28th September 2015, The Swan Hotel, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire BA15 1LN
A busy Words & Ears September at the Swan in Bradford on Avon drew to an entertaining and thought-provoking close on Monday with a superb reading in the Cellar Bar from our headliner Emily Wills. U A Fanthorpe said of Emily's first collection that her poetry is "domestic and disturbing", and there was certainly a sense of looking at 'home life' through a mischievous and deeply probing pair of eyes. But Emily also treated us to a satisfying exploration of 'The Manly Poem' (a reaction to one - male - poet's suggestion that some things are not worthy material to appear in poems); sent us off to pick onions; gave us 29 ways of looking at a receipt for pink shoes, and ended on her witty mix of James Bond and life in Malawi. Which all made for hugely rewarding listening - and our open mics were also rich and varied. Thanks to everyone who read and listened - especially to Paul for his topical moon poems and Linda for her memorable Unknown Soldier poem, and well done to Janet on her very impressive first public reading.
