Poets are invited to respond to the theme of the door as a portal for this commission by Manchester City of Literature and Manchester Poetry Library.
During the ongoing pandemic, many doors are closed to people but poetry can help open them in different ways and can inspire people experiencing lockdown.
They are seeking poems that speak about the power of the imagination, giving hope in dark times and about the door as a gateway or as the start of a new journey.
As part of the commission, each poet will be filmed reading their poem outside a Manchester doorway. We want to include doors that are recognisable and iconic to acknowledge and celebrate the city itself – for instance Central Library, Salford Lads’ Club, or Chinatown’s paifang (archway).
The filmed readings will be broadcast on Sunday 21 March as part of UNESCO World Poetry Day celebrations via YouTube and social media.
There is a fee of £500 per commission to include a new or unpublished poem that responds to the theme and the reading itself. The poem should ideally be 30-40 lines in length.
Contact: ivan.wadeson@manchester.gov.uk
See their website here.