Write-on Ripon open mic evening returns on Thursday

Prolific Ripon author, poet and creative writer Maggie Cobbett will be among those in attendance when the Write-On Ripon open mic event returns on Thursday evening after a short break.

Maggie, one of the city’s best-known authors, told the Stray Ferret:

“Our ‘cavern of creativity’ as we call the cellar area at Curzon Cinema, is proving a great meeting place for all kinds of  writers.

“The open mic evenings staged so far have attracted a broad base of talent, from first-time novelists to people seeking a platform to read out work jotted down in a notepad.”

Event organiser, creative writer and the founder of Ripon Spookers, Dion Child, said:

“It’s marvellous to have experienced and published authors like Maggie at our open mic evenings.

“I’m sure that those who are new to writing benefit from her friendly advice, while enjoying listening to her reading out poems and extracts from her books.

“We took a break in June because of the platinum jubilee and I suspect that the sights and sounds of that wonderful four days of celebration in the city will be reflected in some of the pieces that we hear on Thursday.”

The event, at Curzon Cinema on North Street, free to attend and runs from 7.30pm until 10pm

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Two free events for Ripon literary lovers on Thursday evening

Writers and poetry fans have a choice of two free events to attend in Ripon on Thursday at the library and Curzon Cinema.

At 7pm in the library, Rod Dimbleby from the Yorkshire Dialect Society, will speak about the life and work of John Hartley.

The prolific West Riding poet, author and performer, was born in Halifax in 1839 and was famous in Victorian England for his Yorkshire dialect poems.

After his work, Bite Bigger,was published by Alfred Wilson — a hatter by trade — Hartley’s career took off and was a sell-out hit that had to be re-printed because of demand.

Wilson, who became Hartley’s father-in-law when the poet married his daughter Sophia, published the Clock Almanack (named after the clock outside his hatter’s shop) and Hartley was the editor for more than 25 years.

Those wishing to attend Mr Dimbleby’s talk are asked to book tickets in advance

Write-on Ripon

Also on Thursday evening, with a start time of 7.30, Write-On Ripon is holding its third open mic evening at Curzon Cinema on North Street.

Dion Child, who launched the creative writing group last year, told the Stray Ferret:

“Our free-to-attend weekly meetings on Tuesday afternoons have attracted attendance from people ranging from published authors, such as Maggie Cobbett, to poets who enjoy playing with words.

“The open mic events, which began in February, are a natural extension of the writers’ group and provide a platform for writers to present their work to an audience of like-minded people.”

He added:

“I’m so pleased that they have taken off and we extend a welcoming hand to those among the ranks of Ripon writers, who want to come along.

“Curzon has kindly allowed us to use its facilities free of charge and the vaulted cellar under the cinema, where the acoustics and atmosphere are tremendous, has led us to give it the nickname of ‘the cavern of creativity’ in a nod to the Liverpool venue, from which the Fab Four found fame.”

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Ripon author’s support for Ukrainian refugees

Prolific Ripon author Maggie Cobbett is raising money for the beleaguered people of war-ravaged Ukraine through sales of one of her books.

For the foreseeable future, Ms Cobbett, who is chair of Ripon Writers’ Group, is donating the royalties from downloads of her book Had We But World Enough, to the Ukraine appeal.

The selection of short stories, which can be downloaded from Amazon for £1.15, is a fitting choice to raise money for refugees seeking sanctuary in countries often thousands of miles away from their homes.

The book explores the dilemmas that people on the move face, including Vivien, whose dreams of moving to Key West are affected by US immigration policy and two young Afghan boys, who were sent off on a perilous overland journey that neither wanted to make.

A synopsis of Had We But World Enough on Ms Cobbett’s website says:

“Life in a new country sounds enticing, but will the hopeful characters in these short stories end up with more or much, much less than they bargained for?”

The author told the Stray Ferret:

“I visited Ukraine a few years ago and was made very welcome there.

“Since the Russian invasion, I have watched in horror the daily images of death and destruction on the television and wondered if there was any way I could help.”

Ripon’s support for refugees

The generosity of Ripon’s citizens has been seen in many ways across the city, as the community has rallied to the call for help from the people of Ukraine.

Regular collections have been taken by the Rotary Club of Ripon as part of a UK-wide appeal in support of Ukraine.

Flag of Ukraine on Ripon Town Hall

In a sign of solidarity, the flag of Ukraine continues to fly on Ripon Town Hall

The Magdalens pub on Princess Road has also held two major fundraising events in support of the a gofundme page launched by the Edwards family.

Son Lewis and his Ukrainian partner Tanya Bogdanovska, along with eight friends, set up a shelter in Slovakia in late February to assist refugees and the humanitarian work continues, with money raised in Ripon.

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A target of £20,000 has been exceeded and Lewis’ mother, Ali Edwards, said :

“We have no further fundraisers planned and would like to thank the many kind-hearted people, whose donations of money, raffle prizes, facilities and time, helped us from day one.”

She pointed out:

“Though Lewis and Tanya are no longer in Slovakia, the programme that they helped to set up, is continuing to support women, children and men over the age of 60 who have been forced to flee Ukraine. “