Worcestershire Laureate is lost!

October 27th, 2012

These days I feel as if I have multiple personalities.  I am, of course, still me - a fact I find thoroughly refreshing and re-assuring.  As readers will already know I am also a Decadent Poetry Diva (in hibernation at present but still sifting ideas for our next outing); I am, of course, Maggie Doyle - performer of the spoken word, supporter of most things poetic and spoken, and book launches; Bard of Worcestershire.  I am, on occasions, a whirling dervish in my attempts to be here, there and everywhere, and I have the most loving and supportive family any human being could wish for.  I also have a wealth of friends, many extremely talented, with whom I also spend time.  Ah, time. There's the rub.

So, to bring you up to date.  I was out-bling-ed at an event I attended hosted by the Mayor of Worcester (at least six sets of mayors and deputies).  I joined the Worcestershire Literary Festival in an awards ceremony held by Destination Worcester in which the WLF came second and is now through the national finals.I have been storytelling and workshopping at a library in Worcester; the Decadent Poetry Divas made an appearance in Birmingham; attended opening ceremony of a Care Home in Worcester; attended the premiere of The Big Brum Poem (an initiative of Write Down Speak Up - see website) as part of the Birmingahm Arts Festival; also performed as a Diva too; judged a junior story writing competition; did a workshop for children at a school in Redditch; did a workshop at Worcester Cathedral (in the crypt) on National Poetry Day; took part in a Poetry Trail at Avoncroft Musuem - still on view until 2013 and certainly well worth a visit; visited Split Screen at the Manchester Arts Festival - most of these events required new pieces of written work plus the performance. And last but by no means least, the Malvern Hills Walk in the mist last Sunday when I became er separated from fellow poets, a couple of poems on my  other blog site. Oh, and I have bought wallflowers and tulip bulbs for planting in my garden.

A very busy and thoroughly enjoyable couple of months - see more on the Worcestershire Laureate blog (details in August blog).  Now planning for the Victorian Fayre in Worcester and, of course, Christmas, but more of that next time.

Worcestershire Poet Laureate

Well, guess who is the second poet laureate and FIRST female poet laureate of Worcestershire?  Yes, it is me!  In mid June this year I was again a finalist for Bard of Worcestershire and, despite stiff competition, I won the laureateship.  It has been a bit of a roller coaster since then as my time is now committed to various events for which I have to write poems and stories; I am also appearing with my wonderful co-Decadent Poetry Divas at the Birmingham ArtsFest in September, getting ready for the winter season of Murder Mystery plays performed by the extremely talented Worcester Pub Theatre Group, of which I am a member, which commences at the end of October and runs through to March 2013 - performances weekly in Shropshire; my first book is due out in late summer and I am still me, writing as me!  Fortunately, retirement is not a word understood in our household!

I now have another blog spot as Poet Laureate which can be found at worcspoetlaureate.com.  More news and info about me, events and the Worcestershire Literary Festival.  Pop over and take a look.

Decadent Poetry Divas pay their respects to Worcester

Not only do I have an alter ego as Maggie Doyle, I am now firmly established as one quarter of the Decadent Poetry Divas, of whom I have written before. 2012 is the year in which we intend to titilate, fascinate and dedicate a completely different style of writing and performing to the written word/poetry circuit.  We intend to be thought provoking, slightly risque (so be warned), topical but above all, humorous.
I have found the whole process of being a Diva liberating.  Things Maggie would not contemplate are now tumbling around in my head as if I have been taken over by some alien being.  It's great!  I can now hide under the cover of "Diva" and emerge with ideas Maggie would never even think about.

Working with the lovely Charlie Jordan (past Birmingham Poet Laureate) brings an air of tranquility to the Divas writing workshops (an upper apartment in an undisclosed area of Birmingham where hummous and toast are provided in liberal quantities); a Gothic, dramatic and slightly off tangent element is provided by the talented Lorna Meehan, actor and poet; and the more youthful element (although Lorna is not too far behind) is provided by our pin-up blonde Laura Yates - who, in one line, can disprove all the negatives about blondes.

Grandma Moses of this group, me, can't get away from rhyme and wouldn't want to, and mostly provides the more nostalgic and sentimental sections of our collaborations - well, I do have age on my side.  Basically, we are NOW liberally mixed with a bit of THEN and a shot of WHENEVER.  Our introductory piece - "Decades" gives snapshot images of life in our 20s, 30s, 40s, 50, and slightly beyond.  Of course it has a feminine slant but we are sure that the male contingency will recognise one or two observations and maybe, just maybe, understand the female psyche just a little better after seeing the Divas.

Ground-breaking?  Well, not just yet but watch this space.

The Decadent Poetry Divas can be seen as headliners at Worcester's top monthly Spoken Word event, Parole Parlate, at Little Venice, Worcester on Thursday, January 5th from 7.30.p.m.