Lines on the Map
Launched on March 2nd with a first batch of poems…
The idea of this project is a simple map of Cheshire, with dots to represent places. As the mouse moves over these dots, the place name appears. When clicked, the name brings up a poem – normally with some kind of introduction. I would like to see this build up into a comprehensive ‘poetry map’ of the County. I can imagine all kinds of conversations when a resident of Twemlow Green, for example, has a look at the poem connected with their place. It may give unique insights into the way people perceive places, and encourage local poetry.
Diane at County Hall has very kindly put the map together as part of the Cheshire Readers and Writers web site. You can find it at this address:
www.cheshire.gov.uk/ReadersAndWriters/Writers/linesonthemap/home.htm
I’ve set up some simple ground rules:
1. The copyright in your poem remains with the author, but you allow Cheshire County Council permission to publish it on the ‘Lines on the Map’ website.
2. Cheshire County Council reserves the right not to publish a particular poem, or to remove any material from the site without notice, but published poems will normally remain on the site for a minimum period of one month.
This is not a competition, or an edited publication. There will be pieces which are really good, and others which are quite un-crafted. That’s like a walk through the village or town, with points of interest and points which are less exciting. I think poetry is a big enough space for a whole variety of responses to co-exist quite happily.
A couple from North Manchester went on a day trip to Chester, and when they got home Bill wrote a charming poem about it. Now it’s on the map. I think that this whole process expresses something really important – a meaningful role for poetry in people’s lives, capturing experience, sharing it with others.
If you have a poem about a Cheshire place, or a response to someone else’s poem – email it to me at cheshirepoetlaureate@googlemail.com
The idea of this project is a simple map of Cheshire, with dots to represent places. As the mouse moves over these dots, the place name appears. When clicked, the name brings up a poem – normally with some kind of introduction. I would like to see this build up into a comprehensive ‘poetry map’ of the County. I can imagine all kinds of conversations when a resident of Twemlow Green, for example, has a look at the poem connected with their place. It may give unique insights into the way people perceive places, and encourage local poetry.
Diane at County Hall has very kindly put the map together as part of the Cheshire Readers and Writers web site. You can find it at this address:
www.cheshire.gov.uk/ReadersAndWriters/Writers/linesonthemap/home.htm
I’ve set up some simple ground rules:
1. The copyright in your poem remains with the author, but you allow Cheshire County Council permission to publish it on the ‘Lines on the Map’ website.
2. Cheshire County Council reserves the right not to publish a particular poem, or to remove any material from the site without notice, but published poems will normally remain on the site for a minimum period of one month.
This is not a competition, or an edited publication. There will be pieces which are really good, and others which are quite un-crafted. That’s like a walk through the village or town, with points of interest and points which are less exciting. I think poetry is a big enough space for a whole variety of responses to co-exist quite happily.
A couple from North Manchester went on a day trip to Chester, and when they got home Bill wrote a charming poem about it. Now it’s on the map. I think that this whole process expresses something really important – a meaningful role for poetry in people’s lives, capturing experience, sharing it with others.
If you have a poem about a Cheshire place, or a response to someone else’s poem – email it to me at cheshirepoetlaureate@googlemail.com
posted by Andrew Rudd | 6:14 pm
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