A Walk with Thread and Word for The Margate Bookie September 2018 

An Invitation

 

 This is a walk as pilgrimage creating shrines for the Margate Bookie September 2018 by Thread and Word. Led by Elspeth Penfold

Drawing inspiration from Dee Heddonʼs Walking Library and the book Home Altars of New Mexico by Dana Salva. Thread and Word will take participants and walkers on a journey through poetry, walking, books, Margate and the passion and following that these engender. 

Elspeth Penfold will  create portable shrines to the books and the writing of four authors. At selected spots in Margate books will be introduced and then a small shrine will be built and marked with the placing of “Ofrendas” or offerings created by local artists and creative makers ( this might include a chosen reading/performance from the text). 

The walking shrines will be a symbolic act, celebrating Margate, and expressing our gratitude to The Margate Bookie, the Authors and their books for the difference they make to our lives. 

The authors are:

 Elise Valmorbida - The Madonna of The Mountains 

PJ Whitely - Marching on Together 

Jess Kidd - The Hoarder

Owen Lowery - who will be presenting a multimedia poetry show ʻTransitionsʼ 

Each of these authors has sent Elspeth artefacts, that have contributed to the writing of their  book. These artefacts include, objects, photos and music. The larger objects will be placed on a small portable altar behind a symbolic rudimentary rood screen where we might catch glimpses of the larger artefacts so that they act as relics which have prompted the pilgrimage, objects you might touch but which are at the same time unattainable. 

All contributors to this project are invited, if they wish, to make an ‘Ofrenda’ something that might fit in with the concept, and can be added to the altar as a personal response or offering. It does not have to be costly, the simpler the materials the better. The most important things are that it should be your personal response to the book or books or poems, if you fancy doing more than one, and also that it should be easy to place or carry. You might choose to do a performative reading.

I am hoping you can join the walk , but if this is difficult let me know and I will place your piece for you. 

I hope you have as much fun doing this as I am! please get in touch if you have any questions.

 elspethpenfold@yahoo.co.uk  

This walk is free but ticketed on Eventbrite linked below as there will be a limit on numbers. Please also visit eventbrite for more details including dates and times.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/walk-with-shrines-tickets-48830648785