2012 Bridport Prize Winners Notified

Perhaps one of the most prestigious writing competitions, we await the results....due to be announced on October 14th 2012. See The Bridport Prize website.

Newspaper Taxis: Poetry After the Beatles

The Beatles changed popular culture in an era when popular culture was changing the world, high culture and low culture blending to become our culture.

We are looking for poems that exist only because The Beatles did, but come after, going beyond hagiography and reminiscence to capture what made them a vital force, at the forefront of creative and social change.

The editors of ‘The Captain’s Tower: Seventy Poets Celebrate Bob Dylan at Seventy’ (Seren, 2011) will draw upon ‘Things We Said Today: Poems About The Beatles’ (Stride, 1994) to create a new anthology to mark fifty years of the only pop group guaranteed a place in histories of the future.

Contributors then included Philip Larkin, Roger McGough, Carol Ann Duffy, Adrian Henri, Wendy Cope, Jeremy Reed, Wes Magee and Lachlan MacKinnon.

Please email your submissions to: newspapertaxisbook@gmail.com

Watchet Summertime Week - performance poets wanted!

Pete Stevenson is organising a 'Busking' day for the Watchet Summertime Week (see website for more details of whats on - watchetsummertime.btck.co.uk) on August 13th. He is asking musicians etc to do a stint on the day and also anyone who does performance poetry if they would be interested. He is clear that he wants very performance style stuff (no agonising!!) as whoever does it will have to make themselves heard on the esplanade, grab people who are walking past etc. with their words of course!

He is also organising a poetry reading at the Watchet Live Music Festival on the early evening of 24th August - also performance poetry which is usually done in one of the smaller tents (tea tent) where they have a mike and later on they do accoustic stuff. If you go to this event he would need your name to go on the door so you can get in free for the evening.

Anyone interested in either of these can ring Pete to discuss 07896867799.

POEM: For Harry

I have written this poem for my future Godson's Christening in June- any feedback appreciated...Thanks Polly x

June the 3rd and someone, somewhere seeks light.


And we are at the beginning,

Out of an old answer comes a question.

Will I promise to teach you what I know?

No. I will not promise you one thing.

I will point towards the light through the leaves and hope you see beyond the sky.

I will paddle with you in the waves, make mud pies and let ice-cream drip down your chin.

Let you select the best shells, dip nets in rock pools, draw out the slimy monsters.

Will I promise to have the answers? No.

I cannot promise you this.

But I will hold your hands and rub your feet if you wish.

This is your story that’s unfolding, a sunny view, a comfy cot,

Music and stillness, fullness and expectation.

Find your feet.

I’ll let you stare at spoons if you so wish.

Show the wonders of a pickled egg in a packet of crisps.

I’ll show you the utter randomness of life,

Laugh when you rant; cheer when you try.

But now go the bells and we are ready to rush

to more places to drink and raise toasts,

greet other faces who smile ‘cause you’re little and can’t yet speak words.

But words are piffle when you can have song –

let us learn from the dolphins, the wolves and unicorns

Dare to put your faith in the unseen. Dive in.

Let us learn from the trees and the bugs and the tigers.

Let us learn from the dreams of butterflies and poets.

Find your feet. Then fly.

And remember to send the postcards

I’ll pin them up, keep them dry.

Bradninch Music and Literary Festival in Devon

Poetry Workshop and Reading at the Bradninch Music and Lit Festival in Devon that might be of interest. See website for details. Bradninch is a lovely old village, not very far from Cullompton in Devon.

SATURDAY 2nd JUNE from 11am to 1pm, POETRY WORSHOP with GENISTA LEWES in the WHITE LION PUB, BRADNINCH, DEVON. READING takes place from 5pm to 6pm.

There will be spaces for open mic readings during the session which might interest some of you?? Make a change from all the royal celebrations!!

New FREE Magazine - OUT NOW..

LAMP (Literature, Arts, Music, Performance) is a new FREE magazine edited by Lionel Ward of Brendon Books, Bath Place, Taunton. It includes a poetry section. Brendon Books

Poetry London Competition - closing soon

Poetry London Competition
1st Prize £1000
plus publication in the magazine
Judge: Neil Astley

click on the title above for more details...