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2007 Poet Laureate

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2007 Cheshire Poet Laureate

Jo Bell

Cheshire’s new Poet Laureate has a fondness for water – she lives on a 67-foot narrowboat. During her laureate year Jo plans to travel the Cheshire Ring, a circle of canal routes which take in almost the whole county calling at the Anderton Boat Lift, Northwich Salt Museum, Middlewich Folk and Boat Festival, Ellesmere Port and the Macclesfield Canal.

Cheshire’s waterways are some of the most beautiful and historic in the country. Jo uses them as source material for her own work, and wants other poets to do the same. ‘There’s a good deal of poetry about the sea, but not much about our rivers and canals,’ she says. The waterways are full of a sense of place – each has its own character and landmarks. Jo is planning to launch a poetry competition on the theme of waterways later in the year.

jo bell canal boat
How do you write a winning poem? ‘You have to read contemporary poetry to have any hope of writing it well,’ she says. ‘Get hold of a good anthology and have a look at how lively and interesting poetry is now’. Jo’s other hint is this: ‘The devil is in the detail. Don’t use big sweeping words like ‘grief’ or ‘love’ – make us feel them by telling us the story of a single incident.’

Bunch of Fives

Cheshire has had a poet laureate since 2003. To mark five years of the scheme all five poets laureate come together for an innovative live literature show A Bunch of Fives.  From October to January the Bunch toured Cheshire, the North West and further afield, attracting that elusive Arts Council funding for the project and gratifyingly large audiences. A new project for the autumn is in the planning stages. 

To get a taster of the Bunch of Fives performance, have a listen to Jo Bell's podcast

Visit Jo's website - Bell Jar or Myspace page or email her for current information on events and readings.

Listen to poetry online here

You can listen to more poetry online at the Association of Poetry Podcasting website.

Commissioned poems

Jo has been set the following core commissions during the course of her 12 month laureateship:

If you wish to invite Jo to an event, facilitate a workshop, or to commission her please contact the Literature and Reading Development Officer Anne Sherman on 01244 602898 or email Anne Sherman.

 
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