Alex Josephy Poet
  • Home
  • Poems
  • Readings
  • Publications and Awards
  • Contact
  • The Latest

Past, Present and Future at Ledbury Poetry Festival

3/7/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
I spent a contemplative weekend at Ledbury Poetry Festival, immersing myself in poetry events, performing one of my poems at the launch of Adam Horovitz's gorgeous, sappy, botanical anthology 'The Physic Garden' (available from Palewell Press - follow the link)...
... then hiding (in a park, or at my comfortable, secluded B and B - Harlequin-Ledbury, recommended!) to think and write... for me a perfect combination.

One of my highlights was a little exhibition of artists' books (Ledbury Book Arts) where I discovered the book art of Anthony Bateman. Anthony told me he is proud to live next door to John Masefield's childhood home,  and he's made a beautiful art book from an edition of Masefield's work. Turning the pages with delight,  I came upon the opening of Masefield's poem 'Tewkesbury Road', and was thrown straight back to childhood, to the first poems that moved me. I still carry in my head lines and phrases from this poem, learned by heart at primary school:  'the shy-eyed delicate deer', 'the dear wild cry of the birds'. I suspect that traces of Masefield's rhythms and images linger in my own writing.

I also loved the way the whole town seemed drawn into the festival spirit, with a shop window competition, poetry chairs around the streets and free and fringe activities too throughout the weekend.


Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
I learned how to write a triolet with American poet A. E Stallings (a great teacher as well as poet; if you ever get the chance do go to one of her workshops).

I caught parts of 'Fair Field', a promenade version of Langland's 'PIers Plowman', too, brought up-to-date in anti-austerity style and performed around town and up in the Malvern Hills.

I cackled with the best of 'em at Nicholas Murray's feisty 'A Dog's Brexit'. Cathartic rage! (And shades of Bulgakov?)

And I carried home a pile of books for my 'to read next' shelf, from the poets I'd heard reading, too many to mention but perhaps the stand-out for me were Ana Blandiana, legendary Romanian 'Poet of Freedom' prize-winner, and Turkish/Kurdish poet Bejan Matur with her translator Jen Hadfield. These poems ('If This is a Lament') bear witness and lament without ever losing that sense of word-joy that poetry can give.  Bejan's  chapbook sold out before I could get to the book table - so I have it on order from the Poetry Translation Centre!

I guess for some of us, a poetry festival is the equivalent of an activity holiday, doing the things we love best in a different and beautiful setting. Thanks to the Ledbury Festival, I feel very fortunate to be able to do so.


Picture
1 Comment
Sheila Christie link
11/7/2017 06:50:07

Lovely post - I particularly like the way you've arranged the photos and the books you've brought back. I got a real sense of the festival from the post, wonderful.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I like what Franz Kafka said:
    ​'Paths are made by walking'

    Archives

    February 2025
    September 2024
    August 2024
    June 2024
    October 2023
    April 2023
    July 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed



Alex Josephy