William’s book is selling well, and he is delighted with the idea that it is being found in the self-help section of bookshops. Truly a marvellous collection ... There is balm for the soul, fire for the belly, a cooling compress for the fevered brow, solace for the wounded, an arm around the lonely shoulder - the whole collection is a matchless compound of hug, tonic and kiss' Stephen Fry What intrigues me about Philip James Bailey’s wonderful poem We Live in Deeds is its call to action. There’s something intensely motivating about the idea that we might fit a whole life’s worth of living into an hour, if only we had the courage. So often we are paralysed by our fears, concerns, worries and ‘what-ifs’, and we forget to dread the ‘what-if-I-don’ts’ instead. He is founder and Chair of Forward Thinking, a charity that seeks to mediate conflict in the Middle East and to improve relations between the Islamic and Western worlds. He is Vice-President of the Hay Festival of Literature, Chair of CIVIC Libraries Initiative, founder and Chair of Street Smart, Action for the Homeless, Founding Trustee of the Forward Arts Foundation and Trustee of the Grenfell Foundation. He is a former Council Member of the Arts Council England and Chair of its Lottery Panel. He has been a Trustee of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The Arts Foundation, the RSA, the British Human Rights and Reprieve, among other voluntary posts.

For writing inspiration, Jo Bell’s book Write A Poem A Week. Start Now. Keep Going. For more general creativity, Philippa Stanton’s Conscious Creativityis a pretty coffee-table book, but it’s not too airy-fairy! When you’re teaching writing, how do you help people get over their self-consciousness?The Poetry Habit introduces you to the transformative effects of a daily poetry prescription. We explore innovative ways to read, write, learn and share poetry, placing particular emphasis on cultivating everyday habits that inspire joy, deepen meaning and build creativity. The shop opened on 3 October 2019, which – not uncoincidentally – is also National Poetry Day in the UK.“We’ve only been open for a few months. It’s like to having a new baby. You love it, but it completely dominates everything. So I love it, but I also think I’ve created a monster!” Bishop’s Castle is not known as a literary hub. How has the community responded?

For example, Elizabeth Bishop's One Art is placed in Self-Image and Self-Acceptance. In this heart it mainly lives in Love and Loss, though it spends time in Mental and Emotional Well-Being as well as three others. Of the seventy-four conditions, the one for which he prescribes it is Letting Go. It makes sense but so do dozens of others. But it had to be done somehow, there are no prescriptions without conditions. So I learned to stop trying to rewrite what isn't mine: to Let Go. Because poetry. William, founder of both the Forward Prizes for Poetry and National Poetry Day, began prescribing poetry by accident. The Poetry Pharmacy at the moment is mad, but normally I’m also pretty good at having a cup of tea in the garden, or going for a walk. What’s the last book you really loved? The first 45 minutes had me smiling ear-to-ear as I walked. That could have been due to the fact that William Sieghart tugged at my heartstrings by including “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Oscar Hammerstein II (the anthem of Liverpool Football Club) or it could have been due to the fact that they really did make ‘light’ of ‘heavy’ situations. His method was: stating the condition, and then prescribing the poem, by first explaining it in his own words and then reading it out loud.

The Emergency Poet

Deborah has been prescribing poems for many years. Before the Poetry Pharmacy opened, she travelled the country in a vintage ambulance and gave poetry consultations at schools and festivals. Now she has a dedicated consultation room at the shop, complete with velvet chaise longue. I think probably more than any other art it speaks directly as though from one person to another,” says Alma, who published her own first collection, Dirty Laundry, last year. “It’s intimate and it’s empathetic. It can be a prayer or a curse, or something just to hang on to.” Prized Poems: Twenty-five Years of the Forward Prizes | Forward Arts Foundation". www.forwardartsfoundation.org. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. I suppose it also changed my life because I realised how powerful it can be, if you get the right poem to the right person when they need it. It’s a message that you can hang on to. So it led to the work I do now. Did you ever feel like giving up? Sometimes only a poem will do. These poetic prescriptions and wise words of advice offer comfort, delight and inspiration for all; a space for reflection, and that precious realization - I'm not the only one who feels like this.

The only reason I have rated it 4.5 instead of 5 is because a lot of the conditions seemed repetitive. Also, as much as these were considered the main conditions, I find that a number of ‘critical psychological conditions’ have been left out. Credit to him though; he asked for suggestions at the very end of the book and he tried to be inclusive as well. To be fair, I don’t think it was possible to capture it all!I realised that we were on to something. Suffering is the access point to poetry for a lot of people: that’s when they open their ears, hearts and minds. Being there with the right words for someone in that moment – when something’s happened, when they’re in need – is a great comfort, and sometimes creates a love of poetry that can last a lifetime. Autumn is a particularly beautiful time to visit Shropshire. The leaves on the trees turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, and the countryside is awash in colour. It`s the perfect time to go for a walk, bike ride, or picnic, and to soak up the fresh autumn air. He is the founder and Chairman of Forward Thinking a charity promoting a more inclusive peace process in the Middle East. William is also a trustee of Britdocs, the Forward Arts Foundation and Chairman of Streetsmart. For many years he was a member of the Arts Council and Chairman of its Lottery Committee. There are also a wide range of traditional hotels, guesthouses, and self-catering accommodation available in Shropshire. So no matter what your budget or preferences are, you`re sure to find the perfect place to stay.