This Thursday (28 September 2017), self-appointed ‘Emergency Poet’, Deborah Alma will be parked outside Addenbrooke’s and The Rosie in her 1970s ambulance to cheer up patients and visitors with her unique brand of literary treatments.
Helped by ‘Verse Nurse’ and ‘Poemedic’, Sue Spencer and James Sheard, they will offer consultations and poetic prescriptions designed to spread a little cheer.
The talented trio, dressed in white coats or florescent jackets, are one highlight in a series of events organised by Addenbrooke’s Arts on the day, and throughout the autumn, as part of a festival of verse supported by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.
Other National Poetry Day highlights include a lunchtime poetry reading from 12.30pm - 1.30pm in the CUH Chapel.
Contributing later in the festival are the winner of the Costa Book of the Year in 2011, Jo Shapcott, and acclaimed young Cambridge-based poets – Kaddy Benyon, Eve Lacey and Rebecca Watts
The initiative builds on ‘Taking Note’, the brainchild of former Addenbrooke’s patient Ruth Sapsed, who in 2015 drew strength from friends and family sharing moments of happiness they experienced daily.
Ruth launched the group Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination, and spent months collecting the stories of patients, staff and visitors which appear at www.cambridgecandi.org.uk/projects/reimagine/taking-note# and www.facebook.com/takingnoteaddenbrookes/
Damian Hebron, of Addenbrooke’s Arts, said: “The Charitable Trust is going one step further by turning some of these moments into poems and using poetry to help people to think about happiness and the things we notice when we stop to look.
“Budding poets are being invited to contribute their work to Taking Note and the festival will conclude with a reading by all the poets involved in early December. A new publication along with an exhibition of some of the poems and stories will be displayed at the hospital from 23 November.”
Image: Providing poetry on prescription, emergency poet Deborah Alma will be at CUH to mark national poetry day