Mark Niel is a Milton Keynes based poet who has shot from the Open Mic circuit to feature at Festivals and Spoken Word events in a mere couple of years. His seemingly sober dress and and demeanour (always suited and booted) provides the perfect camouflage to wrong foot the audience with his explosive delivery

Mark has now been appointed as the offiicial Poet Laureate of  Milton Keynes by the Mayor, Debbie Brock.

Mark has won Slams with all the leading UK Performance Poetry organisations and at events as diverse as the Camden Crawl and the Ledbury Poetry Festival. A prize winner for both written and performed poems, his material ranges from deeply personal reflections to barn-storming Performance Pieces. Whether despairing at his frequently misspelt name or raging about the frustrations of Fridges in shared houses he is always engaging. By turns comic,

Mark founded and runs “Tongue in Chic” a regular Open Mic Poetry night with special guests and has led the way in taking local poets to a wider audience with showcases at the Buxton Fringe, Bang said the Gun and Aestival among others. This culminated in the publication of an anthology “Reflections at Mirror City” featuring local poets alongside such favourites such as John Hegley, A F Harrold and Zena Edwards.

So, if you thought Milton Keynes had nothing to offer except Concrete Cows and somewhere for Londoners to park and ride, then watch out because Mark is leading a poetic mission to make you change your mind. Mark has appeared with John Hegley, Zena Edwards, Elvis McGonagall, Jean “Binta” Breeze, Felix Dennis, Ava Vidal, Niall O'Sullivan, A F Harrold, Simon Munnery and Rachel Pantechnicon.

Mark performed at the Cheltenham Literature Festival and represented the South East region on a National Tour with leading Spoken Word organisation, Apples and Snakes.

Slam Wins

• Poetry Kapow, Milton Keynes 2008

• The Camden Crawl 2009

• Farrago Spring Slam 2009

• Hammer and Tongue, Oxford and Cambridge Chapters 2009 and 2010

• Tewkesbury “Awaken Your Senses” Festival 2009

• The “Big Love” Slam, Bilston 2010

• Bang Said the Gun, London 2010

• Word 4 Word, Stratford, London July 2010

• Wenlock Poetry Festival, 2010

• Ledbury Poetry Festival, 2010

• Buxton Wizard Words, July, 2010.

• Team Slam at the Bristol Poetry Festival, 2010 (Captain of winning team and top poet)

Reviews:

"Mark uses his acting skills, beauitiful, powerful emotive voice....." - Petersfield Herald, December 2010

“Ignited the space with his comedic stanzas” - Rum Punch, Partnas in Rhyme September 2010

“A Bravura Performance” - Buxton Fringe Review July, 2010

“Mighty Fine”- Elvis McGonagall

“A rising star of the UK Poetry Scene" - Hammer and Tongue

”A histrionic Tour de Force" - Rachel Pantechnicon

“Stuff like that is the reason I still go to poetry nights” - Niall Spooner-Harvey

“Just seen Mark Niel smash it at Speakeasy. One to watch, literally and figuratively” - Tim Clare

“Human emotion sings between the lines” - Essential Writers .com

“ A Blistering Set” - Earshot, Cheltenham April, 2010

“Disturbs young people” - Amused Moose, London

“A great headliner” - Richard Tyrone Jones,” Utter”, London.

“A fantastic performance” - Felix Dennis

“That was brilliant” - Mrs Barbara Nice

“Thanks for being so bloody good” - Glenn Carmichael, The Team Poetry Slam, Bristol Poetry Festival

“The person next to me said 'I didn't know poetry could be such fun'. The evening was filled with many pleasant and humorous poems. Live performance of modern poetry works really well when it's personal and expressed with feeling. Mark Niel, who was also host, certainly knows how to communicate his work; his pieces were comic and powerful. If you like humour will certainly enjoy, 'My name is Mark Niel!' and 'My half of the fridge!', both of which have wonderful twists at the end - Review of Tongue in Chic at the Buxton Fringe, July 2010.

Other Performances:

• “Public Address” tour for Apples and Snakes 2010.

• “UK Unsigned” Grand Final, Shepherds Bush Empire

• The Cheltenham Literature Festival “Voices Off” Stage 2010

• Support to Felix Dennis “Did I mention the Free Wine”? Tour

• Green Man Festival, 2010

• Wychwood Festival, 2010

• The Komedia, Brighton (Hammer & Tongue National Slam Final)

• The Drill Hall, London (Farrago UK Slam Final)

• “Word4Word” and “Rum Punch” London

• The Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden.

• The Rep Theatre, Birmingham (BBC Radio Four Slam).

• The Swindon Festival of Literature Poetry Slam (Runner Up)

• One World Club, Milton Keynes and Greenwich

• Coventry Literature Festival

• "Utter" and “WordPlay”, London

• Guest Poet “Bang said the Gun!” London

• Tongue in Chic at the Buxton Fringe

Media

• BBC 3 Counties Radio Sports Poet Laureate 2009

• BBC 3 Counties Radio Breakfast and Weekend shows

• Featured in “The Stage” June 2010.