Poetry in the Crypt

Poetry in the Crypt is an occasional reading series which takes place in the crypt below St Mary's Church on Upper Street, Islington. Its origins are as a series of informal poetry reading evenings arranged by Graham Claydon, then vicar of St Mary’s Islington. Nancy Mattson and Mike Bartholomew-Biggs now run the events and have introduced the idea of inviting one or two guest poets to complement the contributions from church members combined with

 a welcoming poetry cafe and bookstall.

The next event is on Saturday 17^th November from 7.00 pm and features:

• Pat Borthwick lives in rural Yorkshire. Her three full-length poetry collections are Between Clouds and Caves (Littlewood Arc), Swim (Mudfog) and Admiral FitzRoy’s Barometer (Templar, 2008). Her poems have won many prizes including the 2011 Keats-Shelley Poetry Award and the 2012 Basil Bunting Award. She has been writer in residence in such places as Chesterfield Canal, Clipstone Colliery, Northern Allotments and now the RSPB at Bempton Cliffs. A former NAWE chair, Pathas worked in schools and as an Arvon tutor.
• Martina Evans is an Irish poet and novelist who lives in London. Her fourth poetry collection, Facing the Public(Anvil, 2009) was a TLS Book of the Year and received the PieroCiampi International Poetry Prize. Her fourth novel is a book-length prose poem sequence, Petrol (Anvil, 2012). She has taught creative writing at University of East London, City Literary Institute and on tutored Arvon retreats. Her specialist workshops include ‘Where Poetry Meets Film’ and ‘Journey with Joyce’.
• Norbert Hirschhorn, a physician who specializes in international public health, was commended in 1993 by President Bill Clinton as an “American Health Hero.” He now divides his time between London and Beirut. His poetry has been published in four pamphlets and three full-length collections: A Cracked River (Slow Dancer Press, London, 1999), Mourning in the Presence of a Corpse and Monastery of the Moon (Dar al-Jadeed, Beirut, 2008 &2012).  His poetry has won a number of prizes in the US and UK. 

Admission £4. Poets from the floor welcome. Free cakes & coffee! Proceeds will support Hospice Care Kenya www.hospicecarekenya.com. St Mary’s Church is on Upper Street, London N1 2TX, midway between Angel and Highbury & Islington tube stations. Buses 4, 19, 30 and 43. On arrival, please watch for signs directing you to the entrance to the crypt. For more information contact Nancy Mattson: nmattson@sampo.plus.com.

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Martina Evans - Petrol.