July Theme

Hello everyone.

We are counting down to the start of the Festival tommorow... very excited.

July will be our last theme for a while due to the end of the festival and our summer holidays, but we will be back later in the year.

So with that said I am pleased to announce that the theme for July is ... Gold

The closing is 10am on Thursday 5th of August 2010.

Thanks

Ledbury Poetry Festival

Sarah James

Sarah James is a prize-winning poet, short story writer and journalist, who has been widely published on the web, in anthologies and literary journals.

She was shortlisted in Templar Poetry 2009 Pamphlet and Collection Competition and had two poems shortlisted in The Plough Prize 2009.

Her first full-length collection Into the Yell is published by Circaidy Gregory Press (www.circaidygregory.co.uk) this July. Sarah's website and blog can be found at
www.sarah-james.co.uk.

The mother of two young sons lives in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, and is very much looking forward to this year's Ledbury Poetry Festival.

Preparing by Sarah James

Preparing

Even the scissors' tail is a ringlet
that curves to the hairdresser's finger.

Snip. Silver glints. Snip.
I sense movement, air swishing.

My curls drop; hit the floor
without a sound.

"Okay?" The stylist stops,
stands back. "When you're ready."

Silence slices her words;
reveals sharp edges.

I look in the mirror, adjust-
then nod.

Clippers buzz: my scalp bared
like the gash of bark scraped from a tree.

I watch fingers flutter around my head-
and wait for the sap to dry.

Sarah James

May winner

Hello everyone,

Many problems for the delay in posting our May winner, it's been a bit busy at Ledbury HQ!

I am delighted to announce that our winner is 'Preparing' by Sarah James.

Many thanks to everyone who entered, it was a tough decision but we hope that you agree with our choice.

Ledbury Poetry Festival

June Theme

We here at Ledbury Poetry Festival HQ are a bit baffled that it's June already... crazy.

So with another month comes another theme. For June our theme is...

'Michael'

Closing date for entries is 1st July 2010 at 10am.

Good luck

Helen Pletts - Nuncle

Helen Pletts has two collections of poetry, Bottle bank (2008) and For the chiding dove(2009), containing a total of 45 poems, published by YouWriteOn.com.

The title poem ‘Bottle bank’ was longlisted for The Bridport Poetry Prize in 2006, under Helen’s maiden name of Bannister. The poem was first published by Charles Christian on www.ink-sweat-and-tears.com, the poetry and prose webzine, 20^th June and again as a podcast 14^th December 2008. Helen is a regular contributor to this webzine.

The title poem ‘For the chiding dove’ was translated into Italian by Gabriel Griffin and first published in ‘Poetry on the Lake Journal two’ (2009).

Helen’s sonnet ‘Medusa’ was published in Aesthetica Magazine Issue 20 and again in the Bottle bank collection.

She also has fiction published in Czech and English, ‘Phiddipides’ – Now and then, A celebration of the Prague International Marathon, (Tempo Team Prague, 2007).

Helen’s most inspiring influence - the words of W.S.Graham, ‘The Nightfishing’ being one of her favourites. Sylvia Plath’s ‘Tulips’ another.

The purring sound of much loved Abyssinian cat, Bobby, accompanies her on keyboard with a flip of the tail now and then !

Her much neglected blog site exists at www.stem-of-quietly-disarrayed-fertility.com which you are more than welcome to explore. Without the unerring support of Helen’s family and dearest friends there would be nothing but blank pages ! She teaches creative writing, currently in Prague, and from this autumn she will be running creative writing workshops in Cambridge.

Hello everyone,

Hope the sun is shining where you are!

Many thanks to our winner Helen who supplied us with a short biography!

Nuncle by Helen Pletts

Nuncle

If I am his
Then Sadness is
My cloak.

He gets me down.
Even the bells frown,
as he hobbles at my side.

My shoes
are over-twisted curlicues.
He cramps my style

And in his grey beard, the hopeless
Hollow out all care for laughter,
Backwards in the face of Gloucester.

April Fool Winner

Hello hello,

After a long period of deliberation again... we are pleased to announce the winner of our April 'The Fool' theme is Helen Pletts with 'Nuncle'. Well done Helen, what a wonderful piece.

Ledbury Poetry Festival

The Fool

Thank You to all those who entertained us with their 'Fool'.

The winning entry will be posted soon.

Ledbury Poetry Festival