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23
Sept 2024
Poets take centre stage at seventh Ripon festival
Ripon rejoiced in rhyme as the city's seventh poetry festival provided a platform for poets of all ages, all styles and all abilities.
The four-day event, which featured the work of seasoned professionals and first-time creative writers, came to a close in the Magdalen's Road Leper Chapel on Sunday evening, with a triple-book launch by Darlington's famous Vane Women collective.
On Saturday afternoon, Ripon Arts Hub on Allhallowgate hosted the launch of books by three local poets.
Ian Clarke and Trevor Vaughan read from their respective collections Staying On and Plainsong, while Caroline Matusiak's readings came from her book. The 36 From Ripon, inspired by the double decker bus service of that number from the city to Harrogate.
Ms Matusiak, who was a prize winner in last year's Ripon Poetry Festival competion, told the Stray Ferret:
This is such a wonderful and inspirational city and is my favourite writing retreat.
During journeys on the 36 from Harrogate to Ripon, I worked on some of the 36 poems that are in my book, which features, on its cover, an image of the 7th century Ripon Jewel, found close to the cathedral in 1976 and believed to be contemporary with St Wilfrid.
Caroline Matusiak (foreground) is pictured with her collection of poems - some of which were written during journeys on the 36 bus.
On Saturday evening the Arts Hub's spotlights were on the poets whose entries in this year's festival competition were selected by a panel of judges for inclusion in the children's and adult's anthologies.
In the under-11s category, the winner was Anna Guthrie, with her poem titled Peace, while the 12 to 18 age group prize went to Molly Hall, with her work The Waiting Tree.
The winner of the top prize in the adult anthology was Kate Swann, whose poem Down our Street, was also selected as the theme for this year's poetic event.
Festival curator Andy Croft said:
We've had another successful year, with thanks to the many volunteers who gave their time to make the festival happen and, of course, the poets who presented their work.
This is an inclusive event that makes the joy of writing and listening to poetry accessible to people of all ages, while providing them with a platform to express themselves through verse.
I was particularly impressed by the confidence with which children as young as five, came forward and presented their poems to an audience and I thoink this bodes well for future festivals.
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