I had the honour of judging on this year’s Bard of Hawkwood (that’s me second from the left when you get to the image). They were all brilliant in different ways and it was not an easy decision. It is a question of considering literary merit, performance on the day and what the bard will do if given this platform… there were three of us judging and I’m very happy with the choice we made and with what the winner is already doing off the back of this…
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Centre – Madeleine Harwood, Bard of Hawkwood 2017
3 years ago I set up the Bard of Hawkwood contest to promote community creativity. This, along with Stroud Out Loud! – the monthly spoken word showcase I founded – offers a way for budding bards to hone their fledgling talents in an inclusive, supportive way. It is not the only way of doing things but it works here in Stroud and the Five Valleys, where there is a wealth of local talent and traditions of artistic heritage, alternative lifestyles, radical thinking, and grassroots activity. The Bardic Chair tradition and revival is something I have explored in my book, The Bardic Chair: inspiration, invention, innovation (1st published by RJ Stewart Books in 200, a new edition of the book is forthcoming).
RJ Stewart Books, 2008
The revival of English Bardic Chairs is largely down to one man, Tim Sebastian. The Arch-Druid…
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Druid Life 
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