Books / Poetry
The Poetry Arch 2017 launches
Each year the Bristol Poetry Institute hosts The Poetry Arch – five days of various performances from a diverse range of poets. Despite the miserable weather, the event kicked off as planned, albeit under cover into the library café across the street, rather than at the Ivy Gate in the Royal Fort Gardens.
This year’s event began with readings from David Punter, Professor of Poetry at the University of Bristol, who read three of his own poems.
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The first, Night Laundrette North Street, portrayed strong metaphors about struggles faced by users of the laundrette. Punter’s other poems, Temple Meads and Where the Colours Run, were laced with narratives about Bristol. The poems sparked moments of both laughter and complete silence from the audience.
Next to read was Miles Chambers, Bristol Poet Laureate. Miles was born and raised in Bristol, and attended UWE to study graphic design, but it was his poem Bristol, Bristol that brought him acclaim as a poet and earned him the title of Bristol Poet Laureate. Before his performance, he was described by David Punter as “a ball of energy”, and his performance certainly reflected this.
The audience listened in awe as Chambers read I Wanna Be Treated Normal, Bristol, Bristol, My Dad and Yardy Translations. Themes such as racism, grief and racial history were explored in an effortless and sometimes comedic manner. The poems were performed with true passion and emotion, which was powerful and engaging.
The organisers of The Poetry Arch, William Wooten and Rebecca Di Corpo, say they hope the events will “Promote a range of poetry within Bristol, exploring both traditional and experimental performance poetry”.
“We want to attract a range of people to these events as it’s not a usual activity. We hope people will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the readings,” says William.
The Poetry Arch aims to “celebrate the university’s culture using the Ivy Gate and the nature that surrounds it”, Rebecca adds.
Future performers include Rebecca Tantony, John Freeman and poets from Ujima Radio, a partner for the event (along with University of Bristol’s alumni).
Performances commence at 1pm and 5.30pm each day at the Ivy Gate and last for approximately one hour.
The festival runs from June 5-9.
Read more: Interview with Tania Hershman
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