07/04/2026
Wonderful to see so many of you for The Platform Unplugged last Thursday!
To hold space for those with EMF sensitivity, we enjoyed a Wi-Fi and signal-free evening. Special thanks to Daryl at Camden Bar Westbourne for facilitating a Wi-Fi-free night. And a big thank you to all our audience members who cooperated with our 'phones in airplane mode' rule. This allowed Abby to stay for the entire event for which she is very grateful!
It was a truly special evening, full of genuine human connection, and of course, poetry! Couldn't make it? Here's what you missed:
Our wonderful host, Abby G Poetree, kicked off the night with her poem 'Do not go gentle into that good night', which talks about her recent experiences with EMF sensitivity.
Tom Shaw, our first performer of the night, also talked about his own experience of EMF sensitivity and shared poems from his pamphlet 'Analogue.'
Up next, Tim Heywood Hopefm shared some experimental poems with us called 'Facing the Screen' and 'Unplugged.'
Paulus Buzz Martin read his poem 'Man', which touched on themes of mental health and a man's impact on the world.
Claire Wyburn enraptured us with a riveting reading of her narrative poem, 'The Dog That Beat Me'. Safe to say, this chilling insight into the dangers of alcoholism left us all with goosebumps!
Tony Butcher closed out the first half with his patented absurdist, abstract style. In his words, "I'm not sure if these poems are on theme. They might be, but I never really know what my poems mean."
We were joined by the fabulous Kim West, who is organising events for the Poetry Marquee at this year's Bournemouth Writing Festival. She told us more about the upcoming events and what to expect on 25th and 26th April. More information: https://www.bournemouthwritingfestival.co.uk/poetry
S. Penny Smith announced the launch of Dorset Lit Events, a brand-new free newsletter for the writing community, with details of upcoming events and opportunities. Subscribe here: https://mailchi.mp/f538735ae7f7/sign-up-for-dorset-lit-events-newsletter
C.W. Blackburn opened and hosted the second half of the night, which included two fabulous newcomers, Laura Sargent-Edney and Erin!
Laura wowed us with her words about Poole and the freedoms that dance can bring.
Erin dazzled us with musings on the construction of binary s*x, ending with the thought, "if we are 60% water, of course I believe gender is fluid."
S. Penny Smith performed her new poems about unplugging, 'Village' and 'Why the Library of Alexandria Burnt Down.'
Bournemouth Poet Laureate, Myriam San Marco, invited us to participate in the Spoken Word Olympics on 26th April (also at the Poetry Marquee!) Team captains to represent Bournemouth are needed. Get in touch with her if interested: [email protected]
Myriam also performed her classic poem 'The Hardest Question,' which is, of course, how are you?
Paul Nield, 2025 winner of the Bournemouth Writing Prize, recited his award-winning poem, 'First Love'.
Platform-regular Ciara Madeline shared her poem, 'Primary Shades,' which explores her nostalgia for school assembly songs and new perspectives since reaching adulthood. Her second poem was inspired by Welsh mythology and Angela Carter's short stories.
C.W. Blackburn closed the night with his hilarious parody piece, 'Dear Chat GPT, write me a poem about being an authentic person.' The final poem of the night, 'Leopard Man' was inspired by the true story of a man who lives on a remote Scottish island and is tattooed with leopard spots.
Never a dull moment at The Platform! Join us next month on Thursday 7th May, from 7.30pm at Camden Bar Westbourne. See you then!
