April 2024

An evening that will move, entertain, and, above all, press the refresh button in your imagination. Part of our new Somerset Sounds mini festival.

Fire River Poets was founded in Taunton in 1988. The name Fire River was chosen because the name of the River Tone that runs through Taunton appears to be a corruption of tan which meant fire in ancient Celtic. Hardly a fiery river, the Tone does regularly flood however, taking on a tawny-reddish colour from the soil it carries with it… As one of Somerset’s longest-established poetry groups, with a wealth of national recognition in publishing, events and awards, we bring you an hour of memorable poetic voices from around the county. Please join us for a reading that will move, entertain, bring you up short and, above all, press the refresh button in your imaginations. ‘Poetry isn’t a profession, it’s a way of life. It’s an empty basket; you put your life into it and make something out of that.’ Mary Oliver. Poetry can tell us what human beings are. It can tell us why we stumble and fall and how, miraculously, we can stand up. Maya Angelou ‘Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.’ Robert Frost *This event is in Quilter Hall near the Cathedral Green