YOU can help create Tavistock?s longest poem. All you have to do is write a line ? and be part of an amazing commuity experience, writes Roger Malone.
The idea for the poem ? which could stretch up to anything from 1,000 to 10,000 lines ? comes from local writing group Liaisons with Words and the aim is to get as many people involved as possible.
Founder members Vanni Cook amd Jackie Waddle felt as Tavistock has been voted best market town in Britain now was as good a time as any to sing its praises in print. The finished poem will be published in an anthology featuring work from the group?s members.
?There are so many people that are interested in writing in Tavistock but they haven?t had the chance to do it, or they are a bit shy,? said Vanni.
The lines will be put into a ?melting pot? and then run together in stanzas relating to various aspects of the town.
?It is a monument to Tavistock ? you have stone monuments and plaques, and poetry is also a real monument,? said Vanni.
She said it would be good if 1,000 people took part ? but with the growing population of the town it could even climb to as high as 10,000.
The first chance to put pen to paper will be on Saturday, April 24 when the Victorian Market has a greed to host the first ?write-in?.
?There are a lot of people who would like to express themselves and we?d like to encourage the community spirit. But the main thing is it should be fun,? said Vanni.
The group hopes to obtain a grant from the Arts Council to fund the project, and, if successful, the poem will be displayed on a dedicated website.
?The main objectives are to encourge the feeling of community; to promote Tavistock in the form of a free-verse poem and to enable everyone to have a go at creative writing,? said Vanni.
The Liaisons with Words writing group, which started last September, has 32 members. It meets at Tavistock Library once a month on Fridays. The next meeting is on April 23. For more details contact the library on 612218.