There was standing room only at Groundlings Theatre on Saturday at the launch of a new book which celebrates Portsmouth in Poetry.  This Island City: Portsmouth in Poetry, published by Spinnaker Press, is the culmination of three years of work  by editor Dale Gunthorp along with Maggie Sawkins and Denise Bennett and includes over 200 poems from across the century and city.

The poems date back to the 17th century and include Rudyard Kipling and WS Gilsbert as well as other well known contemporary poets. However, some of them are from less well known poets who contributed through  workshops, such as Tongues and Grooves which runs in Portsmouth.

 Carolyn Barber from Southsea was delighted when her poem made it to the book. Carolyn said, "I was absolutely thrilled when I heard. I couldn't beleive it. The worskhop I went to was one of the first things I attended after being ill over christmas. My mind must have been a blank sheet and I felt inspired."

Dale Millard editor of the book was delighted with the turn  out. She joked to the audience, "Now that it's in my hands I am almost too scared to open it."

The evening was compered by co-editor Julie Millard. Julie said, "Dale and I realised that the city was hungry for something like this so Spinnaker Press was born out of finding an outlet for the creativity that Portsmouth has."