Photos: Alice Bray
After publishing Mordardh, an anthology of surf poetry, women’s poetry collective Mor Poets are busy recording an audiobook of the collection, bringing to life the experiences of surfers from across Cornwall through their captivating audio performances.
Mordardh comprises more than 40 poems about surfing – exploring the relationship that surfers have with surfing, the sea and the irresistible pull of the waves. To create it, the eight Mor poets tracked down surfers from across Cornwall, then wrote poems based on their stories, putting board riders’ voices into verse. In the same collaborative way that the book was created, the new audio book will be performed by all the poets, each reading the work they created.
Ella Walsworth-Bell, founder of the Mor Poets says:
“The Mor Poets are so proud of the written collections we’ve created, but poetry is also made to be spoken. That’s why we’re so delighted to creating the audiobook of Mordardh. The poems can take on a whole different meaning and resonance when you hear them performed, and it’s so lovely to have the poets – and surfers – voices and stories recorded and preserved in this way.
“We’re passionate about reaching as many women as possible through poetry, and this is a great way to do it. Not everyone is able to come to our events or has the time to sit down and read a book of poems. But this way they can listen in their own time – perhaps in the van on their way to the surf!”
The audiobook of Mordardh will be available this summer via Audible. The Mor Poets upcoming events include a collaboration with other poets for an event ‘On The Edge’ on 9th May at St Agnes Miners and Mechanics Institute and they are hosting an event at Morrab Library in Penzance on 5th June.
Mor Poets is an Arts Council England-funded women’s poetry collective founded by Ella Walsworth-Bell from Falmouth, combining her love of the sea and poetry. Mordardh is the Mor Poets’ second book, following the publication of their sea swimming poetry anthology ‘Morvoren’ in 2022 (available as an audiobook on Audible).
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