I love poetry.

I love reading it.

I love hearing it.

Most of all, I love writing it.

There is something immensely empowering and deeply magical about putting words on the page and seeing them begin to hum and sing of their own accord.

So I am thrilled and humbled in equal parts to be playing a small part in a great new project entitled ‘Order, Chaos and Chronic Illness’ being run out of the University of York Health Sciences Department this year.

The rather brilliant team behind it is looking for members of the public, health professionals and researchers with experience of chronic illness to join them in exploring its impact using poetry and poetic forms.

There will be poetry reading and writing workshops from April to June culminating in lots of activity during the 2014 Festival of Ideas in York entitled ‘Order and Chaos.’  This includes two major events involving poets; Simon Armitage, Gillian Clarke, Ian McMillan and Blake Morrison.

I mean, you can’t beat that can you?

An anthology of the poetry from the workshops and contributors is also planned.

I should add that the project is being funded by the excellent C2D2, a University of York ‘virtual centre’ for coordinating, promoting, supporting and maximising the benefit of interdisciplinary research and research-linked activities in the area of chronic diseases and disorders.

You can find out more about the project and how you get involved by visiting their website here or clicking on the poster above, or scanning the QR code in the bottom right hand corner of the poster with your iphone.  You can also follow @PoetryIllness on Twitter.

Just got that done before Poetry Please on Radio4