Poetry

As a former Birmingham Poet Laureate, I’ve  relished the adventures of working as a performance poet and writer in the community, over the last fifteen years.

Appearing on stage at gigs and events has been amazing, including Birmingham Literary Festival, Manchester Literature Festival, Artsfest, Ledbury Poetry Festival and Birmingham University Festival. My work has been performed live on Radio 2 and is published in several anthologies, including ‘Bugged’ and ‘Split Screen.’ 

As a ‘Writer In Residence’ (for Apples & Snakes Spoken Word) at West Bromwich Albion F.C., I worked with their staff and youth groups, performing the resulting show proudly wearing a Baggies shirt at the Big Chill festival. Even Wolves fans were joining in with the chorus to one poem!

A solo show I devised and performed, called ‘Buddhism and Ben & Jerry’s’, debuted at the Bristol Old Vic. The title was inspired by a favourite meditation retreat, and the ice cream devoured on the train home…

Keen to work in collaboration, in 2011 I emailed a few poet friends and ‘accidentally’ formed the cross-generational ‘Decadent Down To Earth Divas’. Over endless cups of tea and toast we wrote new work together, which we then performed at gigs in pubs, libraries and literary festivals together. One gig was in pyjamas. I forget the reason, but it was the most comfortable and relaxed we ever felt on stage…

We relished the invitation to perform at the prestigious Ledbury Poetry Festival. The audience were euphoric, perhaps helped by the venue’s complimentary half time cider! Described by critics as ‘a hilarious and moving celebration of womanhood, not to be missed’. We’re working on a new show for 2025 to commemorate 14 yrs together.

Since serving as Birmingham Poet Laureate, I’ve often been invited to take poetry into schools, lifting words off the page and bringing them to life to engage pupils with literacy. This involves working with young people of all ages, and sometimes working in Pupil Referral Units, and in prisons. I also have experience of working with children recently bereaved, and those on the autistic spectrum. Teachers have commented that my warm, encouraging approach yields excellent results.

Happy to work in or outside of the classroom,  I’ve created several site responsive projects including working at Shugborough Hall and with the Staffordshire Hoard. It was a fascinating experience to be part of the ‘Words and Willows’ project at the National Memorial Arboretum for several years, which opened up a dialogue about war with pupils of all ages.

Following the success of the ‘Free Speech’ project, I also worked on the 3 year ‘Hear My Voice’ project for the Lichfield Festival. This combined working with survivors of domestic abuse, and families receiving care from two children’s hospices.

I loved working with people who initially didn’t think they could write, and thought that they had nothing to say. Watching participants grow through the sessions was profound, as they discovered their own voice and found the words to tell their own story. The resulting work was celebrated with performances at Lichfield Cathedral where the confidence built up throughout the project shone through in each person involved, and tested my waterproof mascara…

I also enjoy working with writers on regular Zoom sessions, where experienced published writers sit happily alongside beginners, enriching the experience for everyone. Recent groups I’ve worked with as a guest practitioner include Writers Without Borders, The Writers Guild, and staff at the Marie Curie Hospice. Always with tea and biscuits if we’re working in live group sessions. They help creativity…