DROITWICH poet Sarah Leavesley is launching her fourth poetry collection ‘plenty-fish’ as part of an evening of festival poetry on Saturday, September 12 during Salt Fest.

Sarah, who writes under the name of Sarah James, will be joined by several other poets from around the region for the launch, which is taking place in Park’s Cafe in Victoria Square from 7-9.30pm.

The collection centres around the themes of parenthood, landscape and influences, and has local influences with Sarah including a poem written for the National Trust’s Hanbury Hall website as part of a project with Droitwich Arts Network, a poem featured on Worcestershire buses in 2013 as part of a Worcestershire Arts Partnership commission, poems inspired by or written while walking and cycling the tow paths around Droitwich, and also while swimming at Droitwich Leisure Centre.

She said: “It’s amazing to see these poems published together, as some of them have been years in the crafting, editing and re-working into their final form.

“There are poems from my garden, from travel abroad, landscapes and sites across the country, as well as some short narrative pieces and more political poems.”

Sarah will be reading her work alongside Worcestershire Poet Emeritus Maggie Doyle, last year’s Worcestershire Poet Laureate Fergus McGonigal, as well as Mike Alma, Ian Glass, Holly Magill and Kathy Gee. She will also be answering questions about ‘plenty-fish’ and the writing process.

The launch event is free and open to anyone, with Park’s Café also taking bookings for those wishing to eat there.

Earlier in the day, Sarah will be MCing a special ‘Poetry Half-Hour’ in Saltbarrow Market with fellow Worcestershire poets Ruth Stacey and Claire Walker, sharing poems of myth, history and endurance, as well as taking part in a book-signing.