Five Leaves returns to poetry publishing with the first in a series of pamphlets by Nottinghamshire writers. Jane Bluett will be supported by another Nottinghamshire (well, Belper, these days!) poet Rich Goodson
From Blackpool to Brighton, from Naples to Indonesia, from London to Nottingham, Jane Bluett’s writing holds a richness of place that is both familiar and unfamiliar. Many of the everyday events which she describes have a slant that gives us new insights into our own experiences as well as those of the myriad of characters that she captures in her verse. The wordplay, the humour and the music of her writing speaks directly to us.
Jane writes with honesty and a generous spirit which understands our common humanity. We all know that awful feeling of being bullied or being exposed as inadequate – these poems allow us to explore our own memories and responses through a different and original lens. Reading these poems is enriching, enlightening and, above all, enjoyable.
David Beddow – Senior Teaching Fellow at Birmingham City University
Jane Bluett lives in Nottingham. Now retired, she taught English and Creative Writing at Bilborough College and was instrumental in establishing the Creative Writing A-level. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications, including Sweet Breast and Acid Tongue: Poems inspired by William Shakespeare (Like This Press). As a founding member of Nottingham’s DIY Poets, she has read her poetry in many locations in the city. This is her debut pamphlet collection.
Rich Goodson has spent the last 25 years teaching teenage refugees in Nottingham. He is now a counsellor and a Zen Buddhist. His poetry is informed by his background as a queer, working class poet from the East Midlands. His debut pamphlet, Mr Universe, was launched at Five Leaves.
A free pamphlet launch, refreshments provided