Everyone's a Star after Midnight by Wayne Power

– tales from the urban jungle, of Love’s lost and found, midnight masquerades and a soul laid bare –

Wayne Power is a writer, poet and spoken-word artist based in Waterford who has risen to prominence in his native city, in recent years, through his work on the local arts scene. It was not surprising therefore that his debut collection of poems – entitled Everyone’s a Star after Midnight – should have been so eagerly anticipated and so well received by all who know him and are familiar with his work.

It is a book that is dedicated to:

… the underdogs, the dreamers, the mental health warriors, the unrequited, the shoulders we cry on and the torch songs we let heal us. The friends who become family and the family who become everything. – Wayne Power, from Everyone's a Star after Midnight, published 2020

In 2019, Wayne burst onto the spoken-word scene, at a rapid pace, through his work with the Modwords collective. He quickly became a regular face at Waterford’s various open mike nights, taking every opportunity to share his truths. His poetry and writing are unfiltered, at times gritty, recalling lost nights, love, mental health and political themes coupled with a comedic edge, all of which celebrate the human condition. They are snapshots of the light and shade of city life, steeped in a fondness for where he is from, where he has been and where he hopes to go.

Love is underrated. Fear is overrated. I didn’t dream it. – Wayne Power, author, poet, spoken-word artist

Everyone’s a Star after Midnight by Wayne Power is published by The Manuscript Publisher and available to buy online, in print and e-book editions. RRP €12 plus P&P.

Coming Soon:

The follow up to Wayne Power's debut collection is the soon to be published Neon Hearts and the Angry Mob. It will be formally launched on Friday, 4 March starting 7pm at St Patrick's Gateway Centre in Waterford by the well-known playwright Jim Nolan. Music, entertainment and refreshment will be provided on the night, along with performances by the author of some of his poems and he will also be on hand to sign copies.

For a flavour of what you might expect, watch Wayne perform his composition, My Town, taken from his debut collection.