Poetry Scrum
To celebrate Exeter’s involvement in hosting the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in the UK, we’re hosting a Poetry Scrum!
We’ve gathered women poets from across the global Cities of Literature network to share new work about female empowerment, bodies in movement, and sport.
About The Project
Poetry Scrum is a video project to platform female poets from the UNESCO Cities of Literature network during the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England across August and September of 2025.
Inspired by the 15 members of a rugby union team, all poems are 15 lines long.
The Participating Cities and Poets
Bremen City of Literature, Germany - Eva Matz
Dunedin City of Literature, New Zealand - Isla Thomas
Durban City of Literature, South Africa - Ekta Somera
Durban City of Literature, South Africa - Fikile Simelane
Edinburgh City of Literature, Scotland - Julie McNeill
Exeter City of Literature, England - Maya de Freitas
Lyon City of Literature, France - Elisabeth Granjon
Tukums City of Literature, Latvia - Elita Viškere
The Poems
Watch this space - We’ll be sharing the full poems throughout the Women’s Rugby World Cup in August and September of 2025!
About The Poets
Eva Matz - Bremen
Eva Matz is a spoken-word artist, author, theatre/film maker, musician and considered the political voice of Bremen’s poetry-slam-scene. Her lyrics are socially critical and personal. She lives as a freelance artist, performs at poetry slams, festivals, and literature projects, is a co-founder of Luxus Filmkollektiv and curates her own formats (i.e. Slam Bremen).
Fikile Simelane - Durban
Fikile Simelane is an author, businesswoman, facilitator, topical speaker based in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. She has published three books: I lived by not living, Healing the Wounds, and 28 Days: Love Has No Colour.
She is passionate about empowerment and self-development through education and creating opportunities, and for speaking about mental health issues.
Elisabeth Granjon - Lyon
Elisabeth Granjon, a French poet from Lyon, has published several books of poetry. After starting as a performer, she is now known as a writer and teacher.
She works with many visual artists and musicians on topics such as sensitivity, desire, language… Writing brightens up her world and shares it with others.
Isla Thomas - Dunedin
Isla Thomas is a poet and researcher exploring grief, colonial memory, and ecological repair in Aotearoa. She likes to talk back.
Julie McNeill - Edinburgh
Julie McNeill is the author of the ‘Mission Dyslexia’ series and three poetry collections; she is Poet in Residence for St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation and Gaffer of The Hampden Collection. She recently co-edited A Most Unsuitable Game celebrating Scottish women’s football 50 years on from the ‘ban’.
Her poems have appeared in Best Scottish Poems collection 2023 and as poem of the week in The Scotsman newspaper.
Ekta Somera - Durban
Ekta Somera is a South African youth activist, author and founder of Paper Trail Literary Journal. Her poetry collections Made in Poetry, Twenty Two and Social Misfit reflect her journey through life’s complexities. Ekta brings books to life, inspiring others to embrace authenticity while pursuing her dream in publishing.
Maya de Freitas - Exeter
From The Camden Roundhouse, Woman of the World Festival, Come As You Are and Tongue Fu, to your local pub; Maya has graced all kinds of stages.
Maya's poems delve into the complexities of the human experience, often with raw honesty and a political edge. Hailing from East London, Maya draws on social observations and her experience as a queer working class woman providing an insightful commentary on contemporary society.
Elita Viškere - Tukums
Elita Viškere is a Latvian poet and member of the Tukums Writers’ Association. A former art teacher, lecturer and cross-country skier, she published her first poetry collection in 2024. Her work has appeared in several anthologies, and she regularly takes part in literary events and competitions.