SECOND LIGHT NETWORK

Dilys Wood

Dilys Wood is poet, editor and convenor of Second Light Network of Women Poets. She has edited four anthologies of women’s poetry, mainly with Myra Schneider and has published two collections of poetry, Women Come to a Death and Antarctica.

SECOND LIGHT NETWORK OF WOMEN POETS

(SLN)

by

Dilys Woods 

I founded Second Light (SLN), a network of over 300 women poets aged over forty, in 1994. We followed this forteen years later with ARTEMISpoetry, a journal for women’s poetry.

The best feedback for me is that a group of members have met informally or that two members are exchanging poems. Other good news is of members’ successes in national competitions and enthusiastic reports of our annual events, including a poetry competition, two-day festivals in London (Spring and Autumn), and an residential course.

SLN events are supportive. The tone is constructive.There is no put-down for those over 50, over 70, or over 90. We welcome younger women poets as Associate Members.

The inspiration for Second Light was that vibrant, exciting work is absolutely not sex or age-related. Probably all serious editors and organisers know this, but some number-crunchers are obsessed with youth, trendiness, or any kind of gimic. There may be reverence for famous older poets, but the pattern of women’s lives may mean that a woman may be a ‘new poet’, just starting to publish, at any time up to old age.

The other aspect of SLN’s work – aspiration – was latent in the original mission and has flourished because so many members are talented and ambitious.We play to these strengths by choosing distinguished poets to lead workshops and to contribute to ARTEMISpoetry. We also regularly interview and review for the magazine important women poets not born in/living in the UK.

Five anthologies and three individual collections show-case members’ work. Each member may post a poem and CV details on our website (www.secondlightlive.co.uk). ARTEMISpoetry – open to any woman poet to submit – carries many poems and we offer far more reviews of women’s collections than most magazines.

For more details of SLN see our website HERE.

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