Becoming Staffordshire Poet Laureate

Receiving the laureate book from Mel Woodend

It's been six weeks since I first found out I had become the new Staffordshire Poet Laureate and two weeks since it was officially announced on National Poetry Day and I still don't think it has really sunk in! 

I am thrilled of course to be following Mel Woodend into the role who made such a difference to the poetry scene locally during her tenure.  It is also an honour to be included in the same list as other poets I respect and admire from Emily Galvin to Bert Flitcroft and of course the late first Staffordshire poet laureate Mal Dewhirst.  I was lucky enough to work with Mal on several projects and he  encouraged me to keep writing even suggesting to me once that with my multi-skilled creative practice I should apply for the laureate role, so I hope he is looking over my shoulder now with pride.

Mal Dewhirst at Ingestre

Mal was a wonderful support to everything writing in Staffordshire and continued to give his time generously to those of us who shared his love of both visual arts and writing - our final act together was our 'Eleven Oranges' exhibition at Ingestre Orangery.  As a dual practitioner I frequently collaborate with poets as an artist and was commissioned to respond to Bert's legacy of the Staffordshire Poetry Online collection; I am a regular contributor to Rick Sander's  brilliant PoArtry project - the 2022 edition currently showing at the General Office in Stourbridge - and worked with poet Leah Thorn on the 'Older Women Rock the Potteries' project at Keele University.

For those of you who don't yet know me I'll try and provide a  snapshot  resume - difficult to achieve when you have almost 40 years of creative practice that has involved being part of so many great projects! 

I started my career as a photographer at Wedgwood before lecturing in photography and fine art for many years. Since 2004 I have worked as a freelance creative practitioner developing and delivering several projects with clients such as the youth service and youth offending teams, in health settings working with vulnerable adults, driven a mobile children's centre to engage hard to reach communities in learning, and brought innovative approaches to teaching adult literacy. Alongside this I exhibit my artwork and share my poetry whenever I can at live and online events locally and further afield. I have had poems published in anthologies and am about to start putting together my first collection. 

Writing and writing poetry has been an ever present activity in my creative output but sharing my poetry has increasingly dominated my practice over the last few years thanks to the brilliantly supportive poetry community in the Midlands. 

As poet laureate I hope to bring this multi-dimensional approach, my substantial experience and my enthusiasm for engaging and inspiring people from all walks of life to the role. 

In my pitch to Staffordshire Libraries and Arts for the role I talked about wanting to build on Mel's excellent hard work at making poetry accessible by taking poets and poetry out into Staffordshire communities so that it becomes part of our everyday lives. In this way we can explore issues around diversity (especially trying to reach LGBTQ voices) the environment, health and heritage in the places where people are and where it matters most.

So, if you know of a charity, a social, support or specific interest group, or a business that would like to host a poet for a short time (known as a micro-residency) to help give ideas, issues and feelings a voice then get in touch. If you are a poet and would like to be involved please contact me - there's always room in my old van to get onboard!

I look forward to this great opportunity and sharing regular updates here and I'm sure there will be a few more images along the way...

My page in the current PoArtry 'Hope' catalogue