Shirley May is a poet from Manchester’s Speakeasy, a collective which she co-managed for five years. She is published in several anthologies, books and magazines. She writes from a Caribbean Diaspora perspective about the black British experience. Performing predominately in the north west of England, she has also performed nationally and internationally, appearing at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York and the Calabash writing festival in Jamaica. She is the director of Young Identity writing collective in partnership with the Contact Theatre. She has worked for over 20 years to promote a culture around performance poetry to make it “cool” and happening. Her work includes mentoring and supporting new writers in schools and community groups. She joined Commonword in 1996 and attended its Identity writing workshop, saying that not only has Commonword helped her develop her writing skills but it has also enhanced her employment opportunities by improving her mentoring, advice and support skills for young people. She seeks to free “de inna voice.”