John Constable, a playwright and poet, has written a book featuring poetry and prose about the myths and legends of Glastonbury.

John moved to Glastonbury from London 18 months ago, and his since felt inspired by the town’s aura, describing it as “a place of spiritual healing”.

The book, titled GRAIL, features incantations, spells, and meditations, which are all aspects of life that John has felt connected with since his move to Glastonbury.

“You’ll get a poem, and then you’ll get something about Glastonbury” he said.

“The poems are about the myths and legends… some of them are about going into the history in more depth and some are about the last year.

“My poetry is a way of trying to point us to other spiritual aspects of life, but at the same time I want to keep it grounded in the [real] world.”

The unique writer emphasises that the book should act as a “balance” between mythology and real world experiences, with its main theme being spiritual healing.

John’s book features prose pieces alongside his poetry, which he describes as “vignettes, snapshots to help people get more out of the poems.”

Somerset County Gazette: GRAIL front cover. Picture: John ConstableGRAIL front cover. Picture: John Constable

Since 2010, John has been recognised for his work by London South Bank University and the Sexual Freedom Awards.

He received an Honorary Fellowship to the university for his services to the arts and was voted campaigner of the year, as well as receiving a lifetime achievement award, both from the Sexual Freedom Awards.

GRAIL will be launched on April 13, when John will be hosting a live performance of some of the poems at Glastonbury’s St Benedict’s Church.

The performance starts at 7pm will be accompanied by live music from Jenny Bliss-Bennet, who was described as ‘fantastic’ by BBC Radio 3’s Sean Rafferty.

Written by Jamie Grover (@JamieGrover9)