Charlotte Wetton’s outstanding debut pamphlet I Refuse to Turn into a Hatstand, the tenth publication by Calder Valley Poetry, was launched last evening at the stylish Victorian Craft Beer Cafe in Halifax town centre. It was an appropriate venue for these meticulously crafted poems, and Charlotte’s marvellous reading gave full force to the power of her words. There was an audience of nearly 50 people. It is a testimony to Charlotte’s quality as a poet that people travelled from London and Edinburgh to share the occasion with her.

There were support readings by accomplished poets Anthony Costello and Steve Ely. Thanks to them, to the audience for their support, but mostly to Charlotte for her excellent poems. (These can be ordered through the following link – https://caldervalleypoetry.com/book-shop/)

Forty-eight hours to go to the launch of Charlotte Wetton’s debut pamphlet, I Refuse to Turn into a Hatstand. If you’re around on Thursday evening, 7.30 p.m., make sure you’re in the Victoria Craft Beer Cafe, Halifax (http://victorian.beer). If you’re doing something else, cancel it and make for the town with the only remaining piece hall in the country. Charlotte will read, and if that’s not enough for you (and it should be) she has two guest readers – Anthony Costello and Steve Ely.

If you want to know more about Charlotte and her poems, follow this link – https://caldervalleypoetry.com/authors/charlotte-wetton/

Sithee Thursday.

Ross Kightly, in the Smith Art Gallery at Brighouse Library, signing copies of Out of Bounds , with a backdrop of two Peter Brook paintings.

A section of the audience. Spot the poets.

A gathering of around 30 folk at Brighouse Library welcomed Ross Kightly’s collection Out of Bounds into the world last evening. Ross, creator of 58,000+ poems in his locale sequence, was his usual irrepressible, articulate and witty self. He surprised the audience by concluding the evening with rhyming verse in celebration of the Cafe Zone coffee house in Halifax, an establishment with which the poet is familiar.

Guest readers were poet, singer-songwriter and barista Siobhan Morrissey, Winston Plowes, surrealist soul-brother of Kightly, and Gaia Holmes, midwife to the creations of so many local lyricists through her Igniting the Spark workshops. All excellent poets; all read beautifully.

A presentation was made to the retiring Chief Librarian, Jayne Watkinson, as a tribute to her 33 years of encouraging and helping to organise events such as this one. She received signed copies of the nine collections published by Calder Valley Poetry since its formation at the beginning of 2016.

The Smith Art Gallery at Brighouse Library, 7.15 pm. Launch of Out of Bounds, poems by Ross Kightly. And Gaia Holmes. And Siobhan Morrissey. And Winston Plowes. What more could you want for? Nothing.

Jeremy Noel-Tod references Calder Valley poets Michael Halsam and Peter Riley in this recent piece about the poetry of JH Prynne –  http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/line-breaks-like-tea-breaks