November 2025
The Offa's Press anthology, Seeing the Trees and the Woods, will be launched at Country Voices at The White Hart, Ironbridge on Saturday 15th November.
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It includes poems by Bridgnorth Writers: Sharon Ashton, David Bingham, Barbara Chapman, Paul Francis, Teresa Heeks, Jeff Phelps and
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More details to follow soon on The Offas' Press events page.
November & December 2025
Steve Brotherton will be signing copies of his latest book, Borrowed Time at:
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27th November, Waterstones, Hereford @ 18:00.
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29th November, Shrewsbury Library @ 11:00.
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2nd December, Script Haven Independent Bookstore, Worcester @ 11:00.
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6th December, Black Country Hub, Merryhill Centre @ 14:00.
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And Steve will be on local radio:
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13th November, Billy Spakemon, Black Country Radio.
Broadcast 16th December @ 14:00.
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19th November, Roland Chesters, Big EAR (Equal Ability Radio).
Broadcast date to be confirmed.
Steve has also published a blog post on Social Worker Today about 'Using creative writing to heal'. Click to read the post.
October 2025
Bridgnorth Writers are featured at Offa's Press events in October:
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Barbara Chapman and Paul Francis are at City Voices at
The Lych Gate Tavern, 44 Queen's Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1TX,
on Tuesday 14th October, 19:30-21:00. Tickets £5 on the door.
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Paul Francis, Steve Harrison and Emma Purshouse are at Country Voices
at The White Hart, 10 Wharfage, Ironbridge, TF8 7AW,
on Saturday 25th October, 14:30-16:00. Tickets £5 on the door.
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Click for details of Offa's Press events.
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October 2025
Jeff Phelps is guest poet at Shrewsbury Poetry at The Hive, Milk Street, Shrewsbury, SY1 1TE​ on Tuesday 14th October, 19:15-21:00.
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£3-£5 suggested donation.
September 2025
Teresa Heeks has two poems published in the latest edition of Orbis:
'Bricks' and 'Perspective'.​
August 2025
Colin Wells is at Offa's Press Country Voices at The All Nations, 26, Coalport Road, Ironbridge, Telford, TF7 5DP, on Saturday 12th August, 14:30-16:00
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Tickets £5 on the door.
August 2025
Bridgnorth Writers will be featured in Live Poets Society at
Bridgnorth Library on Friday 22nd August, 19:30-21:45 as part of
The Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival.
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Perfomers include: Sharon Ashton, Barbara Chapman, Derek Dohren,
George Stanworth, Colin Wells and Ros Woolner.
Tickets £5 on the door. Limited seating, so please book early with Bridgnorth Library.
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Click for more information.
July 2025
Sharon Ashton's poem 'Genealogy of the Little Oak at Wenlock' is published in Summer 2025, Issue 24 of English Heritage Volunteer Focus Magazine.
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Click to read Sharon's poem.
July 2025
Paul Francis has two poems featured on the Culture Matters web site: 'Once Upon a Time' and 'His Master's Voice'.
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Click for more details.
July 2025
There were BWG several successes in The Ironbridge Poetry Competition.
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Sharon Ashton was third in the main competition with 'Demeter'.
Click to see a video of Sharon reading her poem.
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Teresa Heeks won the TF postcode category with 'Sewing Circle'.
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Paul Francis was commended in the TF category with 'Growth'.
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Click for more details of The Ironbridge Poetry Competition.
June 2025
Colin Wells is headlining Yes We Cant at The Great Western in Wolverhampton on Sunday 6th July 19:30-21:30.
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Pay-as-you-feel. Open mics available on the night.
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Click for more details of the live event or to get a Zoom link.
June 2025
Paul Francis' poem, 'A Magical Realist', has been longlisted in
The Plough Poetry Competition.
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Click for more details.
June 2025
Barbara Chapman and David Bingham will be reading at Offa's Press events in June.
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David will be at City Voices @ 19:30-21:30 on Tuesday 10th June.
The Lych Gate Tavern, 44 Queen's Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1TX. Tickets £5 on the door.
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Barbara will be at Country Voices @ 14:30-16:00 on Saturday 21st June.
The All Nations, 20 Coalport Road, Ironbridge, TF7 5DP.
Tickets £5 on the door.
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Click for more information.
July 2025
David Skidmore's sequence of poems, 'The Seven Last Words on the Cross', will be read between movements of Haydn's string quartet at 19:30 on Saturday 26th July at Hill Close Botanical Gardens, Warwick.
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Click to read the poems.
Click for more information and to buy tickets.
May 2025
Barbara Chapman is reading with Thirza Clout and Tom Allsopp
at Offa's Press Virtual Voices, 17:00-18:30 on Saturday 24th May.
Hosted by Cherry Doyle and Kuli Kohli.
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Click for more details.
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Eight open mic slots available. Contact cherrydoylepoet@gmail.com
to sign up – first come, first served.
May 2025
Jeff Phelps will be reading at Silver Street Poets on Friday 30th May,
12.30 to 14:00,​ St Stephen’s Church, St Stephen’s Avenue, Bristol, BS1 1EQ.
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Entrance: £4 or what you can afford.
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Open mic spots available.
May 2025
Nick Pearson's Open Mic Night is at The Gratitude Café, Duke Street, Wellington
on Thursday 29th May, 19:00 for a 19:30 start.
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​Pay-as you-feel. Refreshments available.
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Sign up on the night for a four-minute open mic slot.​
April 2025
Paul Francis' poem, 'Silent Movie; Sherlock Jr (1924)', has been long-listed in The Yaffle Press Prize Competition 2025
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Click for more competition details.
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Click to read Paul's poem.
April 2025
Steve Brotherton's latest book, Borrowed Time, will be published by
The Book Guild on 28th November 2025.
​Click for more publications by Steve.
April 2025
David Bingham has won the annual British Haiku Society Award for his haibun, 'In a Church Stretton Teashop'.
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Click for more details.
March 2025
Paul Francis' poem, 'A Busy Week for Trump', has been selected by Central Bylines.​​​​
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Click for more details.
February 2025
Teresa Black's poem, 'Rules for Patients', has been highly commended in The Care, Create, Conserve Poetry Competition,
run by the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.
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Click for more details.
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Click to read Teresa's poem.​​​
February 2025
​Sharon Ashton's poem, 'Hill', has been highly commended in The Daily
Telegraph Poetry Competition.
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Click for more details.
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Click to read Sharon's poem.​​​
February 2025
Nick Pearson's Open Mic Night is at The Gratitude Café, Duke Street, Wellington
on Thursday 27th February, 19:00 for a 19:30 start.
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​Pay-as you-feel. Refreshments available.
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Click to sign up beforehand, or on the night, for a four-minute open mic slot.​
February 2025
Congratulations to David Bingham who has been short-listed in the Wolverhampton Literature Festival Poetry Competition.
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Click for more details.
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And David has been chosen as guest poet of the month by Acacia Publications with the theme 'Sleight of Mind'.
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Click for more details.
February 2025
Click to go to Beverly Fry's page and read her latest poem 'Big Garden Bird Watch'.
February 2025
Welcome to new BWG members: John Ayres-Smith, Alex Bourne and Jackie Hunt.
February 2025
Congratulations to Paul Francis whose poem, 'Testament', has been highly commended in The Verve Poetry Competition.
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Click for more details.
February 2025
The 2025 Wolverhampton Literature Festival is on from 31st January to 2nd February. Click for full programme.
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Bridgnorth Writers Group will be at the Writers' Hub at The Art Gallery on Sunday 2nd February 14:30-15:30.
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Representing BWG will be David Bingham, Steve Brotherton,
Paul Francis, Teresa Heeks and Peter Morford,
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Click for more details.
January 2025
Nick Pearson – Wellington Town Poet – is performing with Priyanka Joshi and Billy Spakemon at Offa's Press Country Voices at The Water Rat, Buildwas Road, Ironbridge, TF8 7BJ on Sunday 18th January, 14:30-16:00. Tickets £5 on the door.​
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Click for more details.
December 2024
Congratulations to Sharon Ashton who has been highly commended with her poem 'Kairos: in memoriam Ian Parr'
in the Cannon Poets Sonnet or Not competition.
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Click for more details and to see other winners.
Click to read Kairos: in memoriam Ian Parr.​
December 2024
Paul Francis' poem 'Building the Future' has been commended in
The Trio Uganda Poetry Competition.
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Click for more details and to see other winners.
November 2024
Congratulations to Teresa Heeks who was commended in
The Ironbridge Poetry Competition.
Click for more details and to see other winners.
December 2024
Nick Pearson is hosting an Open Mic evening on Thursday, 5th December at Gratitude Café, Duke Street, Wellington, 19:00 for 19:30 start.
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Pay-as you-feel. Refreshments available.
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Click to sign up beforehand, or on the night, for a four-minute open mic slot.
November 2024
Paul Francis is at Offa's Press City Voices on Tuesday November 12th
at The LychGate Tavern, 44, Queen Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1TX, 19.30-21.00. Tickets £5 on the door.
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Click for more information.​
September 2024
Nick Pearson is hosting an Open Mic evening on Thursday, 26th September at Gratitude Café in Wellington, 19:00 for 19:30 start.
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Sign up beforehand or on the night for a four-minute slot. ​
September 2024
Steve Brotherton will be signing copies of his latest book, Mum and Boy, at Shrewsbury Library on Saturday 7th September. 10:00-12:00
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Click for more details.
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August 2024
Bridgnorth Writers Group are running two shows at
Bridgnorth Library as part of The Bridgnorth Music & Arts Festival.
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​Friday 23rd August: Live Poets Society
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Sharon Ashton, Morgan Birch, Barbara Chapman, Paul Francis, Nick Pearson, Lizzie Prudence, Colin Wells and John Woodall.
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19:30-21:45.
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Tickets are £5 on the door, but spaces are limited, so please book in advance at the library or email bridgnorth.library@shropshire.gov.uk
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Everyone is performing FOC and all ticket proceeds go to the library.
Saturday 24th August: A Writer in the Gallery
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Sharon Ashton will provide a brief history of ekphrastic poetry (poems written in response to art) from Homer to contemporary poets, followed by writing exercises to enable course members to try the genre themselves.
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10:00-12:30
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Free event, but spaces are limited, so please book in advance at the library or email bridgnorth.library@shropshire.gov.uk
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August 2024
Sharon Ashton will be reading at the zoom launch of
The Alchemy Spoon pamphlet on Thursday 8th August, 19:30-20:30
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Click for more details.
July 2024
David Bingham is at a Poetry Workshop & Reading:
Environment, Image and Message @ The Footprint Gallery,
Jackfield Tile Museum on Saturday 13th July.
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Workshop: 14:00-16:00
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Reading: 17:00-18:00
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Workshop and Reading: £10
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Reading only: £4
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For more details and to register interest, click to contact Simon Fletcher.
July 2024
David Bingham is at Offa's Press City Voices at The Lych Gate Tavern, Wolverhampton on Tuesday 16th July, 19:30-21:00.
Tickets £5 on the door
Click for more details from the Offa's Press web site.
July 2024
Sharon Ashton will be at Offa's Press Country Voices at The Water Rat, Ironbridge on Saturday 20th July, 14:30-16:00.
Click for more details from the Offa's Press web site.
June 2024
David Bingham is appearing with Emma Purshouse, Kuli Kohli, Liz Parkes and Simon Fletcher in 'Away with the Birds' at RSPB Sandwell Valley on Saturday 29th June, 14:30-16:00.
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Click for tickets from the RSPB web site.
June & July 2024
Steve Brotherton's latest book, Mum and Boy, is available from
28th June. Steve will be at a launch event at Script Haven Bookstore
in Worcester @ 19:00.
Click for more details and tickets.
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And at Waterstones in Hereford on 2nd July @ 18:00.
Click for more details and tickets.
June 2024
Colin Wells is opening for singer-songwriter Katie Spencer, promoted by Shire Folk:
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Thursday 13th June, Ludlow Distillery.
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Saturday 15th June, Violet's Tea Rooms, Bridgnorth
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Click for more details.
May 2024
We're sad to report the passing of our friend and colleague,
Ian Malcolm Parr.
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Gill McEvoy wrote:
'I know of no-one who has given so much support to poetry in the North-West as Ian Malcolm Parr, and am really pleased that at last
a collection of his own work is appearing.'
Ian’s move to Shropshire, and his recent membership of Bridgnorth Writers’ Group, did nothing to reduce his appetite for poetic activity.
He was a prolific writer, and attender at poetry readings and poetry workshops. He founded the Bolthole poetry reading group in Ironbridge, and had a phenomenal knowledge of and enthusiasm for a wide range of poetry, much of which he could recite by heart.
This is his most successful poem, shortlisted for the National Poetry competition (that’s the top 120 poems, selected from 14,000 entries):
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AUTUMN
(After Autumn Day, by Rainer Maria Rilke.)
We have this seasonal pretence,
believing in One who holds
with infinite softness.
But it’s cruel, autumnal nonsense.
Leaves fall and die.
Skies grow early dark.
Cold rain turns colder into sleet
and gardens close in stink of smoke,
taste of mould.
Our fall is other’s rising.
The sun calls down on us
tumult of the storm.
Such peace defies understanding.
May 2024
Paul Francis' sonnet, 'Oblivion', has been selected for Ver Poets
2024 anthology.
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Click for more details.
May 2024
Teresa Heeks is reading with John Woodall and Ros Woolner at
Offa's Press Country Voices at The Water Rat in Ironbridge
on Saturday 18th May, 14:30-16:00. £5 on the door.
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Click for more details.
April 2024
Sharon Ashton's collection, Dancing with Eve, has been shortlisted
and commended in The 2023 Alchemy Spoon Pamphlet Competition.
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Judge, Chris Hardy, wrote of Dancing with Eve, 'The language and phrasing used is lively, impassioned, rich, cumulative, also sparse, spare and always suited to what the writer feels must be said.'
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A poem from the collection has been selected for A Box of Comfits, published by Clayhanger Press.
Click for details.
April 2024
Nick Pearson is hosting an Open Mic evening on Thursday, 18th April at Gratitude Café in Wellington, 19:00 for 19:30 start.
Sign up beforehand or on the night for a four-minute slot.
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Click for more details.
April 2024
Barbara Chapman and Nick Pearson are at Offa's Press Country Voices at The All Nations Inn, Ironbridge, on Saturday, 20th April, 14:30-16:00. Tickets £5 on the door.
Click for more details.
April 2024
Jeff Phelps is performing with Iris Briscoe, Steve Pottinger and
Emma Purshouse at Bridgnorth Library on Tuesday 9th April @ 14:00.
This a free, Poetry-on-Loan event.
March 2024
Steve Brotherton's collection of short stories, Mum and Boy, will be published by The Book Guild on 28th June.
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Steve will be talking about Mum and Boy at Waterstones in Hereford on Tuesday 2nd July, 18:00-19:00. Click for more details.
March & April 2024
Beverly Fry has a solo, retrospective exhibition at Footprint Gallery in Jackfield, Ironbridge, from Tuesday 19th March to Sunday 7th April.
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Click for more details.
March 2024
Nick Pearson is at Offa's Press Virtual Voices on Saturday, March 23rd, 17:00-18:30. Hosted by Cherry Doyle and Kuli Kohli, and also featuring Fraser Scott, Colin Hambrook and Steve Pottinger.
Click for Zoom link.
March 2024
Jeff Phelps and Ros Woolner will be reading at the launch of the Byways anthology published by Arachne Press on Wednesday,
March 20th @ 18:00. Free online event on Zoom.
Click to register.
March 2024
Paul Francis is at Offa's Press Country Voices with Margaret Lampitt and Jane Seabourne. The Water Rat, Buildwas Road, Ironbridge, TF8 7BJ, on Saturday 16th March, 14:30-16:00. Tickets £5 on the door.
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Click for more details.
February 2024
Paul Francis has won first prize in The Enfield Poets Poetry Competition, judged by David Constantine.
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Click for more information and to read Paul's winning, sestina, 'Incorrigible'.
February 2024
David Bingham was at Offa's Press Country Voices with Gracey Bee and Hermione Sandall. The Water Rat, Buildwas Road, Ironbridge, TF8 7BJ,
on Saturday 17th February.
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Click for more information.
February 2024
Jeff Phelps is reading at Trowbridge Stanza, Stallard Street, Trowbridge.BA14 9AE on Saturday 3rd February 2024, 14:00-16:00.
Tickets £5 on Eventbrite.
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Click for more information and to buy tickets.
February 2024
Nick Pearson's poem, 'The Supremes, San Francisco 1966',
is featured on Pennine Platform.
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Click for more information and to hear Nick's reading.
March 2024
The Art of Seeing.
Writing poetry in response to art with prize winning poet and novelist Sharon Ashton at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Galley. A chance to take
a closer look at the museum collection and respond using poetry.
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Two sessions on Saturday 16th March and Saturday 23rd March,
10:00-12:30. £30 for both sessions.
Click for more details and to book tickets.
February 2024
Bridgnorth Writers are part of the Writers' Hub at Wolverhampton Literature Festival at The Art Gallery at 14:00 on Sunday 4th February.
Free event.
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Our line-up is: David Bingham, Steve Brotherton, Peter Morford,
Ian Parr and Lizzie Prudence.
Click for more details.
February 2024
Colin Wells is at Stars of Slam – part of Wolverhampton Literature Festival – at The Art Gallery at 20:00 on Saturday 3rd February. Tickets £5.
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Click for more details and to buy tickets.