Literature Group – Poetry from the Wirral

At our next meeting we will be entertained by two Wirral poets (one of whom is probably known to many of you as a fellow Proprietor) who have kindly agreed to read some of their work to us.

David J. Costello is a winner of the Welsh International Poetry Competition and is widely published. His pamphlets are Human Engineering (Thynks Publishing 2013) and No Need for Candles (Red Squirrel Press 2016). Heft, his first full collection (Red Squirrel Press 2020) won third prize in the 2020 Poetry Book Awards for best collection

The Proprietor known to you as Ian Gould-Jones writes and reads under the name of Ieuan Cligwari, which simply means ’Ian Wirral’ in Welsh. It is a leaning to the ancient bardic tradition of Wales and a double nod to deep Wirral and Welsh roots.

His poetry often mixes landscape with emotion, metaphysics and the possibility of the numinous. Welsh culture, history and landscape run through a lot of his poetry. He has recently been exploring mixing media such as photography and musical soundscapes with the spoken word. Ieuan has had his poetry published in book (collections), pamphlet and on the internet. He is working on four collections – Rheged, Songs of Heart, Andalusia and Dwynwen’s Rest – and is mentored by Cheltenham based poet Anna Saunders.

In December, we will be looking at the life and work of another local poet, Rodney Street born Arthur Hugh Clough, who had close connections to the Athenaeum.

The group will meet on November 1st in The Athenaeum Library Reading Room from 2pm – 3pm. Put your name down on our website or through the Concierge.