David Amery
31 Jan 1955 - 11 Dec 2020
David @ Winter Shuffle,
St Clements Hospital, December 2013
We are very saddened in having to share the unexpected news of the passing of our friend David Amery. He died in December from bile duct cancer, which didn't show symptoms until very recently.
An East End poet and a very fond friend and supporter of many FEEL's members, David was well known among others, by many Survivors and in several Poetry circles.
Employed for many years as the service manager at Housing Link, in Tower Hamlets, David and his team offered help to people with mental health problems, in and outpatients that had difficulties to cope with rent arrears and those dealing with the threat of eviction.
The service originally was located in the port-cabin, on the grounds of the old St Clements Hospital in Bow, and it was very familiar to those that worked or experienced a stay in those grounds.
It is thanks to David that the collection for David Kessel 'Ravaged Wonderful Earth' was suggested and came to life in 2013. The book was launched at the warming party of the Shuffle Festival in July 2013, in the Wentworth Stanley Hall, the old site of the social club where in and out patients had a safe gathering space.
The book and the event will forever stay in our memory as an occasion to celebrate Survivors culture and creativity, while sending a farewell to the derelict St Clements Hospital, before it was transformed from asylum into new homes.
'Ravaged Wonderful Earth' book launch, July 2013
A glimpse of the book (now out of print) is available online
David was one of the finalist (possibly the winner?) of the New Performance Poet of the Year Award 1994, at Battersea Arts Centre
Eastbeat @ Kingsley Hall, Bow, January 2014
Among some of David's books there are:
- the anthology 'Outsider Poets', published in 1999 with David Kessel and John Zammit);
- 'Ten Planes', published in 2010;
- 'Urban Shamanism: A London Poetopographical Anthology', by Niall McDevitt, Aidan Andrew Dun, John Crow, David Amery
The late John Robert Clarke (aka Jazzman) described David's performance at the 2015 Shuffle Festival, as:
'Mr. David Amery - the incomparable artist, edgy erotic sci-fi storyteller supreme.'
David and David Kessel were friends and collaborators for a long time.David K remembers:
"David's life was that of an English Methodist intellectual.
Primitive Methodism is English Socialism of which Trade
unionism is politico-economics.
David was a magnificent friend for all those reasons,
and he will be greatly missed."
Eastbeat @ Kingsley Hall Bow, September 2014
Some of David poems can also be read here:
David's review of 'b/w' by Neil McDevitt:
We take this chance to send our deepest condolences to his partner Nicola, that shared the message below with us, and all of David's friends and family.
David’s funeral will be at 12pm on 30 December 2020.
This is the livestream link: www.funeralstreaming.co.uk/viewing-room/8003
Please pass the link on to friends, fellow poets and colleagues who may want to watch the funeral. The link will continue to be accessible after the funeral.
Also due to current circumstances, flowers are not passed on after the funeral. We are therefore asking that no flowers be sent.
If you would like, donations in David’s name will be welcomed at St Joseph’s Hospice who cared for him so well in his last two weeks; Mind, the mental health charity and, Crisis the homeless charity. All three have strong East London links.
We plan to organise a memorial event for David at some point in 2021 where we hope to see you all.
With warmest wishes,
Nicola
Thank you for your Creativity & Inspiration David
Farewell, you gentle Friend🙏
The unmistakable colours of David's creations
