Des Mannay is a disabled Welsh writer of colour. Collection, “Sod ’em – and tomorrow” is published by Waterloo Press. He’s an Associate Editor of Poetry Wales, co-editor of The Angry Manifesto poetry journal, a judge in the Vailiant Scribe poetry competition (USA) and Co-editor of the Valiant Scribe poetry competition issue, and the winner of the ‘rethinkyourmind’ poetry competition (2015), and LIT-UP poetry competition (2018). Placed 2nd and highly commended in the Disability Arts Cymru poetry Competition (2015). ‘Gold Award’ winner in the Creative Futures Literary Awards (2015), Madder Than We Look poetry competition (2016), shortlisted for the erbacce-prize for poetry (2015, and 2016 and 2019), Welsh Poetry Competition (2015), The John Tripp and Idris Davies poetry competition; part of Rhymney Valley Literature and Arts Festival 2016, and the Disability Arts Cymru poetry Competition (2016)
Performed at ‘Unity’ Festival, ‘Maindee’ Festival, ‘Hub’ Festival, ‘Stoke Newington Literature Festival’, KAYA Festival of World Music & Arts, Merthyr Rising, The Seed Festival, Walls:Muriau – Welsh mental health arts festival, Green Gathering, Leeds Poetry Festival, Tranas at the fringe, Sweden, Abergavenny Writing Festival, Gwen Gwen Festival, ‘Wokefest’ ‘Lit on the Lawn’ Caerleon Arts Festival, Wales Africa Festival, Nozstock, Landed Festival, Unorthodox Paradox, Morecambe Poetry Festival, and Art On The Hil Festival
At Morecambe Poetry Festival Des performed alongside what sounds like a who’s who of the contemporary poetry scene – Roger McGough, former Poet Laureate Carol Anne Duffy, Jackie Kay, Henry Normal, John Hegley, Atilla The Stockbroker, Brian Bilston, Pete The Temp, and Clare Ferguson-Walker; to name but a few.
Poems in ‘Poetry Wales’, ‘I Am Not A Silent Poet’, ‘The Angry Manifesto’, ‘Proletarian Poetry’, ‘Yellow Chair Review’, ‘Indiana Voice Journal’, ‘Stand Up And Spit’, ‘Red Poets’, ‘The Scum Gentry’ ‘The Round Up’, ‘Poetry24’, ‘Winning Writers’, ‘International Times’, ‘Erbacce Journal’, ‘Pendemic’, ‘Valiant Scribe’, ‘Dwelling During the pandemic. An Ohio Poetry Project 2021. Work in 44 poetry anthologies. Des is on facebook as “The stuff wot I wrote’ Des Mannay – hooligan Poet” and Twitter as @hooliganpoet
