Poetry from the Platform was an online poetry writing competition set up by Julie Levy of the Bolton Station Community Partnership during the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. It was designed to make people of all ages think about journeys they may have made in the past and those they might want to take in the future. It aimed to stimulate some creative thinking, bring back happy memories and encourage some anticipation of future travel during a fairly bleak time for the whole country.

Delivered with the support of Dave Morgan, poet and member of Live from Worktown, the competition was launched in two phases which covered various age groups. The submissions were judged by both practising poets and academics with eight category winners identified. In recognition of their achievement they had their work printed on large display boards which are permanently mounted on the pillars of the Bolton Railway Station platforms.

In addition, an Anthology of over fifty submitted poems was compiled and thoughtfully illustrated by Alison Timmins M.A. A celebration of the printing and publication of the Anthology was held as a large online Zoom event with both poets and judges able to perform and discuss their work.

The films that have been made with the skills and expertise of Kitty Handley help to capture some of the emotion, reflection and personality seen in the body of poetry that emerged from this competition. They will allow a new and wider audience to enjoy aspects of the anthology and keep the spirit of this lively collection alive.