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Dear Friends,
I wanted to write to you directly, because many of you have followed the Poetry Pharmacy for a long time, not just as a shop, but as a place that has tried to support poetry as something shared and lived, through readings, open mics, and gathering together, rather than something that only exists on the page. It still feels quietly radical to insist on books, poetry, and kind attention in the middle of busy streets, and to keep offering space for readings, open mics, and gatherings, simply because they matter.
From the beginning, we have tried to offer more than simply bookselling. We have hosted open mics, readings, launches, and conversations. We have offered space for poets and readers to gather, often covering the costs ourselves, simply because we believe poetry communities need places that are held for love rather than money.
This spring, we are opening our third Poetry Pharmacy, on the high street in York. I have written elsewhere about how difficult it can be to grow a small, values-led business. Scaling brings opportunity, but it also brings pressure. We have not been able to borrow for this next step, and cash flow is tight at the moment. We are not in crisis, but we are at one of those points where community support can make a real, tangible difference.
So we have created a small, practical way for people to help if they would like to. A limited-edition Supporters’ Bookmark, inspired by that old lending-library card, offering 15 percent off in all 3 bookshops for a year (march to March). It is available as a pre-order, and the funds raised will go directly towards helping us open the York shop and continue the quieter, less visible work around poetry that so many of you have been part of.
The Supporters’ Bookmark grew out of a small, much-loved object of mine: a 1940s Boots lending-library card. It felt like a simple, practical way to carry that spirit forward, and to offer something useful and lasting in return for support.
There is absolutely no obligation. But if the Poetry Pharmacy has been a place where you have read, shared work, listened, or felt welcomed, and if you are in a position to support us now, we would be deeply grateful.
Thank you, as always, for reading, and for helping keep poetry present on the high street.
Warmest wishes,
Deb
You can read more details and buy a bookmark here
 
And because we always share a poem when we write to you, here's Woman Running Alone by Maria Taylor - a poetry film. from her collection You can find the poem from her collection Dressing for the Afterlife published by Nine Arches Press.
And it's also the closing poem in The Poetry Business School
You can also read my article Why Growth Can Feel More Fragile Than Starting Out which takes a look behind the scenes.
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