On the Pant Workshop January 2012

Being a prose person it’s a feather in your cap that today’s session has made me a convert to reading poetry. Strange that the fiendish Villanelle should be the catalyst but the selections were so beautiful they could not be ignored. I have told my Scottish friend about today!

Barbara Maitra, Oswestry

Black Country Dialectics – Blackcountryman review

Winter 2011 Vol 45 No 1

This book (and accompanying audio CD with 13 audio tracks, including the intriguing title “The Singularly Entertaining Ballad of Ayli Quixote and Sancho Aynuck etc”) will both entertain and amuse you.
If you are interested in local, dialect poetry then this work will be for you. The fact that you get written and audio for the price of a book is a bonus. Presentation is pleasing, would make an ideal stocking filler for Christmas.

MJP

Made in Captivity – Nick Pearson at Bilston Voices

Nick Pearson is an Offa’s Press poet who read extensively from his collection Made in Captivity. I had never seen him before, I liked him very much. Casual, unpretentious and unassuming he breezed through a set of concise wry material that engaged and amused. Shallow Grave skilfully explored all those computers seized by the Met from news international and Coming Clean raised a chuckle from all who have experienced an Annual Development Review. The thinly veiled sexual innuendo of Final Frame was a fitting set finisher. Yet my admiration for Nick was sealed by one line, when he dared to rhyme “Brillo” with “Amarillo” – genius.

Gary Longden, on Behind the Arras

Black Country Dialectics – Express & Star Review

“It’s difficult sometimes to find that perfect stocking filler for friends and family at Christmas. Black Country folk have an ideal opportunity to share their wisdom with the rest of the world – in a collection of witty observations by one of the area’s best respected poets.”

- Express & Star

Black Country Dialectics – Dave Reeves at Bilston Library

“It wus wuna them dank November arternoons that’s dusk frum early on an maerges slowly into noight well afore the official toime gid fer sunset.  A crowd was in an upstairs room of Bilston library fer a loff an loff they did.  Raed on …”

It was one of those dank November afternoons that seems to be dusk from early on and merges slowly into dark well before the official time given for sunset.  Quite a crowd had gathered in an upstairs room of Bilston library to be entertained for an hour and entertained they were.

In the presence of some of Bilston’s most proficient Black Country speakers, Dave Reeves was promoting his book Black Country Dialectics (Offa’s Press) by reading and performing several pieces from the book and the CD that accompanies it.

With Chris Lomas on guitar providing suitable background music where it was needed we heard about Cowboys with Black Country accents drinking mild beer and wanting scratchings, bare knuckle fighters in barrels and the notorious Tipton Slasher.  For an hour we were taken back to the days when the area really had separate dialects.

Heather Wastie, who seems to have an endless supply of characters, gave us the women’s voices in her usual quietly impeccable style.  This woman must surely be heir to the traditions of Joyce Grenfell?

I think I can say that all present had a good afternoon at this little ‘indulgence’.  It wus bostin.

Eileen Ward-Birch, on Behind the Arras

About Bright Morning

“She has a gentle sense of humour and this is evident on many pages but she also has a wicked insight into the human condition and writes, with great empathy, of our failings and frailties.

Some of the poems made me laugh out loud and some almost reduced me to tears.

This is Seabourne’s first published collection and will be a delight for anyone who enjoys witty, observant, and well-crafted modern poetry.

Her imagery is superb, her imagination is fertile, and her use of language is excellent – she plays with words as well as any traditional poet.

This is an extremely pleasing book, slim, but every page is a pleasure to read. Some of the poems left me wishing I’d written them instead of the author!”
Rating *****
Sally Bunn Shropshire Star

“Born and raised in Wales and now living in the West Midlands, poet Jane Seabourne has lived both sides of Offa’s Dyke. Her debut collection of poems gathers memories and observations, both great and small. Jane finds the interesting in what some might see as banal, and the romantic in what the unimaginative might call forgettable – refreshing in today’s world. Bright Morning is an apt title as the reader is left with a bright feeling after reading these poems, which can be humourous, thought-provoking or insightful.”
Border & Country Life

“Bright Morning is a collection I return to again and again. It hasn’t yet travelled as far as a book shelf, it resides within easy reach, in my handbag. There is something here for every poetry lover or even poetry sceptic. The poignancy of ‘On Going to Lunch with Friends’, ‘One of the Guests Brings Polly, Aged Five Weeks’ and ‘Sometimes, in these her days of Pleasant Confusion’ never fails to bring tears no matter how often I read them.”
Claire Parr, Walsall writer

“I am particularly touched by ‘Love Song’. This poem totally ‘gets’ what love really is – thank you for writing it. What they all have in common is a quirkiness/ unusual slant on the subject, humour, tenderness, compassion and there’s a confidence in all [the] poems that allows me, the reader, to give myself over to you.”
Nadia Kingsley, Bridgnorth writer

About River Passage

“I love the way the phrases of Dan’s music match the phrases of the poem. It’s an altogether very rich and broad sensual experience.”
Elspeth Soper, Shropshire

About ‘A Christmas Offa’  with Emma Purshouse & Win Saha
Wednesfield Library, Wolverhampton (13.12.10)

“Excellent! Loved the contrast between traditional and modern poetry but loved it all!”
Rosa Hickman, Senior Library Assistant

“I thoroughly enjoyed all of the “clucking” readings!”
Mrs I. Gillings

“I’m not particularly fond of poetry but I enjoyed all of this event, especially the poems – amusing ones relevant to modern life – very good and very expressive!”
Mrs C. M. Wall

About the Reading Service

“Many thanks for the quick return of my six pages of poetry submitted to Offa’s Press reading service, and the detailed notes plus constructive comments I received, all were greatly appreciated.
I have the confidence now to submit four of my poems to your suggested magazines for consideration and will keep you posted on their progress.  I will definitely be using your reading service again. ”
Silvia Juliet Millward, Willenhall

About the Mentoring Service

“I have really enjoyed being mentored over the last few months and have found that it has boosted my enthusiasm, confidence and ability.  I am keen to write but sometimes need that extra push and being mentored by both of you has been a great contrast and very interesting having two different opinions and ways of working.  I am now keen to undertake a bigger project than I have done before and look forward to further mentoring sessions in the future.  Thanks again for all your help and advice.”
Michelle Moore, Wolverhampton