Text reads: Dark Angels Note 137 World Book Day. Background image is a child sitting reading a book. They are silhouetted against a sunset sky.

Dark Angels Note 137

Dearest Friends

Welcome back to our weekly Friday Note.

 

Observing

Yesterday was World Book Day; three small words that strike fear into the hearts and minds of parents the land over.

UNESCO designated this annual charity event as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. Encouraging children to come to school dressed as their favourite fictional characters, the charity also gifts every child a voucher to spend on books. The day was first observed in the United Kingdom in 1998 and is now celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Their mission? To promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. They do lots of fundraising and invite book lovers to get involved.

 

Reading

In honour of World Book Day’s mission to get people reading for pleasure, is there a book on your wish list, either as an adult or child, that you always wanted to read but never quite got around to? Today could be that day.

 

Writing

What was your favourite book as a young child? What character did you identify with most? Imagine meeting that character at the age you were when you first encountered them. What would you talk about? Now think about meeting that same character today. Would the conversation be different? Would the dialogue change? Do you still have things in common, even after the passage of time?

 

Sharing

Keep sending us your poems, writings, links and writerly whatnots that you’d like to share with the wider Dark Angels family.

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Diary

Dark Angels & 26 poetry event

Wednesday 5 April at 7pm (UK time), on Zoom.

We’re delighted to invite you to a joint gathering for Dark Angels and 26 members, co-hosted by Neil Baker and Martin Clarkson. Therese, Tim and John will give readings from the book, as well as being in conversation with Neil and Martin. It promises to be a poetry event different from any other.

Register here.

 

Weekly Tuesday Gatherings

Over the coming weeks, we have a few adjustments to the schedule of our weekly gatherings.

7 Mar: 7pm as usual

14 Mar: no gathering

21 Mar: no gathering

28 Mar: 7pm as usual

 

Join us for a reflective hour of reading, writing and communing led by Neil Baker. Everyone is welcome; in fact, invite a friend along. We meet at 7pm UK time. To join us, click here on the night. There’s no need to register in advance and we’ll be using the same link every week from now on.

 

Hearts, Inspired, 16-21 June 2023

Join us for a 5-day writing retreat on Whidbey Island, in the US Pacific Northwest. We’ll explore writing, creativity and inspiration through guided writing, personal projects and time in nature.

Find out more here.

 

Words Are Seeds, 19-23 June 2023

Five days of writing, rituals and nature connection at Bore Place over the summer solstice. We’re expecting a lively, stimulating and playful experience, with plenty of time for individual pondering, wondering and wandering – and writing.

Find out more here.

 

Be well, keep reading, keep writing and know that we’re always here.

From everyone at Dark Angels