Sarah has been running the Poetry Society‘s Worcestershire Stanza since 2009, joined by Kathy Gee as joint Stanza Rep (and zoom main host) from June 2021.
The stanza group usually meets monthly on a Friday evening alternating between an in-person meeting and a zoom meeting. Typically, the format that these meetings take is that everyone attending shares one poem for feedback from others attending.
Many members are involved in other poetry groups or spoken word nights regularly, so often meet more informally or in other contexts between meetings. Other occasional stanza projects also include workshops, inspirational walks, poetry trails, exhibitions, buddy group email feedback, the initial LitWorld2 poems/flashes…
There’s never been a fee for becoming a stanza member, and attendance at each meeting has typically ranged from 5-14 members. In-person meetings take place at different venues across the county, currently including Droitwich, Feckenham and partway between Worcester and Malvern.
NB Please note that we are currently closed to new members, because of our maximum working number for online meetings.
Stanza members can find the list of prompts here.
AN EMAIL TO SIGN-UP FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL MEETING WILL BE SENT OUT TO MEMBERS 10-14 DAYS BEFORE THAT MEETING DATE.
PLANNED 2026 DATES
Friday, 9 January 2026 — zoom meeting (7.30pm, or 7pm/7.15pm if a larger meeting size). NB Please do remember to sign-up in advance by the RSVP date on the sign-up email.
Friday, 13 February 2026 — in-person meeting, probably in Droitwich, details tbc nearer the time
Friday, 13 March 2026 — zoom meeting (7.30pm, or 7pm/7.15pm if a larger meeting size). NB Please do remember to sign-up in advance by the RSVP date on the sign-up email.
Friday, 10 April 2026 — in-person meeting, probably in Droitwich, details tbc nearer the time
Friday, 8 May 2026 — zoom meeting (7.30pm, or 7pm/7.15pm if a larger meeting size). NB Please do remember to sign-up in advance by the RSVP date on the sign-up email.
Friday, 12 June 2026 — in-person meeting, probably in Worcester, details tbc nearer the time
Friday, 10 July 2026 — zoom meeting (7.30pm, or 7pm/7.15pm if a larger meeting size). NB Please do remember to sign-up in advance by the RSVP date on the sign-up email.
Friday, 14 August 2026 — in-person meeting, details tbc nearer the time
Friday, 11 September 2026 — zoom meeting (7.30pm, or 7pm/7.15pm if a larger meeting size). NB Please do remember to sign-up in advance by the RSVP date on the sign-up email.
Friday, 9 October 2026 — in-person meeting, details tbc nearer the time
Friday, 13 November 2026 — zoom meeting (7.30pm, or 7pm/7.15pm if a larger meeting size). NB Please do remember to sign-up in advance by the RSVP date on the sign-up email.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE EXACT NATURE OF MEETINGS (eg dates/zoom group sizes) MAY HAVE TO CHANGE NEARER THE TIME. PLEASE KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON YOUR EMAIL FOR DETAILS OF THE MEETINGS, AND ANY CHANGES IF THESE ARE REQUIRED.
Stanza members who are Poetry Society members are encouraged to enter the annual themed Stanza Poetry Competition – details here. Stanza rep Sarah Leavesley was highly commended in the 2023 Refuge-themed competition for her poem ‘Make-do Shelter’. Stanza member Liz Parkes was commended in the 2022 ‘Environment’-themed competition for her poem ‘Under the Surface, Ladybower Reservoir’.
The Poetry Society’s National Poetry Competition, which is open to poets whether or not they are stanza/Poetry Society members can be found here.
Poems by current/former Worcestershire Poetry Society Stanza members Mike Alma, Kathy Gee, Jenny Hope, Sarah James, Math Jones, Nina Lewis, John ‘Mogs’ Morris, Liz Parkes and Jenna Plewes can be found in the Offa’s Press anthology The Poetry of Worcestershire.
SOME PAST STANZA PROJECTS
Worcestershire Poetry Map, 2019 and ongoing
Organised by stanza rep Sarah Leavesley to celebrate the stanza’s 10th anniversary, Jan 2019 and ongoing
More information about how to navigate the poetry map and/or submit poems for this, can be found here.
LitWorld2 photo-poem/photo-flash journal, 2018 and ongoing
Organised by stanza rep Sarah Leavesley, with stanza member Nina Lewis as Facebook curator
The online journal was initially set up with stanza support, featuring poems and flashes by stanza members combined with Sarah’s photos. This was then widened and welcomes submissions from writers across the UK and the world! The journal can be found here and the submission guidelines here.
Forest of Dean inspirational woodland walk, 2018 and ongoing
Organised by stanza member Andrew Hoaen as part of the Heritage lottery funded project Foresters Forest, Veteran Tree history project
In June 2018, poet and environmental archaeologist Dr Andrew Hoaen led a stanza inspiration walk through the Forest of Dean near The Speech House at Coleford, Gloucestershire. This guided ‘tour’ including archaeological and woodland history resulted in a range of poems with individual poem publications, plans for displays and sharing the work following on from this.
Organised by stanza member Kathy Gee
Avoncroft Museum offered free admission for stanza members, who were inspired by the buildings in the collection, and their poems were displayed on site during 2012. Two schools from Inkberrow and Bromsgrove joined in and all the poems were brought together into an anthology sold in the museum shop.
Hanbury Hall Visit, Website Publication and Poetryfilm, 2012
Organised by stanza rep Sarah Leavesley as part of a Droitwich Arts Network art-poetry project with the hall for Droitwich Arts Festival and Droitwich Canal Arts Trail
Organised stanza visits produced a range of Hanbury Hall inspired poems, with later publication on the Hanbury Hall website and production of the poetryfilm ‘Treasured Parts’ featuring some of the poems. Subsequent years also included stanza inspirational trips to the annual D.A.N. exhibition at the hall and display of poems as part of the exhibition.
