Afternoon!
My cadence of posting has slowed a bit and I’ll get to that in a minute.
First though, news about a new podcast episode release! This week on Words in the Wilderness is a conversation with Sophie Olson. Sophie is a child sexual abuse survivor, author of The Flying Child and activist.
When we move closer and with curiosity, ask ‘Why?’ when someone is behaving a certain way, things can begin to make a lot more sense. The crime survey for England and Wales estimates that 7.5% of adults aged 18-74 experienced sexual abuse before the age of 16. The main reason that was reported as the reason that victims don’t tell anyone was embarrassment. This is why we have to talk about it. Through embarrassment the perpetrator gets to walk away, whilst that embarrassment morphs into toxic shame for the victim.
I can highly recommend Sophie’s book — written alongside her therapist, it is a genuinely insightful and much-needed voice in the area of processing the trauma of childhood sexual abuse.
Read more about The Flying Child
I also wanted to let you know that I am in the process of shifting things around. From this Friday this missive will work in cycles. If you have been reading my work for a while you will know how passionate I am about creating spaces for people to have permission to feel - whether that is in a poem or a workshop.
Now I am bringing it here! Each cycle will be based in a feeling and last for four weeks. The first feeling is belonging. It seems timely right now in a world that is and often feels so divisive.
I’ve tried to make the plan straightforward!
Each Friday: I’ll send a video of a poem with the story behind it. This will be accompanied by a prompt.
Beneath each post: There will be a thread that stays open all week for you to add your own writing, or comments. I want this to be a place to help people feel witnessed and to witness others and it’s only open to subscribers. Leave a poem if you’d like to, or simply read what others have left.
At the close of each cycle: an online session together where you can read aloud your own words that you have written over the course of the weeks or you can ask me to read them if you would rather do it that way!
To begin with: the live evening is open to all subscribers, including the spoken slots. I want the first few months to be about a space together before we think about anything else.
If you're already a paid subscriber: a reading slot on the night is yours automatically. You get first dibs! I’ll send more in Friday's email.
Our first live evening is on Sunday 12 July at 7pm BST.
Look out for the email this Friday!
Any questions? Leave a comment and ask away!
Jacky ✨
Ps. I’ve been asked to share that a new Surrey Poet Laureate hub is opening at Leith Hill Place starting this Sunday. Here are the details!
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