It is not often that a poet gets a standing ovation at a poetry festival or indeed if another arrives clutching a collection bucket for the RNLI. But these are strange times and this was Morecambe Poetry Festival. The standing ovation was for Kate Fox, pictured below, who, ably supported by musicians Staithe (Bridie Jackson and Nick Pierce) gave a magical performance of her poem On Sycamore Gap from her book of the same name.

Her poem was written as a response to the shocking act of vandalism in 2023, the felling of the world-famous tree that stood in a gap on Hadrian's Wall. The vastness of Morecambe Winter Gardens provided a suitable backdrop for Kate’s collection of beautifully crafted verse which, supported by the haunting and intimate music of Staithe, helped fill the void with hope. It was spellbinding.

The bucket-clutching poet was veteran punk poet Attila the Stockbroker, a regular and big fan of Morecambe Poetry Festival, appearing at nearly all of the previous events. Attila was understandably in an angry mood. Living a stone’s throw from Shoreham Harbour Lifeboat station, he had already visited Shoreham RNLI and written a verse to the tune of YMCA which he planned to sing outside Morecambe Lifeboat Station the following day, as a protest against those far-right demonstrators who have accused lifeboat crews of being ‘traitors’ for rescuing migrants in peril on the sea. 

“They are husbands and wives and they are out saving lives and they do the whole thing for free.”

Attila dipped in and out of his latest collection, Fiery Words for Hellish Times. As he states in his foreword to the book, “I wish I didn't have anything to write about and all my old poems had gone out of date as well, but given the state of the world here goes …”

As well as the bucket, Attila also brought his punk band and lifelong friends the Newtown Neurotics. They performed a great set late on Sunday evening at the Kings Arms. Punk bands may not have been singing about the Strait of Hormuz in the late 70s but they are now.

Earlier on the Sunday afternoon a packed Kings Arms audience had enjoyed an hour with Jackie Kay, Scotland’s makar (poet laureate) from 2016-21. Meanwhile a short walk away a new pedal-powered Poetry for the People stage was taking place in the Arndale shopping centre courtesy of wRide Out Loud.The event generated a lot of local interest.

Cath from Sunshine Cafe (usually closed on a Sunday) not only opened up for the event providing welcoming chairs and tables but also took to the stage herself. She could have run the show and is already planning for next year. This year's event was hosted by Battlerapper Joy France and the Bard of Carnforth, Bryan Griffin. Joy did a fantastic job juggling an overfull list of patient open-micers and pre-booked sets and poets with trains to catch. 

The festival opened on Friday evening with a full house to see the legendary Dr John Cooper Clarke and closed two days later after over 30 performances and 50 hours of live poetry on Sunday evening with Brian Bilston.

Actually, this wasn't quite the end. As is the tradition after the Winter Gardens had closed its doors on another great weekend of poetry, a sizeable crowd regrouped upstairs at the Kings Arms to enjoy a performance from Newtown Neurotics followed by a powerful closing set by Monkey Poet, aka festival founder and director Matt Panesh, who amazingly still had some energy left - plus a final round of Last Poet Standing. At 12.40 am on a Monday morning, I counted 12 poets in the queue waiting to perform. Roll on next year!

Spoken word performer Pip McDonald at Morecambe poetry festival 

 

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS: JULIA CLARK