To celebrate Poetry Day, this Thursday April 28th, a Menu of Poems called ‘Soul Food’ will be distributed throughout Irish hospital wards, waiting rooms and other healthcare settings for patients, visitors and staff to enjoy.
Dani Gill with Maureen Kennelly, Colette Bryce and Margaret Flannery at Poems for Patience, UHG
Picture Credit: David Ruffles
The poetry was selected by award winning poet Colette Bryce. Bryce visited Ireland for the Cúirt International Festival of Literature, where she read at an event and launched the Poems for Patience Series at University Hospital Galway.
Menu of Poems 2016 is produced by Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust in collaboration with Arts and Health Co-ordinators Ireland, Poetry Ireland and HSE Health Promotion and Improvement. Over 10,000 people in healthcare settings will receive the 2016 Menu, which includes poems by Emily Dickinson, Ian Duhig, Louise Glück and Yehuda Amichai. The Menu is also available to anyone working in a healthcare facility to print and distribute in their own locations.
Since its conception in 2009, Menu of Poems has been a positive development in the lives of both patients and those who work in healthcare settings across Ireland. The poetry is circulated on meal trays in hospitals and participating healthcare providers are organising readings and workshops for Poetry Day.
Margaret Flannery, Arts Director at Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust, said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Colette Bryce on Soul Food, Menu of Poems this year and I hope the collection will provide a moment of escape for whoever comes across them on their journey in hospital on Poetry Day.”
Maureen Kennelly, Director of Poetry Ireland, said: “Poetry Ireland is delighted to be involved with the Menu of Poems project once again this year and to partner on an initiative that brings poetry to people’s bedside. Our mission is to connect people with poetry and make it part of their everyday life.”
The following hospitals and centres are participating in Menu of Poems 2016: Arts for Health Partnership Programme, West Cork; Arts in Health at Cork University Hospital; Arts Initiative in Mental Health Sligo Leitrim; Galway, Mayo Roscommon Community Health Office; Galway University Hospitals Arts Trust and Saolta Health Care Group; Kildare Arts and Health Programme; Naas General Hospital Arts Committee; National Centre for Arts and Health, Tallaght; South Tipperary General Hospital; South Tipperary Mental Health Services; St. Luke’s General Hospital, Kilkenny; St. Luke’s Hospital, Dublin; University Limerick Hospitals Group; Waterford Healing Arts Trust; West Cork Mental Health Services Arts and Health Programme and Wexford General Hospital.
For more information on Menu of Poems 2016, email [email protected]
For information on Poetry Day Ireland visit www.poetryireland.ie/