I am aware, as many people are, that for people and places in the world, the challenges are huge and sometimes extremely harrowing, compared to my own. Though of course everyone’s individual experience of this situation is unique. These poems were written during Lockdown and the Coronavirus pandemic, at a time when it seemed the whole country, and in fact the whole world was going through the same crisis. ( A recording of this event will be uploaded to the Festival YouTube channel in a few days.) They read alongside poets who submitted to Ledbury Poetry Festival’s online call out.
The event featured a fascinating selection of Lockdown inspired poems, including poets commissioned by LPF, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sarala Estruch, Suzannah Evans, Elaine Beckett and Kim Moore. On Sunday 5 July, at 12.30pm – 1.30pm, there was a Poetry of the Lockdown event as part of Ledbury Poetry Festival Online. Thank you to everyone who has submitted Lockdown poems.