The Travelling Poet
The concept of The Travelling Poet began a few years ago when The Lichfield Poets were invited, one year pre-COVID, to the Repton Literary Festival. We were asked to wander around the venues and offer to read poems to those attending, as well as perform in the main poetry event. I enjoyed this, and I found that most people I approached were happy to hear a poem.
As well as enjoying reading to people – and seeing the look of surprise when they realise it is a decent poem that I have actually written – there is a more serious side to this. Humans are naturally social, but in recent times, according to something I heard on the radio, our ‘social capital’ is diminishing. People communicate less face to face and with fewer people.
Being The Travelling Poet benefits me by allowing me to meet different people, but I think others enjoy it too. Someone taking the trouble to offer a moment of attention or entertainment can make a difference. One woman thanked me and said she reads to her grandchildren, but it had been many years since anyone had read to her.
Often, a reading leads to a conversation about the poem, poetry in general, or about me. Sometimes people will Google their favourite poem and read it back to me. When I approach someone, I ask what they would like the poem to be about. If they are unsure, I offer a few topic choices and we agree on one together. The poem is their choice; they are not simply being given a poem.
If you’d like to book me to come to your event, please get in touch.
About Me – Ian Ward
I describe myself as a child of late 20th-century TV, film, book and music culture. For many years I said that I don’t do Nature or Nostalgia, and although I still say this, I don’t say it as loudly as I once did.
I have written poetry since my mid-twenties, although it took that long to recover from the experience of my English Literature A-Level. I began writing seriously after joining The Lichfield Poets, the best part of twenty years ago. Since then, I have performed at festivals and events as a member of the group, as well as at numerous open mics on my own.
I have contributed to various Lichfield Poet anthologies in support of charities, to other poetry anthologies, and I have two books published with a third almost ready to submit.
What I Write
Although I now have a few Nature and Nostalgia poems, my main interest lies in stories and exploring ideas. My love of 1970s prog rock influences my approach, especially in my use of themes. Open mic sets are often thematic, and my books follow clear structures.
In addition to my existing portfolio, I have two more books in preparation: one about the life of a fictional rock/pop star, and another containing poems without a theme. Some poems fit neatly into themes, while others do not, but those pieces still deserve publication, and many are popular performance poems.
How I Write
Poems come to me in different ways. Sometimes I am inspired by an idea, incident or phrase from something I hear, see or read. The poem may develop in my mind and come out 70–90% complete before I edit it.
Other times I write to order for a specific topic for an anthology or event. These can be frustrating, because although I know the topic, I still need to wait for the right ‘angle’ before I can write the poem. Some poems are constructed from given material, most commonly my music poems.
