From the provincial peccadilloes of Prestwich in Manchester to coffee houses and bars by the Bosporus in İstanbul, John Darwin explores life’s three stages of arriving, staying for a bit, and then leaving.

A poetic reflection on the ennui of the everyday, intermittent pleasures, and the quest to understand love and belonging from the Gtr Manchester Fringe Festival 2021 Best Spoken Word Performance Award winner.

“A collection of acutely and fondly observed everyday acts by everyday people … heartfelt and beautiful.” – Chris Lloyd, Producer

“Bleak yet tender, littered with sadness and tinged with humour, Ultrasilence chronicles love, loss and yearning with searing honesty. A brave and compelling book.” – Andrew Davies, Historian & Author

“Gets to grips with the parts of life we’d rather forget.” – Dave Morgan, Write Out Loud Co-founder

“From early doors to last orders, John Darwin’s poetry leaves us drunk on its honesty and thirsty for more.” – Tony Walsh AKA Longfella, Poet

“Captures the mundane, the melancholy and the mellifluous … makes the epic out of the humble. Poetry of the highest calibre.” – Stephen Kingston, Journalist & Bury New Road Project Director

“With searching honesty and a rare eye for detail he offers up something irresistible … a journey unknowable yet certain.” – Winston Plowes, Poet & Educator