Newport Stanza poetry group is to launch its first anthology, Wire, Elemental Emergency later this month. The collection is written by poets who meet on a monthly basis at Newport’s Barnabas Arts House to share and workshop their poetry.
“Newport Stanza has been meeting for eight years now,” explains Adele Cordner, coordinator of the group which is affiliated to The Poetry Society.
“It was set up by Newport poet Angela Platt and we used to meet at her house in Stow Hill. When Angela tragically passed away in 2020, we decided to keep the group going to honour her memory. Angela was a wonderful poet and a great teacher.
“We went online during the Coronavirus pandemic and then we found a new home in Barnabas Arts House in Newport. The group has grown from strength to strength. Many of our members are published and prize-winning poets from all over South Wales and even as far as the Forest of Dean.
“This is our first anthology of poems, and we were all unanimous that we wanted it to be about the climate crisis. As poets, we all feel that we have a responsibility to draw attention to the environmental crisis and we are delighted to be donating from the proceeds of book sales to Save The River Usk.
Newport Stanza group’s debut anthology, Wire, Elemental Emergency will launch at a special event at Barnabas Arts House on Thursday November 30, 7:30pm. The book launch will feature readings from Welsh poet, Jonathan Edwards. Tickets for the event are free and available via Eventbrite.
Adele continues, “We are absolutely over the moon that Jonathan will be reading at our launch event, supported by Literature Wales. Jonathan won the Costa Book Award for Poetry in 2014 for his collection My Family and Other Superheroes.
“Poets from the group will also be reading their work and signed copies of the book will be available.”
Copies of Wire, Elemental Emergency will be available at the launch event at the price of £7. The book will also be available via the Newport Stanza website.