Poet Myra makes virtual return to Chichester roots
London-based poet and novelist Myra Schneider returns virtually to Chichester, the city where she spent part of her youth, as this month’s Guest Poet for Chichester Poetry’s popular online poetry resource.
The session comes as the series continues to adapt to the challenges of our times.
As organiser Barry Smith explains: “By clicking on the open mic poems page of the website, you will be able to find an overview of Myra’s poetry with a selection of poems chosen by the poet herself.
“We are also pleased to be able to include new poems from South Downs writers, which all adds up to an exciting collection for people to browse. They are bound to find something there to enjoy.”
Myra has had a long and varied career journey taking in teaching and writing fiction for children and young adults as well as poetry.
Myra said: “My first published book was a novel for children, Marigold’s Monster, and this was followed up with two short novels for reluctant teenager readers. Both of these drew on my teaching experience.’
Though she has lived in London for many years, Myra retains fond memories of her time in Sussex.
She said: “By the time I was about 17 and living in Chichester I was writing poems, in love with poetry and the Romantic poets especially Keats and Wordsworth.
“I studied English language and literature at London
University and have lived in London ever since.
“I still miss the sea and the countryside, especially the South Downs, but I am grateful we have a park behind our house.”
Barry added: “Myra Schneider’s tenth full collection, Lifting the Sky, was published by Ward Wood (2018).
“Most of her other collections are from Enitharmon Press, the most recent of these being The Door to Colour (2014)). Other publications include books about personal writing, notably Writing My Way through Cancer and Writing Your Self with John Killick. Siege and Symphony is due to come out from Ward Wood in 2021.
“She’s been widely published in newspapers and journals and her poetry has been broadcast on Radio 3 and 4.
“She was shortlisted for a Forward Prize in 2007, has coedited anthologies of poetry by contemporary women poets and is consultant to the Second Light Network of women poets.
“She is an experienced writing tutor and works for The Poetry School in London.”
Barry added: “Local poetry lovers may be familiar with her work from the annual poetry anthology Poetry & All That Jazz which is published in connection with the Festival of Chichester and the South Downs Poetry Festival.
“To read all about Myra and enjoy her poems, click on the website www. chichesterpoetry.simplesite. com and go to the page headed open mic poems.”
The session is available from Thursday, October 29 for a month.