University of Portsmouth staff and students set to honour poet William Blake

The group - ‘T’Articulation’ – is a Portsmouth-based troupe that encourages a love for poetry and prose in the city by putting on free performances and workshops for the public.

To celebrate the group’s success of running for five years and hosting more than 50 events, even during the pandemic, a new project called ‘Night-Lines’ has been created, where more than 50 writers and artists have come together.

T’Articulation is looking to publish a book inspired by Blake’s Night poem. Each contributor has been allocated a line as their individual prompt. Some have written with Blake in mind, others with a more contemporary slant, and most have worked individually.

The result is an eclectic and vibrant mix of poetry, prose and illustration.

To honour Blake, the group said they ‘intended to make this a very special and beautiful book; cloth bound, with linen-wove pages. Something to be cherished by those whose work appears in it, but also by those who will read it.”

Former PhD Student and author Amanda Garrie added: “It’s our intention to use the money used from consequent book sales to fund other projects in the community: in schools, a series of pensioner events, and creative work with other vulnerable groups – depending on how many copies we can raise the money to print.

“I would also like to give credit to Tom Sykes, Vin Adams and Richard Peirce, and the ‘team of editors’ without whom the project couldn’t have been undertaken.”

In 2002, Blake – who died aged 69 in 1827 - was included in a BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons, in 38th place.

T’Articulation is now crowdfunding to cover the cost of printing the community-based book.

To donate, visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/the-blake-book-project