Year of the Red Wheelbarrow: but how was 2012 for you?

by Julian Jordon

Saturday 5th January 2013 5:50 pm (first posted 28th December 2012)

We have had another fantastic year helping to spread the live poetry word and supporting poetry across the UK and further afield. Apart from various one-off events and workshops, Write Out Loud ran its quota of monthly poetry nights in all the usual places: Wigan, Middleton/Rochdale, Sale, Stockport, Bolton, and Marsden, where this year’s poetry jam was another stunner in all sorts of ways. One of my personal satisfactions was that we had a reader in her 80s and another aged six. Now that’s diversity.

The website goes on creating records, with our highest number of unique individual visitors in October reaching over 17,000, That was largely thanks to Laura’s hard work creating our new Facebook Community page. There were 335,508 visits in total by 28 December.

We have 5,179 registered members who made over 4,000 online chats, using our internal service.

We have reported 368 poetry news items, announced 58 competitions, carried 18 reviews. Our famous poetry gig guide listed a staggering 5,822 events, our community pages carried 49 discussions which received 545 comments, with the most popular being the Steven Waling-initiated discussion of William Carlos Williams’ The Red Wheelbarrow, which has gathered 126 comments since 18 October, plus a song from John Coopey, and is still running.

The online community uploaded 3,500+ blog entries – mostly uploaded poems, with the most popular topic being love (113), closely followed by “poetry” (105). A total of 15,102 comments were added to the site, including tons for Frances Spurrier’s Fiona Sampson interview, including one from Kate Fox of Radio 4 fame, and several from publisher Adele Ward.

We lost two friends during 2012, John Clays and Janet Ramsden, both from Wigan, and we remember them fondly.

But that’s enough about us. How was it for you in 2012? Please write and let us know your poetry highlights/lowlights/quirkylights of 2012? What were your favourite poems blogged? Which were your favourite events visited, poems read, workshops attended? Do share by commenting here.

From all of our web team and local co-ordinators – that’s Greg, David, Isobel, Laura, Ann, Steve, Frances, John, John, Rod, Katie, Jeff, and Julian - we wish you all the very best for 2013. Keep writing, and reading!

◄ Poetry trails and poets jailed: stories that caught the eye last year

Death of north-west poet Janet Ramsden ►

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Comments

Julian (Admin)

Thu 10th Jan 2013 11:56

M.C., hold that fort! (that only works using received pronunciation as in most parts of the North West it has almost two syllables).
Anthony, you are right about the greater reaches of poetry. In fact, our gig guide is the only entity demonstrating the truth of what you say and contributing to the network's growth. I was only mentioning the Write Out Loud "branded" nights. Oh, and it is the north, not the North West, as Marsden is in Yorkshire; about two miles in, in fact.
I think 'stonking' is a stonking word, Laura, and well done for your stonking year. Superb. Now 2013...

Laura Taylor

Fri 4th Jan 2013 12:55

I have had a stonking year as it goes - one of the best of my life, and much of it to do with poetry - so once again, my heartfelt and eternal thanks to Julian and Dave for putting it in motion all those years ago. I reckon you've saved lives with this.

Performing at the Wigan Diggers festival was immense - a beautiful day, wonderful acts, all my poetry mates, and my first encounter with a non-poet crowd. Whoo! If I didn't already have the performance bug, I sure did after that ;D It's led to a fantastic opportunity too - more later, as they say!

Coming 3rd in the Wigan and Leigh Words Festie poetry comp was amazing - the 'do' at Haigh Hall was proper special, and I made a brilliant new mate in the amazing poet who won first prize. Got runner up in an international comp, and got published loads (and received about the same amount of rejections heh).

Played actual gigs this year, including Nantwich Words and Music Festival (which I'm getting to play a headline spot at next year!), and supporting the immense John the Baptist and the Second Coming - that's been ACE :)

The current government has been THE lowlight of the year. There are no lengths to which they will not go in order to serve their own needs, and fuck the rest of us. One good thing though...they did manage to radicalise huge chunks of the population, albeit unintentionally, and provided me with endless material to write and rant about ;)

Steve's poem is an amazing piece of work - one of a number of political pieces written in response to the omnishambles which is the UK at the moment, and all power to everyone who speaks out. Never let them silence us - No Pasarán!!

I took on the challenge of setting up a recognisable Facebook presence for us (WOL) and it's been way more successful than I thought it might be, which is nice :D

Onwards and upwards, as they say. I have a bodhran to teach myself this year, plus a cajon - one or both may appear on a stage with me at some point this year :D (if I manage to grow the balls big enough to do it!!)...ooo Laura, THAT'S not very ladylike ;D

Happy New Year y'all!!

Isobel

Fri 4th Jan 2013 00:37

Well I for one would LOVE the idea of a WOL week-end in Devon. Does it rain slightly less there? Perhaps we'd actually get to chat as well as listen to poetry. It's a hell of a drive but I'm sure some car sharing could go on - will have to chew Julian's ears off!

When it comes to poetry nights, I'm sure anyone anywhere can open a poetry night and advertise it on WOL - and also brand it as a WOL venue, if they want to join the team - though you'd have to speak to Julian about the finer details of that. The roots of the site are in the North-West - but roots hopefully spread :)

Anthony Emmerson

Thu 3rd Jan 2013 16:05

In poetry terms I feel that 2012 has been an "interesting" year - and I don't mean that in any kind of a derogatory sense. WOL has continued to be what it has always been, and properly should be - a meeting place for the diverse worlds of poets and their works. This rich amalgam of styles, abilities and interests is what makes WOL a special place to visit; to marvel and smile at what moves people to write and to share their thoughts, to discuss, argue and thrash out concepts and nuances with those from the full spectrum of the poetry rainbow, to learn, be inspired and have one's eyes prised open by the matchsticks of experience, wisdom and intellect, to enjoy wandering through the blogs as a beachcomber; seeking out those unexpected bottled messages sent from distant shores in unique and considered languages for the finder to marvel at and interpret.
There is nowhere else like WOL. Thanks Julian, for your continuing work and dedication, and thanks to all those who make up the team that keeps WOL fresh, vibrant and informative, challenging and the ever-expanding forum it deserves to be.

Just one (very small) niggle:

"Write Out Loud ran its quota of monthly poetry nights in all the usual places: Wigan, Middleton/Rochdale, Sale, Stockport, Bolton, and Marsden . . . "

. . . believe it or not, it is rumoured that there is (intelligent?) life beyond those dark, Satanic hinterlands of the north-west. If anyone ever fancied a WOL weekend in Devon I would be happy to suggest a perfect, and very affordable venue . . .

Just off to paint my wheelbarrow . . .

Best wishes to all for a very happy and creatively enriching 2013.

Regards,
A.E.

M.C. Newberry

Thu 3rd Jan 2013 15:14

Julian - whilst some may see their task as exploring new frontiers, others are needed to hold the fort!:-)

Julian (Admin)

Wed 2nd Jan 2013 16:52

Cheers M. C. You are not as relatively square as I thought :-)

M.C. Newberry

Tue 1st Jan 2013 17:23

WOL has something for everyone who loves the written/spoken (and sung!) word. Those who strive to keep it going "behind the scenes" are worthy of the highest praise.
Well done and thank you for this invaluable "window on the word" (pun intended).

Julian (Admin)

Tue 1st Jan 2013 15:06

Steve (P), many thanks for those lovely words which are much appreciated, and for the brilliant poem and video. As Steve (Waling) says, 'tis a corker; and if Steve says that, it is.
ditto all of you, including FRancine - bonne voeux a toi aussi.
Salut.
Julian

Francine

Mon 31st Dec 2012 21:22

I don't think I could say it any better, Steve!

I enjoy the diversity that is present. I am happy to see some familiar faces reappear from the shadows long enough to make their presence known.

Although I don't always comment - I do appreciate many of the interesting articles that are written - thank you Greg and Julian!

For me, contributing to the Poet Tree Project had to be a highlight.

I love when people join together and accomplish amazing things that can brighten someone's day or make an everlasting impression.

Bonne année et meilleurs vœux à tous !

steve pottinger

Mon 31st Dec 2012 12:31

I'd like to wish everyone who's involved in running and maintaining WOL the very best for the coming year. The hard work and enthusiasm you've put in to creating such a precious resource for those of us who love the spoken word is something to wonder at. Whenever I browse the site, I find something to enjoy, and the gig guide is a masterpiece. You're the unsung heroes of this enterprise, and without all your hard graft the world of UK poetry would be a very great deal poorer.

Put your feet up, enjoy a glass of something reviving, and find room for another mince pie. Happy 2013!

Steven Waling

Mon 31st Dec 2012 12:17

Have just read Steve Pottinger's poem - and it is a corker. Even though it's long and discursive, it doesn't feel (like a lot of performance poems do) like it's too long or trying to be too explanatory. Beautifully restrained and yet angry.

Julian (Admin)

Sat 29th Dec 2012 10:39

Steve, that is so funny, both high and low in Marsden. Isobel, you are so right about Steve Pottinger's Starbucks poem. I have just shared it on Facebook, I think. We should tell the world about it. it's even better with the video.

steve mellor

Sat 29th Dec 2012 08:55

Highlight/Lowlight (all in one) was definitely the Saturday afternoon as part of the Xmas Lights switching on at Marsden Mechanics
:-))))))))))))))
I am still slightly traumatised (something to talk about though). 100 - 150 seats, but nobody sitting on them for most of the performance by the wonderful (present company excepted) group of readers who form the Marsden poetry group. I think we got up to an audience of 4 or 5 by the end.

Best Gig? Marsden Jazz Festival 'Jam', pretty much the same as it has been for the last 3 years

Isobel

Fri 28th Dec 2012 22:37

This is my favourite poem of the year. There were possibly others but I don't remember them all. This one is recent.

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=32733

Favourite events - easy innit - every Wigan WOL Tudor I've been to plus the Marsden jazz festival. Also the Diggers festival in Wigan, where Laura performed alongside Attila the Stockbroker. That was a great day out.

Isobel

Fri 28th Dec 2012 22:31

On the whole I'm quite glad to see the back of 2012 though I'm glad WOL has prospered. If I get one more jolly round robin, I'm likely to explode. Whoever invented the concept of that annual brag needs shooting.

Happy New Year everyone. x

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