"Who's up for NaPoWriMo?" asked Carrie Etter and I thought, "Why not?" For those who don't know National Poetry Writing Month is a promise, a pledge, a dare, a boast to write a poem a day throughout April - 30 poems in 30 days. Carrie has attempted to do this every April since 2008. She's… Continue reading NaPoWriMo – I’m in!
Category: Poetry
The Page as Open Field with Carrie Etter
A post about another enjoyable and interesting poetry workshop devised and delivered by Carrie Etter, made possible by Hilda Sheehan and Bluegate Poets, at The Richard Jeffries Musuem, near Swindon. In The Page as Open Field we read and discussed six poems which use the page in a non-linear, unconventional way, with text not necessarily… Continue reading The Page as Open Field with Carrie Etter
Writing Workshops and Events in and around Wiltshire (and beyond!)
2023/24 UPDATE New workshops in Bradford-on-Avon. Details here. ________________________________________________________________________ NEWSFLASH FREE WRITING WORKSHOPS (POETRY AND SHORT FICTION) SALISBURY LIBRARY You are invited to join writer Josephine Corcoran in these enjoyable workshops. In a supportive, friendly environment you will: • read and discuss a variety of poems and short stories to inspire your own work. •… Continue reading Writing Workshops and Events in and around Wiltshire (and beyond!)
Smallstone poem for the last day of January
Smallstones As a boy I loved skimming grit. Now that I’m a man I spread my picnic rug by the smallstones so I won’t be overlooked when having sex. I am an elf, had a gallstone the size of half a pea the surgeon said, wincing in empathy. My sister is… Continue reading Smallstone poem for the last day of January
Cristina Navazo-Eguía Newton Book Launch at Swindon Open Mic
This was a wonderful evening of poetry, storytelling and live music at Swindon Central Library organised and hosted by Hilda Sheehan and Matt Holland from Swindon Artswords and Michael Scott, Chair of BlueGate Poets. The first half was an open-mic session and in the second half Cristina read from her book, Cry Wolf, which is… Continue reading Cristina Navazo-Eguía Newton Book Launch at Swindon Open Mic
Poetry Workshop with Martin Malone
Not another day must go by without me saying how much I enjoyed this recent workshop, another writing session organised by Hilda Sheehan who had recruited Martin Malone at the 11th hour to replace an unwell Carrie Etter (now, happily, recovered). Martin introduced himself by stating that what he wanted most when he signed up for a… Continue reading Poetry Workshop with Martin Malone
The Poetics of Things workshop with Robert Vas Dias
A solo parent Monday to Friday, this all-day, Saturday workshop, part of the 2012 Swindon Festival of Poetry, fitted in with my plans perfectly. As with other workshops I've been to recently, The Poetics of Things was organised by the wonderful, Swindon-based poet, Hilda Sheehan, who does so much to bring poetry to Swindon and… Continue reading The Poetics of Things workshop with Robert Vas Dias
Publishing Your Poetry Seminar with Carrie Etter
A few weeks ago I took part in this practical and informative seminar and workshop run by Carrie Etter. This was a really useful and productive morning crammed with advice about how, where and when to submit my work. One particularly helpful exercise was for each participant to analyse a poetry magazine, answering set questions… Continue reading Publishing Your Poetry Seminar with Carrie Etter
The music of Gertrude Stein
ModPo is racing on; we are now starting Week Five of this ten week course. My highlights last week were listening to a Penn Sound recording of Gertrude Stein reading her poem If I Told Him: A Completed Portrait of Picasso (1912) and watching an extract from Shutters Shut, a dance choreographed by Paul Lightfoot… Continue reading The music of Gertrude Stein
Modern and Contemporary American Poetry: Catching Up at 3AM
Waking at 3am on Saturday and finding myself unable to get back to sleep, I came downstairs in my pyjamas, made a cup of tea and plugged into the final readings for Week 3 of ModPo. I love this course! Hilda Doolittle (known as H.D.), Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams were the poets we… Continue reading Modern and Contemporary American Poetry: Catching Up at 3AM










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