Poetry on Demand at Wolston Library with Matt Black - 15th December 2023
On the morning of 15th December, Matt Black headed over to Wolston Library to create poems on demand for the good people of Warwickshire. He was awarded a 10 out of 10 for his impromptu pieces.
What the library staff said:
"This event was a huge hit with the customers of Wolston Library. Several customers came to the library especially to see Matt and others were already in the library and were invited to take part. Matt wrote 7 poems for 7 customers, all absolutely fantastic! The customers were very impressed, some even offering to pay!"
Jonny Fluffypunk King of the Fun Palace
Jonny Fluffypunk went over to Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday 7th October as part of this year's Poetry on Loan National Poetry Day celebrations. He wrote poetry on demand and got a 10 out of 10 for his efforts from the library!
What the library staff said:
"Johnny was fantastic at our Fun Palaces event and was inundated with requests for poetry! He was great with the customers and all of our customers were really pleased with the offer."
Next Gen Poetry Workshop with Emilie Lauren Jones at Atherstone Library.
On the 30th September 2023 Emilie Lauren Jones paid a visit to Atherstone to work with young adults who were thinking of applying to be the next Young Poet Laureate of Warwickshire.
What the library staff said:
"10 out of 10"
"Emilie was absolutely amazing with the young adults who attended this workshop, and I enjoyed taking part, too! We had three very talented young ladies who all wrote a beautiful poem by the end of the session. Emily Hunt, our current Young Poet Laureate, was also in attendance and was absolutely fantastic. She gave such great advice to the attendees as well as explaining her time as Young Poet Laureate. A thoroughly successful workshop, even if numbers were lower than expected."
Ben Davis and the Impromptu Poetry on Demand Session!
Ben had been booked to run the first of two workshops for young adults interested in applying to become the next Young Poet Laureate of Warwickshire. When it appeared that the workshops wasn't going to happen, Ben got creative...
What the library staff said:
"It was a real shame that no one booked onto this event but Ben was happy to still come along and turned it into an impromptu Poetry on Demand session, where he wrote a poem for a lady about her grandson. A young boy who was about 8 who loved poetry helped Ben write a poem about a cow and a crab!"
Lots of Laughs and the Odd Limerick with Spoz
Spoz visited Stratford Library on 12th July 2023 with the intention of getting the good folk of Warwickshire penning limericks. He got a resounding 10 out of 10 for his work.
What the library staff said:
"Spoz was fantastic and was very good at getting the audience to participate. He got everyone in the room laughing and chatting and sharing stories. All participants were very engaged and all of them wrote at least two poems."
What the participants said:
What a fantastic way to spend a Wednesday afternoon - or any afternoon for that matter. Alan and I had great fun. Thanks, Spoz, for sharing your unique talents with us. We'll definitely be looking out for more of your visits to the library.
Anita Elizabeth Jones (via Facebook)
Sharing the Poetry Love for Valentine's Day - Poetry on Demand with Heather Wastie at Stockingford Library
Heather spent Valentine's Day at Stockingford Library. Here at Poetry on Loan we've got a remit to work with smaller libraries as well as the big central libraries, to make sure nobody misses out on the poetry love. The session was was busy and Heather didn't stop work during the whole time she was there, writing 6 poems in all. The recipients were all really pleased with their poems. One lady asked for a poem about her late mother and was brought to tears by it. One little girl in particular was very engaged with the process. A future poet in the making perhaps! (Watch out, Heather, she'll be after your job).
"There was a fantastic atmosphere, it couldn’t have gone any better!" Library Staff feedback.
Spoz Visits a Teen Reading Group at Warwick Library
On 10th December 2022, Spoz visited 'Page Turners' a teen reading group which is run by Warwickshire Libraries. Here's what happened...
"Spoz was so engaging we did not even break for refreshments. The theme was Human rights as 10th December was Human Rights day and I was slightly worried how this would go down and Spoz assured me beforehand that if it didn’t seem to be engaging the audience he would change the subject but I need not have worried – he managed to encourage seven brilliant poems from an audience who were not even sure they liked poetry – he converted them! Would not hesitate to use him again." Feedback from Library Staff.
Great work, Spoz.
Young Poet Laureate Selection Day at Rugby Library
On 5th November the shortlisted candidates for the coveted title of Young Poet Laureate of Warwickshire gathered together for a selection day. Poetry on Loan sent Steve Pottinger to run a workshop with the young people to support their performance and public speaking skills, before he then acted as MC for the sharing event whilst judges were making their decisions.
The Library staff gave Steve a 10 out of 10 and said, "The candidates really enjoyed the workshop with Steve and learnt a lot."
The winner was announced...drum roll....as Emily Hunt a pupil from Kineton High School. Emily will receive mentoring from award winning poet Brenda Read-Brown.
Open Mic Night at Coleshill Library Hosted by Charlie Staunton
On 12th October 2022 an event was held with the poetry group based at Coleshill Library. This was an opportunity to share work and have time to talk with other poets. Daniel, the Young Poet Laureate of Warwickshire, also performed – his first public performance had been at the same event last year, so it was a nice and symmetrical way to end his Laureateship!
The response to the whole evening was very positive. Attendees shared a mixture of favourite poems and their own work. The library staff gave the event a 10 out of 10 and commented about how well Charlie had supported the performers.
"Charlie was a great host who made everyone feel relaxed and gave them his attention and encouragement before the session started and in the interval. The poems he performed were great and he was very agreeable to how we wanted the evening to go."
What the audience said:
"Just a note to say thank you for this evening’s open mike poetry night." (via email after the event)
"A really enjoyable evening and so well organised. I particularly enjoyed the range of poetry that was performed."
Pathways/Mencap and the Return of Spoz
Over at Stratford Library on the 11th October 2022 the Pathways/Mencap group enjoyed writing an Autumn song/poem, coming up with rhymes and singing along to Spoz’s guitar. Spoz also bought leaves, conkers and other Autumnal props which helped to draw out responses, including from the non-verbal members of the group who enjoyed using their smell and touch with the conkers and leaves.
As it was World Mental Health Day the day before Spoz was asked to include this theme, and as ever was very accommodating, encouraging everyone to join in, listening to their contributions and weaving them together so everyone was included. He made everyone feel welcome and the group left with big smiles on their faces.
Poetry workshop for residents of Tithe Lodge, Southam
Bert Flitcroft let a smashing session with attendees who wouldn’t normally attend a poetry event – one person commented to the library staff that they were just there to make up the numbers, but then took part and shared their thoughts. Attendees also bought poems to share, and Bert kept activities simple and was very encouraging, After the session, a few of the attendees stayed to natter to Bert about various topics from language to accents (including asking where his was from). It was safe to say the Bert's session had made an impression.
Imtiaz Dharker online!
On Easter Monday, 5th April, Warwickshire Libraries hosted a virtual reading from award-winning poet Imtiaz Dharker via Microsoft Teams. The event opened with a short reading by the Warwickshire Young Poet Laureate, Ruby Murphy before Imtiaz shared with the attendees some of her latest work, inspired by both the events of 2020 and the lockdown. After an opening collection of poems that explored how relationships had been impacted by lockdown and how our feelings had adjusted to a new way of living, the floor was opened to questions. Attendees watching in New York and more locally in Warwickshire asked questions about inspiration, the process of writing and the impact of Lockdown on both. Imtiaz then treated the audience to a second set of some of her best known poetry.
Poetry postcard launch!
Jan Dawson, Librarian
It's been busy in Warwickshire...
Warwickshire Libraries unveils an artwork reflecting library customers' responses to poetry
Poetry and dance
Warwickshire Libraries worked with Motionhouse Dance Company (based in Leamington) who ran a week of free workshops for teenagers in August 2015 in Warwick at the Lord Leycester Hospital; funded by the King Henry VIII Endowment Fund.
The programme was called Fusion and built on a dance performance by Motionhouse called "Captive". This in turn was based on Rilke's poem The Panther. Participants at Fusion were ably led by Claire Benson who helped them choreograph their own performance on the theme of captivity. The young people visited Warwick Library at the start of the week where they met Lauren Parsons, our Young Poet Laureate, who, with staff from the library service, talked to them about the power of poetry and introduced them to a wide range of old and new poems to inspire their dance creations. The end of the week saw a performance in Market Square by the young people. Lauren opened this with a reading of The Panther and also a new poem of her own called Captive. Following the teenagers' own impressive performance, Motionhouse dancers then performed "Captive". The square was packed and included a number of local councillors, notably the mayors of all the local district and town councils. Their support was greatly appreciated. Once again Lauren showed her talent as our Laureate, not only composing and performing a new poem, but interacting well with the crowd too. Lauren's poem is published here and this film clip shows her reading it again after the open-air performance, in Warwick Library.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lFLxTrecTg
Warwickshire Poetry Voices
The Warwickshire Poetry Voices project is now at the end of its first year of funding, and they've made a video to explain what it has all been about. You can watch it here.
Ian McMillan and Tony Husband hit Nuneaton
Poet Ian McMillan and cartoonist Tony Husband took in Nuneaton Library on their tour entitled A Cartoon History of Here . 170 people aged 10 to over 80 and a guide dog who barked every time the audience clapped (which was a lot!) had a non-stop laughing session as Ian recounted his previous exploits on tours and then worked with the audience to produce a somewhat unusual poem and song celebrating Nuneaton.
As Ian talked, Tony drew cartoons picking up the bizarre themes that emerged starting with "Midnight at Nuneaton Library". Tony also drew pictures that were not quite as expected as he illustrated words in a slightly different way so "doner kebabs" became "Donkey Babs" - a rather fetching female of the species!
Several of the younger members of the audience helped Ian, and everyone had to recite the poem adding new phrases every time. It was quite amazing that Nuneaton's two most famous people - Larry Grayson and George Eliot - were worked into the poem by very determined audience members. I'm not sure what either of them would have thought of the literary merits of the final piece, but the audience were in stitches.
Ian and Tony both signed copies of their books for a long while afterwards. There was lovely feedback from a number of audience members and Ian himself said several times it was one of the best-organised events he had ever had on his tours.
Poetry by heart
The regional final (Coventry and Warwickshire schools) of the Poetry by Heart competition was held at Rugby Library on February 7th, 2015. Matt Black was there, and he wrote a poem for the finalists. Here it is:
The memory-shop
Because everything you remember
And everything that happens to you
Is stored somewhere inside your body,
Which is like a big memory-shop, or a warehouse
Of adventures, or even a treasure-filled city,
With some memories still bright and sharp,
Others on a high shelf, or in a rusty box,
Or in jam-jars, or in your own inner
Library of re-written Mr. Men books,
So I like to imagine filing-cabinets and drawers
Hidden all around me, my primary school years
Stored inside toes, ankles, knees,
My teenage summers alive and well
And still burning bright in my shoulders.
So where will I store today,
Saturday, 7th February, 2015, in Rugby Library,
And where will your poem go to rest in your body
That is now so alive in your memory?
In your legs, so it can lead you to the river
In your ears, like a soundtrack to calm you as you walk down city streets
In your mind, to unwind the answers from the apple-trees
In your knees perhaps, those words might protect your knees
From rain, or from aching days, or overhot sunshine
In your heart, so you can love those words and one day tell them to a future lover
In your hips, your poem might ride with you into clubs and onto dance-floors
In your voice, so you can talk your past into your future
In your spirit, one more speck of a day to help shape you forever
In your eyes, for that poem might be your personal star to steer by
And if you are thinking, by next week I might have forgotten those words,
There will be a quiet moment, when you are twenty-seven,
Or thirty-four, or forty-two, staring out of the window
In your sitting-room, or standing on a bridge on holiday in Venice,
And a little voice comes back to you,
Speaks your first line again...
Matt Black
Love in Leamington
Follwing the success of last year's Love in Leamington, this year's event, on 12th February, had to be even bigger and better - and it was. Seven local poets - Julie Boden, Roz Goddard, Spoz, Roy McFarlane, Maria and Jonathan Taylor and Charlie Jordan - were commissioned to write new poems on the theme of love, which were set to original jazz music by Steve Tromans, assisted by percussionist Lydia Glanville and vocalist Alison Symons.
Although the evening was bad weather-wise, the turnout was 70 people, although unfortunately some who had reserved tickets didn't make it. For those who did, the atmosphere was most relaxed, like being in a jazz club, as someone remarked, and it was all helped along by wine and chocs, suitably heart-shaped.! This was a truly warm and inspiring evening, and our thanks go to Poetry on Loan for sponsoring the poets.
This was the second concert in our Love in Leamington series ,and we look forward to the next!
Other news
Warwickshire has just appointed two poets in residence - Roy McFarlane and Gina Biggs.
Previous years:
In the past couple of years, we have been lucky enough to present evenings with Andrew Motion and Ian McMillan at Warwick. We have also hosted Elvis McGonagall at Atherstone and Paul Cookson at Bedworth. All of these had excellent audiences.
Last February, we worked with local poet Julie Boden to present a concert in Leamington Library , Love in Leamington which set some of Julie’s love poems to original music composed for the night, and was hosted by Roz Goddard. This was a really successful evening, with over 100 people in the audience, and seems likely to be repeated in the future.