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‘Written Portraits’ poetry residency

Associate artist on ‘People Like You’ – a research study on personalisation in NHS led by Goldsmiths, Imperial and Warwick Universities, funded by Wellcome Trust: 
‘The purpose of Di Sherlock’s poetry residency is to understand how visitors to Maggie’s West London and hospital staff discuss their experiences and express their identities in individual/group conversations. Her poetic practice involves conversations that result in ‘Written Portraits’. The ‘portraits’ are transactional – they are gifted back and discussed with participants and where appropriate the poem reworked until all sides are happy. Through this process we are interested in understanding the wider contexts of care, medicine, and participation.’

Face to Face

My Written Portraits are part of the Face a Face Diep-Haven Festival Exhibition in Dieppe.

Poems inspired by stories told in open conversation during a residency at Glyndebourne and at The Hillcrest Community Centre, Newhaven.

Face a Face

Face à Face

Memory Poems – Free Event in the Reading Room at The Wellcome Collection

Thursday 16th June at 15.00

Wellcome Collection
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE
020 7611 7251

A reading from The Memory Poems – stories gifted in conversation with people living with Early Stage Alzheimer’s and their Carers. Here’s a poem inspired by chat over tea and cake.

The Dahlias

My father’s dahlias surprised the world.

Half red, half yellow, they were his children,

Brought to life by magic fingers

And the Hand of Allah

Or God

Or Krishna.

This is India before Partition.

In the Hill Station garden in Poona

Four brothers and two sisters,

Likewise the children of Khan.

How the time has passed

I’ve no idea.

From tennis and badminton

To foxtrot and tango and waltz.

How I waltzed!

I waltzed at cocktail parties,

Dinner parties,

Private Members’ Clubs,

But my husband did not dance.

He sat and talked as I whirled

In and out of the Vienna Woods,

Knowing that he would give me the moon

If I asked.

Imagine,

Fifty years of marriage,

So many moons!

After Partition

The houses were sold and they put up flats

And the past was another country.

But I remember

My father’s dahlias surprised the world.