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GOBS Poetry Book Club: Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek – Marshmallow Clouds

  • Nottingham Central Library 1 Carrington Street NG1 7FH (map)

GOBS Collective invites you to chat and scribble your heart away at our Poetry Book Club, hosted in Nottingham Central Library and via Zoom.

GOBS Poetry Book Club provides a space for poets, writers, readers, performers, and artists to meet over a cuppa, and have a good chinwag over our poetry collection of the month. For the first half of the session we’ll talk about the book, and in the second half we’ll do some focussed writing exercises based on our favourite poems.

It’s preferable that you read the book before you come along, but if you don’t get chance and fancy heading down anyway, just pop along and there’s sure to be something for you to say, listen to, or write. No judgement.

June 2025’s Book:

Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek – Marshmallow Clouds

In this captivating collection of poetry, celebrated poets Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, along with illustrator Richard Jones, explore the wonders of nature in a spirited and magical way – and invite our imaginations out to play. A freewheeling romp through the world of imagery and metaphor, this quietly startling collection is framed by the four elements and divided into thoughtfully-curated sections, exploring art and reality, fact and fancy.

Look around: what do you see? A clown balancing a pie in a tree, or an empty nest perched on a leafless branch? This charming compendium of the fleeting and unexpected turns the everyday – towering trees and tiny tadpoles; roaring fires, lazy afternoons, and pillowy white marshmallows – into poetic gold.

Get a 15% discount on this book at Five Leaves by using the code GOBS

GOBS Poetry Book Club is also available to attend via Zoom.

Please note we have limited places available both in-person and online, so booking is essential.

GOBS Poetry Book Club is free to attend (donations welcome)

When: Saturday 28 June, 11am-1pm

Where: Nottingham Central Library (Meeting Room 2), 1 Carrington Street, Nottingham, England, NG1 7FH

Any enquiries can be directed to Bridie at info@gobscollective.org

At previous events, we've looked at:

Caleb Femi – Poor

Tolu Agbelusi – Locating Strongwoman

Caroline Bird – The Air Year

Ella Frears – I am the Mother Cat

Kae Tempest – Running Upon the Wires

Roger Robinson – A Portable Paradise

Malika Booker, Sharon Olds & Warsan Shire – Your Family, Your Body (Modern Poets Three)

Inua Ellams – The Actual

Cecilia Knapp – Peach Pig

Yomi Sode – Manorisms

Will Harris – Rendang

Anthony Anaxagorou – Heritage Aesthetics

Hannah Lowe – Chick

Warsan Shire – Blessed is the Daughter Raised by a Voice in her Head

Gboyega Odubanjo – Adam

Brian Bilston – Alexa, what is there to know about love?

Amy Acre – Mothersong

Amanda Gorman – Call Us What We Carry

Book now