AN EVENING OF FIRST WORLD WAR POETRY AND FUNDRAISING

To mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, Bookmarks Festival is hosting a special evening of war poetry with renowned poet Peter Wyton on Friday, August 15 at 8 pm in St Mary Magdalene Church, Helmdon.

The event will raise funds for the British Red Cross and Mr Wyton will be dramatically bringing the voices of the past back to life for what promises to be a very special and moving evening of war literature. During the evening he will cover everything from the trench poetry of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, to contemporary poems that explore the sacrifice of the Great War.

Peter Wyton is the author of six poetry collections, has been twice nominated for the prestigious Forward Prize, as well as the Pushkin Prize, and is a previous Poet Laureate for Gloucestershire.  His poetry has featured on BBC’s Radio 4’s Poetry Please and he was a finalist in the inaugural Poetry Slam Competition.

His work has been selected for inclusion in the Oxford University Press’s The Oxford Book Of War Poetry, from which he will be reading at the event.

Tickets are £5 if booked in advance or £6 on the door.  E-mail bookmarksfest@gmail.com to reserve a ticket.

The event will be followed by a wine reception which is included in the ticket price.