Ripon Poetry Festival

Ripon Writers’ Group was well represented in this year’s festival, attending many events and having poems included in the 2021 anthology. Unfortunately Peter Page was unavailable over the weekend, but Carol Mayer, Kate Swann, Lindsay Trenholme, Maggie Cobbett and Sheila Whitfield each took a turn at reading their entry from the pulpit of Allhallowgate Methodist Church on Friday evening. Fortunately, no one was afflicted by nerves or vertigo!

Sheila launched her first collection on Sunday afternoon at Thorpe Prebend House and even included audience participation in her session.

Chaired by Carol, our Ripon Writers’ Group event followed. Carol, Kate, Lindsay, Maggie and Sheila read some of their own poems and, not wanting Peter to miss out altogether, two of his were read out by Carol and Sheila.

Our singer-songwriter Christine Summers, accompanied by her husband Dylan, performed two of her own songs.

To end the afternoon with a flourish, Christine and Dylan also collaborated with other local folk singers, Simon Strickland and Dawn Bramley, in ‘Poetry and Music’, focusing mainly on the relationship between the two.

Our friendly group meets once a fortnight in an upstairs room at the So! Bar and is always open to new members from the Ripon area and beyond. Whether your interest is in poetry or prose, novels, short stories, plays, wacky humour, a more analytical style of writing, or just listening for the time being, you're very welcome.

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