Suddenly the West Midlands is full of poetry activity. I’m not sure why, although the common factor is individuals who want to make it happen. The Polesworth Poets Trail is a case in point. Malcome Dewhirst has lead this project to use money available to the town for improvement of the environment and has had installed a fabulous series of poems, etched into metal and wood, set in stone, and placed around the town. The poetry is inspired by the fact that John Donne and Michael Drayton and others gathered in Polesworth in the 16th century but more importantly has been responded to by contemporary writers from across the country.

The Much Wenlock Poetry Festival has had a successful first outing and has reminded us once again that people are interested in poetry if you present it imaginatively and in an interesting location. And soon we will have Ledbury Poetry Festival‘s programme and the Stratford Poetry Festival and Helen Dunmore, winner of the National Poetry Competition is part of the the Birmingham Book Festival’s first Festival in a Day on 29th May. To add to this, Jacqui Rowe has launched a great series of poetry workshops to run in Birmingham, Nine Arches Press are rolling out handsome books and events to match (and we mustn’t forget Flarestack) and even as I write I suspect some enterprising enthusiast will be costing up a poetry project. I mention costing up, because money is necessary, but as these various events and projects show, there are a range of ways of getting iand using it. More on this in a future post.

And now I’m going to read another couple of poems from Jo Bell‘s collection, Navigation; eccelent stuff and long overdue for a re-print…