Author: Anthony Wilson

I am a lecturer, poet and writing tutor. I work in teacher and medical education at the University of Exeter. My anthology Lifesaving Poems was published by Bloodaxe Books in 2015. In 2012 I published Riddance (Worple Press), a collection of poems, and Love for Now (Impress Books), a memoir, about my experience of cancer. The Wind and the Rain, my sixth collection of poems, is available now from Blue Diode Publishing. My current research project, funded by the Foyle Foundation, is Young Poets' Stories: https://youngpoetsstories.com/. This blog is archived by the British Library.

Tarmac lessons 2

I know I am hardly the first to draw parallels between running and writing. But, for what it is worth, … More

Tarmac lessons

I am still not sure why, but in the middle of December I decided to take up running again. When … More

The fear of poetry -by Muriel Rukeyser

The Fear of Poetry In this moment when we face horizons and conflicts wider than ever before, we want our … More

Guest blog post: A gripping ‘Howdunnit?’, by Simon Parke

This blog is a thrilling ‘Howdunnit?’…possibly. You find me just starting on my fifth murder mystery, you see. I do … More

Steel and Air -a new film of a poem by John Ashbery

Directors Chris and Nick Libbey introduce their film of John Ashbery’s poem: In the heart of Minneapolis stands the Irene Hixon Whitney … More

Dark horses: 21 Lifesaving Poems which should be better known

Readers of this blog will know that I make a list at the end of each year showing the most … More

Poetry is knowledge -by Octavio Paz

Poetry is knowledge, salvation, power abandonment. An operation capable … More

Everything I Know of What I Want to Say

I am delighted to have Everything I Know of What I Want to Say, a new poem, published on Simon … More

Guest blog post: David Ferry’s ‘Lake Water’, by Martyn Crucefix

This is the second in a series of guest blog posts about poets who have been overlooked and who should … More

Researching writers’ engagement with teachers: the Teachers as Writers research project

Along with colleagues from the Arvon Foundation, The Open University and University of Exeter I have just begun … More

Guest blog post: Ted Walker – An Appreciation, by Mike Ferguson

Today marks the start of a new series of guest blog posts on overlooked poets. With thanks to Mike Ferguson … More

New year letter

Dear Ant Well done for making it to the end of another year and the start of a new one. … More

The most popular Lifesaving Poems of 2015

Here is a list of the most-read Lifesaving Poems during 2015: Mary Oliver, The Journey UA Fanthorpe, Atlas Ted Hughes, … More

What you read in 2015

This blog would be nothing without its readers. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, made a comment or a … More

Marking cancer (by not marking it)

‘So you’re not going to write about it?’ ‘I’ve been writing about it for years. Two whole books of it! … More

Always the people

‘To tell you the truth, it’s been shattering. But kind of amazing, as well.’ ‘You never said. You never said. … More

Aldeburgh going

‘Which is why Aldeburgh going is such a disaster. It took years to achieve what they did, years. Of slog, … More

Team Wordsworth

‘It’s even true of Ted Hughes.’ I look across at the book, whose head is now slumped on my desk, … More