Awayday 2018

Another successful Awayday writing retreat at Dumbleton Hall was held in May.  Writing exercises, centred around the topics of food and ekphrastic poetry, resulted in a number of very good first drafts.

We have already booked our Awayday at Dumbleton Hall for 2019.  It will be on Wednesday 22 May.

Cheltenham Poetry Society's Programme for 2018  

Revised 15 July 2018

PH - Parmoor House, 13 Lypiatt Terrace, Cheltenham

Poetry Writing Group at Parmoor House (PH), Rosalind Room

7pm - 10pm on the last Tuesday of every month, except in December when the group meets on the second Tuesday of the month.
Membership of the Writing Group is by invitation and ensures everyone receives a full discussion on at least one of their poems.  Please note that we have a full quota of members for the Writing Group at present, so there continue to be no vacancies.

Dates of meetings, 2018 (7pm - 10pm)
30 Jan, 27 Feb, 27 Mar, 24 Apr, 29 May, 26 June, 31 July, 28 Aug, 25 Sept, 30 Oct, 27 Nov, 11 Dec

The Annual General Meeting, which all subscribing members of the Society are welcome to attend, will be on 27 November, followed by a shortened Writing Group meeting. 

Poetry Reading Group 

7pm - 10pm on the third Tuesday of every month.  Reading Group meetings in 2018 have alternated between studying a collection by a contemporary poet, and considering poems on specified topics.  As of June, the Reading Group is on hiatus for the summer and will resume in a new form in September.

Dates and topics for meetings, 2018 (7pm - 10pm)

16 January – Ecopoetry: poetry reflecting ecological/environmental concerns and climate change. Recommended preparation: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/serie s/keep-it-in-the-ground-a-poem-a-day20 Feb 

20 February: Martyn Crucefix’s collection, The Lovely Disciplines. Studying this collection will be useful preparation if you are planning to go to this poet’s reading at the Poetry Festival in April.

2 March – Migration. This could include poems by Sarah Howe, Ruth Padel, Kei Miller, Imtiaz Darkar, Daljit Nagra, Patience Agbabi, Rishi Dastidar, George Szirtes, Lemn Sissay, Warsan Shire (for example).

17 April – Jacob Polley’s collection, Jackself.
Studying this collection will be useful preparation if you are planning to go to this poet’s reading at the Poetry Festival in April.

15 May – Identity; freedom of expression in whatever guise that takes, eg ethnicity, gender.

Workshops

7pm - 10pm on the firstTuesday of February, April, June.  
Workshops will resume in September in a new form.  They will continue to be suitable for all levels of experience. Beginners will, as always, be welcome.  

Awayday Writing Retreat

The Society’s annual writing retreat Awaydaywas on Thursday 24 May at Dumbleton Hall. Please contact the Society for information about 2019's away day which will be on 22 May.

Performance Opportunities

Local open mic readings and performance opportunities occur throughout the year
in which Society members are encouraged to participate. 

Note that although not part of the CPS programme, our Chair and Treasurer co-run Poetry Café Refreshed at Smokey Joe’s, Bennington St, which offers open mic opportunities plus the chance to hear a guest poet, on the third Wednesday of each month (Jan – Nov), and the second Wednesday of the month in December.  £5 on the night.