Influences: Martin Wilson

One of the biggest influences on my life, let alone my writing, is Martin Wilson. I should know; he’s my … More

Get out of the house while you can

Dear Ant So you’ve had your first chemotherapy treatment. That first night, when you came home and carried the sick … More

Teachers’ views of creativity in poetry writing

The third Writing Research Across Borders conference takes place this week in Paris. I will be presenting a poster of … More

Walking into the light

  We walked into the brunt light, towards the hospital. The air was dry, February-cold. Traffic was going about its … More

When did I get this?

One year go I celebrated with friends the publication of Love for Now, my journal-memoir of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of … More

By the way, you live

Dear Anthony I’m writing to let you know what you already know in your bones, as you put it much … More

Heal into time and other people

I have been thinking a lot recently about the gap between what is expected of us and what we think … More

The fame question

When I visit schools to read and talk about poetry there is often some sort of Q and A following … More

New Year Letter

Dear Anthony (I will never get used to calling you Tony) Here are some words of advice from your nearing-fifty-year-old … More

Gratitude

I’m grateful to you, you see. I wanted to tell you. –Raymond Carver (‘For Tess’) A kind, wise man once … More