Pop-up poem shop
- beryltheferal
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
I'm grateful today to have had my work feature as part of of a poetry-focused high street installation, in Totnes run by the incredible Harula Ladd... She commandeered an empty shop and created a gallery/shop/performance-space complete with books for sale, creative writing groups, haiku writing, readings from local poets, and way more.
I'm especially thankful to Harula for the 'star-treatment' I felt I received; which may have been true of every artist she works with. As a writer who wasn't able to attend or participate in-person, because of other gigs at the time - I was touched to be still included and recognised through Harula's personal efforts and generosity, which also ensured money came back to me in exchange.
By all accounts it was a fantastically successful few days - putting poetry right on the forefront of public engagement - and I'm so glad she's industrious enought to do it again! There will be another opportunity in January, to platform local poetry artists: with more books sold, poems typed, rich conversations, laughter and connection and creativity. You can support Harula here, by helping raise money to rent the shop.
She says:
It wasn’t just about the books. Dare I say, they were the beautiful and supportive background to the constant human connections as familiar and new faces came to listen to the lunchtime readings, joined in with the workshops (some came two days in a row, making the most of the opportunity whilst only in Totnes for a visit) commissioned three minute poems that though personal, naturally spoke to universal aspects of the human condition and were therefore a genuinely moving experience, both to offer and, it seems, to receive. It wasn’t even just the human connections in the physical shop! Many joined in with the daily poetry challenges online, and their words were then typed up and hung on the washing line of fresh words in the window, or written in chalk on the challenge blackboard...
All the elements will remain - workshops, readings, poems written to order and of course - books. I'd really love to raise the funds to pay the rent, and also offer a thank you (if not a true fee, depending of course on how much we raise). For a one hour lunchtime reading every day.."
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