Poets on page, stage and screen

It's been poetry right, left and centre this week, starting with a friend lending me the wonderful "Beginning With Your Last Breath", the debut poetry collection by Roy McFarlane. We are hugely delighted that Roy - one time Birmingham Poet Laureate and poet in residence at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust - has agree to be a judge for the Gloucestershire Writers' Network competition this year. The theme of the competition is "Who do we think we are?" and, as this collection of Roy's is an exploration of identity, I don't think we could have had a more appropriate person taking up the challenge.

Then, at Writers in the Brewery, Dominic James was the guest speaker. He read from "Pilgrim Station", his tremendously diverse collection which has poems on subjects as varied as deserters in the Middle East to Granny in her coffin ("She's much improved"!). It was a thoroughly enjoyable reading and fascinating to hear of his development as a poet. He spoke particularly of the importance of mentors and the value of a supportive group in which to work; reflecting on this later, I was very aware of how blessed I have been on both of those counts, having had tremendous encouragement and guidance from two excellent mentors (Rona Lacock and Jennie Farley) and much constructive criticism from my Catchword and Picaresque colleagues.

Dominic James

Finally this afternoon a group of us went to the Roses in Tewkesbury to see the Terence Davis film "A Quiet Passion". If you haven't seen it - do try to do so. The photography is terrific and the characters so well portrayed. I have long been an admirer of Emily Dickinson's poetry and will be reading some with the Cheltenham Poetry Festival Players at the Playhouse on May 8th. It's not an easy film to watch but I wouldn't have missed it. It's very true to the details of her life and death and the voice-over use of her poems is very effective - the final scene, to "Because I could not stop for death", being especially moving. I can thoroughly recommend a visit to see it.