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Happy World Poetry Day!
Every day is poetry day at the Poetry Pharmacy and we are enjoying some the first stirrings of Spring here at the Poetry Pharmacy. This week's Spring Equinox was full of sunshine, and the cheerfulness of daffodils on the hillsides and rural lanes in Shropshire. And we can't help but feel a little more hopeful and energetic with the returning of the light.
News
Our exciting news this week is the arrival of the first copies of the latest Poetry Prescription titles, Wild Remedy and Becoming.
These two beautiful pocket-sized gift books contain carefully curated poetic prescriptions compiled by Chief Poetry Pharmacist Deborah Alma. The aptly named Wild Remedy, arrives in perfect time for spring with its vibrant green hardback cover, featuring poems that explore the healing power of nature. Poets have long understood our connection to the natural world and their poems have often reflected this relationship; whether it might be its promise of renewal and recovery or as a metaphor and reflection for our moods and stage of life, or as an antidote to those days when the world is too much with us. These are poems that will take us, at least for a moment, outside.
Becoming is your prescription for courage, confidence and authenticity as you stir from winter's reflective depths. This slim anthology is a prescription of poems for inspiration and courage, recommended for the often-difficult act of becoming yourself in the world and for the promotion of more authentic interactions with others. Here are poems that speak of the uncertainties of youth, of coming into oneself at any age; and poems for questioning decisions and also of the celebration of taking a road less travelled.
These two additions to the 8 books series, will be officially published on April 3rd, but we have early copies on our website and we've also made them up into Wild Remedy and Becoming Poetry Prescription Gift Boxes (which include a matching bottle of Poetry Pills and chocolate bar alongside the book) available now from our online shop.
Cast adrift?
Our lovely Poetry Pharmacists Kate and Katie joined TheBoAtPod , a 70s inspired state of the art recording studio floating in the heart of West London's Little Venice, to celebrate World Poetry Day. They prescribe some poetic medicine for host Olivia and it's a lovely ten minutes of viewing as they float away for a consultation , and gives a good flavour of what the Poetry Pharmacy is all about!
Chief Poetry Pharmacist Deborah Alma met Frank at the launch party for The Poetry Business School and we were very happy that he gave us some love in this episode.
We're mentioned18 minutes in!
https://www.frankskinnerlive.com/podcasts
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Featured Poet: Jeremy Over
in poetry,... we need all that to which we have not become accustomed;
we need it to begin poetry at all
- From 'The Fine Art of Writing' by Jeremy Over
Jeremy Over was born in Leeds in 1961. He now lives on a hill near Llanidloes in the middle of Wales. He has four collections with Carcanet Press. His latest collection, Fourth & Walnut, seems to buck the mindfulness trend by advocating a gentle art of mind wandering, and is our book of the week.
Equal parts commonplace book, instruction manual and cheerful vandalism, Fourth & Walnut is absurdly joyful, gathering together words from a wide range of favourite writers and artists, erasing some and fooling with others as variations on themes and tunes are tried out.
We are delighted that Jeremy will be hosting a ' Wandering Mind' Workshop on Sunday 20 April in Bishop's Castle.
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Commonplace Books
We love this small UK business, Starsmead Books run by Ursula Jeakins,a stationery bookbinder based in Gloucestershire.
"It's a special project of mine in 2021 to promote the Commonplace Book. These are for recording quotations, inspiring passages from reading, bits of poetry and the like. In the final programme of the series The Death of Nuance on Radio 4 on New Years Day 2021, Oliver Burkeman interviewed US linguistics professor Naomi S. Baron, who explains the power of this kind of record creation, which dates back to the 16th century:
'So in a commonplace book, and they used to be done by hand, you write down something you overheard, or something you thought of, or something you read, and then you reflect back on the way that something was linguistically expressed , that really struck you. So it’s not just the ideas, but it the formulation. Outside a very small number of writers, that tradition has largely died, and more’s the pity. Because, the more we write down the things that we are think are linguistically and contentively worth remembering, the richer our lives become and the richer the linguistic expression of our lives becomes.' " |
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Online Retreat: Journal With Ease
For those unable to make it in person to our workshops, we offer gorgeous online spaces for you to explore how words can uplift your wellbeing, collaborating with carefully chosen workshop leaders to help you connect with us wherever you are in the world.
Our latest online series is a four-part journalling journey of self-discovery hosted by therapeutic journalling coach Tanya Lynch. Journalling is a popular practice known for its mental health and self-connection benefits and is a wonderful practice to start or enhance creative writing.
In this retreat, you will be guided on a series of prompts, techniques and tips for therapeutic journalling that will enable you to build a consistent and regular practice for health and wellbeing. You can find out more information and how to book on our website. |
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Events
Bishop's Castle
Keats: A Guided Exploration with Jan Westwood
Sunday 13 April
Join Jan on a guided exploration of this remarkable man and his poems.
Book here
A Wandering Mind Writing Workshop
Sunday 20 April
Join Carcanet poet Jeremy Over for a playful approach to reading and writing poetry with a sense of being open to pleasant surprise.
Book here
Swifts and Us: A Talk and Readings with Sarah Gibson
Sunday 4 May
Join Sarah Gibson, author of Swifts and Us: The Life of the Bird That Sleeps in the Sky, for a fascinating introduction to these mysterious birds, with readings from her book.
Book here
A Poetry Walk with Jonathan Davidson
Sunday 17 May
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
Oxford Street, London
Bespoke poetry with Jen Feroze
Sunday 20 April
Pop in to Oxford Street Poetry Pharmacy where award-winning poet Jen Feroze will create bespoke poems on the spot with her trusty typewriter. No need to book - drop in on the day
Walking the Oxford Street Tide with Liz Ison
Sunday 11 May
Join Liz Ison on a literary walk to celebrate the publication of Louisa Albani’s pamphlet Virginia Woolf in the City: Oxford Street Tide, as well as the 100th anniversary of Mrs Dalloway, first published in May 1925.
Book here
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Further reading
This week's subject line comes from the opening poem of our Wild Remedy anthology, 'On First Spotting a Snake's Head Fritillary' by Isobel Dixon and you can also read the whole poem here on the wonderful Places of Poetry site. Places of Poetry aims to use creative writing to prompt reflection on national and cultural identities in England and Wales, celebrating the diversity, heritage and personalities of place and it's worth half an hour of your time exploring the poetry you can find there.
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