Poets gather for new Open Mic Poetry season in Chichester

The author of a collection entitled Carnival, Adam opens the autumn season of poetry evenings which is also set to include London-based poet Kate Noakes, local poet Pratibha Castle reading from her new collection and South Downs Poetry Festival director Barry Smith launching his second collection, Reeling and Writhing (Vole Books/Dempsey and Windle) alongside Arundel novelist and TV/radio producer Simon Brett at Chichester Library on Thursday, 5 October, which is National Poetry Day.

Pratibha broadcasts regularly on West Wilts Radio, appears in anthologies, has been shortlisted and received honourable mention in competitions. Pratibha Castle’s debut pamphlet A Triptych of Birds and a Few Loose Feathers was a winner in Hedgehog Press Competition Nicely Folded Paper Trois.

After the opening reading when guest poets present their new work, local poets get the chance to share their own poems with a sympathetic audience. http://www.sdpf.org.uk/programme/

Chichester Poetry spokesman Barry Smith explains: “My colleague Joan Secombe and I set up Open Mic Poetry when we retired from teaching and since then it has gone from strength to strength. We’ve had a fabulous mix of poets – some local and some nationally famous – reading their poems to entertain and inspire our audience. No two open mics are the same – each one is individually distinct and governed by the topics and moods the poets are currently writing about. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious – occasionally very moving and harrowing – the evening is entirely in the hands of those who come along to share the pleasures of poetry.

"We welcome people of all ages, from those just starting to write and wanting to test out reactions to their work to experienced poets with a track record of publication. We meet on the last Wednesdays of most months at the New Park and are always keen to greet old friends and new faces.”

This month’s guest poet Adam Taylor was born in 1954 and educated at Sevenoaks School and New College, Oxford. He was a district judge for nearly twenty years until his retirement in 2019. Adam and his Italian wife Cristina live in Chichester. They have two adult daughters and two grandchildren. Adam, who is also a musician with local jazz bands, will be reading from Carnival, his second collection of verse. For many years Adam served as secretary of Stanza, the local branch of the Poetry Society. Adam explains: “I write mostly metrical verse on themes which touch us all: childhood, friendship, love and age. I hope my audience will share some of the pleasure I had in writing the poems in Carnival.”

Following Adam’s reading, local poets will be invited to share their latest poems on any subject and in any style in the open mic section of the evening. Alternatively, poetry lovers are equally welcome just to sit back and enjoy the super poetry on offer.

Weds, Sept 27, 7.30pm.