The beginning of the month began with listening to the winners of National Poetry Day which is always interesting.  There has been a lot of debate about the winning poem; I thought the winner, Imogen Wade, read well. April is also the month of the Poetry Society’s NaPoWriMo when poets can get prompts from the Poetry Society and write a poem a day, I did this for several years with a great group of poets but have not had time recently. However, the Poetry Society has put up the prompts in four worksheets on their website, so if you are looking for inspiration take a look. 

I was delighted to read a couple of poems with fellow Suffolk Poetry Society friend Lynne Nesbit at the Lowestoft event arranged by TOAST, hosted by Lewis Buxton. The headliners were Martin Figura and Laurie Bolger (instagram@@lauriebolger). It was an enjoyable evening with a good turn out and great poetry. The Zoom launch of Martin’s new book out with Cinnamon Press, ‘The Remaining Men’ also took place this month. Another event I attended was held at the recently re-configured Ballroom Arts in Aldeburgh (previously Peter Pears gallery). There was a lovely exhibition of paintings by Jane Beaumont and readings by poets Clare Best and Peter Carpenter (X tag @psdcarpenter). Peter co-directs Worple Press with his wife Amanda). Something to look forward to,  if you are near Ely –  Fenspeak’s reader on 15 May is Paul Stephenson). 

Sula Rubens and I did a talk at the AGM of Ipswich Arts Society about our poetry and art collaboration with Sula bringing along several of the paintings which inspired our book ‘ Sleeping Under Clouds’. That went very well and a lot of the books were sold! Ipswich Arts Society are celebrating their 150th anniversary this year with a great range of exhibitions. One rather special event this month was Ipswich Choral Society’s 200th anniversary concert with their performance of  Haydn’s Creation at Snape Maltings in Suffolk. I was not there to take part but was asked to write a poem to go into the programme which was a lovely gesture. I was down in Cornwall for the birth of my first grandchild – I am now a grandmother! 

While in Cornwall I went along to a workshop run by Rosie Hadden,  Falmouth Poetry Group, which I found very productive. I also met with one of the committee members of Penzance Literary Festival and made contact with Writers Block in Redruth, so I have been developing my Cornish contacts. 

It is now only a week to go till the Festival of Suffolk Poetry 10/11 May – the first day being online and the second in Stowmarket. Saturday workshops are sold out but there are still a couple of places on Sue Burge’s workshop on the Friday. 

If you would like to contact me to comment or follow up, please send me and email via the contact box on my website. You can also contact me to buy a signed copy of my books Sleeping Under Clouds (Clayhanger Press) and A City Waking Up (Dempsey and Windle). My third pamphlet, Once There Was Colour, will be published by Palewell Press 27 September 2024.