Paper Crane Poets is a local writers’ collective, based at Beeston Library in Nottingham.
Paper Cranes is a space for poetry writers of all stripes and abilities to meet, create and connect. We support local writers to develop their poetry skills and improve their confidence.
The collective is facilitated by Leanne Moden, and the group meets every first and third Tuesday of the month at Beeston Library.
We run fun and friendly workshops, fostering a supportive creative environment. We experiment with writing, drafting and editing poetry, as well as dabbling in performances and projects too!
If you live, work or study in Nottingham, and you're interested in joining the collective, please email papercranepoets@gmail.com for further details!
In June 2024, Paper Crane Poets worked with the Nottingham Poetry Festival and Inspire Libraries to provide members of the public with FREE POEMS, written by poets from our talented collective.
We spent a sunny Saturday at Beeston Library, writing bespoke poetry for children, adults and everyone in between! We wrote twenty-one poems, on a myriad of topics from Notts Forest to Lego dinosaurs, and from family birthdays to the wonders of colonic irrigation!
Thank you so much to everyone who requested a poem: Ebba, Lola, Chris, Zed, Cerys, Antony, Beth, Laura, Matilda, Maisie, Isabella, Nader, Ellen, Rebecca, Yahya, Inder, Richard, Emily, Marvin, Elise and Dylan.
And a huge thank you to our poets, Sue, Cathy, Gail, Edwina, David, Clare and Helen, who worked so hard to create some cracking poems!
In 2023, we wrote our first ever poetry anthology!
First Flight is a collection of poems about connection: the connections we have with friends and family, our connection to our homes, cities and environments, connection to nature, and the disconnection that comes through grief and loss.
Written by twenty-seven poets from Paper Crane Poets, these poems are by turns funny, beautiful, moving, and surprising. This is our First Flight, but it won’t be our last!
The book was published by the lovely folks at Big White Shed, and the cover was illustrated and designed by artist and wonderful human, Hannah Radenkova.
And the book is available to buy right now! Check out our Bookshop to get hold of your copy!
In May 2023, Paper Crane Poets worked with the National Justice Museum, responding creatively to an art exhibition by the group C2C Social Action.
C2C worked with local visual artists and women in vulnerable situations (including those with experience of the criminal justice system, survivors of domestic violence, or folks with addiction issues) to produce artworks inspired by nature. The project lab exhibition space at NJM showcased the artworks created, as well as a tea apothecary, celebrating local wild flora and its positive impact on human well-being.
As part of the Paper Cranes Writing Workshop, we all wrote poems about the restorative power of tea. Each poet then wrote their favourite line from their poems on to a neon sticky note, and we arranged the lines into a collaborative poem. The final piece was published by the museum as part of Green Hustle 2023 programme.
In 2022, the folks at Inspire Culture, Learning and Libraries asked Paper Crane Poets to write a commissioned poem for their annual general meeting.
We spent two months working together on the poem, which includes contributions from nineteen poets from the collective.
The poem – Beyond the Library Door – was inspired by our individual experiences in local libraries, and all the brilliant projects that Inspire provides to our communities too.
It was a joy to work on this project, and we’re really proud of the finished piece!
