Stanza News: Dorset

Bridport
Dorchester
Poole

Bridport
Contact: Carole Buchanan-Brown (mansville AT btinternet.com or 01308 488 759) 

Bridport Stanza meets regularly. We read a selection of our own poems. We have been halfheartedly attempting "homework" inspired by an article in poetry news (I believe) that suggested writing poems based on a favourite word. To spice things up a little we then placed the words into a saucer and picked a random word. This proved to be a challenging task. I ended up with the word "smile", which to avoid cliches emerged as a sad poem.

Dorchester
Contact: Pam Zinnemann-Hope (pam AT zhope.co.uk or 01300 320 826)

* The Wednesday evening workshops begin on Sept. 29, they will run from 6.30pm-9.00pm at the Colliton Club, Dorchester. Please email Pam if you’d like to know more: pam@zhope.co.uk

* September 20, King’s Place, London with Poet in the City: Paul Hyland, Kate Scott, Catherine Simmonds & Pam-Zinnemann-Hope, four poets living in Hardy’s Wessex, perform ‘Who’s In The Next Room?’ A selection of Thomas Hardy’s strange and electrifying verse alongside their own work. Their poems – responses to Hardy’s fiction, poetry and the landscape in which he lived and worked – create an animated conversation, reflecting the man, his legend and his words.

* ‘Who’s In The Next Room?’ was developed during a residency at Hardy's Cottage in Higher Bockhampton to celebrate The Poetry society Centenary & was sponsored by the National Trust. It was originally performed at Max Gate, the house Hardy designed for himself in Dorchester & recently at the Thomas Hardy Society Conference in Dorchester.

* A chap book of poems from “Who’s In The Next Room?” is due from Happenstance to coincide with the reading.

 Poole
Contact: Nick Bushell (nick at giftedandgeek.com)

Poole Stanza LaunchPoole Stanza launch (Photo L to R: Ray & Brenda Wills, Peter John Cooper, Pam Fudge, John Barclay)

This Stanza is arranged in conjunction with the Poole poetry group, which has been going about 3 months. There is a small charge of £2 to cover costs and provide teas/coffee etc for each meeting.

Meetings will be held at Fourways Centre, Constitution Hill, Poole, Dorset BH14 0PZ.

* The group will be having its summer recess on 11 / 25 August and will be meeting again on the 8 September 2010 with a new programme.

Website for more information: http://poolepoetrygroup.com/