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Manchester-born and Salford-raised Ben Zahl, AKA Half Beard Half Poet, took a wrong turn at the Lymm interchange and now lives in Northwich, Cheshire.
Chancing upon poetry after walking into the wrong café in 2009 preceded a whirlwind five years wherein his first book with Working Verse Collective was published, with two poetry plays with the Collective swiftly following (Amateur Thematics in 2012 and Writer's Retweet in 2013 – both debuting at The Lowry), as well as co-hosting the poetry night Bang Said the Gun: Manchester – before walking away in 2014.
A decade later his therapist suggested he start again.
Since 2024 he has founded The Bowling Green writing group and poetry night Wichcraft & Wordery in his adopted town of Northwich, played Manchester Punk Festival and Morecambe Poetry Festival, as well as opening the legendary Piña Colada Festival with a poem Rupert Holmes described as “pure gold”.
