GOBS Collective invites you to chat and scribble your heart away at our Poetry Book Club, hosted in Nottingham Central Library and via Zoom.
GOBS Poetry Book Club provides a space for poets, writers, readers, performers, and artists to meet over a cuppa, and have a good chinwag over our poetry collection of the month. For the first half of the session we’ll talk about the book, and in the second half we’ll do some focussed writing exercises based on our favourite poems.
It’s preferable that you read the book before you come along, but if you don’t get chance and fancy heading down anyway just pop along and there’s sure to be something for you to say, listen to, or write. No judgement.
February 2025’s Book:
Gboyega Odubanjo – Adam
‘On 21 September 2001, the torso of a black boy was discovered in the River Thames, near Tower Bridge in central London, clothed only in an orange pair of girls’ shorts. Given the name “Adam” by police officers, the unidentified boy was between four and eight years old. What comes next cannot without a story of water and offering. The sun shines and we gather because the river allows it. Na from clap dem dey enter dance. We enter with, and as, Adam.’ – Gboyega Odubanjo
Haunted by the discovery of the remains of a young Black boy in the River Thames in London, 2001, Gboyega Odubanjo’s Adam builds from the Genesis myth and from Yoruba culture to examine with an unflinching eye the disappearance of a child and its implication for all Black lives, and for the society in which we live.
Available at Five Leaves Bookshop
Get a 15% discount on this book at Five Leaves by using the code GOBS
GOBS Poetry Book Club is also available to attend via Zoom.
We will send everyone a Zoom link just before the session.
Please note we have limited places available both in-person and online, so booking is essential.
GOBS Poetry Book Club is free to attend (donations welcome)
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At previous events, we've looked at:
Caleb Femi - Poor
Tolu Agbelusi - Locating Strongwoman
Caroline Bird - The Air Year
Ella Frears - I am the Mother Cat
Kae Tempest – Running Upon the Wires
Roger Robinson - A Portable Paradise
Malika Booker, Sharon Olds & Warsan Shire - Your Family, Your Body (Modern Poets Three)
Inua Ellams - The Actual
Cecilia Knapp - Peach Pig
Yomi Sode - Manorisms
Will Harris - Rendang
Anthony Anaxagorou - Heritage Aesthetics
Hannah Lowe - Chick
Warsan Shire - Blessed is the Daughter Raised by a Voice in her Head
Joseph Coelho - Overheard in a Tower Block
John Cooper-Clarke – Ten Years in an Open-necked Shirt
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Any enquiries can be directed to Bridie at info@gobscollective.org
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Upcoming GOBS Poetry Book Clubs:
Saturday 22 March: Brian Bilston’s Alexa, What is there to know about love?
Saturday 26 April: Amy Acre’s Mothersong
A huge thank you to Apples and Snakes and Nottingham Central Library for supporting this event.