WELCOME! to DIVERSIFLY – The Urban Birds Project
This project is supported by public funding through the support of the Arts Council England
The project is closed to submissions after 31st August 2017. However:
The DIVERSIFLY BLOGS are available here, as a permanent collection.
The DIVERSIFLY book is available to buy here.
The DIVERSIFLY podcasts are available to listen to and download for free here, as a permanent collection – and along with other podcasts you might find interesting.
You can read some FEEDBACK about the project here
By Paul Kielty
What is this project about?
This project is about our everyday encounters with the birds of Britain’s towns & cities.
First of all, with help from: Birdwatching Magazine, British Birds, British Bird Lovers and British Trust for Ornithology – better known as BTO – we reached out to those of us already watching our Urban Birds carefully – and who were willing to share their photos and descriptions of their own everyday encounters with the birds of Britain’s towns & cities with us. This part of the project ended 30 April 2017.
Then – from May 1st to August 31st 2017 – our editor Nadia Kingsley has blogged about some of the birds we are likely to see within Britain’s towns & cities – including photos and descriptions from Britain’s urban birdlovers in these, poems and images – for interest, and inspiration.
Also – from May 1st to August 31st 2017 – we welcomed (free) submissions from Artists, Poets, and people who like drawing or writing poetry but wouldn’t give themselves a label of the ‘A’ or ‘P’ words – and then in January 2018 we published a full-colour paperback book called DIVERSIFLY – filled with your submissions – plus some commissioned work from some rather brilliant artists and poets.
Giancarlo Facchinetti and Nadia Kingsley also, visited and recorded six wonderful Nature Poets, plus a keen Urban Birder… Brett Westwood and in January you will be able to listen to some very special, and free, podcasts.
By Paul Kielty
Who are the commissioned Poets and Artists who will be published in the DIVERSIFLY book?
ATM the street artist will be providing two wonderful pictures for the book cover of DIVERSIFLY
Paul Kielty will be commissioned to create new artwork – during the editing process of the book.
Huge thanks goes out to Adele Pound, Deborah Vass and Gordon Yapp for their extra contributions to the book when approached.
The following poets have written a poem based on their own everyday encounter with birds or a bird within one of Britain’s towns or cities… Their poems are published in the DIVERSIFLY book
None of these poets are “known” for their Nature Poetry… In fact for some this will be the first time they attempt to write about a bird or birds. They were chosen to encourage you all to “have a go” – even if it is out of your comfort zone.
By Paul Kielty
Who are the commissioned Poets, and Birder who will be heard on a series of DIVERSIFLY podcasts?
and Stourbridge-based birder and naturalist Brett Westwood
Who are the project team?
By Paul Kielty
What sort of poetry is this project interested in seeing? (THE PROJECT IS NOW CLOSED TO SUBMISSIONS)
We are interested in poetry that is about EVERY DAY ENCOUNTERS WITH A BIRD OR BIRDS IN BRITAIN’S TOWNS & CITIES
What we mean by this is:
any kind of style of poetry but not prose, flash fiction, short stories, and probably not – prose poetry
encounters with birds in Britain’s towns & cities – and not in villages, nature reserves, the countryside, or even gardens – probably
poetry that is about everyday encounters – that is when a person is going about what other people would regard as being everyday activities – getting to work, shopping, coming back from a night out; those sorts of things
We particularly like poetry that is easy to read and understand but has a depth to it and asks you to re read it for the pleasure of it
We like poems that are ‘filmic’ that you feel you are there, when reading it, that paints pictures
Nadia, editor of Fair Acre Press says this: Other than the above it is very very difficult to be more specific. When it comes to editing a book – the book becomes king and some of my favourite poems just don’t, annoyingly, fit in. So it really depends what is sent in. I really hope for great variety so that I can create a book that will appeal and delight 🙂
By Paul Kielty
What sort of artwork is this project interested in seeing?
We are interested in artwork that is about EVERY DAY ENCOUNTERS WITH A BIRD OR BIRDS IN BRITAIN’S TOWNS & CITIES
What we mean by this is:
any style of artwork: drawing, pen & ink, watercolour, oil, in fact any kind of medium, including photographs of ‘craft’, sculpture, installation – everything!
Artwork that is about everyday encounters – that is when a person is going about what other people would regard as being everyday activities – getting to work, shopping, coming back from a night out; those sorts of things
We are not interested, on the whole, in the kind of representational art that you would see in a field guide, for example.
We would love some of the work to show aspects of the town, the road, the shop – wherever it was encountered, but will also be keen on seeing close-ups
We like pictures that tell stories
Nadia Kingsley, editor of Fair Acre Press says this: People who know our Shropshire Butterflies book will know that I really respond to a huge variety of styles and medium.Other than the above it is very very difficult to be more specific. When it comes to editing a book – the book becomes king and some of my favourite artwork just won’t, annoyingly, fit in. So it really depends what is sent in. I really hope for great variety so that I can create a book that will appeal and delight 🙂
Fair Acre Press project DIVERSIFLY is supported using public funding by ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND.
Thank you – you really are A.C.E.!
