Pete Goodrum, poet and lifelong resident of Norwich, reads poems inspired by his city and invites listeners to write about places in their neighbourhood or hometown.
He also talks about his long and varied writing career and what he has learnt along the way.
Pete’s writing from a different angle exercise
Pete says: “There’s the old adage that you should ‘write what know’ but I’m saying try to write a poem about somewhere you know but looked at in a different way. From a different angle. My ‘Market’ has everyday details amplified and the awnings become a duvet as it sleeps. My ‘City Hall’ is literally looking at the place from a different angle – the back – and in doing so allows the rear view to become not only a new look at the place but a metaphor for the gap between civic ceremony and governance, and the grim realities of ordinary life. It’s not a poem of dissatisfaction or rebellion – it’s observation.
“So, go to a place you know and create a poem about it viewed from a different angle, seen in another perspective. Lift it out of its setting to make a point beyond pure description.”
You can hear how Patrick used Google Maps to write an original poem about his neighbourhood on the podcast, along with Pete’s poems for inspiration.
Please send your poems here for the chance to be featured on the blog or podcast. We look forward to seeing what you’ve written.
You can find out more about Pete’s work and various publications here.
Books by many of the poets featured on the podcast are available from the Poetry Non-Stop bookshop here. All books purchased via this link help to raise money to keep this podcast going.
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