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Pass it on!

 

THERE is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry--
This Traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of Toll--
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human soul.

                              Emily Dickinson

 

watch the film of the celebrity poetry reading to launch pass on a poem at Oxfam bookshops

read Bel Mooney's account of the first reading in Bath reprinted from her Saturday column in The Daily Mail

stop press!

many people have expressed interest in leading or joining pass on a poem groups in different areas of the country. If you would like to be put in touch with them, please send a contact address or telephone number to enquiries@passonapoem.com

The areas to date are : Norwich, Edinburgh, Bournemouth, Bushey, Bath, Oxford,Witney, Durham, Horsham, St Anne's Lancashire, Cambridge, Swansea, Pembrokeshire, Glasgow, Ealing (West London), Acton (West London), Bedford, Plymouth, Poole, Lincoln, Surbiton, Islington (North London) and New Cross (South London). There is also interest from people living in Sweden, France (near Gueret, La Creuse, Département 23) and Berlin.

pass on a poem can offer support and advice.

 

aims : pass on a poem, a not-for-profit initiative, exists to provide entertainment and to create enthusiasm for poetry by bringing people together to read out loud poems which have a special personal significance and to explain, briefly, why. Some readings take place in private homes, with group membership being by invitation. Others are organised at regular intervals in public venues, so that anybody who enjoys or who would like to try reading or simply listening to poetry can be included. No previous experience of reading out loud is necessary. Anybody is welcome to submit a poem they would like to share.

readings : pass on a poem readings demonstrate that the process of selection, reading aloud and listening has an electric, exhilarating effect. It opens and reopens people's eyes, ears and hearts to the power of poetry, and to the experiences, feelings and thoughts of others. A remarkable range of subject matter, and of style, form, length and date of composition emerges from the poems chosen. People of all backgrounds and ages take part in the public events. The idea is that small- scale poetry reading should become a familiar and exciting feature of local culture all over the country, taking place in public venues, schools and offices, and also in people's own homes. A further commitment is to make available a ready supply of volunteer readers to perform free of charge in residential homes, hospitals, prisons and other centres where live poetry could make a social or therapeutic contribution.While occasional celebrity readings are arranged in order to raise its profile locally, the heart and substance of the project is the establishment of regular events for ordinary members of the public, at home, away from home or at work.

website : www.passonapoem.com is there to support and to stimulate participation by existing and potential readers and listeners. It provides source material relating to poems, poets and poetry, advice on reading aloud and starting a group, and up to date information on recent and forthcoming events, venues and local groups. The development of a truly democratic online anthology is one of several exciting search features. The text and details of all poems read at pass on a poem events are posted. Visitors to the site are invited to submit their own suggestions for the poetry pages, and to send in information about their own poetry-related activities, a selection of which can be advertised on the news and events or resources pages. Subscribers can opt to receive a free weekly poem.

acknowledgements

pass on a poem is generously supported by The Fenton Arts Trust

thanks also to tim hatton for his expert, friendly website design service (www.timhatton.com) and julian borthwick for his extensive I.T. expertise and patient instruction.

 

 

 

Poem of the Week

Vertue by George Herbert

click here to view titles of previous poems of the week

Reports of 29th April reading at Hillcroft College, Surbiton, 6th March first reading in Bath, 21st February Portobello Road, London reading, and 28th February Turnham Green reading, and also of:

23 May celebrity reading: Craig Raine, Fiona Shaw, Richard Dawkins,Salley Vickers,Jon Snow, Mariella Frostrup, Alex James, P.D.James,Joan Bakewell, Harry Eyres.

and of earlier readings

Subscribe by email to the FREE poem of the week

EVENTS

Forthcoming events: THE 21ST MAY READING AT TURNHAM GREEN HAS BEEN POSTPONED. NEW DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

the date of the next reading at  the Oxfam Bookshop 170 Portobello Road London W11 (opposite the Electric Cinema) is 8pm Wednesday 14th May

 

read more

SUBMIT YOUR SUGGESTIONS

Click here to submit poems to read at forthcoming events and your suggestions for the poetry pages of the website

ALL SUGGESTIONS MOST WELCOME.

MORE NEWS AND EVENTS

more information on all these events

LOUGHTON, ESSEX Reading of George Barker 3 May

GLASGOW Michael Hofman on German poetry 7 May

LONDON Milton 400th anniversary reading 11 May

CAMBRIDGE Reading. Susan Utting, Will Stone 13 May

CORNWALL St Ives Literary Festival. Fal Poets D.M.Thomas 14 May

LONDON Music and Poetry. Henze , Monteverdi, Petrarch, Denise Levertov 15 May

MANCHESTER Talk on Emily Dickinson and Charlotte Mew 15 May

RAMSGATE Poetry Reading Wednesdays

SCOTLAND Events throughout the country in MAY

SEAN O'BRIEN wins the T.S.Eliot prize for The Drowned Book

BLACK AND ASIAN POETS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME LAUNCHES

SPOTLIGHT ON POETRY TEACHING IN OUR SCHOOLS

AMERICA Opinion poll reveals appreciation of poetry

POETRY FOUNDATION and Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Launch "Reel Poetry" Initiative
POETRY PRIZES for Sean O'Brien, Daljit Nagra and Alice Oswald

THE POETRY LIBRARY AT THE ROYAL

FESTIVAL HALL IN LONDON HAS REOPENED

NEW POETRY SITE FOR LIVERPOOL

RUTH LILLY POETRY PRIZE Lucille Clifton
RECENTLY OUT & EXCITING

DAVID MORLEY The Invisible Kings
NUALA NI DHOMHNAIL The Fifty Minute Mermaid. trans Paul Muldoon

MAHMOUD DARWISH The Butterfly's Burden

LETTERS OF TED HUGHES ed.Christopher Reid

FIONA SAMPSON Common Prayer

MARY OLIVER Thirst

SARAH MAGUIRE.The Pomegranates of Kandahar

LAURIE SHECK Captivity

SEAN O'BRIEN The Drowned Book

FRANCES LEVISTON Public Dream

TOM PAULIN The Secret Life of Poems. A Poetry Primer

CAROL ANN DUFFY The Hat. Her new anthology for children of poetry from Chaucer to Ted Hughes

New Caribbean Poetry: An Anthology edited by Kei Miller

DON PATERSON Orpheus. New translation of Rilke's sonnets

JOSEPHINE HART

Catching Life By The Throat. How to read poetry and why. New book and cd

100 FAVOURITE SCOTTISH POEMS

VERSE UNIVERSE new book about children's poetry

MORE

THE READER, the literary magazine that suggests wonderful things to read. Find out more on the Resources/Study Poems for Pleaasure page

 

 

 

UPDATES TO WEBSITE

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