Sam Forster: How ‘Drunk Folk Stories’ Influenced My Career
Published March 9, 2026
This year, Exeter Phoenix is supporting Go All In, a National Year of Reading 2026 campaign to help more people discover the joy of reading.
Our Events & Facilities Officer, Sam Forster, is a keen reader and has played a big part in our involvement with the national campaign. In this blog, Sam tells us why he attributes his career in the arts to a book that he read while at university. The author of the book, Drunk Folk Stories, is folk hero Beans on Toast who will perform live with his full band here at Exeter Phoenix on Wed 18 Mar.
Sam will soon be leaving Exeter Phoenix to continue his career in events with an exciting new opportunity at Torbay Council. Exeter Phoenix is proud of the significant contribution Sam has made during his time working here, and we can't wait to see where his career takes him.
I’m Sam, the Events & Facilities Officer at Exeter Phoenix. I manage our busy calendar of external hires and bookings, supporting on event logistics and delivery. This sees me working with organisations like University of Exeter to plan conferences, or supporting local community groups to deliver workshops. It’s an incredibly varied role thats allows me to show off Exeter Phoenix’s offer to a huge range of customers.
I have worked in events for several years now, since studying Event Management at BIMM University in Brighton. Here I was able to get involved in local festivals like The Great Escape and Mutations, as well as head up a team of grassroots promoters. I started out by playing in punk bands, and originally went to Brighton to study songwriting. However, after a (somewhat) life-changing read of Beans on Toast’s Drunk Folk Stories, a whirlwind collection of hedonistic yet thoughtful short stories, I changed career paths.
Beans on Toast is a prolific tourer, with his previous shows stretching the breadth of the UK and beyond. Years ago, I was able to catch him in Torquay, at the Apple & Parrot, after avoiding the 9pm kick out for under 18s, which as a teenager, felt very apt while listening to his songs about sneaking into Glastonbury. It was a fantastic and intimate night of singalongs, jokes and tales from his youth.
Beans on Toast
In his book, Beans on Toast goes into great detail about the highs and lows of working and running venues, mainly Nambucca in London. There was a grassroots and DIY approach he took to these, whilst committing to support artists and originality. This is something I saw myself doing, putting on DIY shows for my band in Torbay (albeit on a much smaller scale) and something clicked. I’d always enjoyed the behind-the-scenes work of being in a band and loved the rush of creating events that brought people together. With my new found inspiration, I switched over to my university’s Events Management course, and fully immersed myself in the live music scene in Brighton. Since then, I have been lucky enough to be part of some really exciting events, and look forward to watching Beans on Toast at Exeter Phoenix this March.
It’s events like this that we’re aiming to highlight in our partnership with the Go All In campaign. To me, it was a clear decision to support the National Year of Reading 2026, knowing firsthand the positive effect that reading can have on people’s lives. Personally, I’m a big fan of travel writing, particularly books like a Year in Provence or The Summer Of My Greek Tavérna. I love anything that conjures up imagery of distant places that feel warm and enchanting. That’s what reading is about for me; escapism. It allows you to escape your everyday life to experience something new, even if just for a moment.
Watch Beans on Toast Live
Beans on Toast comes to Exeter Phoenix on Wed 18 Mar with his full band to celebrate his new album Kill Them with Kindness - out now! Expect songs, stories, chaos and community in equal measure.
His belief in positive change through kindness and his authentic folk style have made him a cult hero, and his passion is infectious. Step right up for a night of music, mischief and magic with Beans on Toast.
Beans on Toast will also be joined by special guest, Ruth Lyon.
About the campaign
National Year of Reading 2026, Go All In campaign is a UK-wide effort designed to inspire more people to make reading a regular part of their lives.
The campaign’s important message is for people across the UK to go all in with their reading, picking up new genres, supporting local libraries and bringing books into conversations. It brings together Exeter Phoenix’s values of innovation and collaboration.
Throughout the year we’ll be highlighting and promoting literary events at Exeter Phoenix and beyond, create reading challenges drawing from our vibrant programme or staff picks and encouraging book swapping.
Exeter has a rich culture of literature, with an abundant of organisations doing brilliant things to highlight the importance of reading. So watch this space and follow along as we go all in.
