A big thank you from Verve
Verve 2018 was a brilliant, hot pink blur of poetry. And we couldn’t have done it alone. This was written quickly but I wanted to say a few heartfelt thank you’s.
To Arts Council England — thank you so much for believing in us and supporting our vision, it means the world.
To our sponsors University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University of Wolverhampton, Retail BID, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and Future Faces — thank you for your generosity and sponsorship!
To everyone behind the scenes — it couldn’t have happened without you.
To Waterstones Birmingham — thanks for letting us take over your store and nourishing us with books, cake and coffee.
To Apples and Snakes, Beatfreeks, Emma Press, Writing West Midlands and all our Verve partners — the city is richer because of you.
To Thom — thank you for capturing the whole festival so diligently and getting involved with all the poetry mischief.
To Mattie — You’ve revolutionised how literature branding and design is done.
To Imtiaz — We’re still pinching ourselves that you read from your new collection! Bowled over by your warmth and generosity and gorgeous reading.
To Tomomi and Hannah Silva — Thank you for blowing our minds and pushing the boundaries of what sound poetry (and innovative collaborations) can look like.
To Yomi — Thank you for gifting us with new poems! Bodacious.
To Karen, Mahfuz, and Sasha — It was an absolute treat to hear your moving and mesmerising poems, and you all read so beautifully.
To all the Dead and Alive poets — You absolutely lit up the room.
To Robert Harper — thank you for bringing your editorial wisdom and warmth.
To Conseulo — So grateful you travelled all the way from North Carolina to grace our stage! Congratulations again on winning the competition and being part of Verve family.
To all the City Poets — thank you for helping us to launch the Verve Poetry Press. It was astounding to see the room packed with all kinds of poets from around the world. I hope you’re as proud of the anthology as we are.
To Clare and Asha Lul — thank you for your electric and captivating reading from The Sea-Migrations. I’ve never heard anything like that.
To Jacob — our benevolent poetry deity, thank you for teaching us how to be better creative practitioners.
To Martha, James, Bobby and Jill — what an absolute delight to meet Offord Road Books and hear your witty, moving poetry. Indie publishers of the world, unite.
To Jane — This is your moment. I’m so delighted we assembled and so unbelievably proud of you.
To Roz, Romalyn, Matt and Liz — it was a joy to hear your luminous poems. You’re doing the Midlands proud.
To Pascale, Hannah and Sandeep — From hummingbirds to Helen of Troy to ackee blues, we were utterly enchanted by your elegant readings. (And Hannah, we hope Birmingham made a good impression on you!)
To Anthony, Sabrina, Bridget, Joelle, Ollie and Raymond — What can we say, Out-Spoken smashed it again. You guys are my heroes. Every line landed with a punch.
To Jo, Greg and Jonathan — thank you for your wonderful hosting and those brilliant questions.
To Joshua and Michaela and Ieva and Emma and Richard — thank you for your lively readings and delightful workshops, and for inspiring the next generation of poets!
To Lunar Poetry Podcasts — thank you for those fantastic live interviews, and for everything you’re doing to capture poets and poetry.
To Brum Stanza — thank you for sharing your warm poems on a Sunday morning.
To Tania and Jacqui — what a warm and charming show. Thank you for trusting us with your new Mad & Glow collaboration in the place where it all started. All festivals from now on must have jam sandwiches.
To Nymphs & Thugs — From Megabus to Maserati poems, soup to Sexy Ricky, we were in total awe of the four of you. Thank you for dazzling us!
To Elizabeth-Jane and Meryl — this reading and Q&A was such a thoughtful and gentle meditation on poetry and nature and the self. A real balm for the soul.
To Luke and Ross — thank you for reuniting and we were so thrilled you lit up our humble Verve stage!
To Liz — The OG Birmingham queen of poetry. Thank you for your tender, singular poems. A privilege to hear you read (twice!).
To Nick and Nuar — We were honoured to have you as our Sunday poetry headline. What a delight to have our minds expanded by poetry that exists in new dimensions and places.
To every Local Legend — You will never know how impressed I am by every one of you.
To the Birmingham UniSlam team — way to casually sweep all three UniSlam awards and bring it home for Brum. I expect to see your group poems on tour soon.
To Luke — It was such a treat to hear your new work, and thank you again for judging our competition!
To our audiences — thank you for coming through, for showing up and for cheering us on the entire way.
To verveisfake — This isn’t over.
To Stu — Thank you for being the best poetry partner in crime anyone could ask for.
It seems apt to close with the city of Birmingham’s motto: Forward.
Cynthia x
Co-founder and Co-director of Verve Poetry Festival
