28 April 2024

 

When I found out I was Worcestershire’s Young Poet Laureate I couldn’t believe it! I wasn’t expecting my name to be called out! The past few months have been surreal. I’ve really enjoyed performing lots of poetry, so here’s a bit about what I’ve been doing:

 

6 May 2024

 

At Colwall Primary School’s family fun day, I read ‘A Gollomy Land’, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s ‘Jabberwocky’. I also took part in a poetry workshop, which was really inspirational. I loved hearing a different style of poetry to what I usually write.

 

29 June 2024

 

Script Haven in Worcester is a gorgeous bookshop. I’ve walked past it before, desperate to have a look inside. I was delighted when I was asked to perform there with some other fantastic poets who I’m completely in awe of! The environment inside the bookshop was comforting and inviting, and knowing there was an afternoon of poetry ahead was a thrilling feeling. I really enjoyed performing.

 

24 July 2024  

 

I was asked to be part of a Litfest collaboration with the Museum of Royal Worcester. On 24 July, all of the poets involved were invited to a lecture on Georgian dining by Dr Buttery. I’ve learnt a lot about Georgian etiquette and the evolution of high tea (which was very costly as there was societal pressure to complete tea sets). 

 

The Museum was focusing on exploring their porcelain collections through food history, and one of my poems was directly linked to their display on Georgian dining, ‘Dr Wall’s Dinner’.

 

Poets were asked to write poems on the theme ‘The Language of Food and Porcelain’ and to explore the stories of porcelain and the food that brought it to life.

 

14 August 2024

 

The Worcester Porcelain Museum held an open day all about Georgian food and there were some Litfest food-themed writing workshops which I was able to help out with. Litfest kindly gave me a personalised t-shirt so I felt part of the team! The open day was very informative, giving me additional inspiration for my poems.

 

22 September 2024

 

I performed at a prize giving for Litfest’s Young Writers competition. Some of the writing I heard there was mind-blowing, it was so powerful and creative.

 

3 October 2024

 

By this time, I had written both of my poems for the Museum of Royal Worcester. For National Poetry Day, Severn Arts released an animated video of me reading an extract from one of them.

"So far, as WYPL, I’ve learnt a lot about poetry performance. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but performing my work is a relatively new thing for me! I think I enjoyed seeing my poetry in a museum exhibit most and I loved watching the animated video of my poem for National Poetry Day!"

16 December 2024

I had to write a poem which was named “Finding a voice - the unread books” for mental health day and (as is often the case) I gave this poem a book theme! In a comparison between unused or old books and people who have been judged by their covers, I tried to show the importance of realising that what matters is what we think of ourselves. In the end, this poem was used for World Poetry Day which was really exciting as it’s one of the best days of the year!

19 January 2025

I was filmed reading out “Finding a voice - the unread books” at the Hive and it was fantastic to watch the video when it was released for World Poetry Day.

6 March 2025

I was asked to write a poem for World Book Day which I was ecstatic about. I love books and everything writing themed so this was right up my street! I tried my hardest to convey the magic of World Book Day through my poetry. I was also filmed reading this poem and it was good fun to include hints to the different characters and books within my poem.

6 March 2025

I could hardly believe it when I was interviewed about my World Book Day poem (called “Read Me”) on BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester and really loved being able to talk about the ideas behind my poem.

February and March 2025

For my school’s eco club, I wrote a poem called “Graveyard” about the environment. I performed this for assemblies and a concert at my school.

22 March 2025

I was asked to perform my eco poem for Earth Hour as part of a group of eco poets. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend but my poem was kindly read out for me by Martin from Worcestershire Litfest and Fringe.

15 April 2025

I performed my eco poem “Graveyard” at the Hive as part of a collaboration with the University of Worcester. It was great to read out my poem and to see what other eco activities were happening!

22 April 2025

I was commissioned to write a poem celebrating Worcestershire, which was quite a difficult poem to write. I did a lot of research into the history of Worcestershire and what makes it such an interesting county. This will be released to mark the end of my year as Young Poet Laureate.

This year has been full of fantastic opportunities and has given me so much confidence in both writing and performing. Thank you to Jen and the Severn Arts team for all of the support over the last 12 months!

Floreat Semper Fidelis Civitas

A sculpture hollowed by the eddies of time

How malleable in the hands of old

In the fingers of fleeting memory

Clutched in a craftsman’s hold

x

Echoing through the hallowed halls

Residual voices of monks resound

A labyrinth of historic puzzle pieces;

King John’s cavernous resting ground

x

Every black pear seedling is cradled

Until its branches grow gnarled and wide

Drunk with the weight of bulbous fruit

The ‘apple’ of Elizabeth’s eye

x

The day glass tears fell

Hoofbeats sounded in loyalty

Pounding the nurturing earth

Of the courageous Faithful City

x

Preserving the past in black and white

A history book in tabloid form

Berrow's Worcester Journal

Each page well thumbed and worn

x

Tables embellished with porcelain

A balancing act, a magic show

The conjuring of exotic fruits

A hefty serving of bravo

x

Experimental kitchen sorcery

Dabbling with spice and tamarind

The sauce’s tang leaves my tastebuds

With vinegar’s mouth-pinching zing

x

If it wasn’t for Rowland Hill

Postage would be hard to reconcile

Posing in envelope corners

Victoria’s regal profile

x

Droplets cool on sickly tongues

Soothing and ubiquitous

The symphony of the Holy Well

Its gushing chimes mellifluous

x

The Dream of Gerontius window

Seems not lead and coloured glass

But a work of voice and instrument

The melodious echoes still last

x

Landscapes throbbing with life

As if their paint is still wet

Like a time machine this takes us back

So the past we never forget

x

3 wheeled cars splutter greetings

In gravelly, throaty tones

Pausing to purr before following

The meanderings of winding roads

x

Meeting within The Unicorn

CS Lewis and Tolkein write

About adventures whilst trekking the hills

And following the summons of lamplight

x

Malvern radar heroes

A guiding beacon at night

A lighthouse in a storm

A glimmer of hope for planes in flight

x

Hercules powers on wilfully

In strides along the track

The Flying Pig extends its wings

With a cacophonous clickety-clack

x

The historic Cathedral my backdrop

The Severn gliding gracefully

Pondering the words of Worcestershire

It's all music to me.