IS&T | awritersfountain

Yesterday I listened to incredible poems from George Szirtes, Moniza Alvi and Elżbieta Wójcik-Leese at LIVE at The Butchery. Their poems will sit with me for a long time.

During the event Jacqueline Saphra dropped a link to the Fundraiser which happened in London on Mother’s Day, 30th March.

Transcript/Video Information:

A fundraising, awareness-raising, spirit-raising day of poetry in solidarity with the people of Ukraine at this time of great peril and suffering.

Poets for Ukraine, in partnership with The Society of Authors, The Poetry Society, The Poetry School and JW3 held a Poem-a-Thon here at JW3 where sponsored poets read in relay for up to five minutes, some in person and some virtually.

Special guests include:

Juliet Stevenson, Jessie Ware, Meera Syal, Sophie Ward and Nick Hytner
Naomi Shihab Nye from the USA
Headliner poets from the UK, including former Scottish Makar Jackie Kay
Former National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke
Imtiaz Dharker who holds the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry
This year’s Costa Book Prize winner Hannah Lowe
Forward Prize winner Fiona Benson
Former Poet Laureates Carol Ann Duffy and Andrew Motion
Poet in Residence for Radio 4 & 4 Extra Daljit Nagra
Veteran actors Harriet Walter and Bill Paterson
They will share the spotlight with Ukrainian poets appearing on video both from the frontline and the diaspora.

All proceeds to our chosen charities, Goods for Good and Hope and Aid Direct.

The links for giving are available under the video.

Go and watch it on the JW3 London channel.

I realise despite writing 38 poems in the past 4 weeks for NaPoWriMo, you haven’t seen any of them – so I can treat you all to a full poem today care of IS&T who kindly published ‘Where We Begin’, it is the featured poem today.

Much of the poetry I wrote in 2020 (beyond my own ongoing projects), was as a result of fantastic, generous workshops. When I reminded myself of the origins of this poem I knew I needed to add thanks to Zelda Chappel.

Zelda ran several classes/workshops throughout Lockdown. This poem came from the Week 1 Writing in New Spaces, so thanks Zelda for making me write in the fresh places.