The Parkview Centre is a central landmark in Brownhills – Picture by John M and posted on Geograph under a Creative Commons License.

This Wednesday, 24th May 2017 it’ll be a rather special day at Brownhills Library in the Parkview Centre as Brownhills adopts its own poet for a day!

Centre visitors can meet top poet Sarah James, and maybe have their own poem compiled for them – they can also chat and find out what it’s like to be an award-winning writer.

Walsall Council said:

Brownhills readers invited to ‘fish’ for poems

Readers and poetry lovers could have a poem penned just for them as Brownhills Library ‘Adopts a Poet’ for the day.

Visitors to Brownhills Library will get the chance to ask prize-winning poet Sarah James for their own personal poem when she spends a day in residence there on Wednesday 24 May.

Sarah James has many fans – and she’s in Brownhills this Wednesday. Image from The Poetry Shed.

This project is part of an exciting Arts Council England funded scheme organised by Nine Arches Press and West Midlands Readers’ Network to take poets and live poetry into libraries.

As part of this innovative project, Sarah will also be at hand to answer questions about her writing life, her Nine Arches Press’ collection ‘plenty-fish’ and to take requests for poems from people waiting at the GP surgery adjacent to the library in the Park View Centre.

Throughout the day, Sarah will also be tweeting about her poetry adventures there, including highlights and snippets from some of these new poems.

The day’s events at Brownhills Library will culminate in a reading from Sarah and fellow prize-winning Nine Arches Press poet David Clarke. This free reading from ‘plenty-fish’ and David’s collection ‘Arc’ will take place from 4.00pm to 5.00pm, including the chance for book signing and for people to quiz Sarah and David with their reading, writing and poetry questions.

Sarah said:

“I’m really excited to explore the library at Brownhills, to meet the staff and readers there and find out about their lives, poetry loves and favourite reads.”

‘I’m also looking forward to being challenged to turn the experiences they share with me into poems for them to take away and enjoy.’

Nine Arches Press said:

‘We are delighted to be bringing poets to libraries across the West Midlands region – funding from Arts Council England and our partnership with the West Midlands Readers Network, has meant we’ve been able to plan some fantastic and imaginative residencies with our poets in vibrant libraries at the heart of several local communities.’

Brownhills Library is open from 9am-6pm, Tuesday – Friday and 9am-4pm Saturday. The library is based at Park View Centre, Chester Road North, Brownhills, WS8 7JB. Tel: 01922 650730

The event is free, and open to all, so why not pop along to the Park View Centre and meet a great and popular poet?