Anglo-polish writer Maria visits Open Mic Poetry in Chichester
Heading the bill at Open Mic Poetry at New Park Centre, Chichester, on Wednesday, May 1, 7.30pm, is Brighton poet Maria Jastrzebska.
She’ll be treating audiences to poems from her latest collection Small Odysseys which is published by Waterloo Press. Small Odysseys is about crossing borders and exploring the spaces between things.
An Anglo-polish and European poet Maria Jastrzębska was born in Poland and came to the UK as a child. Her fifth full-length poetry collection Small Odysseys was published by Waterloo Press in 2022. Previous collections include At the Library Of Memories (2013), Waterloo Press and The True Story of Cowboy Hat and Ingénue (2018), Cinnamon Press. Her selected poems, The Cedars of Walpole Park were translated into Polish (Stowarzyszenie Żywych Poetów) and Old Knives into Romanian for Integral Contemporary Press.
Maria translated Justyna Bargielska’s The Great Plan B (Smokestack 2017) from Polish and has co-edited various anthologies among them Queer in Brighton (New Writing South 2014) with Anthony Luvera. Her Wellcome Trust award drama Dementia Diaries toured nationally with Lewes Live Literature in 2011.
Maria said: “Crossing borders – whether literal or intangible – has always been at the heart of my work. In all my books I’ve been no stranger to exploring heritage, family dynamics, gender and identity. In my most recent collection Small Odysseys, which I’ll be reading from, I widened my gaze through time, moving back and forth from past to present while also moving between countries, cultures, languages. I’ve looked to queer to reimagine and always question histories, including war, as well as the present day. I was asking myself who or what is missing from them? How can we include stories which have been hidden from us? And what is it like to live between places?”
More details on www. sdpf.org.uk.
Open Mic spokesman Barry Smith added: “We’re delighted to feature Maria’s poetry for our Chichester audiences. She’s been a recent visitor to Arts Junction at Arundel where her work elicited an appreciative response.
"There will be a chance for local poets to share the spotlight with Maria in the open mic section of the evening. Visiting poets are always impressed by the energy, commitment and sheer quality of the poems read by our local writers. It’s a chance for people to get their message across whatever the subject or style of their poetry.
"Listeners are equally welcome. Sign up on the door to read – or just sit back to listen and enjoy the evening. We usually wind up the evening with a drink and chat in the bar which gives audience members the chance to browse books and discuss ideas and opinions about poetry.”
Open Mic Poetry, Wednesday, May 1, 7.30pm, The Old Dojo, New Park Centre, Chichester, PO19 7XY. Entrance £5 on the door.