The Gloucestershire Poetry Society Page

05/09/2026

Our Superb September Crafty Crows online poetry event featuring Willis the Poet, plus open mic, can be watched on the Gloucestershire Poetry Society YouTube Channel:

https://youtu.be/c6J3LLQatl4

Hosted by Kate Jenkinson
IT and Support by Jason Conway

First Half

Open mic:
Michael Sindler
Laura Grevel
Chris Hemmingway
Gerald Kells
DK
Jude Marr
Rick Spisak
Cathal Mac Thréinfhir

Willis the Poet headline performance

Half-time break

Second Half

Open mic:
Ashley Edge
Nayma Chamchoun
Jason Conway
Rebecca Rocker
Rob Punton
Sushanth Shyamsundar
Nigel Kent
Charlotte McDermott
Lesley Constable
Clive Oseman


You can listen to the audio recording and read the chat transcript on the GPS website:
https://www.thegloucestershirepoetrysociety.co.uk/online-poetry-events

The Gloucestershire Poetry Society is a voluntary-run group that relies on the support of our members and the wider poetry and creative writing community. Please spare a donation to help support our featured poets and run our events:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CBNR575RFTCBE&source=url

If you enjoy this recording, consider joining the society as a Friendship Member: https://www.thegloucestershirepoetrysociety.co.uk/friendship

See our future events at www.ticketsource.co.uk/gloucestershire-poetry-society

27/08/2026

Can you support the inaugural Dobunni Poetry Festival?

This is a brand-new poetry festival supporting poets in the West/South West of England, to be held in Stroud, Gloucestershire, over three days - 15-17th October 2026. The festival will feature nationally renowned poets and local talent.

In this National Year of Reading, the festival will celebrate the power of the written and spoken word. With over 20 events, it will reinforce the value of poetry and reading, and foster community cohesion.

The festival needs to raise £12,000 to cover the running costs and to pay for poets, panellists and venue hire.

Individuals can support the festival by
1. Buying tickets
2. Donating on the festival website
https://www.dobunnipoetryfestival.co.uk
3. Volunteering if you live in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire businesses and organisations can support the festival by

1. Pledging on our Crowdfunder as an Event or Festival Sponsor
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-dobunni-poetry-festival

2. Becoming a Festival Patron

For more sponsorship information:
https://www.dobunnipoetryfestival.co.uk/sponsorship

3. Advertising in the festival programme (print & digital).

For more info and artwork specifications:
https://www.dobunnipoetryfestival.co.uk/programme-advertising

Or email me at [email protected] to discuss the options in more detail.

The festival is a joint partnership between Dialect Writers CIC and the Gloucestershire Poetry Society, with support from Stroud Arts Festival.

09/08/2026

Calling poetry lovers in West / South West UK.

A brand-new poetry festival, the Dobunni Poetry Festival, is coming to Stroud to showcase nationally renowned poets and local talent over 3 days: 15-17th October.

In this National Year of Reading, we are celebrating the transformative power of the written and spoken word.

As a grassroots festival, we are seeking business sponsorship and donations to help fund the festival, which we aim to make an annual event.

Businesses and individuals can support the festival through pledging to be an Event Sponsor or Festival Sponsor via the Festival Crowdfunder:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-dobunni-poetry-festival

Sponsors will receive:
A sponsor profile on the festival website
A thank you in our printed and digital programme
2 Free tickets to the event sponsored (Event Sponsor) or 2 tickets to our big-name events (Festival Sponsor)
Social media shout-outs

The festival is named after the Dobunni Celtic Tribe

The historical Dobunni territory includes Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Avon, Hereford and Worcester, and Warwickshire. If you and/or your business is based in these regions, we'd love your support. A love of poetry is a bonus, of course.

Join the celebration of poetry, people and place, buy tickets or donate:

www.dobunnipoetryfestival.co.uk

Please contact Jason Conway with any questions about sponsorship or to discuss the festival in more detail.

And, finally, please share this with your contacts and social networks to help us reach more people. Organising and running a festival takes a lot of time and effort, but without sufficient funding, we may not be able to make it happen. So please show your support however you can for this new event that will showcase the beauty and power of poetry, our connection to place and the bond of community.

The festival has a small but dedicated festival team who are writers and facilitators in their own right, coming together to create a lasting cultural impact and put Stroud on the map as a leading destination for poetry in the West/South West.

The festival is a partnership between Dialect Writers Collective and Gloucestershire Poetry Society, with support from Stroud Arts Festival.

06/08/2026

Our amazing August Crafty Crows online poetry event featuring Karen Downs-Barton, plus open mic, can be watched on the Gloucestershire Poetry Society YouTube Channel:

https://youtu.be/3AYXuIFfPnU

Hosted by Emma Clowsley
IT and Support by Jason Conway

First Half

Open mic:
Michael Sindler
Jude Marr
Ron Bremner
Jenna Cipolloni
Carol Sheppard
Gerald Kells
Pratibha Castle
Nigel Kent
Rick Spisak

Karen Down-Barton headline performance

Half-time break

Second Half

Open mic:
Derek Dohren
Ed Poetastic
Rose Lennard
Maddie
Jason Conway
Rob Punton
Josephine Lay
Graeme Brand
Clive Oseman
Gareth
Ellen D


You can listen to the audio recording and read the chat transcript on the GPS website:
https://www.thegloucestershirepoetrysociety.co.uk/online-poetry-events

The Gloucestershire Poetry Society is a voluntary-run group that relies on the support of our members and the wider poetry and creative writing community. Please spare a donation to help support our featured poets and run our events:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=CBNR575RFTCBE&source=url

If you enjoy this recording, consider joining the society as a Friendship Member: https://www.thegloucestershirepoetrysociety.co.uk/friendship

See our future events at www.ticketsource.co.uk/gloucestershire-poetry-society

24/07/2026

The Dobunni Poetry Festival website has been updated with full event listings and ticket sales.

Take a look at what's in store for this brand new poetry festival in Stroud.

https://www.dobunnipoetryfestival.co.uk/events

22/07/2026

The Dobunni Poetry Festival Crowdfunder is now live.

A brand new poetry festival is coming to Stroud this October, featuring poets from the West/Southwest of England, including local writers and headline poets of national standing.

The festival is run in partnership between Dialect and Gloucestershire Poetry Society, with support from Stroud Arts Festival.

The festival team have the task of raising enough funds to run the festival. We want this to become an annual celebration of poetry, people and place.

Donate if you can, or choose one of the three rewards to help us reach our target of £12,000. And share our Crowdfunder to help us reach more people.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-dobunni-poetry-festival

Visit the festival website at www.dobunnipoetryfestival.co.uk

We are raising funds to launch the brand new Dobunni Poetry Festival in Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK.

12/07/2026

There are just THREE DAYS to go take advantage of our early bird ticket offer before they revert to full price. Check the link below for all the details you need on our stellar line up.

A festivalhonouringcreativity,resilience,& connectionto place. Grab your Early Bird Ticket 16-17 Oct 26 Featuring Poets & Publishers of the West / South West Stroud’s first dedicated poetry festival and creating a cultural home for writers, readers, and audiences of all ages.The Dobunni Poetry Fes...

12/07/2026

We have been offered a stage slot at Gloucester’s Festival of Archaeology on the 1 st of August at St Oswolds Priory (the ruins behind the Cathedral). Poetry theme is history, nature and archaeology. Bonus if it can be about Gloucester/shire too! This is a family event so all poetry needs to be family friendly though not necessarily “kids” poetry.

If anyone would like to perform could you message Sarah Snell-Pym Writer and Artist

Thank you for your time.

12/04/2026

Just here to highlight the brilliant job done by Jason Conway over the last three years.👏
Well done. I know how much time and effort it takes to keep things going smoothly. I do hope someone can take it over for a few years and keep this wonderful poetry society running. It takes effort but it is also exceedingly rewarding.
Here's to the future GPS!
Posted by Josephine Lay 📚📖🎤🩷