TWO of the Forest’s best loved poets will be waxing lyrical in a special performance together this Thursday (March 30).

Coleford barber Keith Morgan and creative writing teacher Maggie Clutterbuck are well known for their dialect poems, and are appearing at Newnham-on-Severn’s community library as part of the Reading the Forest project.

Keith penned the Varest National Anthem, as well as The ‘azards o’ Chimuck Szwippin and Albert’s Dree Wi’ker, while Maggie from Lydney was made Forest Bard in 2005 for her poetry.

The duo will also be discussing about how they got started at the free event, plus what and who inspires them, and the meanings behind their work.

Reading the Forest is a community project run by the University of Glou­cestershire and the Foresters’ Forest with the support of volunteers, which seeks to raise awareness and appreciation of the area’s rich literary heritage,

Spokesman Jason Griffiths said of the two writers: “They have a keen observational eye with poems that are warm and funny – tapping into the special Forest sense of humour – but equally many of their poems are reflective and quite moving.

“Both writers have a lot to say about the people, places and landscape of the Forest of Dean in the past and today. At the same time, they explore ideas that appeal to anyone, wherever they might live.”

The duo have also written some of their work in ‘standard’ English, with Maggie having had two Forest-set novels published – Journey to Worlds End and Caught on Tape – with a third on the way, while her most recent poetry collection was Digging Deep.

They will be in conversation with Jason Griffiths and Roger Deeks from the Reading the Forest project, who both live locally and have been involved in many projects.

The event, An Evening of Keith Morgan and Maggie Clutterbuck is at the 200-year-old Armoury Hall, home to Newnham Library, at 7pm this Thursday, (March 30).

There will be refreshments available plus a small exhibition about the Forest’s literary heritage. Entry is free, but seats can be reserved through the library, or online at www.eventbrite.co.uk