'vigils for dead and dying girls' online launch
The online launch for Deborah's debut poetry pamphlet 'vigils for dead and dying girls' was held on November 5th 2023. Hosted by Nine Pens editor Colin Bancroft, the launch was a celebration of Deborah's pamphlet, but also an opportunity to hear some exciting poets read their work. Caroline Druitt, Tessa Foley and Glyn Maxwell all read some new work - do read more from them if you haven't already!
Caroline Druitt is a poet and teacher in South East London. Her poems have been published by And Other Poems, The North, Lucent Dreaming and commissioned by Apples and Snakes. She was longlisted for the Outspoken Prize for Poetry 2023, shortlisted for the Bridport Prize 2023 and commended in the National Poetry Competition in 2022. She is currently working on her first collection.
Tessa Foley’s debut poetry collection ‘Chalet Between Thick Ears’ and follow up "What Sort of Bird are You?" were published by Live Canon, and was a previous winner of their International Poetry Prize. She is currently working on her third collection "Try to Find Me". She has recently been recognised in the Ware Poets Competition, Charroux Prize and Arts University Bournemouth Poetry Competition. Tessa works at the Poetry School in London.
All of Glyn Maxwell’s poetry collections have been shortlisted for the major UK poetry prizes, most recently the T. S. Eliot Prize for How The Hell Are You. The Nerve won the Geoffrey Faber Prize. His latest, The Big Calls, is a (not very flattering) study of England now, taking in the UK government’s Covid response, refugee policy, conduct over Afghanistan, police corruption, Grenfell Tower – in the forms of Tennyson, Kipling, Rossetti, Oscar Wilde. He is writing Silly Games To Save The World, a book about poetry, psychology, politics and philosophy, which can be read for free (for philosophical reasons) on Substack. His guidebook, 'On Poetry' was described by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage as ‘The most compelling, original, charismatic and poetic guide to poetry that I can remember' and by The Guardian's Adam Newey as ‘the best book about poetry I’ve ever read.’ Glyn is Head of Studies on the MA at The Poetry School.