The poem and I are best friends. For ever. We hold hands in public and spend every spare minute with…
Archive
Mostly all the time nearly everything
Everyone who enters the stage begins by saying thank you * That silence * Mostly nearly all the time *…
On poetry and blogging
In preparation for this year’s Aldeburgh Poetry Festival I was asked some questions about my blogging by Festival programmer Dean…
Poetry and tennis
On the Sunday morning of the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival I breakfasted with poets discussing the theme of writing poetry and…
Poetry and disobedience
Early on Saturday morning of the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival (Tom Pickard threatened not to get up in time) Robert Seatter…
Prizewinning young poets from Suffolk
The opening night of each Aldeburgh Poetry Festival is about young poets stepping into the spotlight and taking the applause…
An interview with Adélia Prado
On the Saturday afternoon of the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, Festival Director Naomi Jaffa conducted an interew with Adélia Prado, and…
On generosity
By the time you read this I will be far away from here. It has not happened yet, but I…
The soldier, the cauliflower, the walking, the monkey and the man’s bottom
Sitting over toast and marmalade with Peter Sansom yesterday morning he said to me: ‘I don’t bother with novels any…
The Fenton Aldeburgh First Collection Prize 2014
On the basis of these five first collections, there is no reason to assume the careers of the poets who…
Introducing Chrissy Williams
The Burning Of The Houses Tottenham is on fire and I work in an arts centre where the sky is…
Aldeburgh and silence
Mark Doty had it. And John Hartley Williams. And Esther Morgan. And Roy Blackman, introducing Mark Doty talking about Whitman.…
Allan Ahlberg’s genius
Photo credit: Felix Clay, The Guardian Heard I can’t remember a time in my teaching career when there wasn’t…
Ellen Doré Watson’s ‘Be Here First’
Ellen Doré Watson was a new name to me until recently. ‘Be Here First ‘ is a good example of…
I quit
I am at a thing. A historic thing. (An historic thing? I will never know). Poets are there. Household names.…
Writing Research Across Borders (a new poem)
I am delighted to have a new poem Writing Research Across Borders (2014): Poster Sessions in Hinterland With thanks to Judi Sutherland…
Poetry and illness
Medicine The black hair of my Chinese doctor gleams like combed ink as he leans over his desk, with quick…
On not relapsing
A year ago I had a relapse of my cancer. Except I didn’t. For a week or so I knew…
Lifesaving Poems 