Welcome to the 3rd European Biblio/Poetry Therapy Conference: A Pilgrimage of the Page

Welcome to the first blog from the 3rd European Biblio/Poetry Therapy Conference organising team.

Canterbury is famous for the shrine of St Thomas Becket, a focus for medieval travellers from all over Europe. It was immortalised by Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories told by fictional pilgrims who journeyed to the city from London.

In this spirit, we invite you as a participant of the conference to become a ‘pilgrim of the page’. Our time together will be a shared path—one that honours the deep kinship between story, healing, and the human need to travel together for meaning.

Inspired by The Canterbury Tales

Inspired by The Canterbury Tales, we have imagined the conference through three interwoven metaphors that reflect both the pilgrim journey and the biblio-poetry therapeutic encounter:

The Tavern

In Chaucer’s vision, the pilgrimage begins in a tavern, a convivial, ordinary human space where people gather before the road, bringing their differences, stories, wounds, humour, and hopes.

Our philosophy is that the Tavern will represent the conference as an informal space of welcome. Here, hierarchy softens, and conversation can arise naturally. It is an image that recognises that biblio-poetry therapy begins with kindness, listening, and presence.

We will provide moments and places within the conference where participants can feel comfortable to simply arrive as they are.

The Road

Pilgrimage is not about rushing to the destination; it is about what happens along the way. The conference road will allow stories to surface, perspectives to shift, and unexpected encounters to occur. For us, this gathering is an opportunity to explore and experience sessions, dialogues, workshops, and informal encounters along the way.

We believe the Road metaphor also acknowledges an understanding of biblio-poetry therapy as a process, not simply a technique—something that unfolds through time, rhythm, and relationship as we walk either together or alone.

We will design the conference rhythm so that participants feel accompanied rather than driven. We trust that meaning accrues through movement, pause, and repetition.

The Shrine

In Canterbury, the pilgrimage traditionally culminates at the shrine—a place of stillness, reverence, and inward turning. Arrival at the shrine is not just an ending but rather a moment that offers possibilities of integration before the return to ordinary life.

In terms of this conference, we like to think of the Shrine representing moments of reflection, synthesis, and inner listening. Held within the unique atmosphere of Cathedral Lodge and its proximity to the Cathedral itself, these moments invite participants to honour biblio-poetry therapy as a practice of care, conscience, and meaning, rooted as much in silence as in speech.

Across tavern, road, and shrine, we will come together as a temporary community of pilgrims—practitioners, scholars, facilitators, and companions—each carrying their own tale, yet walking alongside for a time.

Join Us on This Unique Journey

We look forward to meeting and walking alongside friends and colleagues from across Europe who are able to join us on this unique journey. Together, we will explore how words can heal and transform lives, fostering a shared journey of learning and connection within the European biblio/poetry therapy community.

Let us embrace this opportunity to deepen our understanding and practice, as we collectively engage in the beautiful art of biblio-poetry therapy.

With warm regards,

Victoria, Mel, Mariana, Jon, Eduard, and Anne