October 2022
Colin Wells won the slam at The Cheltenham Poetry Festival.
October 2022
As part of National Poetry Day, Much Wenlock Library is hosting an evening of poems, conversation and cake, featuring Nick Pearson.
Thursday 6th October @ 6pm. Free event, but booking is highly recommended. Details on the library web site or call 01952 728293.
October 2022
Paul Francis' poem, Ode to Autumn, 2022 has been selected
for the Culture Matters web site.
'Seasons of mist. Unregulated Truss ...'
October 2022
Sharon Ashton's poem, Limina, has been shortlisted as a finalist in
The Wells Festival of Literature Poetry Competition.
Sharon will be reading at Cedars Hall, Wells on Monday 17th October
@ 14:00, when the winners will be announced.
Click for tickets for this and other events.
October 2022
Colin Wells is appearing at The Stourbridge Labour Party Poetry Night
on Thursday 13th October, 19:00-22:30. Hosted by Willis the Poet
(AKA Rick Sanders), and also featuring Cherry Doyle and Sallyanne Rock.
Click for tickets.
October 2022
Colin Wells is at The Wirral Poetry Festival Slam at The Bridge Inn, Wirral on Saturday 8th October 18:00-20:00.
Click for more events at The Wirral Poetry Festival.
October 2022
Ian Parr is presenting a paper on John Clare's first collection of 1820: 'Poems Descriptive of a Rural Life' at Lingham's Booksellers in Heswall on Thursday 6th October @ 19:00.
Click for more events at The Wirral Poetry Festival.
October 2022
To celebrate the inaugural Ironbridge Festival of the Imagination poetry competition, you can hear the winning and shortlisted poets – including Bridgnorth Writers, Sharon Ashton, Teresa Heeks,
Paul Francis and Ian Parr – read their work.
This free event is on Sunday 2nd October 15:00-18:00 and will be hosted on Zoom by Poets, Prattlers, and Pandemonialists.
email for the Zoom link:
September 2022
Ian Parr and Paul Francis are appearing at an Ironbridge Festival event at The Water Rat, Ironbridge, on Thursday 29th September @ 19:30.
Free entry and open mic. Click for more details.
September 2022
Keith Chandler's poem, The Goldsmith's Apprentice, has been reviewed and analysed by Catherine Smith on The Poetry Society web site.
September & October 2022
Colin Wells is at The Poetry Slam at The Ironbridge Festival of Imagination on Saturday 1st October @ 20:00.
Click for details of this and other events at The Festival from
15th September to 3rd October.
September 2022
In The Shelley Memorial Competition, Paul Francis was highly commended for Memorial and long-listed for Highlights Reel.
September 2022
Sharon Ashton had two poems short-listed in The Poetry on the Lake Competition: Lunchtime Concerts at St Alkmund's and
St Cuthbert reflects on life, death and St Kevin.
September 2022
Congratulations to Bridgnorth Writers on recent successes in
The Ironbridge Poetry Competition.
Paul Francis won the TF postcode prize with Missing Paula Rego and
was highly commended in the wider competition for two other poems: Activist and Hope in '63.
Also in the TF postcode competition, Ian Parr was commended
for Spring Cider, and Teresa Heeks for Birdlife.
In the wider competition, Keith Chandler was commended for
On Dewsbury Hill, and Sharon Ashton for If you're ever in Rome, she said.
The competition was part of The Ironbridge Festival of Imagination with loads of great events from 15th September to 3rd October.
September & October 2022
Jeff Phelps is at:
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'Poetry of the English Landscape' at The Water Rat on Saturday 17th September @ 14:30-16:00.
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Wordsley Library on Friday 7th October @ 10:30. (Free event)
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Stoke Central Library on Saturday 8th October @ 11:00. (Free event)
More details on the Offa's Press web site.
September 2022
Colin Wells is at The Cheltenham Poetry Slam on Saturday 24th September.
Click for more details of this and many other events at
September 2022
David Bingham and John Woodall are at The All Nations Inn on Thursday 22nd September, 2100-22:00.
Free event. More details on the Offa's Press web site.
July 2022
David Bingham is at Virtual Voices on Saturday July 23rd, 17:00-18:30.
More details on the Offa's Press web site.
July 2022
Paul Francis is part of a great line-up at Get a Word in Edgeways at
The Much Wenlock Festival of Words, 8th-10th July.
Paul is in the Medium Marquee on Sunday 10th July, 13:45-14:45, with
Poems in the News. Click to book.
July 2022
Jeff Phelps will be a special guest at Wenlock Books' online Poetry Breakfast on the theme of 'Between Places'. It's on Thursday 14th July, starts at 09:00 and runs for approximately an hour. Guide price for attendance at the Zoom event is £5. Click for more details.
Jeff has also had a poem selected for Poetry on Loan's Poetry Postcards on the subject of 'Strangers and Friends'. Some time over the next few months the poems will go on postcards with illustrations, and be distributed free in libraries across the West MIdlands. Look out for them!
July 2022
Colin Wells will be a contestant in The Ledbury Poetry Festival Slam on
Saturday 9th July @ 20:30 at The Market Theatre.
Click for more details of 82 – yes 82! –poetry events at The Ledbury Poetry Festival.
June 2022
The official launch of Paul Francis' latest book, Poems about Ukraine, is at 19:30, on Friday 17th June, at Priory Hall, Much Wenlock. Admission free, and refreshments provided.
Also available for £5 from Liberty Books, Much Wenlock, TF13 6JQ, or email francisliberty@btinternet.com
June 2022
On Tuesday 21st June @ 19:30, Paul Francis is taking part in a
Shropshire Supports Refugees event. Paul and other contributors will be reading from 'You're Welcome' with the main speaker, Gulwali Passarlay.
Gulwali Passarlay, author of 'The Lightless Sky', left Afghanistan for the West as a 12-year old refugee, and features in this TED Talk from seven years ago.
Paul is also appearing at Get a Word in Edgeways in Much Wenlock,
8th–10th July. Dates and times to follow on their web site.
June 2022
It's five years since Poets, Prattlers and Pandemonialists
(aka, Emma Purshouse, Steve Pottinger and Dave Pitt) started
Yes We Cant at The Pretty Bricks in Walsall.
To celebrate their birthday, they've invited two poets who appeared at the first event to perform again on Sunday 5th June @ 19:30.
Jonny Fluffypunk is headlining , and our very own, Paul Francis
is the 'Alf Ender.
It's a Zoom event this month. Click for more details or,
to reserve your place, email poetsprattlerspandemonialists@gmail.com
June 2022
Sarah Baker and Colin Wells will be at The Belle Vue Arts Festival at Barnabas Church Centre, Shrewsbury, SY3 7DN on Thursday 16th June 19:30–21:45.
Click for full programme of events, 11th– 25th June.
Colin will appearing at Offa's Press Virtual Voices on Tuesday 14th June.
May 2022
Paul Francis is appearing with Emma Purshouse and Jill Tromans at Offa's Press Country Voices at The Water Rat, on Saturday 21st May
@ 14:30–16:00. Tickets £5 on the door.
Paul will be launching his latest book, Poems about Ukraine, also available for £5 from Liberty Books, Much Wenlock, TF13 6JQ, or email francisliberty@btinternet.com
May 2022
Welcome to new Bridgnorth Writers member, Ian Parr.
Ian is well-known on the poetry circuit, and forthcoming projects include:
'Poetry Worth Hearing', Episode Four includes an item by Diana Sanders on a collaboration with her and other poets putting music and sound effects into poems as part of “The Unstoppable Music Project” which is available on CD.
Wednesday 18th May 2022, 7.30pm: delayed launch of Ian's collection 'Singing Tomorrows' at St, Werburgh’s Parish Centre, Chester.
16th–19th June 2022. 8th Annual RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Festival, Aberdaron, Wales. Ian will be assisting Philip Gross with the poetry workshops and will host the evening concert of poetry at Felin Ichaf.
Thursday 7th July 2022, 10:00–16:00. 'First Thursday' at Lingham’s Bookshop, Heswall, Wirral. As part of the poetry, music and spoken work performances Ian will be giving a talk on John Clare’s first poetry collection, Poems Descriptive of Rural Life and Scenery published in 1820.
May 2022
Ann and Charlie Garratt are at a 'Meet the Authors' event at Broseley Library on Wednesday 4th May @ 11:00-12:30.
Charlie is at Wellington Festival on Saturday 7th May @ 10:00–16:00
March 2022
Poems by Lizzie Prudence and Keith Chandler are included in A Staffordshire Poetry Collection edited by Bert Flitcroft, published by Clayhanger Press
March 2022
In June last year Sharon Ashton won 2nd prize in the prestigious Poetry on the Lake competition.
Great to hear that Poetry on the Lake have entered 'Ilaria Triptych' for The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem.
February 2022
Congratulations to Paul Francis who was joint first in the
Bishops Castle poetry competition with 'The Covid Interview'.
February 2022
Welcome to two new Bridgnorth Writers members: Ann and Charlie Garratt.
Ann won a short story competition for Irish writers in Coventry. She was a regular voluntary contributor to The Donegal Democrat and has written several short stories which were published in Woman's Way. In 2010 Ann had five short pieces about her childhood broadcast on Lyric FM and this provided the inspiration to begin her memoir, The Road Taken which was self-published in 2014 detailing her experiences of emigration and mental health problems. In addition, three of her short stories were included in the anthology Wild Atlantic Words in 2016.
Charlie's first novel, A Shadowed Livery, was published in 2015, followed by three more detective novels set in 1938-1940, featuring Inspector James Given. The fifth novel in the series, A Malignant Death, is due to be published by Sapere Books in Spring 2022.
He self-published A Handkerchief for Maria during lockdown in 2020. It is a family saga, based on researching his own family. He’s had short stories published in an anthology, Wild Atlantic Words, and had a number of non-fiction titles on community development and tenant involvement published.
He’s currently working on a new project, a detective series set in 18th century Bridgnorth.
Click to preorder Charlie’s new book A Malignant Death.
Click here to buy Charlie's books.
February 2022
Paul Francis' poem 'Value for Money' has been included in the
Culture Matters anthology, A Fish Rots From The Head.
February 2022
A couple of successes at The Wolverhampton Literature Festival for Bridgnorth Writers:
Paul Francis was on the final short list with 'A Podcast History of the City' and Colin Wells was second in the Slam at The Arena Theatre.
February 2022
David Bingham, Barbara Chapman, Sarah Baker, Peter Morford, Lizzie Prudence, Steve Brotherton and Colin Wells appeared at The Lighthouse as part of the Writers Hub events.
February 2022
Great to see that Jeff Phelps is already making his mark on the Wiltshire writing scene with a special mention in The Corsham Storytown Poetry Competition and a poem in Contagious Tales – 22 modern folk tales in the wake of the pandemic & climate crisis.
February 2022
On Friday 25th February, Paul Francis and Steve Pottinger are co-hosting 'Poems about Migration', a Zoom event that draws on work from two recent collections: Poetry and Settled Status for All, edited by Ambrose Musiyiwa, and You’re Welcome, edited by Paul Francis.
Readers will include, Paul Francis, Steve Harrison, Chris Kinsey
and Emma Purshouse.
If you'd like to attend by Zoom on Friday 25th February, 19:30-20:30,
please email Colin Wells at colin@colinwells.com who will
acknowledge your request and send you an invitation.
February 2022
Colin Wells will be at the Poetry Slam at Stroud Subscription Rooms on Sunday 20th February.
February 2022
Lizzie Prudence is appearing at Country Voices at The Water Rat, Ironbridge, on February 12th 14:30-16:30. Click for more details.
February 2022
On February 12th, David Bingham is running a poetry workshop on 'winter images'. Meet at Pant village hall, near Oswestry, 10:00-16:00. Click for more details and to book a ticket.
February 2022
Bridgnorth Writers are at the Writers Hub event at
The Lighthouse on 6th February @ 14:30 including, Sarah Baker, David Bingham, Steve Brotherton, Barbara Chapman,
Peter Morford, Lizzie Prudence, and Colin Wells.
This is part of The Wolverhampton Literature Festival.
February 2022
Offa's Press are at the 'Meet the Publishers' event at Wolverhampton Gallery on February 4th as part of The Wolverhampton Literature Festival. Readings from Offa's Press authors, including Nick Pearson, from 14:45-15.45
January 2022
Colin Wells is in The Wolverhampton Literature Festival Poetry Slam on January 29th at The Arena Theatre. Click for more details of this and other events at The Festival
January 2022
Congratulations to Paul Francis whose poem
'The Willow Rooms' was highly commended in the Cannon Poets Sonnet or Not competition.
November 2021
Steve Brotherton's new book, Fractures, Dreams and Second Chances
was featured recently in The Shropshire Star.
Steve will be signing books at:
Saturday 20th November 10:00-12:00
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The Greenhouse Cafe, Shrewsbury,
Saturday 27th November, 11:30–13:30
October 2021
Another success for Paul Francis whose poem
'To my left knee' has been published on the excellent
Poetry in the Waiting Room web site.
October 2021
Congratulations to Barbara Chapman whose poem
'The Continuity of Geese' was long-listed in the Black Eyes Publishing/Gloucestershire Poetry Society competition.
October 2021
Liz Kershaw has been short-listed for the Historical Writers' Association Award for her short story 'The Guard of Honour' and was commended for her ‘perfect writing and sharply observed characterisations as one man makes a choice.’
October 2021
Well done Sharon Ashton who is included in the PoArtry 2021 anthology. It's a beautifully designed and innovative web site, and definitely worth a visit.
October 2021
Congratulations to Alison Nichol-Smith who has won the Wrekin Writers Doris Gooderson competition with her short story 'The Hide'.
September 2021
Colin Wells is appearing at:
Virtual Voices with Offa's Press on Tuesday 14th September.
Caffe Grand Slam in Dudley on Thursday 28th October.
Shrewsbury Festival of Literature on Sunday 28th November.
Tickets available from event web sites.
September 2021
Loads of great events at The Ironbridge Festival of Imagination from 11th to 26th September, including
spoken word shows featuring Bridgnorth Writers.
Nick Pearson is appearing at The Water Rat Inn @ 16:00 on Saturday 11th September.
Lizzie Prudence will be performing five Haiku, supported by Catherine Redfern on flute, as part of Haiku Surprise at
The Water Rat Inn on Sunday 12th September @ 15:00.
David Bingham is at The All Nations Inn @ 20:00 on Thursday 16th September.
Tickets available from the Ironbridge Festival web site.
September 2021
Paul Francis has a poem, Golfing Heaven, published on the excellent Spilling Cocoa over Martin Amis website, specialising in light/comic/funny poetry.
August 2021
Offa's Press have just published In the Sticks, an Arts Council England-supported anthology, edited by Simon Fletcher and Cherry Doyle.
In the Sticks takes a dispassionate look at life in the countryside in the West Midlands today. There are poems about farming and fishing, the changing environment and village life, nature, rural isolation and romance.
Poems by several Bridgnorth Writers have been included: Barbara Chapman, Nick Pearson, Paul Francis,
Ruthie Starling and Teresa Heeks. And David Bingham
and Jeff Phelps have two each!
In the Sticks is available from the Offa's Press online shop.
August 2021
Paul Francis has had more competition successes recently.
A poem has been included in Feathers and Pennies, Poems and Stories for the Matchgirls.
And three poems have been selected for the Poetry and Covid website.
July 2021
Steve Brotherton's latest book, Fractures, Dreams and Second Chances, published by The Book Guild, will be launched at The Ironbridge Fine Arts Gallery on Saturday 31st July from 11:00-13:00.
You don't need a ticket – just drop in to meet Steve and pick up a signed copy.
July 2021
Offa's Press are involved with six spoken events in July, and some of them are live! More details here.
They include Nick Pearson at Virtual Voices on Zoom on Tuesday 13th July, and David Bingham at Country Voices at The Water Rat in Ironbridge on Saturday 17th July.
July 2021
Colin Wells is appearing at The Ledbury Poetry Festival Slam on Saturday 10th July and at The Belle Vue Arts Festival on Thursday 15th July.
Loads of great events at both, so definitely worth checking their web sites.
June 2021
Well done, Paul Francis, whose poem, 'Watch', was commended at The Welshpool Poetry Festival.
June 2021
Congratulations to Sharon Ashton who has won 2nd prize in the prestigious Poetry on the Lake competition, which includes an invitation to read her poem at Lake Orta in October.
May 2021
This was a reading on Zoom, from the poetry anthology recently edited by Ambrose Musiyiwa. Ambrose introduced the performance, which featured ten poets reading their work, a concentrated taste of the varied talents in this collection. Steve Pottinger and Paul Francis were two of the poets involved.
May 2021
Jeff Phelps has a poem in Dear Dylan, an anthology after Dylan Thomas published by Indigo Dreams.
May 2021
Sharon Ashton read at the launch of Alchemy Spoon Issue 3: Spell on May 1st at 19:30.
Click for the Alchemy Spoon You Tube channel.
Click for a pdf of Issue 3: Spell, which includes Sharon's poem Bell, Book and Candle.
April 2021
Jeff Phelps has a poem on the front page of Poetry on Loan.
Click for more details and to see a video of Jeff reading New Lands.
April 2021
Paul Francis' new poetry book, Dreams of Brexit, was published by Liberty Books in May 2021
Click for more details.
April 2021
Jeff Phelps was a guest – with 1990s Chris and Ann Atkins – on a recent edition of the excellent Brum Radio Poets, hosted by Rick Sanders (aka Willis the Poet).
Click for a recording of the show – well worth a listen.
April 2021
Steve Brotherton's novel, Fractures, Dreams and Second Chances, was published by The Book Guild on 28th May.
Click for more details.
April 2021
Paul Francis has published a new collection, Rescue from the Dark.
March 2021
Congratulations to Sharon Ashton whose poem Bell, Book and Candle has been selected for publication in the next issue of The Alchemy Spoon.
March 2021
Great to hear that the poem that Teresa Black read at a recent BWG meeting – Rhyme Royal – has won first prize in The Society of Medical Writers poetry competition.
March 2021
Beverly Fry's daughter – and BWG friend – Anna Selby's Field Notes has been included in The Poetry Book Society's 12 poetry books to read on International Women's Day, and has been in The London Review of Books bestsellers list for 14 weeks.
'Field Notes take us beneath the waves, with poems written on waterproof notebooks in the Atlantic Ocean, whilst observing marine environments. Beautifully published by Hazel Press, an independent publisher with a focus on climate change and feminism.'
Click here for more details.
March 2021
Liz Kershaw and her son Joe (though Liz tells me that it's mostly Joe!) have come up with an exciting idea called The People’s Story.
The aim is to create the world’s largest collaborative story. Writers register and claim a page, then write their own page within a time frame (it’s only 1750 characters, about 300 words) to continue the story.
The project supports World Book Day and any profits made from eventual publication will go to Book Aid.
Click here for more details.
March 2021
Well done to Paul Francis who continues to be successful in local and national poetry competitions.
Paul was joint third in the Bishops Castle poetry competition with his poem Hope Springs Eternal about the young man who jet-skied from Scotland to The Isle of Man to meet his girlfriend.
And Paul has been selected for inclusion in the Shoestring Press anthology, Poems for the Year 2020, edited by Merryn Williams.
March 2021
Congratulations to Sarah Baker and Alison Nichol-Smith who were both winners in the Bedtime Story Competition at The Wolverhampton Literature Festival
Click here for a subtitled recording of Sarah's story:
Little Silver Lining.
Click here for a subtitled recording of Alison's story:
Charlie's Dad.
March 2021
Here's a good outlet for flash fiction writers, and it's where Bridgnorth Writers, including Jeff Phelps, Toli Kram, David Bingham and Peter Morford, have previously been published.
Click for more details.
March 2021
Nick Pearson's new book, Barista has receently been launched.
We've heard extracts at recent Bridgnorth Writers meetings, and it's highly recommended.
Barista and Nick's previous book, Made in Captivity, are available now from Offa's Press.
