I was delighted to be asked by Ruth O’Callaghan if I could set up a website for the excellent Camden and Lumen Poetry project when we chatted after one of the packed and friendly events yesterday. You can find the website on http://www.camdenlumen.wordpress.com and, although the site is very new, it shows the events and also how this very popular project works for writers and publishers.
Camden and Lumen Poetry is a project organised by the poet Ruth O’Callaghan. The project not only supports poetry: all proceeds go to help the Cold Weather Shelters in Camden and Kings Cross. Regular poetry readings are held in the Camden and Lumen (Kings Cross) venues, with well-known authors appearing alongside new and unpublished poets.
Publishers and magazine editors present their writers, published poets make appearances, and the events include the opportunity for audience members to read at least one poem. Poets from the floor can submit the poems they read to be considered for an annual anthology published each Spring. This gives poets at all levels the chance to appear alongside the famous names in each anthology.
Carol Ann Duffy became a patron of Camden and Lumen Poetry in January 2010, adding extra prestige to this well-established and well attended project.
The events have a warm and friendly atmosphere, with wine and soft drinks, a raffle to win a surprise parcel of books. There are also books available to buy, including some available at discount generously provided by publishers. The price of entry, the drinks bar, the raffle and other fundraising activities all go to support the Cold Weather Shelters.
Both of the venues, Camden and Lumen, have the readings in the same place where people sleep in the Cold Weather Shelters, making it a particularly special place to attend and to support poetry.
The addresses for the venues are:
Camden Poetry – Trinity United Reform Church, 1 Buck St, Camden Town, London WC1
Tube: Camden Town
Lumen Poetry – Lumen, 88 Tavistock Place, London WC1
Tubes: Russell Square , Kings Cross, St Pancras.
Frank Turfus
6 months ago
Dear Adele,
When is the next meeting and there are floor spots – auditions – submissions? Open mike or resident poets – could i come along next time?
Frank
Adele Ward
6 months ago
The next meetings are this Friday, 5th March, and next Tuesday, 9th March. If you pass your poem to Ruth, the main organiser, she’ll call you up, and the poem gets passed to the editor of the next anthology for consideration. There’s usually only time for people to read one poem each as it’s very active, and she asks for under 40 lines. I’ll be on the wine table on Friday so you’ll see me there. You can see full details of the events on http://www.camdenlumen.wordpress.com and I keep the Events page updated with regular meetings. See you there!