THE WEST MIDLANDS READERS’ NETWORK
& Poetry on Loan

August is Last Words, edited by Don Paterson and Jo Shapcott. Ninety of the UK’s best poets were commissioned by the Salisbury Festival to write new poems that found a home not only in the Last Words anthology, but also somewhere in the city of Salisbury, where they were on display during the last week of October 1999.

Don Paterson was born in Dundee in 1963. He has published three poetry collections and works as a musician and editor. He recently edited 101 Sonnets – From Shakespeare to Heaney. He has received several literary awards, including the T. S. Eliot Prize.

Jo Shapcott is the author of four award-winning books of poetry, including a compendium of her selected poems, Her Book. She is also co-editor of an anthology of contemporary poetry: Emergency Kit: Poems for Strange Times.

Read on....

 - / - / 99

 Postman, postman, be as slow as you like
delivering this, your wobbling bike
barked down city streets, round country bends,
on your back a sack, bulging
with all our whispering, singing, yelling words

Carol Ann Duffy

 

Here are some comments from the anthology's readers:-

‘Start with Carol Ann Duffy’s - / - / 99, then move on to Sophie Hannah’s Long For This World. I love this anthology; it’s so accessible and includes so many of my favourite poets.’

‘I love this anthology for the sheer range of contemporary poets included who wrote poems for the Salisbury Festival, and the original way they were all then displayed. A great collection for discovering new poetry and some amazing talent.’

‘How I wish I’d been in Salisbury during the last week of October 1999, when all these specially commissioned poems turned the town into a huge book, and people came across poems wherever they went. Read the introduction to find out how poems were printed onto beer mats and bus tickets, projected onto buildings, franked on letters, tattooed onto skin, tiled in public toilets, displayed in shop windows, lit up in fireworks and flown above the town from light aircraft. Purists might have found this all a bit gimmicky, but I thought it sounded fabulously exciting – and the resulting book of poems is stunning.’

‘I found so many poems to praise here, it’s difficult to pick one out. However, Black Swan by Tracey Herd really stood out for me.’

'A staggering collection by a range of contemporary poets to suit all tastes. Useful to have brief biographies of the poets at the back, and fascinating to have a list of how each poem was displayed
(I must admit I winced when I read ‘tattooed on the body of a volunteer’ for the Michael Donaghy poem!).’

 Especial Thanks To The Reviewers of August:

Olton Library Readers’ Circle, Solihull.

Want More....

As well as the Dome and some bad hangovers, the Millenium spawned several interesting poetry commissions: Last Words is one of these and Simon Armitage’s Killing Time (July’s Poetry Book of the Month) is another. You might want to try any of the two editors’ own collections, as well as the other anthologies they have edited: 101 Sonnets - From Shakespeare to Heaney and Emergency Kit – both wonderful for browsing.

More Picador poets reviewed by our readers…..

The Boy from the Chemist is Here to See You by Paul Farley

‘From the first page I was hooked. Of course it helps that I too have a passion for parks, fountains, park benches and public transport – but mostly I just loved the nostagia!’

‘Paul Farley has a gift for making the ordinary seem extraordinary. Nostalgic and atmospheric, surreal and offbeat – this is a highly readable collection.’

Collected Poems 1951-2000 by Charles Causley

‘A comprehensive collection representing the range of one man’s lifetime experiences. My favourite has to be Alice Springs for its stunning evocation of the outback: ‘landscape: an aching pepper of copper-coloured boulders…The air surly with dust as the light changes.’ ‘

A Painted Field by Robin Robertson

‘Start with Moving House and in particular, Defrosting. How can a poem about defrosting a fridge be so riveting? It’s the small, everyday events that this poet writes about so exquisitely.’

‘I loved Visiting my Grandfather – it reawakened half-forgotten childhood memories for me.’

Handwriting by Michael Ondaatje

‘Exploring the history, landscape and culture of Sri Lanka, this is a very personal and beautifully constructed collection.’

‘These haunting poems are like snatches of stories that linger in the imagination.’

 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 (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