Poetry for well being

Mel Perry is continuing to work with students on the estestisk program in Holavedsgymnasiet, Tranås. The group, who call themselves Sagolandet, is preparing for a multimedia production about young people’s mental health. Through drama, dance, music, song and poetry the students will explore the key findings of recent research into young people’s experiences of mental ill health and services to support them. The production will be performed in May 2019 in Tranås and Gislaved. Mel has encouraged the group to write their own individual poems and a collaborative piece.

In January Sagolandet enjoyed meeting local poet Joakim Becker, whose collection “I sällskapsrummet på en psykiatrisk klinik” is inspiring some of the pupils’ poems. Copies of Colm Ó Ciarnáin’s translations of Becker poems “when the barbed wire slipped in” were given to the students. The group were able to discuss different aspects of writing poetry with Joakim, hear him read his work, and share their Swedish and English poetry. It was a pleasure to see the group visibly moved and amused by Joakim’s brief, and powerful poems.