Leading northern poets open the year

The 2015 Settle Sessions starts off with two leading northern poets and writers on Friday 17th April at The Folly in Settle.

Carole Bromley (right) teaches Creative Writing at York University. Some of her poems have appeared iin Poetry Review, Magma, Rialto, The North, Interpreter's House, Poetry News, Ink Sweat and Tears. Her first collection, A Guided Tour of the Ice House (Smith/Doorstop was published in 2011.

Carole won the first prizes in Bridport, Yorkshire Open, Torbay, Bronte Society Literary Competitions, and will be juding the York Poetry Competition this year.

Carole Coates' most recent publication is a pamphlet called Crazy Days, published by Wayleave Press in November 2014.  Carol Ann Duffy said of it "Crazy Days is stunningly, beautifully, heart-breakingly marvellous.  It's one of the best things I've read all year." Carole (pictured left) has had three poetry collections and will have her first novel published in 2016.

She was given a Yorkshire Arts Award for an early poetry sequence. She won the Nottingham Open Poetry Prize in 2011.  She lives in Lancaster where she helps to run The April Poets, and is a member of Sixfold, a reading and performance group.

There will also be an open mic session featuring local writing and favourite poems. In April Floe Shakespeare and Hilary Holdsworth will take part, with Ann Pilling and John Raubenheimer readng from the poet Elizabeth Bishop.

Other Sessions this year will be in June, September and November. Tickets for the evening are £6 (£5.50 for members) available from Cave and Crag, The Courtyard Dairy and 01729 823305. More details are at www.settlesessions.co.uk.

Wanted: Local writers and poets

Do you write short stories or poems? Are you writing a novel? If so Settle Sessions would like to hear from you and give you the opportunity to present some of your writing at one of their evenings in the open mic "Read Two" section.

Settle Sessions is now in its third year; 2015 will see 4 evenings through the year. It provides an opportunity for people in the Craven area to enjoy contemporary writing and poetry in the atmospheric and historic venue of The Folly in Settle. There is also the chance for local writers to show-case some of their unpublished work in "Read Two".

The 2015 programme for the Settles Sessions has been announced. It includes some of the country's leading poets and writers displaying a wide range of styles and writing.

April 17th Carole Coates and Carole Bromley

June 5th Neil Curry and Meg Peacock

Sept 11th Kim Moore and Jean Harrison

Nov 20th Ann Pilling and Chris Considine

All the evenings are on a Friday at 7.30pm at The Folly in Victoria Street Settle.

If you'd like to take part in Read Two - either your own work or by reading something by someone else that you really like - then contact Jean Harrison on 01729 823305 or info@settlesessions.co.uk. Full details of The Sessions are at www.settlesessions.co.uk

Spellbound Audience

The final event of 2014 was suitably merry in tone and festive in content. Prize winning author and poet Ann Pilling presented her new anthology of happy poems called "Say Cheese". Sold in aid of Hawes Parish Church Restoration, it features work by living and dead poets. Some of the former read their poems bringing us "Singing the African Sanctus in Settle", a vivid description of an australian creature called "The Jesus Bird", and a fascinating homage to Machines. David Scott from Kendal, whom Ann said is described as "the foremost Anglican poet" read a gentle, evocative poem about the simple Harebell which had the audience spellbound. Ann concluded with a rousing rendition of Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky.

The second part of the evening featured favourite Christmas poems chosen by regular Sessioners. From John Clare's December at the turn of the 19th century, through some bitingly witty poems by Wendy Cope, classics from Louis Macniece to one about Global Warning, the audience relaxed in front of the roaring fire at The Folly and soaked up the seasonal mood. The deepest listening was of "For a Child Expected" by Anne Ridler, delivered in a soft yet commanding voice by Kathy Bull.

Settle can be congratulated in hosting and supporting these eclectic evenings. They bring together leading British poets as well as local writing talent with literature lovers to share their favourite pieces. If the warm appreciation of this Session is anything to go by, next year's programme will be much anticipated and enjoyed too.

Veronica Caperon

Tenderness and insight - review

September Settle Sessions

Now a fixture in the local literary calendar, Settle Sessions delivered an enjoyable and diverse range of writing at The Folly last Friday. Once again it debunked notions that "poetry's not for me".

Trish Pogson

Patricia (Trish) Pogson from Cumbria has several published poetry collections, with work also appearing in numerous anthologies. She engaged the audience with her sharply observed experiences. From teeth, garden birds to children's dens, every word is carefully placed, every line skilfully crafted. In particular, she writes about her family in ordinary settings with extraordinary tenderness in an accessible language and style.

Jean Harrison

One of the masterminds behind Settle Sessions, Jean Harrison, treated the appreciative gathering to tales of Africa alongside a saga of the bridge between Giggleswick and Settle. Jean deftly employs the countryside, human nature and an enquiring mind to sculpt images that people can connect with. Her piece about meeting her newborn sister was touching, even shocking in its childlike directness.

Olwyn Bolger

Sarah Lightfeather

"Read Two" encourages new writers and poetry lovers to air their wares. Sarah Lightfeather, another Cumbrian, told eloquently of wings she gave to a friend in a time of despair. A short story writer recently turned poet, she promises much with her lyrical, bold style. 

Olwyn Bolger read three whimsical sonnets and poems from her late husband's collection, including one called Doggerel that was about cats! 

Joan Lee

Joan Lee read some favourite poems by DH Lawrence and Stevie Smith in a gentle and delightful manner.

In choosing The Folly for its setting, Settle Sessions has a winner on its hands; the timeless, reflective ambience provides an excellent backdrop for the evening. Another clever aspect of the evenings is to attract people from the literary world as well as those who just like to listen to good writing. Where else on your doorstep can you enjoy an hour or so of people recounting tales of blackbirds and birth, dentures and death, Arran and Africa?

Veronica Caperon

From Africa to North Yorkshire

Writers share work

The next Settle Sessions evening of short stories and poetry readings will be on Friday 5th September.

On the programme is Settle Poet Jean Harrison and Patricia Pogson from Cumbria.

Jean is one of the organisers of this series of evenings designed to present writings in a relaxed and convivial style at The Folly in Settle. She has two collections of poetry published with a novel due out next year. A retired teacher, Jean lived and work for a number of years in Africa, and has been making her progress up the country from Exeter via several places and is now settled in North Yorkshire.

Patricia Pogson lives in Staveley in Cumbria. Her work appears in many anthologies and she has six collections of poems published. She has won numerous poems, but can't remember all of them! She has run The Brewery Poets based at The Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal for some years. Her writing has a down to earth approach, showing life as it is lived, but often with a twist that makes the reader sit up and think.

There will also be a chance for local writers and poets to read their own and others' work in the "Read Two" slot. Sarah Littlefeather is coming from the Ulverston area while John Rose, Joan Lee and Olwyn Bolger live in Settle.

The evening takes place at The Folly in Settle at 7.30pm. Tickets (£6, £5.50 members) are available from Cave and Crag as well as 01729 823305. More details from info@settlesessions.co.uk 

Date for your diary:

Friday 21st November - 6.30pm AGM and reception - members and the public welcome! (please email us if you'd like to come info@settlesessions.co.uk)

Engaging and Fascinating Session

The June Settle Session went well as usual.  

We had another full house - including a members of the Bentham Looking Well Group who presented a varied range of work which the audience enjoyed very much. 

Eliza Dear read from her collection with enthusiasm. She so clearly enjoyed interacting with the audience, and they with her.  

Jane Routh gripped us with her thoughtful account of wildlife and its life on her smallholding and of her real conversation in her kitchen with a modern mole-catcher and, in the same place, an imagined conversation with a nineteenth century predecessor, based on her research of a real person.  This contrasted very well with another 'conversation' with a young man who might take over in years to come.

The September Settle Session features Carole Coates and Jean Harrison  

The Read Two open mic slot is now full but if you'd like to take part in future ones, please contact us.

Top writers for June Settle Sessions

The June Settle Sessions evening at The Folly feature two published poets with close connections to the Settle and Craven area. 

Please note this will be on Friday 6th June, and not 13th June as publicised in some places - apologies for confusion.

Eliza Dear has lived in Settle for eight years now. Having previously lived in Ireland for 30 years where in the 90s she started to write poetry.She had her first poetry book published last year by a publisher in Belfast which brings together her Irish and English connections. She has had many poems published in magazines mostly in Ireland and she won the Lace competition and a short story competition. She lives in Settle and will be reading from her recently published collection.

Jane Routh is a photographer and writer who looks after a flock of geese, an Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland, some new woods and a few fields in North Lancashire. An award winning poet, Jane lives in the Forest of Bowland near Lowgill. She'll be reading extracts from her newly published book of prose, about a small area of land and its wildlife, work and weathers over four decades, with a month by month celebration of seasonal shifts at its heart. "Graced with a poet's command of language and the ability to weave particulars into memorable passages." (August Kleinzahler)

In the open mic "Read Two" slot, a group of writers from Bentham will be presenting a variety of styles, lead by Settle based John Raubenheimer.

"The Sessions seem to have become quite an anticipated event" explained Jean Stevens, reviewing the last evening in April. "The Folly provided an atmospheric and intimate space in which to hear poems, all of which were accessible, enjoyable and thought provoking".

The next event will be on Friday 6th June at 7.30pm at The Folly. Tickets, which are limited due to space, are £6 (£5.50 members) available from Cave and Cragg and The Folly. For more information ring 01729 823305 or email info@settlesessions.co.uk