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Relationships on Female First
Model, filmmaker and contemporary poet Greta Bellamacina met her partner, the ' Text-Art Banksy' Robert Montgomery, through verses and rhymes. The couple, who now travel the world to showcase their poetry, have an endearing story to tell about their journey through life, love and poetry and are a great study for love which blossomed through love letters and the written word. We caught up with Greta to find out more.
Please tell us about your involvement in the new campaign- Meet with a Poem.
The campaign is to get more people meeting through poetry and engaging with language. I met my boyfriend and collaborator through poetry; you would be surprised how many people share a love for poetry. Poetry is not just for a funeral - it is about life.
You met your partner through versus and rhymes- so can you tell us a little bit more about this?
Yes, officially when I was editing a book of love poetry- I put one of his poems in the book. It was refreshing to meet someone through their words, you can find out a lot about the person. Now we have a son, Lorca… since, we have written a whole collection of collaborative poetry about Britain, entitled "Points For Time in The Sky" published by The New River Press.
Do you think the written word is dying out when it comes to wooing a partner?
I don't think it will ever die out- there would be no more great love songs, no more Bowie. I think as long as people have the ability to love, poetry will always exist. I just think people have become a lot more simplistic with how they communicate; an emoji will never be revolutionary…
What attracts you to your partner's poetry?
The honesty and selflessness to bring magic it brings to strangers lives. But also his frankness to be able to talk about important political issues which need to be spoken about, from the rise in university fees, to the demise of public libraries.
Why are love letters so important to your relationship and what is your advice to those couples who have never sent one?
When Robert and I first met, we started writing poetry together, in a way- they were like love letters to each other. Now we have a whole book, it's almost like a diary of our love. They are also a way for us to share our deepest feelings, dreams and nightmares.
Why will digital communication never compare to the written word?
I think digital should be a place for sharing the written word. The Internet provides a free and open audience. It is accessible to everyone. Also the way we communicate online is completely different to the way we might communicate to a lover.
The research found that 1 in 5 people haven't said 'I love you' to their partner in the past year- so what was your reaction to these stats?
Shocking. Love can change people lives- people need to find a way to share it; poetry is just one of them.
Julius Meinl's latest campaign, Meet With A Poem is a unique social experiment set to take place on World Coffee Day (1st October) and aims to highlight how poetry can bring people together.
tagged in Poetry