Word Play for Sobriety –
Oct. 2, 2019 – Literature academics from Keele University are opening an innovative “Poetry Pharmacy” to dispense literary “first aid” as a way of bringing the therapeutic benefits of poetry to the local community and to support mental health. “Emergency Poet” Deborah Alma, a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Keele, and senior lecturer and poet James Sheard have started the venture as a novel way of showcasing poetry, focusing on good mental health and well-being.
The “Poetry Pharmacy”, set in a Victorian shop in the high street of the Shropshire town of Bishop’s Castle, is holding a launch event on Thursday 3 October and will officially open to visitors on Friday 4 October. Supported by Arts Council funding, the “Poetry Pharmacy” will offer free consultations on Fridays. The shop will also be used to offer community courses in poetry along with a series of specialist day retreats themed around creative practice as a response to difficulty and trauma.
