THE MINISTRY OF FLOWERS, Valley Press
videos and poetry from the launch
12 November 2020
12 November 2020
THE MINISTRY OF FLOWERS, Valley Press
Curated by
Fiona L Bennett & Andrea Witzke Slot
Producer and Event Co-ordinator
Sally Anglesea
Readings by
Andrea Witzke Slot; Sally Anglesea; Hafsah Aneela Bashir;
Fiona L Bennett; Vanessa Gebbie; Faisal Mohyuddin;
John Prebble; Michael Shaeffer & Valerie Wallace.
Introductions for Valley Press by
Jo Brandon
Created with the generous support of
The Poetry Exchange: www.thepoetryexchange.co.uk
Fiona L Bennett & Andrea Witzke Slot
Producer and Event Co-ordinator
Sally Anglesea
Readings by
Andrea Witzke Slot; Sally Anglesea; Hafsah Aneela Bashir;
Fiona L Bennett; Vanessa Gebbie; Faisal Mohyuddin;
John Prebble; Michael Shaeffer & Valerie Wallace.
Introductions for Valley Press by
Jo Brandon
Created with the generous support of
The Poetry Exchange: www.thepoetryexchange.co.uk
PART I: Between My Country--and the Others
Between My Country - and the Others - by Emily Dickinson
Read by Andrea Witzke Slot
From The Ministry of Flowers by Andrea Witzke Slot, Valley Press, 2020, a poem that inspires the title and the structure of The Ministry of Flowers.
Letters from Abroad by Andrea Witzke Slot
Read by Andrea Witzke Slot
From The Ministry of Flowers by Andrea Witzke Slot, Valley Press, 2020
Recording from The Ministry of Flowers celebration and launch on 12 November 2020
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Remember when we thought we'd live forever? by Andrea Witzke Slot
Read by Sally Anglesea
From The Ministry of Flowers by Andrea Witzke Slot, Valley Press, 2020
Recording from The Ministry of Flowers celebration and launch on 12 November 2020
Sally Anglesea was not only the event coordinator for the launch (huge applause here), she also gave me gifts beyond measure - her presence, her sense of fun, her wisdom and confidence, which inspired me to celebrate sharing something truly unique to me. If any of you ever need help putting together an online event, honestly she is the go-to person. I promise she will tailor-make an event that is pitch-perfect. You can find her on LinkedIn as well as Instagram, where she writes amazing food critiques, and of course at the Poetry Exchange, where she is the Marketing and Events Producer. She is a writer, producer, director and all-round creative. Her versatility and creative breadth is only part of what makes her so good at when she does. - AWS
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Memory is not a peacock landing on a sleeve by Andrea Witzke Slot
Read by Valerie Wallace
From The Ministry of Flowers by Andrea Witzke Slot, Valley Press, 2020
Recording from The Ministry of Flowers celebration and launch on 12 November 2020
Valerie Wallace is an incredible poet, teacher, editor and web designer and it was not the least bit surprising when her first full-length poetry collection House of McQueen won first prize in the Four Way Books Intro Prize, selected by Vievee Francis. I will never forget going to see the McQueen exhibit at the V&A museum with Valerie in London while she was still working on the book. Who doesn't love a poet who also has an eye for fashion? Valerie and I first met over a decade ago as editors with Rhino Poetry in Chicago when neither of had books out. She is the loveliest kind of friend and I admire her to no end. Find out more about about her work here valeriewallace.net.- AWS
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⚘More videos & introductions coming soon⚘
The full episode of the launch is below!
Andrea Witzke Slot launched her new collection of poetry, The Ministry of Flowers, published by Valley Press, on 12 November 2020. In a beautiful celebration event, combining poetry, art & music, the poems were brought to life by a range of writers and performers, alongside Andrea herself. We are delighted to be able to share a recording of the event with you here. To purchase and read The Ministry of Flowers, head to the Valley Press website: https://www.valleypressuk.com. You can discover more about Andrea and her work at www.andreawitzkeslot.com.
Poetry by Andrea Witzke Slot.
Curated by Fiona L Bennett and Andrea Witzke Slot. Producer and Event Co-ordinator: Sally Anglesea.
Readings by: Andrea Witzke Slot; Sally Anglesea; Hafsah Aneela Bashir; Fiona L Bennett; Vanessa Gebbie; Faisal Mohyuddin; John Prebble; Michael Shaeffer and Valerie Wallace.
Created with the support of The Poetry Exchange: www.thepoetryexchange.co.uk
Timecodes:
Piano prelude: 00:00
Introductions by Fiona L Bennett, host, and Jo Brandon, Valley Press: 02:10
Introduction from Andrea: 08:34
Readings: 16:22
Interval (including slideshow & piano recording by Andrea): 52:48
Readings: 59:56
Close (including piano recording by Andrea): 1:27:20