East Coker Poetry Group

About The Group

East Coker is a picturesque South Somerset village of around 1800 inhabitants, a few miles south west of Yeovil. It is famous for being the birthplace of the navigator, pirate and botanist, William Dampier, who explored the west coast of Australia, and as the burial place of the great 20th century poet, Thomas Stearns Eliot. The village was immortalised in TS Eliot’s Four Quartets, published in 1943.

In my beginning is my end. Now the light falls
Across the open field, leaving the deep lane
Shuttered with branches, dark in the afternoon
Where you lean against a bank while a van passes,
And the deep lane insists on the direction
Into the village, in the electric heat
Hypnotised. In a warm haze the sultry light
Is absorbed, not refracted, by grey stone.
The dahlias sleep in the empty silence.
Wait for the early owl.

Although the poet was born in St Louis, Missouri, in 1888, he moved to England as a young man and remained here until his death in 1965. His ashes are buried in the churchyard of St Michael’s Church, and there is a commemorative plaque in the church. With this heritage, there is an understandable enthusiasm for poetry in the village and we decided to form the East Coker Poetry Group. Meetings are entertaining, informal and sociable. Membership is free and everyone is welcome, including visitors to the village.

Meetings are normally held in the Village Cafe, East Coker, Yeovil. BA22 9HY on the last Tuesday of the month. The Cafe opens for us from about 7pm with the meeting starting at 7.30pm.
The Village Cafe is almost opposite the school in the village.
Parking in the evening is available behind, or on road at the front of the Cafe.


Tuesday 27th February        Open Meeting – plus discussion poems

Bring some poems to read on any subject, either your own or by other poets    Poems might be well known, humorous, topical or whatever you feel will interest the group.
For a change, there will also be a poem to ‘discuss’ and look into in a bit more depth.
These evenings are always interesting and often produce poetic surprises.
 
At the Village Café,   7.30pm

*****

Tuesday 26th March        Charles Causley Evening

Chris Salberg will take us on a poetic journey through the work of this West Country poet.
His poetry reflects his character and life as a schoolmaster in Launceston in Cornwall.
 
At the Village Café,   7.30pm

*****
Tuesday April 30th Dawn Gorman and Rosie jackson

Dawn Gorman is poetry editor of Caduceus magazine, presents West Wilts Radio’s The Poetry Place, and works with poetry as a mentor, workshop leader and in therapeutic contexts.
Dawn is widely published in journals and anthologies, including the prize-winning Aloneness is a Many-Headed Bird (2020), a ‘conversation in poetry’ with Rosie Jackson and the recent Poems in the Key of Hope, a ‘deconstructed’ anthology featuring poems printed on postcards, illustrated by Japanese artist Numata Kashu (Hedgehog, 2024). www.dawngorman.co.uk  
 
Rosie Jackson is a poet and creative writing tutor living in Teignmouth, Devon.
Her latest collection is Love Leans over the Table (Two Rivers Press, 2023).
Widely published, Rosie has won many awards, including Commended in the National Poetry Competition 2023 (out of 17,800 entries.   Other works include  Aloneness is a Many-headed Bird (with Dawn Gorman, 2020)Two Girls and a Beehive: Poems about Stanley Spencer and Hilda Carline (with Graham Burchell, 2020).
www.rosiejackson.org.uk

At The Village Cafe 7.30pm

Latest news will appear here

Group Meetings

Our meetings regularly attract 20 – 30 poetry lovers. For many years the group met in the Helyar Arms in the village, but we will now be based at the Village Cafe :- The group meets in The Village Cafe, The Old Coach Yard, East Coker, Somerset, BA22 9HY

For information about our meetings please contact the group via our website contact form

26 Mar

Charles Causley Evening

26/03/2024    
7:30 pm

Chris Salberg will take us on a poetic journey through the work of this West Country poet.

His poetry reflects his character and life as a schoolmaster in Launceston in Cornwall.

 

At the Village Café,   7.30pm

30 Apr

Dawn Gorman and Rosie Jackson

30/04/2024    
7:30 pm

Dawn Gorman is poetry editor of Caduceus magazine, presents West Wilts Radio’s The Poetry Place, and works with poetry as a mentor, workshop leader and in therapeutic contexts.
Dawn is widely published in journals and anthologies, including the prize-winning Aloneness is a Many-Headed Bird (2020), a ‘conversation in poetry’ with Rosie Jackson and the recent Poems in the Key of Hope, a ‘deconstructed’ anthology featuring poems printed on postcards, illustrated by Japanese artist Numata Kashu (Hedgehog, 2024). www.dawngorman.co.uk

Rosie Jackson is a poet and creative writing tutor living in Teignmouth, Devon.
Her latest collection is Love Leans over the Table (Two Rivers Press, 2023).
Widely published, Rosie has won many awards, including Commended in the National Poetry Competition 2023 (out of 17,800 entries.   Other works include  Aloneness is a Many-headed Bird (with Dawn Gorman, 2020)Two Girls and a Beehive: Poems about Stanley Spencer and Hilda Carline (with Graham Burchell, 2020).
www.rosiejackson.org.uk

In The Village Cafe 7.30pm

Covid Advice

Please follow any government and NHS guidance.

If you have any cold-like or flu symptoms please avoid coming to the meetings even if you have a negative flow test. Do wear a face mask at meetings if you wish to.

Please check this website before attending any event, just in case we have to cancel an event at short notice due to changes in the COVID situation or rules.