Poets wanted: Celebrate Didcot’s routes in a beautiful illustrated book

Local artist Linda Benton invites you to write about personal routes, journeys and everyday discoveries with a beautiful new spring collection.

Could you write a poem for The Poets’ Trail? If the thought makes you hesitate, you’re exactly the person Linda Benton and the team want to hear from.

The Poets’ Trail is a joyful, ongoing community project encouraging local people to put pen to paper and see their words brought to life in beautifully illustrated books. What began in East Hagbourne has steadily grown, with the most recent collection, Didcot’s Oaks, reaching further across the area.

Now, organisers are inviting submissions for the next book on the theme of routes – from pathways to railways in Didcot and villages.

The brief is deliberately wide open. Poems might explore a favourite dog walk, hedgerows discovered along the way, a familiar bus journey from the top deck, a train speeding through the countryside or a cycle ride to a village pub. Personal perspectives and contrasts are actively encouraged.

At the heart of the project is East Hagbourne resident Linda Benton, an artist and long-time community champion who believes poetry belongs to everyone.

Originally from Aberdeen and trained in drawing and painting in Dundee, Linda moved south decades ago and has lived here for over 30 years.

“I’ve always worked in art,” she says, “often alongside other jobs – because art income can be rather erratic.”

Her creative life has been rooted in the community, from running a health food shop in Didcot to caretaking at Hagbourne Village Hall.

Today, daily life revolves around family, village friendships and long walks with Poppy, the family’s petite golden Labrador.

“Having a dog has completely changed our routines,” she says. “It gets us out every day, and we’ve met a whole new group of people.”

Those walks often lead into Didcot for a coffee at Cornerstone or Berro Lounge, both welcoming dogs and their humans.

The local shop and post office, along with The Fleur de Lys pub – known for its music nights and relaxed atmosphere – are all part of what Linda treasures about village life.

“There’s a real feeling of community here,” she says. “Supportive, friendly, and close to the railway too – which fits the Routes theme perfectly.”

Poems should be no more than 36 lines, including the title and spaces, and must be submitted by Tuesday 30 June 2026.

Whether you’re an experienced writer or a first-time poet, The Poets’ Trail offers a gentle invitation to follow where your words might take you.

Send to Linda.benton@live.co.uk. Any questions, please call on 01235 817891

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