A LOCAL poetry group will be holding its second poetry cafe this weekend.

Big Up Words are hosting the poetry meeting at the Rendezvous Cafe on Union Street today at 1.30pm.

The afternoon will begin with an open-mic session before the three guests take centre stage.

Graham Brown from the Isle of Wight will be reciting poetry and Bryn Strudwick and Brenda putting on a poetry show entitled The Battle of the Sexes.

This is the second monthly cafe held on the second Saturday of the month between November and April after being awarded over £500 by Hampshire County Council.

Cat Randle from Big Up Words, said: “We are very excited. We want to create a whole new model for this cafe. We’ve been working with a sister cafe in Romsey called the Teapoet Collective.

“They have a philosophy of ‘Jam not Slam’ which means support not competition. We also want to have a 10-minute slot for musicians in an unplugged MTV style.

“We’ve got so many great ideas, we are going to ask the audience to go to our website and vote them.

“Our chairman is very keen to make this cafe family friendly.

She wants to use Roberto’s model of a place where the teenagers can perform.”

Big Up Words is looking for musicians, poets and volunteers to help run the cafe. For more information, please email bigupwords@ gmail.com or come to one of the sessions.