A Body of Words offers critical and creative perspectives on body image from academics and poets. The events feature poetry in performance, audience discussions and creative writing prompts and aim to start a dialogue around issues from eating disorders to self-portraits.

In this first of three events, the MMU Department of English presents Desire & Eating Bodies with Dr Angelica Michelis & Malika Booker.

Dr Angelica Michelis (MMU) – Angelica’s research interests range from Gender Studies to Gothic Fiction. This presentation will look at the relationship between eating/non-eating bodies and how food, its consumption, digestion and rejection tell us stories about desire, abjection, fear and pleasure, in short – stories about our selves/ourselves.

Malika Booker (University of Leeds) – Malika is a writer, poet, theatre-maker, multi-disciplinary artist and creative writing lecturer. Her work has been shortlisted for the Forward Prize. In this reading, she will explore bodies in desire, grief and celebration.

Featuring special guest Kelsie Silverstone who will be sharing her poems. Kelsie is a student at Manchester Met raising money for Eating Disorder support charity Beat with a sponsored head shave.

Poetry, performance, Q&A, creative workshopping in a supportive environment. Free entry. This is one of three A Body of Words events – see all the events here.