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Welcome to the Poetry Pharmacy newsletter! Here in our Shropshire bookshop we’re gearing up for next week’s Bishop's Castle Walking Festival, with a fresh new window display to mark the occasion painted by local artist Saffron Russell. We’re also excited to be working on a range of new collaborations and projects. Our former Lab where we cooked up our poetry prescriptions is currently being transformed into a vibrant venue for workshops and events - offering us more room and more possibilities to connect with you all! As spring deepens and the evenings grow longer, we’re filled with renewed energy and creative inspiration.
Rest and Retreat
This week, we’ve been thinking about the importance of rest and retreat - how stepping away from the noise and demands of daily life can create the conditions for deeper creativity. In that quieter, undistracted space, ideas often surface with ease. For writers, these moments of stillness and incubation can be deeply generative. Just as seeds need darkness and stillness to grow roots, so too do ideas need time away from expectation or productivity to become something meaningful.
And beyond the work itself, retreat can offer a return to the self: a gentle reconnection with what you notice, what you love, and what you long for - the fertile ground from which honest, resonant work so often grows.
Our Poetry Pharmacists often prescribe this beautiful poem Postscript by Seamus Heaney which you can hear read by the great man himself here, with its exhortation 'And some time make the time...'
Our Prescription
To meet that deep need, the Poetry Pharmacy have teamed up with Julia Forster of Write Within and Starcroft Farm Cabins to offer Retreat pills to each guest staying at their beautiful writing retreats.
Julia reminds us of Nicole Gulotta, who wrote “As important as it is to engage, writers must also retreat… [to] restore your spirit and reconnect you to the craft.”
These small capsules – including the micro-dose above from Gulotta - are poetic restoratives for serenity, self-reflection and rejuvenation. Perfect for creatives craving time, space and solitude to concentrate on self-led creative practice.
This poetical remedy is now available from our website and will be in our bookshops from next week.
To hear ourselves, we sometimes have to flee ourselves,
diving into silence until we’re uncomfortably
alone with the noise within.
- Meghan O’ Rourke
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Books of the Week
The Art of Rest by Claudia Hammond and The Cabinet of Calm by Paul Anthony Jones are both quietly beautiful and thoughtful books that invite readers to slow down and find comfort in stillness and language. Hammond draws on neuroscience to explore the power of rest in our overstimulated world, while Jones offers a soothing collection of forgotten words designed to comfort and inspire. For example, read about autoschediasm if you’re stuck in a rut, or stravaig, if you're feeling muddle-headed, and discover how these words can spark new perspectives and a sense of calm.
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News
We’re delighted that our poetry prescriptions are now available at Kinokuniya Books in Singapore and Malaysia! It’s exciting to see our poetic remedies reach new corners of the world. Kinokuniya, known for its exceptional selection of books, is a wonderful home for our poetry pills. This milestone marks a new chapter in our journey as we continue to grow, reach new audiences, and share poetry as a practical tool for good mental health with even more people around the world.
Ledbury Poetry Festival
In other exciting news, our founder and lead pharmacist Deb Alma will be appearing at Ledbury Poetry Festival alongside Mark Constantine, founder and CEO of Lush. Together, they’ll be discussing their new book, The Poetry Business School, and exploring how poetry can serve as an unexpected but powerful tool for thoughtful decision-making in business. Expect an interesting conversation about the creative role poetry can play in both life and leadership.
Deb and Mark can be found in the Community Hall from 1-2pm on Saturday 5th July. Tickets are £14 and you can find them here.
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We'll leave you with this...
One of our wonderful booksellers, Katie, recently set up a small writing station in our Oxford Street shop, inviting visitors to pause and reflect with thought-provoking prompts. Past questions have included What brings you joy? and What do you do to feel grounded? But the most recent prompt, What is poetry to you?, sparked particularly beautiful and tender responses. One that’s stayed with us: “air in a stuffy elevator.”
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Events
Online
Prescriptions for Wonder - Online Workshop with James Crews and Sophie Howarth
Sunday 1 June, 15.00-17.30 BST, via Zoom
£25
How do we stay awake to the small things that bring us joy when there's so much suffering and uncertainty in our world? Join Sophie Howarth, editor of Everyday Wonder, and James Crews, editor of The Wonder of Small Things, as they explore the power of poetry, photography, meditation and creative writing to reveal the daily awe that's always available to us, even during difficult times.
Book here
Bishop's Castle
A Poetry Walk for Bishop's Castle Walking Festival
Saturday 17 May
10.30am -12.30pm
Just a couple of tickets left to join poet Jonathan Davidson for a Poetry Walk around the environs of Shropshire's Poetry Pharmacy as part of the Bishop's Castle Walking Festival 2025.
Book here
Mary Oliver, Maya Angelou & Eavan Boland - A Guided Exploration with Jan Westwood
Sunday 1st June
10:30am-12:20pm
Join Jan Westwood for a guided exploration of these pivotal 20th-century poets. Together, you’ll delve into their distinct themes and styles, explore the common threads between them, and reflect on how their voices continue to resonate in today’s often troubled world. Book here.
Afonydd - Poems for Welsh Rivers with Arachne Press
Sunday, June 8
11am - 12:30pm
Join an array of Arachne Press poets to raise a glass to celebrate their latest publication, Afonydd, with readings from Pat Edwards, Chris Kinsey, Gareth Writer-Davies, Lesley James, Martin Daws, Mat Troy, Meg Elis, Natasha Gauthier and more.
Afonydd is a paddle in the rivers of Wales - bilingual poetry that celebrates all aspects of the living water - from the mythic to the muddy and forgotten, from the clearest streams of memory to the polluted flood.
Afonydd: poems for Welsh Rivers/Cerddi Afonydd Cymru is the latest fully bilingual poetry anthology from Arachne Press and editors Ness Owen and Sian Northey. Book here
Painting Poems Workshop
Sunday, 15 June
10:00am - 4.00pm
Discover connecting with poems through painting with artist Clae Eastgate in this day long workshop. After the success of the last 'Painting Poems' workshop at Bishop's Castle Arts Festival in February, Clae is back with a summer session.
In this workshop, you will explore the dynamic connection between poetry and painting, using mixed media to unlock new creative pathways. Let inspiration guide you as you experiment with diverse materials and artistic techniques to expand your practice.
All materials are provided, and refreshments will be available throughout the day. Book here
Oxford Street, London
Bespoke Poetry with Jen Feroze
Sunday 18 May
12-4pm
Join Jen for a bespoke poem written just for you on her trusty vintage typewriter.
No need to book - just turn up on the day.
Launch of Boater - A Life on England’s Waterways
Friday June 20
6.30 - 8pm
After decades of calm aboard England’s historic canals, a turbulent relationship finds Jo Bell embarking on a year-long odyssey navigating the country’s canals. Exploring the past and present, Boater is both her story and the story of the living waterways – told with wit, wisdom, and deep insight into a culture found on the other side of the map.
The Poetry Pharmacy are delighted to host the launch of Jo's lyrical debut memoir journeying through the past and present of our historic canals.
Free event Book here Refreshments courtesy of Harper North Publishers.
Thanks for reading & have a wonderful weekend!
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