Midlands-based arts organisation Scriptstuff Entertainment has published an anthology of poetry written in response to the lockdown and the spread of Covid-19. Formatted to resemble a classic open mic night, the book includes contributions from 45 Midlands poets, who have written about the impact of the pandemic on their lives, families, health and future.

Project director and Scriptstuff Poetry founder Mike Took said: “Our live Scriptstuff Poetry events are always about community and connections, so I wanted to do something that brought people together in a more tangible and lasting way than can be achieved with Zoom.”

Scriptstuff Poetry has been running several regular and one-off poetry events across the Midlands for a number of years. Proceeds from the sale of the 98-page anthology will support the rising costs of Scriptstuff’s activities, including poetry outreach initiatives into new communities and keeping the Leamington poetry festival free for everyone to attend. You can order a copy of the anthology here