An Evening with Yousif M. Qasmiyeh

Our 2021 contemporary poetry reading series, “Go to the poets, they will speak to thee”, is curated and hosted by poet Kim Moore. We will be listening to what poets have to say about our turbulent times, and how poetry can cross borders to challenge, delight and inspire us. Each event in the series is part reading, part open mic – and the theme of the open mic changes every month!

In The Prelude, Wordsworth writes “There are in our existence spots of time / That with distinctive pre-eminence retain / A renovating virtue”. The Prelude is built and threaded through with these “spots of time”. Our guest poet this month is Yousif M. Qasmiyeh, who will be reading work from his Poetry Book Society Recommended collection Writing the Camp, drawn from the poet’s experience of the Baddawi refugee camp in Lebanon. Whilst it contains its own “spots of time” it is also a meditation on time itself and a philosophical enquiry into what we mean by place. Our open mic theme this month is to bring a poem about time. Email host Kim Moore wordsworthreadingseries@outlook.com for a spot (update: the open mic is full).

How to book and attend

Please read our guide to booking and attending online events before you purchase a ticket.

This event is a Zoom Webinar and the audience will not appear on screen. If you have bought a ticket and signed up to the open mic your audio and video will be enabled during the open mic.

Five free tickets are available for each session for those experiencing financial hardship that would otherwise not be able to attend. This is on a first come first served basis with no questions asked about your situation. Please email Hannah at h.catterall@wordsworth.org.uk.

Live captions will be provided by Otter.

 Photograph © E. Fiddian-Qasmiyeh