A new journal that charts the overlap between poetry and visual art, and is supported by the University of Liverpool’s Centre for New and International Writing, is launching tonight at Open Eye Gallery.
Coast to Coast to Coast brings together the art of poetry and the craft of textiles through hand made limited editions.
Maria Isakova Bennett, a Liverpool-based poet and recent recipient of a Northern Writers Award is behind this new limited edition poetry journal that welcomes work from poets at all stages of their writing lives.
Included in Open Eye Gallery’s free series of Writing and Photography events and supported by University of Liverpool’s Centre for New and International Writing, the launch of the first issue of Coast to Coast to Coast will bring together a range of the region’s poets. It is free to attend and will also be hosted by Pauline Rowe, Open Eye Gallery’s first Writer-in-Residence. The hand-stitched journals will be available at the gallery on the night.
Maria Isakova Bennett said: ‘With my co-editor, Michael Brown, I have collaborated on a number of Merseyside writing projects over the past three years. Coast to Coast to Coast comes out of our work linked to art and the river here in Liverpool, and will be a regular publication of some of the best new poetry in the UK and further afield.
“The idea isn’t to limit the journal to work from Liverpool. Michael comes from Middlesbrough and was also awarded a Northern Writers’ award this year. We will make links east to west, north to south, and outside of the UK… Coast to Coast to Coast.
“The project is partly inspired by my work as an artist. In creating the journals and events around each edition launch, Michael and I aim to bring art and poetry together to create something unique and beautiful. The journals are individually hand-stitched, each one its own work of art.’
The event, between 6-8pm, is part of Open Eye Gallery’s writing and photography series, programmed in partnership with The Centre for New and International Writing, at University of Liverpool. For full details of the event, head here.
It was good to host this lovely launch as Open Eye Gallery’s first writer-in-residence in this series of events – made possible thanks to a Public Engagement grant from University of Liverpool and the support and hard work of the Open Eye Gallery’s team. This work has been one of the most rewarding aspects of being a Creative Writing PhD student here.