Make contact through Poetry Society Stanzas

Stanzas are poetry groups run voluntarily by Poetry Society members. The idea was brought to life in 2005 to bring poetry people closer together. At the time of writing (summer 2008) we have 63 Stanzas in the UK and the rest of the world - you can see what they all get up to in Stanza News. Stanzas also have their own exlusive annual poetry competition and will play a major role in the 2009 Poetry Society Centenary celebrations, including an exciting collaboration with the National Trust.  

Stanzas came top in the 2008 Membership Awareness Survey, with 72.8% of the 459 Poetry Society members who responded saying they recognised Stanzas as a feature of their membership.

Stanzas are the perfect way to meet up with other Poetry Society members in your area. You could help each other with your 'poems in progress, for example, or set up a reading group. You may even just want an excuse to have a poetic chat over a pint. Stanzas allow you to do whatever you want to do. Further Stanza information can be downloaded here. 

To set up a new Stanza, contact  membership AT poetrysociety.org.uk with the postcode/s for your area. To join a Stanza, contact your Stanza Rep. 

UK

  • Bath: Nikki Bennett-Willetts (nikki_bennett_willetts AT hotmail.com or 01225 837 251)
  • Birmingham: Jacqui Rowe (jacquirowe AT hotmail.co.uk)
  • Bradford & Leeds: Bruce Barnes (01274 223665 or bruce.poetbradford AT blueyonder.co.uk)
  • Bridport: Carole Buchanan-Brown (mansville AT btinternet.com or 01308 488 759) 
  • Brighton: Elaine Ruth White (white_wonders AT btinternet.com)
  • Bristol: Sarah Melendez (0752 749 7760 or 01275 543 823 or sarah_melendez AT blueyonder.co.uk )
  • Cambridge CB1: Helen Mort (stationarypoet AT msn.com)
  • Cambridge CB2: Ronald Westbrook (01223 842 359)
  • Chichester: Andrew Bailey (chichesterstanza AT googlemail.com)
  • Cornwall (Camelford): Helen Wood (indianking AT btconnect.com)
  • Cornwall (Penzance): Howard Phillips (01736 366567 or 'Penwyn' Boase Street, Newlyn, Penzance. TR18 5JE or info AT howardphillips.co.uk)
  • Dorchester: Pam Zinnemann-Hope (pam AT zhope.co.uk or 01300 320 826)
  • Dundee, Perth & St Andrews: Andy Jackson (a.z.jackson AT dundee.ac.uk or 01382 55 01 88)
  • East Anglia Coast and Brecks (IP, CO & NR): Fred Ellis (c/o Suffolk Poetry Society, 7 Haylings Grove, Leiston, Suffolk IP16 4DU or (44/0) 1728 833094 or [44/0] 7946 529197 or fred AT poetryanglia.org)
  • Edinburgh: Aileen Lobban (aileen AT styledays.co.uk or 0131 343 3645 or 07944 277 911)  
  • Farnham & Fleet: Val Harris (valliharris AT btinternet.com or 01252 711 853)
  • Forest of Dean: Jean Brodie (j.brodie AT littledean.fsnet.co.uk)
  • Goring RG8: Mary Williams (maryhopewilliams AT hotmail.co.uk) 
  • Guildford & Woking: Sharyn Owen (01483 769 333)
  • Hemel Hempstead: Collette Caffrey (caffreycollette AT hotmail.com or 01923 263720 or 07786 087 881)
  • Hertfordshire (North) / Poetry ID: Richard J N Copeland (richard.copeland3 AT ntlworld.com or 01438 217614) 
  • Highlands & Islands: Maggie Haggith (hag AT worldforests.org or 01571 844 020)
  • Isle of Wight (Ryde): Edmund Matyjaszek (ems AT emsbase.co.uk or 020 7736 0350)
  • Kent (North West): Anne Stewart (editor AT poetrypf.co.uk)  
  • Kent & Sussex Poetry Society (TN postcode): Clive Eastwood (creastwood AT tiscali.co.uk or 13 Ruscombe Close, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 0SG)
  • Lancashire East (BB and PR1-4): Theresa Robson (theresarobson AT fsmail.net or 07730 615 181)
  • Leicestershire (South): Charles Lauder (cnlauder AT googlemail.com or 0116 247 8430)
  • Lichfield: Stewart Derry (stewart.derry AT ntlworld.com or 07591 000 087)  
  • Lincolnshire (Louth): Christopher Sanderson (christopher AT coastmoor.co.uk)
  • London East (Forest Gate): Jenny Shepherd (jenny AT shepherd.name or 020 8519 4827)
  • London North: Katherine Gallagher (020 8881 1418 or mail AT katherine-gallagher.com)
  • London N6 (Hampstead): James Russell (07986 317 675 or jim.russell AT hotmail.co.uk) 
  • London NW6 (Brondesbury / Kilburn): Jane Dezonie (020 8451 7257 or jdz AT 14graysinnsquare.co.uk)
  • London (South East): Les Robinson (stanza AT tall-lighthouse.co.uk)
  • London (SW - Barnes area): Kavita Jindal (k.jindal AT btinternet.com)
  • London (SW - Streatham/Brixton area): Wendy Dyer (wwads AT btinternet.com) 
  • London W3: Patricia Startin (blanchemain61 AT hotmail.com or 020 8752 0999 or 020 8567 9414)
  • Ludlow: John Harrison (01547 530 380 or jfharrison AT talk21.com)
  • Lymington, Hampshire: Keith Bennett (keith_bennett532 AT hotmail.com or 01590 675 409)
  • Manchester: John Haines (djhl.poetknowit AT hotmail.co.uk or 07964 323 460 or 0161 876 4357)
  • Manningtree women's group:  Sally Festing (sallyfes AT aol.com or 01206 391 268)
  • Newcastle: Trevor Bentley (johnleemur AT aol.com)
  • Norfolk (PE postcode): Vernon Moyse (contrib AT poetrynorfolk.net)
  • North West (PR & FY): Kate Eggleston-Wirtz (eggwirtz AT btinternet.com or 01253 788 513)
  • Nottingham: Richard Goodson (richardgoodson AT hotmail.co.uk)
  • Oxfordshire: Mike Kavanagh (oxfordstanza AT btinternet.com)  
  • Plymouth Waterfront Writers: Godfrey Ackers (p-asters AT blueyonder.co.uk or www.waterfrontwriters.org.uk or 75 Ocean Court, Richmond Walk, Plymouth PL1 4QB)
  • Portsmouth & Havant: Maggie Sawkins (53 Campbell Road, Southsea, Hampshire PO5 1RJ or maggie-sawkins AT tiscali.co.uk)
  • Second Life Stanza: Adele Ward aka Jilly Kidd (www.secondlife.com - Written Word area, Cookie Island - adele AT writtenword.org.uk or 07979 765 891)
  • Shropshire East: Tony Stringfellow (ts AT @tonystringfellow.com or 07905 035 513)
  • Southampton: Gil Dekel (www.poeticmind.co.uk) 
  • Teesside (TS and DH): Andy Croft (andy.croft AT ntlworld.com or 01642 864 428 or 26 The Avenue, Middlesbrough TS5 6PD) OR Maureen Almond (mail AT maureenalmond.com)
  • Trowbridge BA14: Dave Lewis (davekerry AT blueyonder.co.uk or libraryenquiries AT wiltshire.gov.uk or 01225 761 171)
  • Wakefield: Rebecca Mason-Harding (masonharding AT hotmail.com) 
  • Wales (North): Daffni Percival (merilang AT meirionnydd.f9.co.uk or 01766 540 553 or Bodyfuddau, Trawsfyndd, LL41 4UW)
  • Worcestershire: Adrian Couper (adrian.couper AT googlemail.com or 07982 300 321)
  • Yorkshire (North & East Riding): Paul Stanley (01262 673 559 or 07508 735 064 or battleforge AT btinternet.com)

Non-UK Stanzas:

  • France (Vergongheon, Auvergne): Jim Barron (jimbarron AT walkauvergne.co.uk or 20 Rue Du Maréchal Ferrant Rilhac 43360 Vergongheon FRANCE or 00 33 (0)4 71 76 91 66)
  • India (New Delhi): Sudeep Sen (www.sudeepsen.net or J-1889 Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi 110019. India or atlasaarkarts AT gmail.com)
  • Italy (Cremona): Alessio Zanelli (Piazza della Sorgente 10, 26020 Cavatigozzi - Cremona, Italy or +39 335 133 4393 or alex.zan AT alice.it )
  • Spain (Alicante, Valencia, Murcia): Christopher North (Almàssera Vella Carrer de la Mare de Deu del Miracle 56 Relleu 03578 Alicante SPAIN or +3 34 966 856003 or oldolivepress AT tiscali.es)  
  • Spain (Mar Menor): David Leslie Urion (tybraf AT hotmail.com
    or 0034 6998 45800)
  • Switzerland (Geneva): Emily Bilman (+41 76-217-72-86 or e.bilman AT uea.ac.uk )