Introducing our Young Poet-in-Residence Elizabeth Reid
The Young Poet-in-Residence post is a vital part of Kendal Poetry Festival. It’s an opportunity for us to showcase the work of one of the many talented young poets that co-director Kim Moore works with as part of Dove Cottage Young Poets. We also hope to give our Young Poet-in-Residence the chance to develop vital skills - not just in writing and performance, but also in terms of their confidence and belief in themselves as a creative practitioner.
Past Young Poets-in-Residence have included Hannah Hodgson, Florence Jones, Matt Sowerby and Heather Hughes.
We're very pleased to announce that this year's 2022 Young Poet-in-Residence is Elizabeth Reid. Elizabeth will be performing at the Festival Launch, as well as at our Main Reading with Jane Burn and Victoria Adukwei Bulley. Elizabeth is a student at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith, where she studies Physics, French and Further Maths. When she’s not solving complex quadratic equations, Elizabeth enjoys reading and writing poetry. Last Summer, she performed at the Globe Theatre in London as part of the Poetry By Heart Final. She has been a member of Dove Cottage Young Poets since early 2021.
Word of Mouth Project
Elizabeth has devised an exciting new project which she’ll be developing at this year’s festival – read on to find out more!
Hi, my name’s Elizabeth, and I’m the Young Poet in Residence for Kendal Poetry Festival. My favourite thing about poetry is hearing writers perform their work, letting their own unique voice and perspective shine through, so that the audience can truly appreciate the words. I also love reading my own poems aloud, sharing my thoughts and feelings with the world, because I know that only I can read my poems in the way they were written to be read.
Like many people, I find it difficult to get up on a stage and perform. But last Summer, I had the opportunity to recite poetry at the Globe in London. Even though it made me incredibly nervous, after performing I knew the experience was a memory I’d never forget. Terrifying, but something that makes you smile so hard you almost forget to speak.
This year, Kendal Poetry Festival is organising “Word of Mouth”, both for those attending in person and online. This project offers everyone the opportunity to record their own poetry as audio or video and share it with the Kendal Poetry Festival community. All that you have to do is to record yourself – preferably using your smart phone, tablet or your computer - reading your poem out loud. Then email it to us at team@kendalpoetryfestival.co.uk with the words “ WORD OF MOUTH” in the subject line. If your poem is 2 minutes or less, it should attach to an email – you can find some guidance here.
Or – everyday at the festival, you can find me at the Space2Create gallery from 12 noon-1pm, where I will record your poem with you.
All of the poems will then be uploaded the festival’s website. Even if you’re a bit hesitant to share your poetry, this opportunity is a great first step towards getting your work out there
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