Congleton Poet, Diane Cook, a founder member of Congleton Writers' Forum, is launching her first poetry collection.

Airborne Till Teatime at Congleton Masonic Hall in Mill Street on Thursday 12 November at 7.30pm.

The Congleton-born poet, playwright and short-story writer has had her work published in anthologies, broadcast on radio and on awards in national competitions, but this is the first time a full collection has appeared in print.

Airborne Till Teatime contains 39 poems on a wide range of themes drawn from her extensive repertoire and is published by The Coracle, a publishing enterprise run by Alsager's Philip Williams himself twice winner of the Cheshire Prize for Literature.

Philip said: "I first heard Diane read her very original and striking poems shortly after I moved to the area in 2007. I was also impressed by the very varied activities of the Congleton Writers' Forum, now celebrating its 35th year and one of the most active and original local writers' groups I've come across.

"Diane is a very engaging reader and performer and I was surprised that she hadn't had a full collection in print. I approached her to remedy this and I'm very pleased with the result.

"Diane's poems are witty, assured, quirky and surreal but always with one foot firmly on the ground. She has a keen eye for detail and her themes range from her Congleton childhood to social and international issues.'

Diane Cook's poems have been published by Philip Williams. (ImageL Philip Williams)

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Former Cheshire Poet Laureate, John Lindley, also a resident in Congleton, praised the collection for its 'breathtaking' breadth of detail and emotion saying: 'This is a long overdue debut collection from an astonishingly gifted writer, one which touches hearts and nerves in equal measure."

The collection has also been endorsed by Joy Winkler of Macclesfield, another former Cheshire Poet Laureate and Helen Kay of Poetry Whitchurch whose debut full collection was published by Dithering Chaps last year.

All are welcome to the launch pm 12 November. Airborne Till Teatime is available at £10 per copy and £1 from every sale will go to The Macular Society for macular degeneration research.

Copies will be available at the launch and subsequently from Diane Cook or from Philip Williams Tel 01270 882060 or email [email protected].