A new website founded in Morecambe is offering people an alternative to the endless scroll of mainstream social media.

SoPoet members pair a single photograph with a short poem of no more than seven lines to create a ‘poetgraph’, a considered pairing of words and image, shared to inspire others.

There's no algorithm and no infinite feed. Likes are called ‘sparks’ comments are ‘glosses’ and poems that happen to land on a recognised form — haiku, tanka, cinquain or the Fib — are quietly awarded a badge.

The platform is currently in its testing phase, and new members are encouraged to try it out and leave feedback at https://www.sopoet.co.uk/feedback

Lee Mortimer has founded a poetry website in Morecambe along with his brother Warren and chair of Morecambe BID, David Waddington.

placeholder image — Lee Mortimer has founded a poetry website in Morecambe along with his brother Warren and chair of Morecambe BID, David Waddington.

Everyone who joins during this stage receives the title ‘Inkling’ marking them as one of the platform's founding members.

SoPoet was founded by brothers Warren and Lee Mortimer, alongside local gelato entrepreneur and Morecambe BID chair David Waddington.

Warren, a Morecambe-based poet who has lived in the district for ten years, works at Lancaster University.

Lee, a lecturer and fluid dynamicist at the University of Leeds, built the platform and is its technical driving force.

"SoPoet began life as a remedy for the hustle and bustle of social media," says Warren. "We believe in taking the slow and steady approach — what better way than by matching your best words with your sharpest images?"

Lee adds: "It doesn't matter whether you capture the world with a Nikon or a Nokia — this is a platform for anyone who dares to imagine."

SoPoet is free to join and will be available to download as an app soon.

To join SoPoet, visit https://www.sopoet.co.uk/