Poet, performer, workshop facilitator, teacher
I’m Christine, all of the above – and openly obsessed with Anne Lister.
I’ve always written. As a young girl while walking through countryside, raw lines of poetry seeped through my mind. For years I wrote secretly, squirreling poems between floorboards of various homes.
In 2013 I was thrilled to be offered a place at the Manchester Writing School. I received my Master of Arts in Creative Writing (Poetry) led by Carol Anne Duffy, Poet Laureate, in 2017.
Anne Lister charged into my life one Friday evening in 2014. After an exhausting week teaching, I was looking for source material for my next poem. I picked up my new copy of ‘I know my own heart’. It was 1 a m when I put the book down.
Eight hours later I was stood facing Shibden Hall, Halifax, the home of Anne Lister. That day was spent languishing around an almost empty house, talking to staff, stroking floorboards and being completely swept up into the world of Anne Lister.
I’ve spent the last 4 years writing Women my full-length poetry collected based on Anne Lister and her lovers. And I can’t wait it to you! It’s written for page and stage – read it and watch it being performed!
I’ve always enjoyed being on stage – the buzz, excitement is like nothing else. And I love performing my poems based on nature, women or this, my latest work, Anne Lister. Bringing the voices of Anne and her lovers to life thrills me!
See performance of Women at ALBW 2022 here.
Other performance poems YouTube here
Let’s be like Anne. Anne and the written word are intrinsically linked. Let’s write. I’ve facilitated Anne Lister Writing Workshops at Shibden Hall (and various venues) residential weekends, plus festivals. Online, I’ve held several series of Anne Lister Writing Workshops reaching and connecting women from Halifax to New Zealand, America, Canada, Netherlands and beyond.
