TWO women's poetry groups from opposite ends of the country are simultaneously launching an anthology of their work.

The Vane Women Press will launch Rewriting the Map in Ottakars bookshop, in Darlington, tomorrow, with a similar launch taking place at the Ottakars store on the Isle of Wight.

The book is a collaboration between the Vane Women writing group and the Shore Women group from the island.

It contains 58 poems inspired by the landscape of the two parts of the country.

Marilyn Longstaff, a member of Vane Women, met up with two members of Shore Women on a poetry trip to Portugal.

"We decided we would write about each other's landscape from a new perspective, hence Rewriting the Map," said Mrs Longstaff.

Eighteen women have poems featured in the book, including Joanna Boulter, from Vane Women, who recently won the Poetry London competition.

The book launch will take place at Ottakars, in Darlington's Cornmill Centre, at 7pm. Tickets for the event cost £2, and are refundable on the purchase of a copy of the book.

Vane Women will also be performing their work in Bewitched, an evening of verse and prose in the Garden Bar at Darlington Arts Centre, on Wednesday, October 29, at 7.30pm.