About
What we do, where we're from ...
The Emergency Poet...
We have been dispensing poetry since 2011 from the back of our vintage ambulance as the Emergency Poet at festivals, conferences, hospitals and care settings, libraries and schools, with a poetry pharmacy of poems-in-pills under the attached awning.
The whole impetus for that project was to be a vehicle (pun intended) for poetry to be delivered to people who don’t usually encounter it; to be inviting and not intimidating, to counter the widely held perception that poetry is “difficult, obscure and not for the likes of me”.
...Poetry Everywhere
We believe that poetry can do so much to match or alter a mood, to assist in so many ways with good mental health. The Poetry Pharmacy was a way for us to park up the ambulance and bring the therapeutic effects of poetry under one roof, with an emphasis on well-being and inclusivity.
So the theatre of the ambulance was the way in. At the heart of it there has always been good quality, intelligent poetry. The Poetry Pharmacy continues this element of theatre, this light-hearted approach, and there is something here for everyone.
Deb Alma
Deborah Alma has lived on the Welsh/Shropshire borders for over 30 years, where she brought up her 2 sons. She worked with people with dementia and at the end of their lives for many years and was the Emergency Poet in her 1970’s ambulance.
She taught Creative Writing at Worcester and then Keele Universities, where she was Honorary Research Fellow. She is editor of The Emergency Poet-an anti-stress poetry anthology and The Everyday Poet-Poems to Live By (Michael O’Mara Books) and was the editor of the award-winning #MeToo poetry anthology, published by Fair Acre Press.
She is also editor of the Candlestick Press Ten Poems of Happiness, and was co-editor with Dr Katie Amiel of These Are the Hands - Poems from the Heart of the NHS and The National Trust Book of Nature Poems. She also edited Poetry Projects to Make and Do: Getting your poetry out into the world from Nine Arches Press. Her poetry collection is Dirty Laundry (also Nine Arches Press).
In 2025 Macmillan publishes a series of 8 slim poetry anthologies to match the sections of the Poetry Pharmacy bookshops, commencing in January with Words for Love and Comfort.
March 2025 sees the publication of The Poetry Business School, Harper Collins, co-written with Mark Constantine OBE, CEO of Lush and Kate Downey Evans.
Jim Sheard
Dr James Sheard’s most recent collection, The Abandoned Settlements was a Poetry Book Society Choice and shortlisted for the TS Eliot Poetry Prize.
His first collection Scattering Eva (Cape, 2005), was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and the Glen Dimplex Award for Poetry. His pamphlet, Hotel Mastbosch, won the Ictus Prize.
He led the Creative Writing department at Keele University, and was often seen driving an Emergency Poet ambulance. He has since left his full-time position to devote himself to the business of the Poetry Pharmacy.
Staff at The Poetry Pharmacy in Bishop's Castle:
Becky Daniel
Becky works part-time at the Poetry Pharmacy and runs our Poetry on Prescription consultation service.
After a varied career that included many years of teaching English and Spanish in different settings. She also teaches part-time at Bedstone College. She's a familiar face to those local to Bishop's Castle, and has recently picked up the
Poetry Habit.
Esther Cooper-Wood
Esther is our Assistant Business Manager, she assists Deb with all areas behind the scenes and helps with the everyday management of the shop.
Esther is also a gardener and illustrator. She designed and installed the Poetry Pharmacy Physic Garden behind the shop in Bishop’s Castle. Esther uses her illustration and Graphic design skills to develop our branding and helps create new poetry products.
Jane Allen
Jane has many roles in the shop and cafe. As well as being a mum she currently studies modern languages at Aberystwyth university.
Jane's love of the outdoors has inspired many trips around Europe. This has led her to study languages and explore her own Native Welsh tongue.
She particularly enjoys reading Spanish poetry and practicing the language with her colleague Becky.
Pat Edwards
Pat Edwards used to be Nurse Verse in the Emergency Poet ambulance and now works in the bookshop, runs Verbatim poetry open mic nights and a monthly writing workshop, Touch Paper. She's director of the Welshpool Poetry Festival, and her latest pamphlet is Hail Marys, published by Infinity Books UK.
Mia Davis
Mia can usually be found at The Poetry Pharmacy Coffee Shop, where she enjoys serving coffee and cake to our lovely customers. Her varied career includes copywriting and features journalism for broadsheets, including the Telegraph Book of the Countryside: The Hedgerows Heaped with May. She’s now hoping to finally write that novel - feeling inspired by poetry and cake!
Matilda Gomersall
Tilly works part-time in the Poetry Pharmacy bookshop and may be found with her nose in a book about nature.
Originally from the Shropshire/Powys border, she has returned to her homelands to run a market garden, producing fresh vegetables.
Staff at The Lab, Bishop's Castle:
Hayden Kitson
Hayden is our Head of Production and he leads our poetic pill production team, as well as working on collaborations with publishers and poets. Coming from a background of Visual Merchandising he supports our retail spaces with an eye for detail, and is an avid photographer and film buff.
Yuen-Ting Cheung
Ting is our Assistant Production Manager where she keeps track of inventory, orders and communicates with our wonderful Piece Workers. Ting has joined us after 14 years with the NHS, well known for her passion for creating incredible food, she is also a lover of the colour orange, bookshops, art and photography.
Clare Willmer
Clare works in our lab taking time to beautifully pack the online orders and has been spotted serving coffee in the shop from time to time. Not been here long, escaping to the countryside and moving to Bishops Castle after 22 years in the big smoke of London working in lingerie shops and cabaret shows.
Production staff at The Lab, Bishop's Castle
Abbie Steward
Abbie loves books, sports and nature! She is part of pill production, packaging and helping in the cafe and shop.
Esther Pyman
Esther works mainly on the production of First Aid Kits but also helps with pill production. She loves playing guitar, knitting, and crocheting in her spare time.
Ifor Lawson
Ifor works part time as production assistant and helps put together the kits to make poetry pill bottles.
They are an avid tea drinker, wild swimmer and Mary Oliver enthusiast and a creative writing graduate from Manchester Writing school.
We are also supported by a small team of volunteers who help to keep the place going in many different ways; Anna Dreda for her regular Poetry Book Club, Judith Trustman in the cafe on Fridays, and Helga Rose for pill production. Our heartfelt thanks for all they do!
Work with Us
We love collaborations at the Poetry Pharmacy and have been working closely with Lush to bring poetry to their spas and shops and even inside their bath-bombs!
Please do get in touch if you've an idea for a collaboration or for Customised prescriptions.