BRISTOL ARGONAUTICA

AN EPIC POEM

During the COVID-19 Pandemic I, like so many others, was struck by the momentous events unfolding around the world. I wanted to find a way to respond as a writer that felt appropriate and timely. While theatre was either shut down or online, I felt that a slightly older form of literature seemed apt for historic times. I decided to write an epic poem, Bristol Argonautica. It explored feelings of isolation, connection and the idea of 'getting home' during the pandemic.

Modelled after the classical epic poems such as The Iliad and The Odyssey, but taking it's name from The Argonautica (the story of Jason and the Argonauts) by Apollonius of Rhodes, I set out to write a piece of long form poetry that would use a tapestry of interweaving characters to tell and full and yet fractured story of the experience of different people during the pandemic. I tied modern characters to classical counterparts; the heroic medical professional, Dr Singh, was a modern day Heracles performing his great labours, the government scientists were soothsayers and Ali, a delivery driver, was a descendant of Hermes.

I received seed funding from Bristol Old Vic, through their Ferment programme and presented the piece at Bristol Old Vic 9th September 2020.

​Much of the poem was filmed, following strict Covid protocols, and shared online, .

To emulate the epic poems of ancient times, the piece began with the Invocation to the Muse which can be viewed here.