'Poetry should strike the reader as a wording of his own highest thoughts and appear almost a remembrance’.
John Keats
Festival Feedback – extracted from emails, blogs, social media posts,etc
Poetry Teignmouth put on a brilliant festival last weekend: excellent poetry and a very friendly atmosphere. I went to some great events, by Greta Stoddart, Jackie Kay, Ann Gray, Lawrence Sail, Graham Burchell, Jennie Osborne, the open mic readers, Martyn Crucefix and the shortlisted poets for the festival competition. Particular highlights for me were superb workshops and readings from Greta and Jackie – the latter made even more special because it was done by torchlight and tealights to mark Earth Hour. Altogether a wonderful weekend: thank you to the organisers, to all the poets I met who helped make it so, and all the 'Lost & Found' artists and writers.
What a great start to 4 days of fun and poetry. 'Well Met' last night was wonderful, funny, poignant, musically exceptional. Truly inspirational. Thank you Susan, Simon and Si for a fantastic first festival event.
Wow, what a brilliant festival.
I came down from Gloucestershire to Teignmouth for your poetry festival and I wanted to say how much I enjoyed the two events I attended: the Jackie Kay reading and the Martyn Crucifix workshop. I also enjoyed talking to some of your group at the poetry workshop and hearing about your other poetry events. Thanks again for organizing the excellent poetry festival. I will certainly come to the festival again next year.
(MC) I can't thank you enough for your work over the weekend - it was really enjoyable for me as a visitor and performer - friendly and really well-organised - which is a tough balance to achieve.
Lovely to meet with you and all the organisers - I'm sure we'll catch up again soon. The poetry scene around Teignmouth seems very lively and of real high quality. it's inspiring.
Just a short email to say how much I enjoyed the Festival, all the events I got to were excellent and the readings were also excellent. It must take a great deal of work to put on and I hope you enjoyed it. You can be satisfied with the result.
(RT) I would love to come back next year.
(SB) Just want to thank you both so much for that fabulous day on Sunday. I have put something on my blog with ( I hope) a link to Poetry Teignmouth. I hope you like it.
I am so thrilled that I met Ian at Fire River and so discovered your amazing festival. I will bid to be included in some way in next year’s event, if you can fit me in.
You must all be exhausted now – I do hope you thought it was worth the stupendous efforts you all put in.
PO Just to say how much we have enjoyed our time at the Teignmouth Poetry Festival. Though we only managed to be there for the two afternoons, we realise what an amount of hard work you have put into making such an interesting programme. It has been enjoyable and instructive: just what poetry should be. And all your hard work made it run smoothly.
I want to thank you and all the other organisers for a wonderful festival. I went to 3 events and each of those was very well organised and I felt welcomed. There was real buzz of appreciation and enthusiasm which I am certain could only have been more amplified at other events
I think you create a welcoming and also respectful atmosphere (respectful of poets, listeners and poetry itself!)
I wanted to give feedback about the poetry in other languages because I love it so much!! And I was anxious you may try to change it as, as Ian said, it has been going 3 years. I feel the rather solemn, academic nature of this event is what gives it its special character and although it may be amusing to hear a well-known English poem translated into another language I would hate for this event to be “dumbed down”. In fact I missed the Eastern European (Bulgarian? Serbian?) poetry this year
This is a special, unique and inspiring event. Thank you so much, and thank you for all the work you have done to make this festival happen.
Poetry Teignmouth put on a brilliant festival last weekend: excellent poetry and a very friendly atmosphere. I went to some great events, by Greta Stoddart, Jackie Kay, Ann Gray, Lawrence Sail, Graham Burchell, Jennie Osborne, the open mic readers, Martyn Crucefix and the shortlisted poets for the festival competition. Particular highlights for me were superb workshops and readings from Greta and Jackie – the latter made even more special because it was done by torchlight and tealights to mark Earth Hour. Altogether a wonderful weekend: thank you to the organisers, to all the poets I met who helped make it so, and all the 'Lost & Found' artists and writers.
What a great start to 4 days of fun and poetry. 'Well Met' last night was wonderful, funny, poignant, musically exceptional. Truly inspirational. Thank you Susan, Simon and Si for a fantastic first festival event.
Wow, what a brilliant festival.
I came down from Gloucestershire to Teignmouth for your poetry festival and I wanted to say how much I enjoyed the two events I attended: the Jackie Kay reading and the Martyn Crucifix workshop. I also enjoyed talking to some of your group at the poetry workshop and hearing about your other poetry events. Thanks again for organizing the excellent poetry festival. I will certainly come to the festival again next year.
(MC) I can't thank you enough for your work over the weekend - it was really enjoyable for me as a visitor and performer - friendly and really well-organised - which is a tough balance to achieve.
Lovely to meet with you and all the organisers - I'm sure we'll catch up again soon. The poetry scene around Teignmouth seems very lively and of real high quality. it's inspiring.
Just a short email to say how much I enjoyed the Festival, all the events I got to were excellent and the readings were also excellent. It must take a great deal of work to put on and I hope you enjoyed it. You can be satisfied with the result.
(RT) I would love to come back next year.
(SB) Just want to thank you both so much for that fabulous day on Sunday. I have put something on my blog with ( I hope) a link to Poetry Teignmouth. I hope you like it.
I am so thrilled that I met Ian at Fire River and so discovered your amazing festival. I will bid to be included in some way in next year’s event, if you can fit me in.
You must all be exhausted now – I do hope you thought it was worth the stupendous efforts you all put in.
PO Just to say how much we have enjoyed our time at the Teignmouth Poetry Festival. Though we only managed to be there for the two afternoons, we realise what an amount of hard work you have put into making such an interesting programme. It has been enjoyable and instructive: just what poetry should be. And all your hard work made it run smoothly.
I want to thank you and all the other organisers for a wonderful festival. I went to 3 events and each of those was very well organised and I felt welcomed. There was real buzz of appreciation and enthusiasm which I am certain could only have been more amplified at other events
I think you create a welcoming and also respectful atmosphere (respectful of poets, listeners and poetry itself!)
I wanted to give feedback about the poetry in other languages because I love it so much!! And I was anxious you may try to change it as, as Ian said, it has been going 3 years. I feel the rather solemn, academic nature of this event is what gives it its special character and although it may be amusing to hear a well-known English poem translated into another language I would hate for this event to be “dumbed down”. In fact I missed the Eastern European (Bulgarian? Serbian?) poetry this year
This is a special, unique and inspiring event. Thank you so much, and thank you for all the work you have done to make this festival happen.
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Festival Photographs
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The Festival raffle prize - 14 books worth well over £100, donated by guest poets - was won by Poetry Teignmouth regular and dedicated festival volunteer Barbara Allen of Babbacombe.
Opening night trio, Simon, Susan, Simon
Lawrence Sail and Ann Gray
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Patricia Oxley & Veronica discuss publishing poetry
Jackie Kay's workshop was fun
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Greta Stoddart reads from her new collection
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Greta and Ian Royce Chamberlain
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Greta's workshop - with Susan Jordan
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Ian & Virginia begin the prizegiving
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Martyn Crucefix with winner Frances Malaney
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Liz and Virginia at Martyn's Workshop
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Mark Cooper, 2nd in Keats Footsteps
Performers Ian Beech, Rebecca Tantony,
Robert Garnham, Ian 
Veronica MC'd the final event.
Anita Reynolds' Collection Box of found objects
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Famous poet becomes trapped in postbox
Jackie Kay shone as the lights dimmed
Jennie Osborne
Roger Dennis - artwork and poetry in TAAG
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