on to publish mostly debut work from 12 poets. In addition, fourteen poems has become a queer poetry hub, hosting live events and readings both in person and online, curating books for Aesop’s Queer Library, working with LGBTQ+ arts and community centres throughout the UK, and connecting with exciting editors to publish more community focussed anthologies, including 2023’s Bi+ Lines: an anthology of contemporary BI+ poetry.

Rick Dove

Rick Dove is a queer, disabled, and neurodivergent writer and activist from South London. Widely anthologised since 2016, Rick has brought his signature blend of lyrical storytelling to stages across the UK and internationally, becoming UK National Poetry Slam Champion in 2021. Equally at home on a stage, a page, or a march, Rick has a vision of a fairer world and he wants to take you with him.

Karl Knights

Karl Knights‘ poetry and prose has appeared in The Guardian, The Poetry Review, The Forward Book of Poetry 2024 and elsewhere. He won the 2021 New Poets Prize. His debut pamphlet, Kin, appeared with The Poetry Business in 2022. He lives in Suffolk. 

Scarlett Ward

Scarlett Ward is currently the Staffordshire Poet Laureate 2024-26, but she is also a Workshop Facilitator, and founder and CEO of Fawn Press. Her debut poetry collection Ache was released in 2019 with Verve Poetry press, and she is widely published and anthologised. She was shortlisted for the Women Poets’ Prize by the Rebecca Swift Foundation and she came runner up in 2019’s Verve Community competition as judged by Joelle Taylor. Scarlett was nominated for a Sabotage Award for Best Spoken Word Artist in 2018.

Éadaoín Lynch

Éadaoín Lynch is an Irish poet, editor & researcher based in Edinburgh. With Alycia Pirmohamed, they co-edited Re·creation: A Queer Poetry Anthology in 2022 – the same year, their debut poetry pamphlet Fierce Scrow launched with Nine Pens Press. Their poetry has appeared in Gutter and The North Magazine among others, and their poem ‘Brogue’ was Commended for the Magma Poetry Competition by Raymond Antrobus in 2024. 

After five years of burnout following completion of a PhD, Éadaoín slowly returned to a writing practice in 2021, so they understand deeply how intimidating and vulnerable it can be to share work or hope for success. It’s also why they love collaborating with other writers to find their spark. They are known for their accessible, flexible, person-centred approach – and for their endless reruns of The West Wing, Gentleman Jack and Heartstopper. Find out more at their website, www.eadaoinlynch.com

Gayathiri Kamalakanthan

Gayathiri Kamalakanthan is a Tamil poet, performer. Gayathiri runs WORD-BENDERS, a poetry workshop centering trans and queer poets of colour supported by fourteen poems. They won the Disabled Poets Prize 2024 and their novel-in-verse, BAD QUEER, is forthcoming with Faber. Find them at gayathiri.co.uk. 

Sallyanne Rock

Sallyanne Rock is a queer, neurodivergent poet from the Black Country. She also is an access support worker for artists, a sometime copywriter, and solo parent of two teenagers. Working alongside literary organisations such as Writing West Midlands, Verve Poetry Festival, Creative Future and various community groups, Sallyanne supports funding applications and delivery of creative projects, facilitates workshops and mentors other poets. She is the recipient of the Creative Future Writers’ Awards gold prize for poetry, and her debut pamphlet, Salt & Metal, is published with Fawn Press.

Andrew Gurza

Andrew Gurza is an award winning Disability Awareness Consultant and the Chief Disability Officer and Co-founder of Bump’n, a sex toy company for and by disabled people. Andrew uses they/he pronouns and identifies proudly as disabled. Their work has been featured on BBC, CBC, Daily Xtra, Gay Times UK, Huffington Post, The Advocate, Everyday Feminism, Mashable, Out.com, and several anthologies. He was the subject of an award winning National Film Board of Canada Documentary Picture This. He has spoken all over the world on sex, disability and what it means to be a Queer Cripple. They were also a Production Consultant and Actor on the Queer As Folk reboot in 2022. Andrew is also the host of Disability After Dark: The Podcast Shining a Bright Light on Disability Stories which won a Canadian Podcast Award in 2021, was a Queerty Award nominee, and was chosen as an Honoree at the 2020 Webby Awards. The show is available on all platforms. Andrew is also the creator of the viral hashtag #DisabledPeopleAreHot. You can find out more at andrewgurza.com 

Carrot (The Enby Show)

Carrot is the UK’s premier drag vegetable, creating queer chaos across stages big and small in the UK. They are a singer, compere, lipsyncer and producer with 7 years experience in the queer cabaret industry. 

Quiplash

Quiplash is here to take space for queer crips (quips), further queer crip performance, queer accessibility, and f*ck sh!t up.

Ingenious Fools

Ingenious Fools is a Comedy Agency, Live Production Company and Fundraiser for comedy and theatre projects. They have helped raise over £500,000 in Arts Council funding for projects including touring, community engagement and festivals.

Ingenious Fools is based in Nottingham and focuses on developing and showcasing talent in the local area and beyond, through touring, the comedy circuit and festivals, as well as providing corporate entertainment and events. Susanna Clark launched the company in 2014, having previously worked for RBM Comedy, Assembly Festival and Canal Café Theatre. The company’s ethos is to provide a friendly service and honest advice in a competitive industry and to put artists and their wellbeing at the forefront.

Brave Words

Brave Words was formed in November 2018 with the joint aims of telling stories with a social purpose, and creating adventures in the arts that invest in children, young people and communities. We believe that every story has value and hope to create stages where people come together to connect, as well as arts programmes helping people find confidence and creativity.

Brave Words’ first Pay-What-You-Can Youth Theatre launched in Seacroft in 2019, followed by Beeston and Meanwood Youth Theatres in 2021. Today they work with more than 160 children and young people across disadvantaged areas of Leeds every week.