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EnglishWhich poets and publications are featured by OU Poets?
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OU Poets (The Poetry Society of the Open University) features member poets and their collections mainly through news posts on its website, and the two poets most clearly documented there are Adrian Green (Bluenote Time) and the late Hilary Mellon (Wearing Silver Shoes). The site's coverage is event-driven rather than a catalogue: it highlights members' work when a book launch, reading or performance gives a reason to announce it. If you are looking for a complete bibliography of members' publications, the site as described does not provide one.
Member poets and publications named on the site
| Poet | Publication | Context given on the site |
|---|---|---|
| Adrian Green | Bluenote Time | A Southend-based poet and musician; the collection draws on years of listening to jazz in Essex, his time running a traditional jazz club in Southend, and work helping to establish the Jazz Centre (UK). It also draws on material from his earlier books. |
| Hilary Mellon | Wearing Silver Shoes | A collection of works by the late Hilary Mellon, who died in December 2025 and was a life member of OU Poets. A launch event was scheduled for 5 November at the Bicycle Shop Café, Norwich. |
Adrian Green's collection is presented as a themed body of work rather than a general anthology: the poems are tied to a specific place (the Thames Estuary and Essex), a specific music (jazz) and a specific local institution (the Jazz Centre). That level of detail is useful if you want to judge whether the book matches your interests before seeking it out.
Where member work appears in society activity
Beyond book announcements, the site shows members' poetry being read and performed at society events. Two examples illustrate the pattern:
- Online introduction for new students. OUP Chair Karen Macfarlane hosted an online introduction to the Society, with readings from members Adrian Green, Rosie Douglas, Marian Reid, Seb Criado-Perez, Mariana Gardener and Karen Macfarlane. Around fifty students attended, and two students shared poems in a final read-around.
- Poetry and jazz performance. The Jazz Centre in Southend-on-Sea hosted a lunchtime performance on Thursday 20 August, 1pm–2pm, featuring poet Shephall Frost alongside OUP member Adrian Green.
These posts are the closest thing on the site to a rolling record of who is active and what they are reading. For a reader trying to find member poets, the practical approach is to browse the news posts rather than expect a directory.
How to use the site to find poets and publications
- Start with the news posts. Each entry is dated and tied to an event or announcement, so you can scan recent posts to see which members are currently active.
- Follow the event details. Launch events and performances name the poet, the collection and often the venue, which gives you a way to hear the work or buy the book.
- Check event access conditions before travelling. The Norwich launch for Wearing Silver Shoes states admission is free; the Southend jazz performance gives a time and venue but the excerpt does not state admission terms, so confirm with the venue.
- Expect gaps. The site excerpt covers only a handful of posts, so absence of a poet or title does not mean they are not a member.
What the site does not tell you
The available page evidence does not include a publications list, an online shop, prices, or ordering details for either collection. It also does not state whether the society publishes anthologies of members' work. If you want to obtain Bluenote Time or Wearing Silver Shoes, treat the event announcements as leads and confirm availability through the venue or the society directly rather than assuming the website sells them.
For a reader deciding whether to engage, the site is best read as a noticeboard of member achievements and events: it tells you who is writing, what they have published, and where you can hear them, but it is not a bibliography or a bookshop.