I’m not actually, but couldn’t resist the headline. Sorry. However, I do know a professional communicator who is also a poet in his spare time, and seeing as today is National Poetry Day I thought it would be good to highlight some of his work.
Richard Dennison (pictured) manages the intranet and social media for British Telecom’s (BT) corporate comms function. He has published a selection of poems via Posterous and my favourite line of them all has to be in The Human Condition poem which says ‘do squirrels need fridges’ – brilliant. I’m ruining the context, so will point you in the direction of some of Richard’s poems for you to enjoy. You can listen to him reading them here.
If you’re in London today and near Piccadilly Circus, do glance up at the big screens as lots of poetry is going to be shown there until 6pm today, Thursday 4 October, as part of National Poetry Day, which is now in its 18th year.
Are you a comms professional with another talent up your sleeve that you’d be happy to share? Do let me know.
I’ve heard through the comms grapevine that Internal Comms and Social Media Manager at KCOM Group @Steve_Murg is contemplating creating a comms-pros version of ‘Gangnam style’, but that could just be a wicked rumour started on Twitter by PR and Comms Officer @RosePCCI of Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry… Sorry Steve for spreading the info further – would be great though. No pressure.
Right, I’ll leave you in the poetic hands of Richard Dennison – enjoy!
Listen to Richard reading his poems here
Rachel
Will definitely look for Piccadilly Circus screens – and try to listen to Richard’s poetry.
Allow me to also plug my own poem – all about the tension that some newsdesks feel about calls from PR people.
http://www.simonsanders.net/journalism-v-pr
In performance mode, it’s best read out loud and fast!
Enjoy!
Thanks for coming forward Simon. Just read through your poem and it made me chuckle. Although I didn’t read it Eminem style, I agree it works best read aloud.
Any more for any more? Don’t be shy, Rachel
Hi Rachel – I’m going to out another Internal Communications poet, I hope he doesn’t mind! @paul_bennun did the same Internal Comms Management diploma at Kingston that you and I did all those years ago. We’ve never met but are Twitter buddies. His poetry can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/paulbennunpoems#!/paulbennunpoems/notes
I’ve met Richard and had no idea he was a poet. Thanks for directing me to his site – his poetry is very good! I agree, The Human Condition is excellent!
Hi Jon – thanks for kind words and retweet! 🙂
always knew you’d be outed one day…
Like the fact that ‘secret poets’ are being outed. Thanks for the link to Pauls’ poems, they look great. Any more that anyone knows of? Rachel