Poetry in the park

Poetry Reading- Sat 22 January, 3 pm

Schedules

22/10/2022At 15.30-17.00Gates open: 15.15Last entry: 15.30

Morden Hall Park (London), The National Trust, introduces a series of poetry readings in the park with this elevating evening of spoken verse to celebrate Lord Byron's birthday with local poet Yogesh Patel MBE, who has captured much of its beauty in his recent collection, The Rapids, published by The London Magazine. Joining him will be two very distinguished poets; Martina Evans, Royal Literary Fund Advisory Fellow and poetry reviewer for the Irish Times, and poet Tristram Fane Saunders, Commissioning Editor of The Telegraph.

Come and listen to these acclaimed poets reading their poems in the exhibition space of the historical Stableyard, a centre of the stunning setting that is Morden Hall Park. This green oasis in the city, a tranquil former deer park, is where the river Wandle meanders through, creating a haven for wildlife. The snuff mills, which generated income for the park in the past, survive to this day. When you step through the gates of this much-loved rural idyll, you will find yourself in the middle of the English countryside. Surrounded by meadows, trees and the gentle sounds of birdsong and running water, the park offers a rare sense of discovery and a chance to get away from it all.

So, come along early to explore and make a special day out of it. Enjoy poetry in the park. Though the booking is unnecessary, as the event is free, please do book a place and let us know early.

This is an indoor event, but please wear warm clothes for the January weather as doors will be kept open to improve ventilation. The exhibition space is fully wheelchair accessible.

(In association with Word Masala Foundation)

Martina Evans grew up in County Cork and trained in Dublin as a radiographer before moving to London in 1988. She is the author of twelve books of poetry and prose. She has won several awards, including the Premio Ciampi International Prize for Poetry in 2011. Now We Can Talk Openly About Men (Carcanet 2018) was shortlisted for the 2019 Irish Times Poetry Now Award, the Pigott Poetry Prize and the Roehampton Poetry Prize and was an Observer, TLS and Irish Times Book of the Year in 2018. Mountainy Men, a narrative poem, was the recipient of a Grants for the Arts Award in 2015. She is a Royal Literary Fund Advisory Fellow and is an Irish Times poetry critic.

Website: http://www.martinaevans.com/

Yogesh Patel has received an MBE for literature. His recent collection, The Rapids, is published by The London Magazine Editions. He has co-edited Skylark magazine since 1969. Currently, he runs Skylark Publications UK and the Word Masala Foundation. Honoured with Freedom of the City of London, he has LP records, films, radio, children’s book, fiction, non-fiction books, and three poetry collections to his credit. In 2019, he was a Poet-of-Honor at New York University. The House of Lords and the National Poetry Library have staged his readings. Amidst many, PN Review, The London Magazine, and BBC TV and Radio have published his work. So have also, numerous anthologies featured his poems, including National Curriculum, MacMillan, Sahitya Akademi and others.

Websites: patelyogesh.co.uk and skylarkpublications.co.uk

Tristram Fane Saunders lives in London. His pamphlets include WOODSONG, inspired by the Irish epic THE MADNESS OF SWEENEY, and POSTCARDS FROM SULPICIA, a translation of Ancient Rome's only extant female poet. He has reviewed poetry for the TELEGRAPH and Radio 4's Front Row, and performed his poetry at Latitude Festival.

Contact details:

Dania Schmitz-Vaughan

02085456850

Dania.Schmitzvaughan@nationaltrust/org.uk