THE WEST MIDLANDS READERS’ NETWORK
& Poetry on Loan

March is Jean 'Binta' Breeze's The Arrival of Brighteyes. Jean is a Jamaican Dub poet and storyteller. She has released three other poetry collections and has performed her work throughout the world. She now divides her time between Cambridge and Jamaica.

Read on....

From The Arrival of Brighteye

My mommy gone over de ocean
My mommy gone over de sea
she gawn dere to work for some money
an den she gawn sen back for me

one year
two year
tree year gawn
four year
five year
soon six year come

granny seh it don’t matter
but supposin I forget her
Blinky Blinky, one two three
Blinky Blinky, remember me

 

Here are some comments from Jean's readers:-

‘Once I got to grips with the dialect, I was delighted by this book. The title poem broke my heart – read it and you won’t be able to resist the rest.’

‘This book has got me into poetry. It is a gem. I loved Bush Babies, Baptism, Upstream, and my favourite, just in case.’

‘I loved this collection for its images of earth, fire and ocean; the reds, golds and greens evoking Jamaica; and the fusion of rhythm, lyrical intensity and stunning imagery. Beautiful, tender and fragile poems.’

‘for Patrick is a good one to start with, especially if read aloud. However, earth cries stands out for me because of its wonderful imagery, with a twist in the last line.’

‘Read the poems out loud and let the worlds and sounds from The first dance wash over you: I breathed / and winds cried me an ocean.’

‘Tender love poems are combined with extraordinarily moving pieces like The arrival of Brighteye (it had me in tears) and the very beautiful sky love.’ 

Especial Thanks To The Reviewers of March: Olton Readers' Circle

Want More....

If you enjoy this book, you could try Derek Walcott or Edward Kamau Brathwaite, two of the many poets whose writing is rooted in the Caribbean’s oral tradition. 

More recently, poets such as David Dabydeen, Fred D’Aguiar, Linton Kwesi Johnson, and John Agard have explored exile, displacement and identity in their poetry.

For witty, angry poems about being black and female, try Maya Angelou or Grace Nichols.

More Bloodaxe Books reviewed by our readers…..

No Can Do by Julie O’Callaghan

‘I love the way she mocks our ridiculous modern concerns. I laughed out loud at some of the poems, and had tears in my eyes through the whole of Sketches for an Elegy – a moving piece to touch the hardest heart.  Superb stuff.’

All Shook Up by Adrian Mitchell

‘There’s a poem for everyone here. If you love dogs, start with Wishing. Then move on to the heart-breaking Go Well. Whether he’s writing about ‘green and special moments’ with his daughter, wishing his grandchildren ‘wild happy and gentle sad’, or making us laugh with This Be The Worst, Adrian Mitchell’s range is staggering.’

New Blood edited by Neil Astley

‘A wonderfully varied anthology of contemporary poets to dip into.’

‘Fascinating to read the poets’ comments on their own work and discover brilliant new talent evoking every imaginable emotion.’

The Book of Love by Roddy Lumsden

‘I could identify with so many of these poems – from caustic wit to the wistful The Man I Could Have Been. You’ll want to read them again and again.’

Strong Words – Modern Poets on Modern Poetry edited by W.N. Herbert and Matthew Hollis

‘A glance through stuns you with famous names! Lovely to dip into – I liked the summaries of the poets’ careers and influences, and reading their own ideas was fascinating.’

‘These essays by modern poets will not only enlighten, but have you rushing out to buy their poems.’

Destination: Further…..

Reading groups: Many of the reactions to the poetry in this leaflet were written by members of reading groups. Reading groups are a way of sharing the pleasure you get from reading. They offer you the chance to meet with other readers who also enjoy talking about the book they’ve read. Most groups are free, meet monthly, and have up to fifteen members. Group members decide what they want to read and talk about – meetings are informal and everyone’s opinion counts.

If you are interested in joining or starting a reading group, ask at your local library or bookshop. They may already run a reading group. If they don’t they should be able to give you information on your nearest group, or advice on starting one yourself. The West Midlands Readers’ Network supports readers and readers’ group in the region – check out your local library, lit-net's writers and readers page or e-mail handinhand@cwcom.net for details of your nearest group.

Lit-Net (http://www.lit-net.org) is the West Midlands’ own books and reading website. A lively, constantly changing site including book reviews, discussions, and details of events for readers and writers.(I should cocoa, Lit-Net Ed)

Poetry On Loan West Midlands is a network of 20 libraries in the region which specialise in the promotion of contemporary poetry. The six libraries participating in Poetry Book of the Month are Poetry On Loan members. All have a special Poetry Place within their libraries, with information, collections of poetry, etc. Click here for details of other Poetry On Loan libraries.

The Poetry Society helps poetry thrive by promoting it through a range of work including publications, competitions, education work, and a website (http://www. poetrysoc.com).  It is a membership organisation open to all and offers benefits to members. Contact: Membership, The Poetry Society, 22 Betterton Street, London WC2H 9BX.

The Orange Reading Groups Guide (free, Book Trust, 1997) contains everything you need to know about setting up a reading group. Phone 0973 150 720 to order a copy.

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For more details about Poetry Book Of The Month & Poetry On Loan
e-mail Christine Bridgwood at handinhand@cwcom.net