We are a mutually supportive group of enthusiastic poets who are committed to improving our writing skills and taking poetry into the local community. We have been meeting to encourage each other and share our work since 1999. In 2011 we became a stanza group of the Poetry Society, in order to reach more poets, benefit from a wider network of contacts and activities, and attract new members. Please see the guidelines for further information about the group.
Our annual programme includes twelve monthly meetings on the last Monday evening of the month at 7.30 p.m. currently held online in lieu of the Christian Centre by St Martin's Church, Dorking RH4 1DW. The evening is divided into two parts:
- The first hour includes a discussion about various aspects of poetry, or individual published poets, and is presented by one of the group members. Examples of past themes include: Haibun, Contemporary Women Poets, Leonard Cohen & Bob Dylan: Lyrics & poetry, Maitreyabandhu: Poetry as Spiritual Practice. We also invite guest poets to read from their own collections as well as offering a critique of our poems.
- The second hour of our meeting is a workshop of four poems brought by members using guidelines for feedback.
Events such as the Sofa Poet and Poetry Pub are open to all - do join us.
The annual subscription is £20.
If you would like to join the group, or require further information, please contact the Secretary.
Mole Valley Poets Annual Summer School Workshop: Water
Online Mole Valley Poets annual Summer School Workshop run by Helen Overell will be online again this year on Saturday 14th August from 2pm. In this workshop we will explore poems written in response to the salt swirl of ocean tides, the steady flow of a river and the benison of rainfall and consider the ways in which water shapes our lives. There will be writing exercises, both individual and collaborative, so as to put the beginnings of poems down on the page. Joining the event will be easy, with Zoom invitations issued to your email address. Tickets are £8 for an afternoon of expert poetry and writing tutelage. Tickets are available from Mole Valley Poets Summer School Workshop: Water |
Meeting Notes
- The Role of the Children's Laureate. 7th June 2021
- Anthology Book Launch by Zoom, Readings from Home book launch. 14th June 2021
- Poetry of the Spanish Civil War. 28th June 2021
Launch of the Surrey Hills Arts 'Radius' on Denbies Hillside on 30th June 2021. This project, created by James Tunnard, includes work by Mole Valley Poets.
Poetry Walk, 24th April 2021
Poetry Walk, 22nd April 2021
2020 Vision – poems from an unusual year, 19th October 2020
Poetry Walk, 22nd October 2020
Poetry Walk, 10th September 2020
Readings from Lines from Lockdown, 15th July 2020
Readings from Even in the Shadow book launch, 15th June 2020
Poetry Walk: Sounds of the Shallow Sea, 27th April 2019
Surrey Unearthed Poetry anthology book launch, 25th June 2018
Surrey Unearthed Poetry Walk, 7th April 2018
Delivering the Poem Workshop, 14th October 2017
MVP Poetry reading, 1st July 2017
Mole Valley Poets, January 2016
