SATURDAY 26th FEBRUARY
ROSELLE ANGWIN – ‘THE GREENING SHOOTS’

Venue: Buckland in the Moor Village Hall
Details: “At this part of the year, between Imbolc and the Spring Equinox, the days grow longer and we are moving towards the light. Integrating light and darkness within us is crucial to wholeness. We can learn from the natural world the processes of regeneration, as well as fallow times and decay. Exploring these cycles in our own lives, and taking inspiration from a session outdoors (weather permitting) we’ll look for ways of bringing these ideas into our writing.”

Roselle Angwin is an accomplished writing tutor whose passion is ecobardic work. Publications include Imago, Bardo, Writing the Bright Moment, Looking for Icarus and Riding the Dragon. Website: www.fire-in-the-head.co.uk

TUESDAY 22nd MARCH
MOOR POETS READING

Venue: Harbour Bookshop, Kingsbridge
Time: 7pm for 7:30pm
Details: A reading by six more poets or even six Moor Poets. Wine and nibbles.

SUNDAY 27th MARCH
ANN GRAY – 'THIS IS WHERE WE MEET'

Venue: Duchy Centre, Princetown
Details: Can we, as John Berger does in his stunning short story, meet with loss, sit beside it, and make living more exciting. Is loss a prison, or a freedom or a gift? What we have lost is who we are. Who we are is the solid place we write from. We'll look at how poets have written about this difficult subject, how and why their work touches us and how we can use our losses to strengthen our own work.

Ann Gray lives in Liskeard and is one of the SW's leading poets. Her collections include Painting Skin, The Man I Was Promised, and, jointly with Edmund Cusick, Gronw's Stone. She is a recent winner of the Guernsey Literary Festival Prize, which means her winning poem will be trundling around Guernsey on a bus! Ann's writing is passionate and daring, and explores the complexities of both love and loss, and the natural world in which she is rooted.

SATURDAY 9th APRIL
GRAHAM BURCHELL - POETRY FROM ART, PART 2

Venue: Phoenix Hall, Bovey Tracey
Details: “In the 2009 workshop which introduced ekphrastic poetry, we examined how poets have responded to and used other art forms (particularly visual art) for their own writing. Following on from that, we will look at some contemporary poetry that follows this ideal with particular reference to Pascale Petit, Grace Nicholls and others. It will be a great opportunity to be inspired by art work and to consider the possibilities of artistic collaborations.”

This workshop will be linked to a collaborative art/poetry exhibition and reading/talk by Graham and artist Deborah Treliving at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen in Bovey Tracey, details at http://www.gburchell.com

Directions: From roundabout on A382 that leads into Bovey Tracey, take first right (St John's Lane). There is a brown sign marked 'Heritage Centre' on the corner. Phoenix hall is a little way down on the right hand side. Limited parking in front.

SUNDAY 15th MAY
ANDY BROWN - APPROACHES TO THE LYRIC POEM

Venue: Chagford – the Barefoot Barn. Directions to Barefoot Barn are available on their website - www.barefootbarn.org.
Details: “How do we find our way in to our poems, create a sense of development and direction within them, and maintain lyric intensity in their music? We will talk about some examples of lyric formal and free-verse poems, and prose poems, and write several new poems of our own on the day for reading aloud and feedback.”

Dr Andy Brown is Director of Creative Writing at Exeter University and has taught at the Arvon Centre. He is an eco-poet and his publications include: Goose Music, Fall of the Rebel Angels: poems 1996-2006, both by Salt Publishing.

SUNDAY 19th JUNE
FENELLA MONTGOMERY - THE HEALING POWER OF POETRY AND PLACE

Venue: Sharpham House
Details: This workshop will be held on the beautiful Sharpham Estate just outside Totnes, overlooking the river Dart. Sharpham is a tranquil place and the perfect venue for a poetry workshop where the emphasis will be on peeling away layers. By getting closer to nature we can ask the questions: Who am I? What is my purpose? We will look both inwards and outwards, and use our reflections in our writing. In addition, we will look at writers who have used place and writing in their own personal journeys, both spiritually and physically. Fenella Montgomery holds an MA in Creative Writing, is an active member of Moor Poets and is currently writing a novel. She has been a facilitator of Stories Connect, a programme with ex-offenders and drug addicts, using creative writing and reading of texts to help them realise their true potential.

SATURDAY 13th AUGUST
MOOR POETS PICNIC

Venue: Dartmeet. Meet in car park and walk to a good picnic spot.
Details: Weather permitting. Bring a packed lunch, walking shoes and a poem to read.

SUNDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 11am - 5pm
SUSAN TAYLOR & SIMON WILLIAMS - AUTUMN EQUINOX GATHERING WORKSHOP

Venue: Big Yurt at Poundsgate.
Details: This is the time of year for harvesting seeds, fruits and berries... and poems! Until lunchtime, we will gather images from the beautiful organic garden and the woods in this glorious setting. We will also consider the balance between light and dark, so apt at the Equinox. Then, after lunch, we ask people to share a previously written poem of their own with the group, so that Susan and Simon, who are both seasoned performers, can make suggestions on how to perfect its delivery to an audience. Bring a poem/poems to work with. Evening option:

The final, and optional part of this event, is the opportunity to perform at the popular Trade Winds acoustic night, alongside guest poet, Fred Beake. The evening is mc’d by Simon and is always a friendly and informal one, featuring musicians and storytellers, alongside the poetry. Our long established venue is The Tradesmans Arms in the hamlet of Scoriton, just down the road from Poundsgate.

SUNDAY OCTOBER 2nd
JULIE ANN ROWELL - BOTANICAL POETRY

Venue: Leusdon Village Hall, above Poundsgate, 5 miles form Ashburton
Details: A half-day workshop exploring the history and development of botany and botanical poetry, with reference to various examples of the genre, plus writing exercises.

Julie-ann Rowell has an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. She has many years experience as a commercial editor and technical writer. She teaches poetry and offers mentoring (recently for the University of Bristol) and has two collections, Convergence, which won a Poetry Book Society Award, and Letters North. She has won several major prizes in poetry competitions, including as runner-up in the Bridport prize and National Poetry Competition (‘Stay in Touch’ category), Mslexia Women’s Poetry Competition (twice), plus first prize in the Frogmore Poetry Competition and the New Writer Short Collection Prize. She has also been widely published in magazines and journals. Her children’s novel, Sea Change, was published by Solidus Press, and its sequel, Shadow Dance has just become available.

SUNDAY 6th NOVEMBER
CHRIS WATERS - VOICING THE LANDSCAPE

Venue: Scorriton Village Hall, Scoriton, 3 miles from Buckfastleigh
Details: We will explore ways of shaping and voicing responses to our landscapes. Course members are invited, if they wish, to bring along any rough/first drafts relating to places/ journeys, that they might like to work on during the day - not essential! The Granta Magazine 102: The New Nature Writing will be of interest, but again is not essential.

Chris has led us on several successful workshops in the.He is CW creative writing tutor in S Devon - for WEA and independently. His latest collection, collection - 'Arisaig' was published with Mudlark Press, 2010. He is prize-winning finalist in Plough competition 2010 and Poetry Wivenhoe 2011, and he is poet in residence at Appledore Book Festival in September 2011

Times for all workshops: 10am to 4pm unless otherwise stated.

BOOKING YOUR PLACE: For all workshops you must book in advance as numbers are limited. Call Fenella Montgomery on 01803 863868, or email YOUNGMONTY@aol.com

Workshop Fees: By donation, with a suggested £10 - 30 for all day, £5 - 15 for a half day.

Subscriptions: All workshops are for members of Moor Poets, so if you're not already a member, membership joining fees can be paid at the first workshop you attend.

Bring With You: Pens and paper, and a packed lunch if coming for a full day. Tea and coffee is available. If appropriate, please bring outdoor wear (even sunscreen!) suitable for the weather and month on Dartmoor.

YOUR PLACE ON WORKSHOPS MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE -
NUMBERS ARE OFTEN LIMITED.