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Welcome to this week’s Poetry Pharmacy newsletter, where words are our medicine and addressing a search for meaning is often part of the prescription. This time, we’re exploring the intersection between poetry and philosophy—two practices trying to make sense of the world. They each seek to investigate some profound questions about human existence and the world we live in.
TS Eliot’s Burnt Norton, the first of his Four Quartets, is deeply philosophical in its exploration of time, memory, and the nature of existence. Drawing on both Christian mysticism and classical philosophy, Eliot reflects on the idea that all time—past, present, and future—might exist simultaneously, famously writing, “Time present and time past / Are both perhaps present in time future.” echoes the ideas of thinkers like Augustine and Heraclitus, suggesting that meaning lies not in the linear passage of time but in stillness and spiritual insight.
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present.
Footfalls echo in the memory
Down the passage which we did not take
Towards the door we never opened
Into the rose-garden.
My words echo
Thus, in your mind.
But to what purpose
Disturbing the dust on a bowl of rose-leaves
I do not know.
We often prescribe these beautiful lines from Eliot's East Coker at the Poetry Pharmacy
I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope
For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love,
For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith
But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:
So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing.
Our Prescription
We’re pleased to introduce our newest remedy: Pillosophy— Pillosophy offers a daily dose of philosophical comfort—thoughtful quotes and timeless wisdom from some of histories deep thinkers. Take as often as necessary to soothe existential angst and promote a richer, more meaningful life. (Suitable for dialectics)
This poetical remedy is now available from our website and will be in our bookshops from this week.
Let us prepare our minds as if we’d come to the very end of life. Let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life’s books each day . . . The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time.
Marcus Aurelius
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Book of the Week
A guide to the healing power of journalling and a meditation on the central questions of life, featuring creative contributions from Salman Rushdie, Esther Perel, Alain de Botton, Hanif Kureishi, Jia Tolentino, Elizabeth Gilbert, Gloria Steinem, George Saunders, Lena Dunham and more.
Suleika has kept a journal her whole life. Journalling has marked her greatest triumphs and buoyed her in her toughest moments. It has carried her as she fell in love, travelled across the United States, experienced illness, heartbreak and the deepest oceans of uncertainty. And she is not alone. For so many, journalling is a process of discovery – sometimes vulnerable, sometimes terrifying, always transformative.
Featuring writing prompts, essays and wisdom from one hundred contributors and serving as a companion during challenging times, The Book of Alchemy explores themes such as fear, love, beginnings, memory, the body and purpose. In doing so, the book offers encouragement, direction and gives readers the tools to engage with discomfort, to ask questions, to peel back the layers and uncover their truest selves.
You can buy the book from us here.
‘A stellar collection of prompts and invitations that will enrich any journal' Katherine May
‘This book is not only beautiful, but exceedingly helpful. I recommend it to every dreamer' Elizabeth Gilbert
'Galvanising and comforting. An instant classic' Emma Gannon
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News
The programme for Jersey Festival of Words has just gone live and you can join our own Deb 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. Deb would love to see you and you can find out more here and take a look at the rest of their excellent programme.
Deb will aso be in conversation at Ledbury Poetry Festival alongside Mark Constantine, founder and CEO of Lush, hosted by Kate Jenkinson who is a strong advocate for the intersection of poetry and business, launching the Poetry in Business Conference in 2024. They will be discussing the 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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| On Sunday, poet, writer and literature activist Jonathan Davidson led a group on a Poetry Walk in the beautiful countryside around Bishop's Castle where poems were read in the open air. Here they are enjoying some tea and cake after a lovely morning. |
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Katie Dunstan our Oxford Street bookseller spent a few days with us in our Bishop's Castle 'mothership' Katie writes about her visit here ...
‘Rest Awhile’
Less instruction, more invitation, I saw these words stencilled to a bench, walking back towards the Poetry Pharmacy. I watched the morning sun cradle patchwork hills, and thought, this is where I’m supposed to be. I was on day 3 of 3, swapping the bustle of Oxford Street for Bishop’s Castle’s serenity, eager to learn more about where the pharmacy was first born, how a former ironmongers' shop has been poetically transformed, the stories exchanged between the shelves, and to spend time with the people who keep the Poetry Pharmacy, Bishop’s Castle alive…
On Oxford Street, one of the most popular poetry prescriptions for people is Slow Down; and behind that, I think, a deep desire for people to reclaim their own sense of time and space - their own unique life-rhythm - and some encouragement (and perhaps, permission) to lean into this. Here I was, hill-side finding my own breath, unhurried, having tuned into the Town Hall bell that rang every 15 minutes, trusting my own sense of time. One thing that struck me, in spending time at the original pharmacy, is how slowing down - resting awhile - is the gentle, steady heartbeat of the Poetry Pharmacy. Rest Awhile, it is saying with its sea-blue frontage, wisdom painted on the windows; take a seat, find comfort, company, friendship in the words of others, listen. I return to Oxford Street with a renewed sense of my own inner heartbeat, and remembering that - in the beautiful words of Ocean Vuong (big thanks to Lieve, one of my wonderful colleagues for sharing the poem ) - ‘the most beautiful part of your body is where it’s headed.’ Go forth.
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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
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
How To Make a Book 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
Oxford Street, London
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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