By the mid-point of the Swindon Festival of Literature, my brain can usually do with a good rest.
The organisers work us Festival-goers hard: getting up up before sunrise on day 1 for the Dawn Chorus, then making us think, and be creative, and think some more for the next six days. Continue reading
So the first Swindon Festival of Poetry kicked off this morning with Poetry Aloud in the Central Library’s Cafe.
(I love cafes in libraries. So much better than of old when it was all about being quiet and grabbing a book and leaving.)
It was a quiet, friendly start to proceedings, with a muster of enthusiasts listening and contributing to the poetry readings, both own and famous contributions.
Then it was off to the library’s poetry space gearing up for the BlueGate poet’s slot.
Both events got in the spirit of National Poetry Day and its theme of ‘stars’, and – as always – some interesting stories.
Bob Johnson, who treated us to his political poems, told us that he’d only been writing for a little while. He’d got into it through writing rhymes in greetings cards for loved ones. From a Valentine’s message (‘you are my Mona Lisa’) to agitation of the Coalition Government in a few short years. Continue reading
Festival Chronicle 