One of the online Heritage Open Days events which will take place in September will be dedicated to the memory of Sue Wrinch, local poet and organiser of the Winchester Loose Muse group, who died suddenly in July. A Hidden Nature reading will take place online and will feature 10 local poets.
Members of Loose Muse Winchester were shocked and saddened by the news of Sue Wrinch’s early death in July. Sue set up this monthly gathering in 2015 and booked a dazzling array of women poets and fiction writers to inspire members and provide a safe space for local women writers to share their work in open mic sessions. Her enthusiasm and commitment provided a wealth of opportunities for developing writers.
Poets at this year’s online reading will be inspired by the theme of ‘Hidden Nature’ and each poet will read a poem of their own as well as one of their choice from Sue’s published collections Down by Wild Water (2015) and Stained Lips (2020). The event will be a tribute to Sue’s leadership and generosity by fellow poets who will always remember her with gratitude and affection.
Nicky Gottlieb of Heritage Open Days said: “Sue previously organised a number of events for Winchester Heritage Open Days using the HODs themes including ‘Extraordinary Women’ and ‘People Power’. She inspired poets to produce wonderful new work and put together several vibrant performances for us at venues around the city.”
Jenny McRobert who is organising the event said: “We are honoured that a number of well known poets and writers will be joining us to read including Liz Berry, Rebecca Goss, Susmita Bhattacharya, and Claire Fuller. Also featured are local laureates Kathryn Bevis and Isabel Rogers.”
The Hidden Nature reading will be live streamed on Sunday 20 September at 2:00pm. Places must be booked.