Poetry groups..

Writing Poetry this year has being the major surprise

For me this year so far, as I have completed

Something like 82 odd poems this year which

Completely murders the amount off poems

I wrote last year which was something like 56

Poems wrote.

Good thing is I have generally being a lot

Happier with them this year on the whole

And look forward to exploring this more

Next year too.

A lot of this has being done to joining

A lot of poetry groups.. Here a few

Details about them about the ones

I have being involved in 2008 so

Far with a honest opinion as far

As I can see.

24 Hour Arty People

(http://www.myspace.com/24hourartypeople)

This was the group I was in from 2004 to the

start off 2008 which fell apart big style see

these posts for more details

http://writersideasandthoughtsuk.blogspot.com/2008/08/more-thoughts-about-writing-writing.html

AND

http://writersideasandthoughtsuk.blogspot.com/2008/08/at-write-out-loud-middleton-sunday-24th.html)

For anybody joining in groups like this, I would advise

You not to bother! There are always other

Groups knocking around which are better.

As far as I am aware, this group is no longer

Going although I still get the odd threatening

Email which makes me wonder otherwise.

Poetica

(http://www.myspace.com/poeticamanchester)

I joined Poetica in the Spring off 2007,
I think as I was starting to get pissed off

With 24 Hour Arty..

Poetica to quote their myspace page

‘Is a completely open forum where

everyone is welcome to come and share work

in progress and get feedback from others’

who meet up at Manchester Central Library

(UK) every other Wednesday from 6pm

to 7.45pm (ish)

Their next dates are as follows for meeting..

Wed 8th October

Wed 22nd October

Wed 5th November

Wed 19th November

Wed 3rd December

All 2008 of course.

Certainly joining Poetica when I did

Was a godsend as I made a lot of contacts

Out off that and also quite a few new

Friends.

If I am honest, the problem

with Poetica is the demand for

the group.

Certainly when I first started going,

there was usually about 10 or so people

who were regulars and that itself in a

hour and 45 minutes is a lot to get round

But when the number goes up a few more

and if people ain’t as focused with the group,

I feel it becomes dangerously unmanageable

with I remember (not my views here) several

people hogging the spotlight away from others.

I’ve ended up taking a step backwards from

the group at least for now mostly for lack

off time but it is worth looking into if you

work in the center of Manchester.

Trio Writers

(http://www.myspace.com/triowriters)

My baby, which I co run with my pals, Gary

& Amanda took over from 24 Hour Arty People

in January 2008 and has so far being kept

down to a core membership but speaking

from a personal angle, keeping it

stripped down so much I think has

worked to our favor as we have got

through a lot off stuff we may have struggled

doing otherwise as 24 Hour arty.

When we re-launch later on this year,

(October time I reckon now)

expect major changes.

New Manchester Stanza

(http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=29097376060)

Tony talked me into going to this monthly

Meet up of this group who meet at the Lowry

Centre (Salford Quays, Manchester) once a month..

Next meeting 30th September 2008 from 7pm to 9pm

I think a couple of months back.

I have being to just two so far, I think and

Have enjoyed as it is a nice new location,

But have found the group itself to be a mixed

Bag where some things worked well and

Others well..

If I am honest, for the group to survive

It will need to change a little bit, but it has

A few regular members so it has a chance

Certainly.

Animal Writers

(http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=24158377235)

This is a brand new one I am going to this Tuesday

Coming 23^rd September..

No idea how this will go, I must admit, but I think it is

Monthly and meeting up at 8^th Day, Oxford Road from

6pm to 7.30pm or something.

Like to Write? Manchester UK

(http://www.myspace.com/poetry_workshops)

Only managed this once, but found

It great fun.

It is an ongoing poetry writing workshop

That meets weekly.

They describe themselves as a ‘not-for-profit group

that puts on free weekly creative writing workshops

and sometimes we produce anthologies and put on

events’

They meet weekly every Monday 2pm – 4pm at

the Friends Meeting House, (behind central library

in Manchester City Centre) UK.

The one occasion I made it (because of the

Meeting times clashing with work). I found

It great fun as it was a constant writing

Workshop and I wrote 6 poems in a hour

And 45 minutes.

There is others, but I can’t offer a

Honest opinion on them.

I think with all writing groups I

Have explored this year, I think a lot

Depends on what you are looking for

And while all of these groups may

Not be what you are looking for

If you live in Manchester, England

It is worth exploring if you are

a new writer.

(Image borrowed from
http://blog.mpl.org/nowatmpl/magnetic_poetry1_by_cassandra_tiensivu.jpg)