Scriptstuff Entertainment

Midlands-based arts organisation Scriptstuff Entertainment has published a 98-page anthology of poetry written in response to the lockdown and the spread of COVID 19.

Formatted to resemble a classic Open Mic night, the book includes contributions from 45 Midlands poets both amateur and professional, each of whom has written about the impact of the pandemic on their lives, families, health and future and each of whom has previously supported or performed at a Scriptstuff Poetry event. The selection of contributions contains exactly the variety of styles and approaches on offer at any typical Open Mic night, and there are even a couple of headline guest appearances from Amanda Baker and Jemima Hughes to round things off.

Project director and Scriptstuff Poetry founder Mike Took was looking for something to fill the void left by the wave of virtual poetry experiences currently on offer; “Our live Scriptstuff Poetry events are always about community and connections, so I wanted to do something that brought people together in a more tangible and lasting way than can be achieved with Zoom.”

Each poem in the anthology is accompanied by a photograph of the contributor along with a brief description of their connection to Scriptstuff Poetry and a few additional comments covering their views on the lockdown and what they have been up to during this period. Some also include social media and contact information for readers who want to find out more about the individuals featured. “It’s just like a live event” explains Took, “we get to know each other a little bit, take a few contact details and generally support everyone who comes along in a really friendly and informal way”.

Scriptstuff Poetry has been running several regular and one-off poetry events across the Midlands for a number of years. Local council Arts Officer, Carole Sleight, says “Warwick District Council is delighted to havorganisations like Scriptstuff Poetry bringing people together in our community and making the arts more and more accessible to new and wider audiences”. The anthology also contains a foreword from John Berkavitch and is endorsed by, among others, the 10th Bard of Northampton Paul Giffney and ‘Cov Legend’ Raef Boylan.

Proceeds from the sale of the anthology will support the rising costs of Scriptstuff’s ongoing activities, including poetry outreach initiatives into new communities and keeping the entire Leamington Poetry Festival free for everyone to attend. Details of all events and activities are at the website www.scriptstuffpoetry.org where you can also order your copy of the anthology, priced at £9.95 (+£0.99 p&p).

 

 

Mike Took
Scriptstuff Entertainment

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