News

Swindon's newest poetry society and poetry site, BlueGate Poets, and the Poetry Exchange, have been successful in their application for funding from Culture Swindon's Arstwords & Literature Development Project.

They will receive £600 towards the costs of their planned programme to bring established and published poets to town to run workshops and give readings for local poetry lovers and writers.

Chairwoman Hilda Sheehan said, "This is great news. We are very pleased. It makes good things possible."

Treasurer John Richardson added, "This award will provide a great boost to our efforts and ensure that we can deliver our planned programme for the year."

Culture Swindon's Literature Development worker Matt Holland said, "There is an impressive  thoroughnesss, energy, and commitment in the efforts and work of BlueGate Poets that merits this kind of support from Artswords. In literary and cultural terms, they are doing seriously good work for the people of Swindon and are contributing markedly to Literature Development in town. Their programme of activities is appreciated and valued by Artswords and Culture Swindon."

Poetry Society

BlueGate Poets, a new poetry society for Swindon, was launched in September at Richard Jefferies Museum, Coate, Marlborough Road.

Everyone with an interest in poetry is WELCOME!

BlueGate Poets, who take their name from the blue gate at the entrance of the house of Richard Jefferies, Swindon's famous nature-loving literary son, aim to advance the enjoyment of reading, writing, and listening to poetry in Swindon. They intend to provide workshops for writers that enable them to progrees and develop their work; and celebrate the role of poetry in promoting social and personal wellbeing.

BlueGate Poets will offer an annual programme of readings, workshops, and poetry events in and around Swindon.

Founder members of this new society are poets who have been active in local writers groups for a number of years and have poems published in Commonhead. They see this society as a natural progression for the development of good reading and writing in Swindon. They are very excited about launching BlueGate Poets!

Chair of BlueGate Poets, a committed poet herself, and mother of five, including 6-month young twins, Hilda Sheehan says, "Poetry is so important in my life, and many people's. It gives a focus and a way of looking closely at things, especially for someone whose life is already very full."

Fellow-founder and published poet John Richardson explains, "We like to take poetry seriously. We do like to have fun but we also want to become better poets and readers of good poems."

Director of the Swindon Festival of Literature and development worker for Culture Swindon's Artswords, Matt Holland, added, "This is terrific news! BlueGate Poets are out to make poetic and good things happen in Swindon. This is precisely the kind of initiative to celebrate and support, and I shall be doing just that."

For further information e-mail bluegatepoets@yahoo.com or telephone 01793 887014 or 731263.

Poetry Exchange

If you live in and around Swindon and are interested in poetry, reading, writing and literary events - the poetry exchange is a must. The website contains a wealth of information for poets. It's a:

• meeting place
• point of contact
• one stop shop
• facility for people interested in reading, writing, listening to, exchanging news, views, opinions about poetry and writing.

Browse the forums, get involved!

Check out the Pulsar Poetry Magazine.