A momentous occasion has taken place in the poetry realm, an event rarer than hen’s teeth. Write Out Loud ‘old timer’ Graham Sherwood took to the stage for the very first time at Waterstones in Milton Keynes, as part of the 2025 MK Lit Fest celebrations. 

Graham won the 2024 MK Lit Fest poetry competition with his entry MK Fortean but was unable to present it last year due to being out of the country. To make amends he agreed to appear at his very first open mic -there were 19 other readers -  where he read a poem for Lammas titled ‘Reap’ (see below).

Afterwards he admitted to being “a little nervous”, if only because he had a long wait to step up to the mic. He was the 17th reader. 

MK Lit Fest brings together arts and education professionals and enthusiasts who share a love of books, words, writing, speaking and thinking. After a triumphant debut in 2017 - with Lynton Kwesi Johnson, Michael Rosen and much more, it returned in 2018 with an even more ambitious programme, working with new festival partners and venues to bring some of the finest contemporary writing to the city.  Other highlights have included Hollie McNish and Lemn Sissay.

The festival continues to build both its face-to face and online presence, giving platforms to rising voices (including LGTBQ voices and writers of colour), and offering development opportunities for emerging writers. It also aims to connect more deeply and pro-actively with local communities and to engage with more diverse audiences. For more information contact Flora Rees at www.mklitfest.org

 

REAP

by Graham Sherwood 

 

it’s time for rest and guiltily

we take our ease amongst  

the butter yellow corn,

fearing haughty August

may stir his listless frame

to catch us naked, like

furtive lovers amid the 

signal red poppy heads,

we roll over to face a pastel sky

shade our eyes, keen our ears

somewhere the reaping has begun,

soon the barley will lean

idly in crooked ‘stooks’ and

Goose Fair approaches fast,

young schoolgirls will dance

beneath rich sapphire skies,

corn dollies jiggling from their belts,

painted aprons stained dark

with Paisley patterned 

blackberry blood.