Rick Sanders, aka Willis the Poet, is an established comedy stand-up poet based out of the mighty West Midlands. As well as being a regular on the Birmingham poetry circuit, Willis also actively supports the flourishing spoken word event scene in the region, his sticky sausage-fingers in as many pies as he can.

On the national stage, Willis won the 1st round of the InkBomb slam competition in Bristol and was runner up in the Wolverhampton Literary Festival Slam in 2017 & 2018. He has performed in Manchester at the Evidently World War Four slam competition, the Hammer & Tongue Slam in Bristol and also at the Stafford Gatehouse on the open mic at the Bang Said The Gun tour. He has appeared at the Cheltenham Poetry Festival, in the poetry tent Lakefest, and as the emerging talent at Apples & Snake’s Bright Smoke event with the RSC in Stratford, wowing the organisers with his comic verse. He was also selected to appear on the Black Country Broadsheet Project as one of the emerging poets in the region – The Cannabis Anarchist

Willis has set up a monthly poetry slam event in Dudley to bring more spoken word to the Black Country and hosts a series of Comedy Poetry Nights in the Midlands and beyond. He is also co-host of Tilt on the Mic in Birmingham and presents Brum Radio Poets, both on the monthly radio show and at the quarterly live showcase event in Waterstones. He also hosts Whisky & Words at the Birmingham Whisky Club, bringing together two of his favourite things.