Your course book this year, The Map and the Clock, has received rave
reviews. Chosen by Poet Laureate,
Carol-Ann Duffy, and Gillian Clarke there is something for everybody in this
wonderful anthology, whether you are experienced or completely new to poetry.
Poems often have multiple interpretations and mean different things to
different people. The tutor aims to create a relaxed atmosphere in which
students will feel free to offer their own suggestions. She will use CDs and
the Internet, where possible, to illustrate the poems and their poets. Please
bring a copy of the book with you.
The course book: "The Map and the Clock”. It was first
published in 2016 by the leading Poetry publishers, Faber and Faber Ltd. It is
a fantastic anthology with some old favourites but with lots of more unusual
choices. PLEASE BRING A COPY WITH YOU. It is widely available in
paperback and hardback. If you have a problem sourcing a copy please get in
touch with me via the Summer school office.
You may have seen this course advertised last year. The
poems used last year will not be repeated but, don't worry, with over 600 pages
of poems we could only hope to scratch the surface and we will read different
poems from all fourteen centuries.
I hope that you
will be enthused to carry on reading from it long after Summer School is over.
I hope you will find it as exciting as I do.
It begins with some of the earliest writings from the
old languages including some familiar myths and legends and culminates with
offerings from our most recent young poets.
The number of poems we read and discuss will depend
very much on the make- up and inclinations of the group. Sometimes a poem can
be read and enjoyed with a brief murmur of pleasure whilst at other times much
longer is required to tease out the layers of meaning.
We will see some of the poets read their work for us,
courtesy of DVDs and the Internet, and I will share some poetry websites with
those of you who are happy to use the internet.
I aim to run a course which is both informative and
enjoyable and in which we can share our ideas and opinions - without forgetting
that this is a holiday and not a PhD!
I look forward to meeting you in July.
Julia Pritchard
About Julia
Julia first came to Summer School in 2001 on a family holiday, having
just gained a First Class degree, and has returned ever since as a tutor.
Having discovered the delights of teaching adults after years of eleven to
fourteen year olds, she now teaches Poetry for the WEA and Play reading and
Creative Writing at Leicester Adult Education College.
