A message from our new Director

Since I joined the organisation as its new director in August, I’ve attended all the events on offer: This Woman’s Words where Newcastle women’s groups used newly commissioned poems and an open mic to unpick issues around safety in public places; Run the Night in Woolwich with Caleb Femi and Rasheeda Page-Muir in discussion, and Poets in Vogue in Soho – new poems, commissions and conversations celebrating the connections between poetry and fashion. Congratulations to all who produced and participated in these great nights – they bustled with happy audience members!

Hello dear friends of Poet in the City,

That was my whistlestop introduction to some of the work that I’ve had the privileged to share in here at Poet in the City so far. I’d now like to take a moment to personally introduce myself to you…

I’m Julia Bird, a poet and long term poetry promoter. I’ve worked in one capacity or another for The Poetry Book Society, The Poetry School, The Poetry Society and The Poetry Translation Centre, as well as for my own production company.

Artists and audiences are at the forefront of everything I do professionally, as I ask…

What can I do to help poets’ unique world views find an audience?

How can I make sure that those audiences can gather as a community? 

That’s the energy I’m planning to bring to my work at Poet in the City!

Over the next couple of months, I’ll be getting to know all our poets, producers, funders and friends, and starting to share the plan and programme for the coming years. Look out for our next newsletter (and sign up if you haven’t already done so), where we’ll be asking for your thoughts as we look to the future of Poet in the City.

What exciting times ahead!

Julia