Society member Ann-Frances Luther has been liaising with the Southeastern Communities Rail Partnership (SCRP) in support of their Give Poetry a Platform initiative, which seems poems being posted on station platforms across the region. Each poem is accompanied by a QR Code, allowing passengers access to a recorded reading by the poets themselves. Ann-Frances visited Frant station last week with Andy Pope of the SCRP to change the poems on display as part of their regular rotation.
Ann-Frances and Andy encourage poets to continue submitting poems to the project.
Give Poetry a Platform promotes written and aural poetry in stations in East Sussex and Kent along the Tonbridge to Hastings line, increasing the reach of poetry in our communities. Poetry is now on display in Frant (Bells Yew Green) and Tunbridge Wells. Etchingham will be the next station included in the project.
The project is the result of a successful collaboration between Southeast Community Rail Partnerships and the Kent and Sussex Poetry Society. We are now aiming to increase the size of the poetry from A4 to A3 creating a more visually arresting poster display. All of the printing and any accompanying art work are provided by Southeast Rail.
Part of this project is to display the written word but also to embed QR code aural recordings so that passengers can hear the poetry being read aloud. The more poets’ voices the better, however, if you would prefer to nominate someone else to read your poem for the recording that is fine. We welcome submissions from all members whether local or abroad. Please send in a typed copy (font 11) of your poem including your name, telephone number and title of the poem. Please also email an aural recording of the poem in digital format. A recording on a phone or any other device would be acceptable as long as it can be emailed.
We are looking for poetry addressing the themes of a journey, rail travel, the Kent and Sussex landscape, climate change and the natural environment. Hopefully, the possibilities are therefore very broad.
Submissions should emailed to Andy Pope at South East Rail:
The Kent & Sussex Poetry Society 
Marvellous idea. Well done everyone!