Our story
About the GPS
The Gloucestershire Poetry Society (GPS) was founded in 2016 (originally the Gloucester Poetry Society) by Z.D. Dicks (Ziggy Dicks) as a way of uniting poets and spoken word performers in the Gloucestershire area.
It quickly became more than that, and in 2018 its name was changed to the Gloucestershire Poetry Society and now boasts national and international poets in its ranks. Every member of The GPS shares the attitude that everyone is welcome. Wherever you are from, whether you have been writing for ten years, ten months, or ten days, there is a place for you.
If you want to read poetry, write poetry or perform poetry/spoken word, this is the place for you. The Gloucestershire Poetry Society’s ethos is that poetry is for everyone. Our motto is ‘Changing lives through poetry’ as we have witnessed the growth of amazing talent in the region and members who have truly inspirational stories to tell.
Welcome to the Gloucestershire Poetry Society.
2023
After three years at the helm, Josephine Lay passed over the running of the GPS to Jason Conway. As the director, Jason will continue to grow the reputation of the GPS. Jason has an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University and is the Founder and EIC of Steel Jackdaw Magazine.
Josephine and Peter Lay are concentrating on their writing and publishing projects.
The society thanks them for their wonderful work in growing the GPS to a nationally respected, all-inclusive space for poetry, and we wish them the very best for the future.
They have been awarded Lifetime Friendship Memberships as thanks for their service.
Jason Conway - Director
2020-2023
In January 2020, Ziggy (Z. D. Dicks) passed over the running of the GPS to Josephine Lay, due to being awarded the title of ‘Gloucestershire Poet Laureate’ in October 2019, taking over from the excellent work carried out by Brenda Read-Brown previously.
Josephine, with the help of Jason Conway, Peter Lay and a small team of dedicated supporters, are taking the society to new heights!
Ziggy was awarded a Lifetime Friendship Membership as thanks for his service.
Josephine Lay - Director of Operations
Jason Conway - Financial, Technical & Marketing Director
Peter Lay - Events Co-ordinator
The Birth of the GPS & The Gloucester Poetry Festival
When the Gloucester Poetry Society (created in October 2016) was founded it became a success overnight. Poets came out of every shadow with the hope of sharing their work. They were overjoyed with opportunities to share, but something was missing. A stage, a platform that everyone could get behind. Something ostentatious and different. Something that would show the world how prolific Gloucester is for creative writing and performance.
Zack Dicks - Ziggy The Poet
Founder of The Gloucestershire Poetry Society
At the time, there were fantastic local events, but they were specialist. So, the Gloucester Poetry Society determined that they would honour the amazing poetry being created in Gloucester and build upon local events.
The Gloucester Poetry Society set out to do what has never been done before, create an international platform for poets to perform and an opportunity for all poets of every level to be involved.
The Gloucester Poetry Festival was created by The Gloucester Poetry Society soon after, and plans were made to create a staging ground for spoken word artists and page poets to perform. Everyone pulled together as a team. In keeping with the ethos of the Gloucestershire Poetry Society, all were welcome.
Ziggy Dicks, the ‘Gloucestershire Poet Laureate’, became the Director of the Gloucester Poetry Festival in January 2020. The festival is a major attraction for poets and spoken word artists across the UK.