Poetry Events ~ (Workshop at) Free Verse Poetry Book Fair, London

So what was this all about? To be revealed ...

We visited the Free Verse Poetry Book Fair at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square in Bloomsbury on Saturday. It was good to be welcomed by poetry advocates like Chrissy Williams from the Poetry Library at the Southbank Centre. There was a huge buzz in the hall as publishers and poets jostled their way around the benches of books, pamphlets, chapbooks, magazines, postcards, badges (I couldn't resist an Adlestrop one), free cloth bags and roller stands. Poetry came in all shapes and sizes, and its representatives flocked from Devon, Berkshire, Northumberland, New York and beyond to share publications and ideas.

The Poetry Book Fair website describes the event as ...

'an all-day bazaar, market, library, meeting place, performance venue, information resource and more. Celebrating the vitality of contemporary poetry in the UK, publishers both large and small, both experimental and traditional, display and sell their work direct to the public,'

... and I, for one, am so glad that I was able to go along to experience the vibrant atmosphere for myself.

It was lovely to find familiar faces among the throng and it was also a great opportunity for meeting new people in the poetry world. So who was represented? You will find a long list of publishers large and small on the right hand side of this page. I suspect there was something for everyone. There were plenty of items for sale ... and the distinctive blue and orange Poetry School cloth bag proved the perfect receptacle for our purchases.

Inevitably the artwork on book covers or postcards caught my eye as I went up and down the aisles. This was particularly the case when it came to Two Rivers Press, and you can see some of the stunning designs here. I had not heard of this Reading-based publishing house before, and can easily see why it has been described as ‘one of the most characterful small presses in the country.’ I particularly enjoyed talking to the stall holders.

So ... why the fox-free poster? I signed up for a workshop at the Book Fair, laid on by the Poetry School and led by Simon Barraclough (standing in for Isobel Dixon) on the intriguing zoological and mythological subject of 'The Twilight of the Iguana'. Ted Hughes, of course, was mentioned - but I think we all succeeded in finding subjects other than the banned animal in the poster for our workshop muse.

Simon Barraclough leads the Poetry School workshop

Eels, tadpoles, a baby rabbit, an owl, an armadillo, (plenty of) pigs and mice were just a few of the creatures that slithered, scuttled or soared before our eyes during the course of an exhilarating two hour session. We considered poems by Elizabeth Bishop and others - and tried to respond to the vast 'bestiary' theme in our own words. Thank you, Simon and the Poetry School, for a terrific workshop. Thank you to all the organisers of Free Verse for a great day.

Magazine Moment ~ Reach Poetry at 15 Years Old (and issue 180)

I have got a bit behind on this site, so in the hope that I will eventually catch up with myself by filling in the gaps, here is a new post.

I have been a subscriber to Reach Poetry since the days when Shelagh Nugent was editor and the poetry publication was known simply as Reach. This eclectic and well-loved poetry magazine has been under the aegis of Ronnie Goodyer and Dawn Bauling of Indigo Dreams Publishing for some years now. It has just celebrated its 15th birthday with its 180th issue, which sports a magnificent avian creature from the editors' new homeland of Devon, as you will discover if you take out a subscription for yourself.

So what is *so* special about this poetry magazine? 

I will list my Top Ten answers - in no particular order.

Reach Poetry ...

• is more like an ever-expanding writers' circle. Well-known names in the poetry world sit comfortably alongside those of newcomers.
• is a monthly poetry magazine, one of the few in the UK.
• is eclectic in style and tone. You will find a healthy mixture of e.g. formal Shakespearean Sonnets and free verse poems. You will encounter poems for every mood: there are fine contributions that are elegiac in tone and there are humorous poems to make you smile.
• is eclectic in its subject matter. The current issue contains poems concerning a samovar, a long shadow and a ride on a feather, to name but three examples. I never cease to be excited and/or moved by the editorial choice, which often results in serendipitous connections for the reader. 
• has a monthly pair of book-end poems, one by Ronnie and one by Dawn. Judging by the reader comments, we all look forward to enjoying these. 
• is a magazine that takes feedback seriously. Each month the readers are invited to offer comments and to cast votes for their favourite pieces. There is a £50 prize (which can be shared), and the top four poems are elevated to 'The Box' which appears in the following issue.
• is a magazine with a perfect blend of the 'professional' and the 'personal'. 
• is a publication with stunning photographic covers, designed by Ronnie. 
• is perfect bound and feels good to handle.

• Oh, and I mustn't forget to mention (as if I would) that each month brings the new challenge of spotting a photo of Soxx, the resident Border Collie, who will doubtless be hiding somewhere on the cover. 

I hope that you will be able to enjoy the latest cover photo for yourself. I will end this post with a couple of pictures of my own - no prizes for guessing what my poem in #180 is about ... and, incidentally, I read this poem out at our monthly Poetry Cafe at Arlington's last night.

Poetry Venues ~ Walpole Old Chapel, Suffolk

One of the fascinating things about poetry readings is the venue in which they happen. I have enjoyed the opportunity of reading in large venues like the National Botanic Garden of Wales and in intimate interiors such as Dylan's parlour at Number 5 Cwmdonkin Drive in Swansea. I recently read a poem, 'Elegy to Idris Davies', from my chapbook (co-authored with John Dotson) in the exquisite venue of Walpole Old Chapel in Suffolk as part of a Poetry Evening, organised by members of the Halesworth Poetry Cafe. 

Walpole Old Chapel had been a sixteenth century farmhouse until it was turned into a chapel some 30 years after its construction by some Independent puritans under William Bridge. In 1955, after an unusual history, the chapel passed to the care of the Historic Chapels Trust. These days the chapel is used for suitable gatherings and for Quaker meetings. Its setting is rural, and as we drove up to it, the combine harvester was moving up and down, gathering barley from the surrounding fields.

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On a different note, I have just found this timer, which is useful for preparing poetry presentations!

Anthology Alert ~ Launch of 'Poetry from Strata Florida' at Poets and Princes Day

If you are within reach of Strata Florida / Ystrad Fflur in mid-Wales, do come and enjoy the 'Poets and Princes' day, laid on by CADW and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies on 14 September.

A number of us will be reading our poems at 2pm, during the launch event for the new anthology (cover below, editor Martin Locock of Carreg Ffylfan Press). As you can see from the poster, there will also be sessions on princes, poets, pottery, printing and food! Martin will be leading guided tours around this special site ... and you may even see a Red Kite or two.

Poems in Unusual Places ~ The Plastic Palace, Minsmere

I was reading a post on the Giraffe Head Tree blog about litter on our beaches worldwide when I remembered my photos of The Plastic Palace installation, which is situated between the shore and the bird reserve at Minsmere. We were able to enter the palace, where there was a box containing a book for thoughts, pictures and poems. 

I composed a quick Haiku, which David was kind enough to write in the book for me ... as he could bend down to sit on the seat.

The Plastic Palace has been created under the auspices of the RSPB by Minsmere's Environmental Artist-in-Residence Liz McGowan. It was quite a revelation just how many types of non-degradable plastic wash up on our shores, from a toy camel (quite appropriate for a sandy site) through to detergent bottles and, of course, all those rubber gloves. I think the Wombles would have enjoyed The Plastic Palace as their holiday residence ... and, who knows, they might just have done a little beach-combing and re-creating of their own! 

Publication Pointer ~ Glossy Ibis ... and Puffins

My previous post was about an anthology that will raise funds for WWT Welney, and, as it happens, my most recent poem to be published, 'Glossy Ibis near Welney', has just made The Box in the August edition of Reach Poetry, having been voted 4th in the readers' vote.

The Glossy Ibis is a bird that is still on my 'wish-list'. I had hoped to see one when we were on the lagoons near Pylos three years ago, but it was not to be.

Sunset: Yialova lagoons, near Pylos, Greece

Speaking of birds, my puffin poem, 'A Chink in the Sky', features in the August edition of FreeXpresSion from Australia. It seems a good excuse for a(nother) puffin picture ...

 ... or two!

Anthology Alert ~ 'Words for Wide Skies' for WWT Welney

'Haunting, quirky and evocative, these beautiful poems

chart the changing moods of the Fenland landscape.'

Elaine Ewart

This new poetry anthology has recently been published by FlightFeather Press in celebration of 'nature and the Fens'. Sale profits will raise funds for the conservation work at the Welney Wildlife and Wetland Trust Centre.

Elaine Ewart, the editor and 2012 Fenland Laureate, was helped by three assistant editors, Karen Harvey, Samantha Lee (the Public Engagement Officer at Welney) and Carol Turner (a member of the Friends of Welney Group). The cover was designed by Karen Harvey and the superb cover illustration is entitled 'Whooper Swans and Lapwings' by Dafila Scott. Leanne Moden, the 2013 Fenland Laureate, has also been involved with the project.  

The volume contains 22 poems, including my piece inspired by the Welney hares, 'For the Love of Long Ears'. I am particularly delighted to have a poem in this volume because I love this Norfolk reserve and am impressed by the conservation work that goes on at the site. 

The collection features poets from East Anglia and is described by eco-literature warrior, Irish Sirmons on the Wildeasters blog, as holding ‘exceptional talent and potential’. 

Words for Wide Skies can be purchased from the WWT Welney shop, priced at £5 plus postage and packing.  Contact WWT Welney on 01353 860711 or by e-mail at info.welney@wwt.org.uk

• Elaine Ewart's FlightFeather blog. Elaine performs her poetry around the country and organizes poetry events. She is studying the MA in Wild Writing at Essex University and is also a volunteer at WWT Welney.
• Initial feedback on the anthology
• the Words for Wide Skies launch event (which happened while I was north of the border)
• J.S. Watts and Words for Wide Skies 

Postscript ...

My poem, 'Glossy Ibis near Welney', appears in the current (July 2013) on p.26 of Reach Poetry #178.