Nailsworth Town Council is holding a competition to write a poem themed on Nailsworth or the surrounding area. This will be part of a new Festival of Words, at 3 Storeys Arts Venue in Nailsworth, from July 5-10.
What’s more, the new Poet Laureate will have the opportunity to write poems for the town over the next year.
Children aged seven to 12 are also invited to send in poems, paintings and drawings, on any theme. Every child will receive a book token.
Following on from the awards ceremony – on Saturday, July 9 – local poets will read their work at a special poetry café.
The Festival of Words hopes to encourage appreciation and enjoyment of words in all their contexts, and will include story-telling, installation and talks.
Also featured will be an exhibition of the work of the Concrete Poets who, from the 1960s and 70s, celebrated the intrigue and fun of words in unique ways. They were closely connected to Nailsworth, with John Furnival, Ken Cox and Tom Clark all living locally at the time.
Entries to the poetry competition should be submitted by Friday, June 17, by sending to adminassistant@nailsworthtowncouncil.gov.uk; they can also be dropped into the Town Information Centre, inside Nailsworth Library. Anyone who would like to read their work out at the poetry café should contact Pip Heywood in advance, at pipheywood@icloud.com
