John Clare, poetry, landscape and enclosure with Humphrey Lloyd

Join Humphrey Lloyd in this interactive talk exploring John Clare's life, poetry and politics of enclosures. The event will set John Clare and his poetry in its historical context and unpack the main ideas useful for understanding and enjoying his work. These will include; agricultural labour, the Georgic poetic tradition and the social transformation of enclosure. Humphrey will bring a working farmer's experience of land work to the session exploring the resurgent interest in farming and the politics of the countryside amongst young people in Britain today. This is expressed by the Landworkers' Alliance, a grassroots union of food fuel and fibre producers. Access to land and the history of enclosure is a keystone of this movement, especially for young people looking to set up a farm.

Humphrey Lloyd is a working market gardener and a lover of poetry. He has worked on many farms over the course of his career, and is currently the head grower at Three Hares Market Garden, a small scale organic farm in North Somerset. He has worked as a member organiser for the Landworkers' Alliance, and is still a proud and active member of the union. He also teaches skills in agroecology, and on wider topics in the food system.

This is a collaboration between Flourish Peterborough and Syntax Poetry Collective as part of their Syntax Calendar program.

This event has been made possible by Syntax Poetry Collective through their SyntaxCalendar Program funded by Arts Council National Lottery Project Grants.

Westraven Community Garden is an accessible space with plenty of hard standing for ease of access and an accessible toilet. For any access requirements please contact: [email protected] or message us on social media.

Host or Publisher Lauren Kendrick