Jan Brierton
Bio
Dubliner Jan Brierton is a mam, a fashion stylist, and a poet.
Her first collection What Day Is It? Who Gives a F*ck was published in 2021
after Jan’s first ever poem went viral during lockdown.
Everybody Is a Poem: Midlife in Rhymes Jan’s second collection was published by New Island in 2024. In her pocket size books Jan riffs on menopause, midlife, the mental load,
friendships, relationships, loss, and self-acceptance.
Plain-speaking and completely relatable, all of Jans verses are served with her signature combination of humour, wit, and poignancy.
This is poetry for everybody.
Since the publication of her debut book, Jan has appeared on RTE Nationwide, Ireland AM, TV3’s Six O Clock show, RTE Radio 1’s Brendan O Connor Show, Ray Darcy Show, 2Fm, 98FM, The Irish Times Women’s podcast and Mamia & Me with Amy Huberman. Jan’s poems have been shared on social media by Jo Whiley and Emma Barnett (BBC Women’s Hour) with over 30K views.
Jan is a regular guest poet on the Ray Darcy Show on RTE Radio 1.
With her passion for keeping poetry accessible, Jan’s poems really come to life in her engaging live performances. In May 2024 Jan opened with her poetry hero Dr John Cooper Clark in Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre, where she debuted her homage to his world famous ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ with her modern love poem ‘You’ll Always Be For Me’
Jan’s live show Wild Words in Dublin’s Ambassador Theatre in Nov 24, celebrated the power of poetry and prose with Donna Ashworth, PJ Gallagher and Emmet Kirwan.
She has read her poems on The Word and Manifesto stages at Electric Picnic, The London Irish Centre, The Mutiny Theatre, St Annes Park Rose Festival, Five Lamps Arts Festival, Drogheda Arts Festival, Dublin City Libraries and the Liberties Festival.
2025 saw Jan open for John Cooper Clark in The London Palladium, The Nottingham Royal Concert Hall and the Manchester Co-Op Arena in celebration of World Poetry Day.
Jan continues to write and perform alongside her mam duties and her career as a creative director and fashion stylist.