We end the week here on My Poetic Side with a look at the artists in Gaza City who are trying to spread the message about staying at home amongst the poorest communities. We also look at Swiss home with literary connections that is up for sale and we have more #comfortandhope poetry.

Gazan Artists Inspire People to Stay Home

Artists in Gaza City have been finding inspiration in the current pandemic and using their artwork to help spread the message that people should stay at home.

When the first two cases of Covid-19 were announced in the area, a couple of artists got together and started creating artwork on masks before distributing them to local people in need, they noticed that children wouldn’t wear the plain white masks so they made colourful ones to encourage them. They disinfected the masks ad distributed them to some of the poorest communities.

They were joined by a couple of other artists and now the small team have branched out. In addition to the pictures, they also began to write quotes on the masks. They used words by Mahmoud Darwish, the Palestinian poet, and also quotes from Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the Russian writer. They have been producing up to 40 customised masks a day but the price has increased significantly and they are now finding them harder to come by.

They have also drawn some murals on wall to help pass on the message. Art is a luxury that many people in their district simply cannot afford but this group of students have found a way to share their art and help others at the same time.

House with Literary Ties Goes up For Sale

The property on Lake Geneva in Switzerland where the writer Mary Shelley was inspired to write Frankenstein following a lightning storm has gone up for sale with a price tag of £2.38m.

In 1816 the writer and Percy Bysshe Shelley, her future husband stayed in the property. They had been touring in the local area with the writer”s step-sister who was the lover of Lord Byron.

Byron proposed a writing competition to create the best horror story and the tale of Dr Frankenstein was born. The first edition of Marys novel was published in 1818, anonymously.

The sellers are hoping that the lakeside property will appeal to fans poetry and writing with its connections.

Even more #comfortandhope

Continuing our look at the BBC Radio 4 series of people reading poetry on 15^th April the poem that was chosen was Patrick by Sandy Langdale, it was read by James Langdale, the poets son. The poem takes a look at the age-old question of God and the role that he plays at the moment of death.

Yesterday in a tribute to the Thursday #clapforcarers, #clapforNHS Yr Arwr (The Hero) was the chosen poem. Written by Hedd Wyn, the poem was read by David Nott an NHS surgeon in dedication no only to his fellow colleagues in the NHS but to all those who are classed as essential workers and involved in keeping the UK going during the pandemic.