West Yorkshire Writes: How ‘Manthology’ Is Redefining Men’s Expression – Interview

Manthology Poetry Workshop. Image Credit: Men’s Health Unlocked.

A Touchstone-led project developed through Men’s Health Unlocked, ‘Manthology’ brings together 62 poems by men across Leeds. Building upon the 2022 21st Century Man consultation, the anthology uses poetry to explore masculinity, challenge stigma and champion spaces for honest, creative expression. Poets Sean Coppinger, Chris Lashmar and Lukas Quinn spoke to TSOTA about the project’s origins, its impact and the communities it has helped to build. 

Lukas Quinn writes about mental health, disability and personal experience. He returned to poetry during the COVID-19 pandemic, later gaining confidence performing at open mic nights, where he met project lead Maz Sultan and first encountered ‘Manthology’. The idea, he explains, began when Maz proposed a male-focused poetry anthology to Touchstone, a charity providing mental health and wellbeing services to diverse communities across Yorkshire.  

“Originally, it was just a few sessions where men could come together, write poems and then send those over to Maz to be included in the ‘Manthology’ book,” Lukas says. He recalls Maz’s active presence in Leeds’ creative scene, distributing pamphlets about Men’s Health Unlocked at poetry nights and open mics. “I think that’s a big part of how people got involved with ‘Manthology’.” 

Others discovered the project online. Chris Lashmar, a retired telecoms engineer, began writing poetry after the death of his wife as a way to “make sense of it”. Encouraged by his daughter, he attended one of the workshops, an experience that proved transformative. Men’s Health Unlocked ran seven poetry workshops across Leeds in venues including The Leeds Library, LeftBank and Gipton Old Fire Station. Established local poets such as Peter Spafford, Chris Singleton and Liam Sullivan supported the sessions as facilitators. “I’ve learned a hell of a lot about poetry from going to those group meetings,” Chris says, “including having a structure to try and write to.”

For Sean Coppinger, a 51-year old nurse who had previously written songs, poetry began as a form of self-therapy before becoming a creative focus during lockdown. Like Chris, he found the workshops both motivating and generative. “I could go to one of these sessions, where a few guys gather in a room with a few ideas, and half an hour later I can come away with over 20 poems,” he says. “Whether or not they are just first drafts, they are words that weren’t in the world an hour before.”

But the workshops offered more than just creative development. “This group became a hybrid of poetry, support, community and friendship,” Sean adds.

Manthology Poetry Collection. Image Credit: Mens Health Unlocked.

All three poets emphasise the importance of male-focused creative spaces. Lukas notes that the workshops “gave a space for men in Leeds who just wanted to write poetry and be encouraged to express emotions creatively.” Sean highlights the deeper social impact: “A lot of these guys are suffering from one trauma or another. That could be something as simple as being told as a child to ‘put up or shut up’. But when you get a group of men talking through projects like ‘Manthology’, they begin to trust each other with things they might never have said before.” Over time, that trust translated into deeply personal work. “The poetry has been startlingly beautiful,” Sean says, “and very honest.”

The need for such spaces remains urgent. Men are still less likely to openly discuss their emotions, and male suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the UK, particularly among younger men. Chris admits he was shocked to learn this. “It’s terrible that these young men, who have had no life yet, are giving up,” he says.

Sean speaks candidly about his own experiences with depression. Working night shifts left him isolated and struggling. “There are times when I’ve thought the world would be better off without me,” he says. “What stopped me was knowing I love my parents and the people around me. I recognised that I’m treasured, regardless of how I feel.” For him, ‘Manthology’ offers something vital: “It provides an escape and an opportunity to do something outside your daily routine. It’s also a non-alcoholic environment where you don’t need drink or drugs to connect and make genuine friendships.”

The project also challenges traditional ideas of masculinity. One of the most striking poems in the collection, Testament’s ‘Man to Man’, plays with the word “man”, exploring how it appears across language and everyday life, and suggesting there are many ways to inhabit that identity.

For Lukas, the concept of masculinity is complex. “I don’t fully connect with that label,” he explains, reflecting on his own lived experience. Chris offers a different perspective: “Surely that’s the point. There is no single label. We might be given them, but we don’t have to accept them.”

The poem concludes: “Let it go. Let it out. It’s okay.” Its message resonates throughout the anthology: whatever form masculinity takes, it’s okay to just be yourself. Lukas echoes this idea: “I guess being a man is doing the things that make you happy, like for us writing poetry. If someone says that’s not what a man should be doing, you can say, ‘well, I’m a man, and I do that.’”

Sean adds that strength should be redefined. “Being a man is having the courage to admit when you’re wrong, to repair relationships, to support others, and to be empathetic and kind,” he says. He recalls the ‘Manthology’ launch event, where contributors shared deeply personal work. “It takes real strength and bravery to speak about your mental health and be your true self.”

Chris, Sean and Lukas during interview with TSOTA. Image Credit: Maz Sultan.

As a collection, ‘Manthology’ spans a wide range of themes, from relationships and work to nature and football, while bringing together voices from across the community. It includes both experienced poets and those sharing their writing for the first time. This range of different styles, structures, rhymes, tones and diversity of voices challenges the perception of poetry as exclusive or elitist.

Chris points out that traditional publishing can feel inaccessible. “It’s complicated, and there’s a lot of money involved,” he says. “It polarises poetry and, I suppose, makes people feel like it’s beyond them.” By contrast, ‘Manthology’ was an open field for anybody. 

Sean recalls a moving moment from the workshop at Gipton Fire Station. A participant, who had never written poetry before, said as he left: “I wish I could be a poet.” Sean and Maz reassured him: “You are a poet. You’ve just written poetry, and there is a good chance it will be published.” He left “with the biggest smile on his face.” That is the power of ‘Manthology’, it’s an opportunity for people who wouldn’t class themselves as professional poets to be seen and heard.

For Lukas, that accessibility is crucial. “There are so many issues people struggle with, and not all of them are being represented by established poets,” he says. “It’s important to create space for different voices and perspectives.” He also challenges hierarchies within poetry. “Sometimes there’s a sense that beginner poets aren’t good enough or don’t belong because they don’t follow specific guidelines, forms of preferences. But that takes away from what poetry really is.” Sean agrees. “We need to accept that there are many forms of poetry, even formless poetry, and it’s all good because poetry is about expression. It’s about the freedom to share ideas and experiences in a creative way.”

Described in its introduction as both a “timestamp” of 2025 and a “legacy piece”, ‘Manthology’ looks to the future as much as the present. The poets hope it will inspire further creative groups (zines, anthologies and poetry/writing groups centred on men’s voices) across Leeds, Yorkshire and beyond where men can communicate without fear of being judged. While many male-oriented groups exist around sport and activity, these are not the only spaces in which men can find a sense of community. It is important to emphasise the need for greater inclusion of men in creative spaces and events, alongside the hope for continued and expanded funding to support initiatives like this writing group.

Lukas captures that ambition simply: “I hope it shows that men have voices and opinions they are allowed to express. And that by expressing them creatively, it might just save their life.” He pauses before adding: “Suicide prevention services often say ‘you are not alone’, but those words aren’t always heard. Spaces like ‘Manthology’ show men they are not alone, they make them feel it.”

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For more information about the support and services offered by Men’s Health Unlocked Leeds you can visit their website and instagram. You can read ‘Manthology’ online.