A PERFORMANCE poet who took his first steps on a stage in Lancaster is coming home to join the city's Litfest this weekend.

Byron Vincent, pictured, whose subversive brand of barking doggerel has taken the UK slam poetry scene by storm, will perform at The Dukes on Saturday.

Byron started performing poetry at Lancaster's Spotlight club, the monthly writer's cabaret at the Yorkshire House.

He took a long break from writing when he ran a weekly funk night at The Crypt in Lancaster and only took up poetry again last year after moving to Bristol.

Since then he has won several poetry slams and he is now travelling round the country performing at literary events and music festivals while studying fine art. He recently got his first publishing deal with Crocus books.

He will be at the Dukes on Saturday evening. Tickets are £5 (£3.50 concessions) from 01524-598500.

* LITFEST has booked Pete Morgan to read at the festival after a last-minute cancellation by the poet Saskia Hamilton.

Saskia, who was scheduled to read with Tony Curtis and Carole Coates on Saturday at 6pm, found herself unable to return from New York in time for the reading.

Litfest artistic director Andy Darby says: "I'm delighted that Pete could join the festival at such short notice. He is a wonderful poet and performer both dramatic and witty, and definitely worth seeing."