Prompts from Churchill Writers last Saturday

We jumped straight into writing together last Saturday, almost as soon as we sat down. For a good twenty minutes everyone was absorbed, head down, scribbling or typing. Members of the group are free to write whatever they like, to respond to a prompt any way they like or not at all. The important thing is to free up the writing muscles and enjoy it. Very often, the writers are surprised and proud of what comes to them. Here are our latest prompts in case something works for you:

‘No one is immune to her power: the gods themselves are as much at risk of falling in love as the rest of us.’

Natalie Haynes, Divine Might

‘The evidence is in, and you are the verdict.’

Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird

‘We look before and after/ And pine for what is not’

PB Shelley, Ode to a Skylark

‘I don’t know nothin’ of what life’s about / just as long as you live, you never find out.’ Don McLean’s song, Wonderful Baby

At Serge Gainsbourg’s home in 2005

Prompts from Churchill Writers last week

Here are the five writing prompts I brought to our first Churchill Writers’ session in person since last November. As usual, I opened books from my shelves at random and chose a line or two, anything at all. The context of the source doesn’t matter, what’s important is that you take a prompt and dance with it whatever way you like. Enjoy the adventure:

inside will be a room filled with everyone I love‘ (from Joelle Taylor’s C+nto)

the music is big boned, takes up the whole of the dance floor‘ (source ditto)

he’s killing the shadow of a life my mother lived before they met‘ (Mothersong by Amy Acre)

Shadows on the wall, Noises down the hall‘ (Maya Angelou, Life Doesn’t Frighten Me)

I’ve got a magic charm that I keep up my sleeve‘ (source ditto)

Several of the group members said they hadn’t written anything for ages and doubted that they’d be able to produce anything. Well, here they are…

Ashford library, Kent – World Poetry day, Thurs 21 March, 6.30pm

This Thursday is World Poetry Day and I look forward to reading in Ashford library in Kent, from 6.30pm, alongside these excellent poets:

Maggie Harris was born in Guyana and has lived in Kent since 1972. A poet, prose writer and memoirist, awards include Kent’s Outstanding Adult Learner, The Guyana Prize, Commonwealth Short Story Prize and The Wales Poetry Award. Her poem ‘Canterbury’ is displayed in the city’s Westgate Garden, and the BBC-commissioned her poem for Kent, ‘Lit by Fire’, about the North Foreland Lighthouse.

Christopher Horton was a prize winner in the National Poetry Competition and the Bridport Prize and won first prize in the South Downs Poetry Festival Competition in 202. His pamphlet, Perfect Timing, was released by Tall-Lighthouse Press in 2021.

Jessica Taggart Rose is a writer and editor fascinated by human nature, the nature of time and our interactions with the natural world. She has poems published in the Letters to the Earth, Storm Chasers and ‘New Contexts’ anthologies, Confluence Magazine, Full House and Three Drops from a Cauldron. A founding member of Poets for the Planet, she lives in Margate where she helps to run the Margate Bookie Lit Festival and Margate Poetry Stanza.

This is going to be a really exciting evening. Many thanks to Christopher and the library for organising it. You can book your tickets at £2.50 each here.

This Tuesday, 5 March 2024, 7pm: celebrate Shakespeare in poetry and new biography in West Greenwich library, SE10

On Tuesday 5 March, 2024 at 7pm, I am honoured to be one of the Live Canon poets reading at In-Words’ Shakespeare event in West Greenwich Library, London SE10. Organiser Irena Hill says: 

‘Local writer and scholar Neville Grant will talk about some aspects of his recently published book Shakespeare in an Age of Anxiety (Greenwich Exchange, 2023) – his motivation and process of writing, and a very 21st century perspective (our own age of anxiety).

Neville’s talk will be followed by readings from 154 (Live Canon 2016), an amazing project where each of 154 poets responds to one of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets. Lorraine Mariner, Gillie Robic, Rosie Johnston, NJ Hynes, Doreen Hinchliffe and Nick Elsen form the outstanding line-up.

With many thanks to James Hodgson of Greenwich Exchange and Helen Eastman of Live Canon.’

Details of everyone’s CVs are on Irena’s website here. She omits to mention that wine and her fabulous home-made cakes will on offer too. Please join us if you can for this unique evening. 

Prompts from Churchill Writers last week

The Churchill Writers came up with some fantastic writing from these prompts last Saturday, all in just ten minutes with no preparation. The essence of free writing is to start anywhere and keep writing at all costs. Welcome whatever comes without judgement until the time is up and let your writing surprise you. Writing alongside other writers can create an intoxicating energy but you can do it on your own too. Our prompts were these:

Too close to call.

They hardly ever touch.

‘Free as a thistle, white hair blowing’ (from Second Childhood by Phoebe Hesketh)

Her arms were around his neck and she would not let go.

Here’s a photo prompt to welcome spring too.

Happy writing!

Poetry Hub at the Faversham Literary Festival: this Saturday, 24th Feb

At 11am this Saturday I am thrilled to be reading with two powerfully talented poets Bethany Goodwill and David Dykes at the Poetry Hub in Faversham’s gorgeous, medieval Guildhall in the centre of town. I’ve been having fun with poems this morning, gathering some new and a couple of old favourites, and can’t wait for us to lead off what should be a really exciting day of poetry – the full line-up is here. The Faversham Literary Festival is outstanding this year, again – congratulations to Amanda, Mark, Will, Megan and the team on enriching our literary lives so beautifully.

Events between now and March

Poetry events are springing up like bulbs at the moment. Details of three (three!) events of mine are on my events page here:

Thursday, 21 March 2024, 6.30pm at Ashford Library;

5 March, 2024 at 7pm: In-Words’ Shakespeare event in West Greenwich Library, London SE10;

and at the FAVERSHAM LITERARY FESTIVAL Poetry Hub, I will read on Saturday 24 February, 2024 at 11am and co-host throughout the day.

For all these events I will be in the best of company and would love you to join us.