Poetry in Aldeburgh (Online), 2020

 

Poetry in Aldeburgh (a few years ago)

I am much looking forward to this year's festival in Aldeburgh of all things POETRY. It will be different, of course, without the huddled groups of poets in halls and cafes, and I will miss the bracing sea air, the taste of chips and the chance to do some bookshop browsing. 

I commend the team for putting the Festival together in a new way. Sadly, online festivals are not suitable for all; though, technology permitting, the virtual nature should make the events more accessible not only to folk like me, but also for those who would normally live too far away to be able to participate.

 

This time last year I was invited to read two of my poems, 'Storm and Steam' and 'Penwith Fingerstone', at the launch event of Port in the Peter Pears Gallery on Friday 8 November. Port has been produced and published by MW Bewick and Ella Johnston of Dunlin Press. Copies can be purchased here.

This year, my first event is a workshop tomorrow afternoon, taken by Dr Mina Gorji on ‘Listening into Poetry’. 

Poetry in Aldeburgh and the launch of the 'Port' anthology from Dunlin Press

Friday Evening

I have arrived back home after a wonderful day in Aldeburgh, which began with a picnic lunch by the North Lookout and ended with a take-away meal near The Scallop. There was much poetry in between. 

I attended Patricia Debney's stimulating Prose Poetry workshop, and completed a first draft of a new piece (which includes the word 'elephant'). An hour or so after the workshop, David (Gill) and I found ourselves on the Crag Path, making our way towards the Peter Pears Gallery for the launch of the new Port anthology from Dunlin Press.

Ella Johnston and MW Bewick of Dunlin Press introduced their new volume before Rosemary Appleton, Julie Hogg and I each presented a small coastal set including our Port contributions. Thank you, Ella and Martin, for inviting us to be part of this occasion.

The photograph below shows the book along with three of the Portpatrick photo-images that fed into my Port poem.The bird, in case you were wondering, is a Black Guillemot: these birds have red feet and are often referred to as Tysties on Shetland and in some mainland parts of Scotland.

Here we are, with the sea only metres away from the Peter Pears Gallery...

 

... making it seem very natural that the Port launch should share space with the launch of 48 poets write at the coast, an exquisite pamphlet edited and produced by Maria Isakova Bennett of Coast to Coast to Coast. 

In between the workshop and the launch David and I refuelled with cups of Earl Grey. No prizes for guessing who chose the slice of chocolate and ginger cake...

After the launch, a few purchases from the book table and a short time at the festival party, we left the gallery and crossed the road for two 'Aldeburgh essentials', otherwise known as two bags of fish and chips, which we devoured by the light of the November moon.

And finally...

...here are a couple of brooding sky photos.

Do visit the...

• Dunlin Press online shop, from which you can order copies of Port.

Poetry in Aldeburgh, 2018

I can hardly believe how quickly Poetry in Aldeburgh has come and gone this year. The weather was largely bright and fresh, and I'm guessing more poets braced the icy waters of the North Sea than on previous years, though I only actually saw one swimmer emerging over the shingle bank as I savoured my chips. 

I attended two workshops. They were both excellent, but very different from one another. My Friday workshop was led by Helena Nelson of HappenStance Press, and concerned the 'Ps' of having poetry published. My Saturday one, led by Pascale Petit, encouraged us to venture out of our comfort zones into the world of 'wild' and 'dangerous' writing.

So what did I buy during the weekend? Well, I was fairly restrained this year, having made a number of poetry purchases recently; but two volumes I could not resist were Mama Amazonica by Pascale Petit (having attended her 'wild' workshop) and a secondhand copy of The Trumpet and Other Poems by Edward Thomas. I added Kathleen Jamie's Collected Poems to my wishlist, perhaps with Christmas in mind, though I doubt I will feel I want to wait that long...

There is always a buzz in Aldeburgh during the days of the Festival, and it is always good to meet up with friends and to make new ones. The task now is to return to my notebook and attempt to tidy up those workshop drafts...

Poetry in Aldeburgh, 2017... and 'Herrings', the Festival Anthology

'I hear those voices that will not be drowned...' (from 'Peter Grimes', Britten) on The Scallop (Hambling)

Poetry in Aldeburgh took place this last weekend, with The Poetry School as the festival's headline partner. There were poetry workshops on the Friday afternoon, followed over the weekend by readings, presentations and collaborations of various kinds. There were walks along the beach, gatherings of friends, books to buy, swarming gulls and, of course, the essential whiff of fish and chips along the Crag Path.

A year ago I was sitting in the Aldeburgh Beach Lookout during the previous festival, enjoying Anne-Marie Fyfe's excellent workshop about the sea, when she told us that there would be a Poetry in Aldeburgh anthology called Herrings, and that we could submit our festival poems.

Fast forward twelve months, and Herrings has not only taken shape as an ocean-blue hardback, thanks to Nancy Warburg Astor and Andrew Hewish, but has now been launched. It has been produced and published by Blue Door Press; and contains 100+ poems, each written by a different poet as a snapshot, not only of Aldeburgh in 2016, but also of the festival itself. 

Internationally renowned and novice poets alike are represented in the volume. It is lovely to have my poem, 'Treasure Hulk', in such diverse company; and thanks are due to all those who created the book and organised the festival. The contributions to Herrings reflect festival visits to, and visions of, this seaside town that owes so much not only to the ocean and its bounty, but also to the influences of artists of various kinds such as Crabbe, Britten, Pears and Hambling.

My haul, Poetry in Aldeburgh, 2017

Herrings, the anthology

The Aldeburgh Beach Lookout

Dusk descends

Looking north

Illuminations

Publicity

Essential sustenance...

Poetry Workshop at Poetry in Aldeburgh

I have just returned from a Poetry in Aldeburgh workshop in the Lookout on the beach. It was a grey November afternoon, but we had a small log burner to keep us warm, and plenty of energy flowing freely through our pens. The workshop's title was 'Edge of the Depths' (the sea, the sea - what else?) and was led by Anne-Marie Fyfe. What an inspiring start to the Festival. Thank you, Anne-Marie.

Coming home, with two compulsory items - a book and a bag. 

The book in my hand is just out, and exquisitely produced by Eye Wild Books. Its title is Conversations with Birds, and the poet is Ian Griffiths, former Chair of Suffolk Poetry Society. The wonderful artwork is by Carol Lawrence. Do consider obtaining a copy of this publication.

 You can hardly see the sea,

but I can assure you it was visible

through the Lookout doors.

Aldeburgh beach, outside the Lookout

Last glance at the Lookout before I made my way home...