On Monday 27 May The NASH was treated to a poetry reading by Mary-Jane Holmes as part of Swaledale Festival. Holmes’ poems were diverse and powerful – inspired by influences as varied as the Pennine landscape to a former job as a tattoo remover. She spoke interestingly about creativity and the composition process; she often writes ‘mentally’ whilst walking and composes many of her verses on the go in advance to fixing them to the page. The audience had a stream of questions at the end; luckily her reading was followed by a poetry workshop so they had a chance to delve deeper.