Kerry

Darbishire

A stack of colorful books with the top book titled "A Window of Passing Light" by Kerry Darbeshire, featuring a cover illustration of a woman sitting at a table near a large window with sunlight streaming in.

Kerry was raised in a wooden house by the River Brathay at the foot of the Langdale valley. She spent her childhood exploring her surroundings especially the river and the nearby woodland. This has been the source for most her writings.

Shop Kerry's work

Her first poem about the death of Donald Campbell was published in the Cumbria magazine in 1967. During the 1980’s Kerry became a successful songwriter under the name Kerry Delius, after her great great uncle, Frederick Delius. Her songs included recordings with Taylor Dayne, Elkie Brooks and Hazel Dean. The following years were spent caring for her late mother until her death in 2005, songwriting was put on hold. She turned her attention to writing Kay’s Ark, the story of her mother’s life, published by Handstand Press.

In 2007 she began writing poetry and after a mentorship at the Wordsworth Trust, Grasmere in 2013, she began writing with a passion full time. A selection of her poetry (music by Jen Hartley) was performed by the Cumbria Opera Group, Lakeland Cycle on September 2021 in the Ambleside Parish Church. In 2023 In 2024 Kerry was poet in residence at Rydal Mount, the final home of William Wordsworth.

A woman with gray hair and a blue jacket smiling outdoors in a green, hilly landscape with trees.

She is a member of several local poetry groups: Brewery Poets, Write on the Farm, Stanza Northwest, and Dove Cottage poets. Kerry has published three full poetry collections, Jardinѐre being runner up in the Lakeland Book of the year 2023. She also has three pamphlets, one of which was a collaboration with poet Kelly Davis. Her most recent pamphlet River Talk won the Wordsworth Prize for Literature and Poetry in the Lakeland Book of the Year Awards 2025.

Social Media:

X @kerrydarbishire

Bluesky @kerrydarbishire.bsky.social

Upcoming events with Kerry

  • September

    Kerry will be reading at the Norman Nicholson Symposium, at the Campus of The University of Cumbria on Saturday 27th September 2025. 

    All are welcome.

    www.normannicholson.org

  • October

    Kerry will be reading with Ilse Pedler and Pauline Yarwood on Tuesday 14th October 7-9pm at Outside-In Children's Centre, Beezon Rd, Kendal LA9 6EL

    To raise funds in support of Save the Children's work in Gaza.  All are welcome.

  • November

    Kerry will be reading for the Lake District Holocaust Project at the Windermere Library 2pm on Saturday 15th November 2025.

    All are welcome.