Next year is going to be a big year for me. I am going to have two new books out in the world. One is The Afterlife, a book of poems, with Worple Press; the other is Deck Shoes, a memoir of short prose pieces, with Impress Books.
They are very different books, but there is a lot of crossover between them. Most centrally, they were both written during the period of what is increasingly looking like my permanent remission from cancer. The books are not about cancer in the same way that Riddance and Love for Now tackled that subject head-on, but the shadow of cancer, it would be more accurate to say mortality, is never far from their pages.
Instead they are about other themes also present in those books: mental health; identity; the body; how to be present, to oneself and one’s family; what it means to let go, even to die, but without actually dying.
As I prepare to share this new work with the world I am hoping to enlist the support of readers with the aim of opening up a conversation about these difficult subjects.
So if you would like me to come to your school, or lecture hall, or leader team, or mental health/faith/patient/remission/book/reading/hospice group, or workshop, or gallery, or festival, poetry or otherwise, or setting and begin a conversation by reading some poems and prose I would be very glad to see you. I am, as they say, available.
Please use the contact form on the menu bar at the top of this page, and we can go from there.
I hope to meet you soon.
With good wishes
Anthony
Congratulations, Anthony – very exciting news, and I’m looking forward to both books xx
Jean Sprackland http://www.jeansprackland.com
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Thank you so much Jean. I am so touched by your kind message. I hope to see you before too long. As ever, Anthony x
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Many congratulations Anthony. I look forward to reading them. Best wishes, Peter
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Thank you so much Peter! With appreciation for your support as ever, Anthony
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Congratulations! I am really looking forward to both books and am going to try to tempt you to come to Trowbridge to read and discuss them. Your name is in my book. 🙂
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Thank you so much Josephine. And thank you for your thoughts re coming to Trowbridge. I would love to come. Let’s have a natter about it. With best as ever, Anthony
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Good news about your forthcoming books. Very belatedly, I have finally got your anthology “Lifesaving Poems” and I am loving all the poems, being introduced to poets new to me, and your interesting, perceptive and entertaining comments. I must now try to catch up.
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Thank you so much Sue. I am so pleased you got hold of LP. I am thrilled. And hope you enjoy it. With best wishes as ever
Anthony
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First of all, congrats on these two new books, Anthony. Then, bravo to write about topics that challenge us and ultimately make us more humans. I live too far to suggest a school visit but I will certainly look for your books when they come out. Congrats again!
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Dear Anthony, I’m writing on behalf of my rather wonderful writing group based at the Maggie’s Centre Manchester. All either receiving treatment, recovering or recovered from cancer we meet every Monday afternoon to write, talk and explore poetry and prose. I’ve often used your books and blog as inspiration and reading that you’re available for visits am writing to ask if you’d consider coming North to Manchester where we could guarantee a warm welcome ans somewhere to stay. It wouldn’t have to be a Monday by the way! I expect you have been inundated with requests. At the Centre which is adjacent to the Christie Hospital, we would be able to welcome other groups or individuals as well in one of the larger rooms. Would love to hear from you. Best Wishes, Clare Stuart
Sent from my iPad
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Dear Clare, thank you so much for your lovely comment on my post. I am so touched -to know that you even know my work, let along use it. I have not been inundated with offers, and would be vdelighted to come to Manchester to read and meet people and even do a workshop. Count me in! With very best wishes, Anthony
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To sort a time etc perhaps you could use the contact form on the top of the blog -then we can email each other etc from there. With best wishes, Anthony
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