The Story So Far...
The Pencil Poised Story
If not now – when?
The COVID lockdown periods produced many difficult challenges, but it did create more time for many people.
Putting the time good use, the Pencil Poised website was created by Derbyshire wordsmith Carol Brewer, as a way of sharing her love for words with a wider community. This was also the motivation to ‘publish and be damned’!
'Verses the Virus', a book created by Carol during the lockdown of 2020, featuring a selection of her poetry, with a donation from every sale going to support mental health and NHS charities, in recognition of the fact that, sadly, some of the long term consequences of this challenging period, may as yet, be unknown. The book includes a variety of themes and styles including a selection for children (and like minded adults!).
Carol is also the author of ‘The Belper Moo’, a poem that documented the time when the whole of her home town came together, in an attempt to ease the stress and loneliness of lockdown – by moo-ing at 6.30pm each evening! This unique show of 'commoonity' spirit attracted amazing world wide attention and astounding global media focus!
The 'Belper MOO' is now available as a lovely illustrated book, with all proceeds going to the Mental Health Foundation. (See page)
In 2021 and 2022, Carol also devised a community poetry event held in the local town. 'POET-TREES' - (literally poems on trees), invited poets of all ages to create work to be displayed on selected trees around Belper. Each year, a free booklet was created featuring all of the poems and, upon completion, the poems were divided between to care homes locally for permanent display.
Personalised Poetry is also available as a bespoke service, should you wish to have wonderful words written exclusively by Carol, for any special event, celebration or occasion.
Carol would love to make her work, into your words.
Activity Updates!
Radio
National Competition Winner
National Press
Sept 2020 - Radio Derby Sally Pepper show (lockdown poem)
Oct 2020 - Radio Derby Sally Pepper show (world dementia day poems)
Oct 2020 - Radio Derby Martyn Willams show (poetry feature)
Nov 2020 - Radio Derby Sally Pepper show (changing career feature)
Feb 2021 - Radio Derby daffodil campaign poem ' The Humble Daffodil'
April 2021 - Amber Sound Trevor Middleton show ('Poet-Trees' project)
May 2021 - Radio Derby Sally Pepper ('Poet-Trees' project feature)
Feb 2022 - Radio Derby Ian Skye Valentines Day special feature
National Press
National Competition Winner
National Press
Daily Mirror - Oct 2020 features my poem 'Hugs'
Prima magazine - February 2021 - my story is featured in - 'The Power of Poetry', article on benefits of poetry to well being.
BBC TV - May 2021 Poet-Trees project - poems on trees!
National Competition Winner
National Competition Winner
National Competition Winner
Oct 2020 - The Lewis Foundation cancer charity - winning poem 'A Little Bag of Hope' - now writing a poem each month to be included in their complimentary comfort and gift packs distributed to over 3000 cancer patients
Feb 2021 - finalist in u3a national poetry competition
April 2021 - Prize Poet - Derwent Delights arts project - Fleet Arts, Derbyshire
Visual events
Derbyshire Libraries & Arts Derbyshire
National Competition Winner
Performed own poetry in following events;
Sept 2020 - 'Suicide Prevention' awareness event
Oct 2020 - 'Black to the Future' for black history month
May - June 2020 - poems featured as part of Belper Fringe 'Bedtime Stories' event
August 2020 - Poems for Bank Holiday 'Bedtime Stories' event
Dec 2020 - 'Christmas Cracker' festive event
December 2020 - 'Only the Lonely - Tony Fisher Exhibition featuring 'The Belper Moo'
Derbyshire Libraries & Arts Derbyshire
Derbyshire Libraries & Arts Derbyshire
Derbyshire Libraries & Arts Derbyshire
Oct 2020 - poem 'Buxton Crescent' for Derbyshire Libraries website for new Buxton Crescent development
Dec 2020 - credited contributor to Arts Derbyshire film ‘Ticket to Hope’
April 2020 - Prize Poet - Derwent Delights Arts project. Prize winning poem 'The East Mill speaks to me', featured in book & exhibition Cromford Mill, - May 2021
Oct 2021 - Series of poems featured as countdown to Derbyshire Libraries National Poetry Day competition
March 2022 - included in Derwent Delights Arts poetry installation Ada Belfield Library, Belper featuring poem 'The East Mill speaks to me',
Visual events
Derbyshire Libraries & Arts Derbyshire
Derbyshire Libraries & Arts Derbyshire
April - August 2021 - 'POET-TREES' event throughout Belper - poems on trees!
May 2021 - May the Verse be with you - Virtual poetry show
May 2021 - Kanturk Festival - online arts festival
JUNE 2021 - LAUNCH of 'The Belper Moo'
ORDER THE BOOK FROM THE MOO PAGE!
August 2021 - Belper Arts Trail - live poetry performances during Arts Festival
April/May 2022 - 'POET-TREES' community poetry event for Belper
March 2022 - Contributing artist for Ukraine fund raising Gala Concert, Belper
March 2023
Belper Civic Service -
Poem - 'Proud to be Belper'
PLUS!!!!!
PLUS!!!!!
PLUS!!!!!
'All Things Local' magazine featured
poem 'Hugs' Oct/Nov 2020 edition
poem 'The Robin' Dec/Jan 2020 edition
poem - 'Hope' Feb/Mar 2021 edition
poem - 'Click 'n' Collect' April/May 2021
poem - 'Summer Shadows' Jun/July 2021
poem - 'Gone Missing' Aug/Sept 2021
poem - 'Wellies' Oct/Nov 2021
poem - 'New Normal Resolutions' Dec' 21
poem - 'Having Time' Feb/Mar 2022
poem - 'Humble Daffodil' April/May '22
poem - 'Placards & Tears' June/July '22
poem - 'Spider Month' Aug/Sept '22
poem - 'Remembrance Day' - Oct/Nov'22
poem -' Promise - Dec/Jan '2023
-'February Marches On'- Feb/Mar '23
DCC 50+ Forum Newsletter featured poems; 'Hugs' - Dec 2020
'Jab' & Humble Daffodil' - March 2021
Coquet Cottages ESCAPE Magazine - Word Therapy feature page & poem 'Coquet Cottages'- March 2022
About your author
Carol Brewer
Having lived in many different corners of the world as part of a military family, Carol eventually settled in Belper, Derbyshire, with the beautiful Peak District on her doorstep.
Even from an early age a vivid imagination and passion for creative writing started as a ‘dabble’ now and then, with verses written for family and friends marking occasions and events, special or sad.
These skills were further honed and developed as a result of varied career experience, (everything from concrete care advisor to court usher amongst others!), which would subsequently also involve Carol producing a children’s newsletter and a compilation of corporate marketing letters.
Belonging to a local creative writing group, and the Poetry Society, Carol still regularly writes a variety of material, (mainly defaulting to poetry!), received a special commendation from the national 'King Lear project for fiction and recently devised and created a successful 'Poet-Trees' event (community poems on trees) featured on BBC news. She has performed at various local arts and spoken word events including ‘Talking Heads’ ,Belper Fringe and Belper Arts Trail.
Her poetry has been featured many times on Radio Derby, appeared in the Daily Mirror, Prima magazine, plus many local publications and also on BBC TV.
Carol sincerely hopes that you enjoy her work.
Oh, and by the way......
Why 'Pencil Poised’?...
A4, quality notebook.
Soft cover. Lined.
Crisp, sharp point on my pencil.
Sharpened. Defined.
Silence. Hot coffee.
Musing thoughts from within.
Pencil poised at the ready
Let the magic begin....
Copyright © 2023 Pencil Poised - All Rights Reserved.
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THE BELPER MOO BOOK!!!
Launching June 13th - fabulous new illustrated book featuring the poem 'The Belper Moo' -
You can order here, on THE BELPER MOO! page
'Moo' won't want to miss it!