University staff and students take part in poetry project celebrating one of the greats

University of Portsmouth staff and students, both past and present, are involved in creating an anthology of poetry, prose and illustration to honour the poet William Blake.

The group called ‘T’Articulation’ is a Portsmouth-based troupe that is that encourages a love for poetry and prose in the city by putting on free performances and workshops for the public. 

To celebrate the group’s success of running for five years and hosting more than 50 events, even during the pandemic, a new project called ‘Night-Lines’ has been created, where more than fifty writers and artists from varied backgrounds and experiences have come together.

T’Articulation is looking to publish a book inspired by William Blake’s Night poem. Each contributor has been allocated a line as their individual prompt. Some have written with Blake in mind, others with a more contemporary slant, and most have worked individually. The result is an eclectic and vibrant mix of poetry, prose and illustration.

To honour Blake, the group said they: “Intended to make this a very special and beautiful book; cloth bound, with linen-wove pages. Something to be cherished by those whose work appears in it, but also by those who will read it.”

University Alumni and author Amanda Garrie added: “It’s our intention to use the money used from consequent book sales to fund other projects in the community: in schools, a series of pensioner events, and creative work with other vulnerable groups – depending on how many copies we can raise the money to print.”

“I would also like to give credit to Tom Sykes, Vin Adams and Richard Peirce, and the ‘team of editors’ without whom the project couldn’t have been undertaken.”

The group is now crowdfunding to cover the cost of printing the community-based book. To sponsor the crowdfund please visit  www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-blake-book-project