Earlier this week I shared the sizzle… here’s the recording of our Transatlantic reading. Enjoy!
With gratitude to all participating poets and to Rodger Martin and Polly Stretton for managing this second edition of the project with me.
Some poetry events are just magical! Mix the alchemy of Transatlantic poets writing call and response poems and you are sure to have a cracking reading. The power of hearing these poems performed by each poet was fabulous. Added to the words, the reunion of people, not just across the pond but within our own communities.
I have huge gratitude to every poet in this project. Polly Stretton is a marvel and without her, the gleam wouldn’t have been as bright as it was. I appreciate every ounce of work she has delivered since the summer.
We are currently editing the film for YouTube and then over the next few months will compile a print anthology with Black Pear Press.
Watch this space!
Here’s a flavour of what’s to come…
I am ridiculously excited by this, one week to go before the American Reading of A Tale of Two Cities Project at the Sprinkler Factory, Massachusetts.
47 poets in Worcester UK and Worcester MA USA were paired up and each partnership wrote call and response poems which were then collated into a Special Edition of the online Poetry Magazine Contour.
In July we had the inaugural UK reading at Park’s Cafe as part of the Artsfest event ‘Poetry Extravaganza’. Both this event and the USA one were planned in June.
Photography ©Rhys Jones Droitwich Arts Network.
We had 9 poets from the 24 UK poets reading both their own poems and those from their partners. It was a true celebration of the project and it was lovely to hear people talk about their experience of the partnering. One thing we all acknowledge is poems existing which otherwise wouldn’t and the pleasure of working with Poets based in Worcester, MA.
You can read more about Artsfest and our ATOTC reading here.
Our American poets were pooled from the Worcester County Poetry Association with support from Bob Gill and Rodger Martin. They will be reading their poems and the response poems from the UK will be read by Brian Evan-Jones.
Brian is a touring artist with both the Maine and New Hampshire Arts Councils and was the former Poet Laureate of Hampshire, England. He currently resides in Kittery, Maine, and received his MFA at the University of New Hampshire where he studied with former U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic.
The Transatlantic Project was part of my Laureate Legacy. You can read more about it here.
History of the Transatlantic Poetry Project
© 2017 Worcester Cathedral ‘Christmas Tree Festival’
Since July I have been working on a Transatlantic Poetry Project with members of the Poetry Society in Worcester Massachusetts. Finally the proposal has been agreed and the next stage of acquiring poets to buddy up has begun.
An exciting Christmas gift! Find out more about TToTC project here.
Worcestershire Poet Laureate
awritersfountain 