Dozens of baffled National Trust fans felt their way through the damp
and dimly lit curved passageway in the basement of Nostell Priory on May 17th
to find me waiting with a commissioned interactive poem inspired by Chippendale
and mirrors. I like experimentation and this was evident in the commission, as
each verse started and ended with the same word (e.g. bard/drab and post/stop)
which the audience had to repeat in a whisper, adding to the eerie atmosphere
in the bowels of the house . The feedback from
participants was fantastic and the whole experience was unforgettable… at least
for me, anyway.
I was extremely proud to part of the Navvies Memorial Anniversary early
in the summer. Otley Town Council asked me to write a poem for the occasion and
I decided on a sestina focusing on three people and their deaths. A video of me reading the poem made by Mark
Currie was screened at the event on July 13th at Otley Parish Church
and I read it in person during the second event on July 26th at
Otley Courthouse. I am immensely grateful to Angie Leathley and Mark for their
help in creating the poem: Angie for her research and attention to detail, and
Mark for his passion for the project and his patience while filming me bumble through
the poem in front of his camera. Also, to the members of Otley Poetry Gym for
their editorial suggestions. I urge everyone to read the book and see the film
relating to this project.
I have written my ‘neighbourhood’ poem for the Leeds/Dortmond50 project
and have received a text from my German counterpart, Thomas Kade. I was
inspired by the amount of activity on my street in the morning (considering
Otley is such a marvellous mixture of nature and industry, old and new, locals
and off-comed-uns) and how much of it relates to more universal ideas. Thomas
and I are working with a student from the University of Leeds to help us
translate our work and the results should be ready in September.
On Saturday October 5th, Otley dominates the programme at the Ilkley
Literature Festival Fringe. I will once again be leading the cast of ‘Town
Below the Steps: A Poetry Play’ (visit www.halfmoonbooks.co.uk for
more details), 11.30am-12.30pm in the Church House. In addition to this, poets
published by Otley-based Half Moon Books Barbara Howerska, Jane Kite and Joe
Williams will also be performing throughout the day. Jane will perform her
transformative epic poem, ‘Phobia and the Girl’, 3.10pm-4pm at Ilkley Arts
Studio, award-winner Joe offers a witty and interactive show, including poems
from his book, ‘An Otley Run’, at 4.30pm, also in the Arts Studio, and Barbara
performs her own epic poem, ‘The Widow Witch’, inspired by Slavik folk tales, in
the Manor House, 6.30pm-7pm.
