ONLINE: Story Café: The Great Outdoors, Women and Running

Whether you’re a lockdown stroller or a 10k veteran, we’d love you to celebrate with us the joys and struggles of women who run (and maybe cycle and swim a bit too…).

Story Cafe: Women and Running, Thursday 18th June, 1pm to 2.30pm, 12+, Women only, Online

At this online Story Cafe, Vikki Husband, Beth McDonough and Morag Smith will be reading their own work and a sample of other poets from the new Poetry Business anthology of poems about running The Result is What You See Today. They’ll also be sharing their favourite poetry, short stories and other writing, so kick off your trainers, grab a cup of tea and a large slice of cake and listen in!

Vicki Husband’s first collection of poetry This Far Back Everything Shimmers was published by Vagabond Voices and shortlisted for the Saltire Society Scottish Poetry Book of the year 2016. More recently Vicki published a pamphlet-length poem with Mariscat Press: Sykkel Saga charts a cycle trip through a Norwegian arctic landscape, exploring language and mythology. Vicki was a member of Edinburgh Southern Harriers in her youth, then rediscovered running in her late 30s. Pollok Park is a regular running route; trails and hills are her favourite places to run and walk.

After many non-running years, Beth McDonough attempted a ParkRun in 2017, and surprised herself by enjoying it greatly. Her first half-marathon in her former homeland of Kintyre was a joy. She is often to be found running, walking, cycling and foraging. In less-constrained times, she swims year round in the Firth of Tay. Being outdoors is a source of poems and peace. She is published in many places including Magma, Gutter, Causeway and Northwords Now;  she reviews in DURA and The High Window. In 2016 Handfast (with Ruth Aylett), focused on familial experiences – Aylett’s of parental dementia, and McDonough’s of her son’s autism. Her first solo pamphlet, Lamping for Pickled Fish was published in September, by 4Word.

Morag Smith is a part-time poet and even more part-time runner. She started running in Germany while giving up smoking and brought the running back with her when she returned to live in Scotland. Her poetry and short stories have been published in many anthologies and magazines, including Gutter, New Writing Scotland, Poetry Review Ireland, Ink Sweat and Tears and she is currently one of the Glasgow Mirrorball Clydebuilt poetry apprentices for 2019-20. She also works for Glasgow Women’s Library.

“Really enjoyable – I didn’t know about these women poets…” – Edinburgh Story Cafe participant

You can find all our online events here.

Booking

This event is now fully booked.

This event will take place online. The event is free and for women only* (12+). To attend, please book below and we will share an email invitation with you.  If you would like to make a donation to Glasgow Women’s Library, you can do so here.

*All women-only events are inclusive of Trans and Intersex women, as well as non-binary and gender fluid people.

Accessibility

This session takes place via an online video/phone call link. If you would like to attend, we will share an email invitation along with simple and straight forward instructions on how this will work. If you have any concerns about how this will work for you, please do get in touch and we’ll do all we can to support you in joining the session.