Welcome to the Poetry Pharmacy's newsletter! Here you will find upcoming events, new and featured books, poems, prescriptions, and panaceas.
Whether it’s a still pond at dusk or the vast pull of the sea, bodies of water offer more than their surface suggests. To swim in open water is to surrender to the natural world - a kind of immersion that soothes the nervous system, clears the mind, and often gives shape to feelings we struggle to articulate. To sit beside water is to be near something ancient and generous. It listens without judgement. In its presence, we are reminded of our smallness — and comforted by it.
Both London and Shropshire, home to our two shops, are rich in watery refuges and wild swimming places. The Hampstead Heath ponds are a favourite in the capital, while in Shropshire, we're lucky to have many beautiful swimming spots include the reservoir at Carding Mill Valley, the River Teme at Leintwardine or Ludlow (see photo below), and the River Lugg at Mortimer Cross. If you find yourself longing, but unable to get yourself to your local pool or pond, or beach we have exactly the remedy you need...
A serious condition marked by uncontrollable thoughts of the sea, a desire for sand between the toes and a yearning for the water’s edge. Symptoms: • Restlessness of mind, overexposure to the noise of the world. • A deep ache for solitude and stillness. Treatment: Administer these verse remedies steeped in water - poems of sea, river, and rain, for those moments when you can’t get to the sea. A warm bath may help, or proximity to city fountains. Instructions: Read slowly. Breathe deeply. Let the rhythms of water reattune the heart. Side effects may include sudden calm, tidal thoughts, and a fondness for gulls.
Should symptoms persist, it’s important to plan a trip to a nearby coast or riverbank.
A graceful, genre-blending exploration of our human instinct to enter the water. Tsui weaves together memoir, science, history, and cultural storytelling, travelling from Icelandic pools to Japanese samurai traditions and survival tales. Whether you’re a swimmer or a watcher, Why We Swim reveals the ancient pull of water - as healing, challenge, connection, and joy.
Staff Book Review
Our subject line this week comes from Swims , Elizabeth-Jane Burnett's long poem chronicling wild swims across the UK. Each swim becomes a poetic act - a way of entering the natural world with attentiveness and care.
''To not end where you thought you did, not with skin but water not with arms but meadow of watercress, dropwort, floating pennywort, against all odds to be buoyant.''
''Swims is the book which really established my hunger for EJB’s writing. It feels like a heartfelt love letter to nature, and the author’s notes on family, self-image and community sparkle across each of her swims like sunlight; earnest and all-encompassing. Forever worth the plunge!'' Ifor Lawson - from the Poetry Pharmacy Lab team
We're over the moon to have been included in this beautifully produced new book! It's extraordinary for us. We're just over a year old on Oxford Street, and we couldn't be more proud to be featured alongside such literary landscapes The Globe Theatre and The Poets Corner. Now available online and in both our bookshops.
Deb Alma & Mark Constantine at Ledbury Poetry Festival Saturday 5th July | 1–2pm | Community Hall | Tickets £14
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation between two leaders of business with creativity at their heart - Deb Alma, from the Poetry Pharmacy, and Mark Constantine, CEO of Lush - as they come together at Ledbury Poetry Festival to discuss the surprising intersections of poetry and business and explore their own innovative ways of integrating poetry into their lives and into unexpected places. This event will give an inspiring behind-the-scenes look at Deb’s poetic collaboration with Lush since 2021- from bespoke commissions and poems on packaging to bath bombs filled with verse. Music, art, and poetry are all deeply woven through Lush’s identity, and this talk lifts the lid on how it came about. The event will be hosted by Kate Jenkinson.
Whether you’re a poet, an entrepreneur, or simply someone curious about how creativity can flourish in unexpected places, this is a rare opportunity to rethink what poetry can do. Come away with a new sense of what’s possible. As a gift to take home, every ticket holder will receive a Poetry Pharmacy bath bomb, made in collaboration with Lush.
The Published Poet - with Anna Davidson Sunday, 13 July 10:30am - 12:30pm
In this two-hour workshop we’ll explore the stages from draft to bookshelf, covering editing, typesetting, cover design and printing solutions. Whether you hope your work will be picked up by a publisher or you’d like to share it with the world yourself, come away understanding what the professionals do.
Refreshments are included in the ticket price. Book here
Bespoke Poetry with Jen Feroze Sunday, 15 June 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.
Elsewhere
Edinburgh International Book Festival Venue C - Monday 11th August 14:45-15:45
Join Deborah Alma, editor of the Poetry Prescription series, in conversation with poet Nadine Aisha Jassat as they explore how poetry can be a practical tool for good mental health. From easing anxiety to offering encouragement, poetry has a unique power to comfort, inspire and connect. After the event, you’ll have the chance to receive your own poetry prescription. Tickets are £9 and available here.
Jersey Festival of Words Jersey Art Centre -Sunday 28 September -4.30 - 5.30pm
The Poetry Prescription series is eight fun, clever and stylish books all giving poetic cures for life’s ailments. There is a book for every type of reader, providing whatever help they need, whether that’s encouragement, inspiration, or a quiet moment of reflection. Join Deborah Alma in conversation with local poet Juliette Hart, discussing her journey from the Emergency Poet to the Poetry Pharmacy, dispensing prescriptions of poetry. The event will also include a live poetry consultation and some readings from the anthologies. Tickets are £9 and you can find them here.
