Aldeburgh and silence

Mark Doty had it. And John Hartley Williams. And Esther Morgan. And Roy Blackman, introducing Mark Doty talking about Whitman. … More

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 … More

Ellen Doré Watson was a new name to me until recently. ‘Be Here First ‘ is a good example of … More

I am at a thing. A historic thing. (An historic thing? I will never know). Poets are there. Household names. … More

I am delighted to have a new poem Writing Research Across Borders (2014): Poster Sessions in Hinterland With thanks to Judi Sutherland … More

Medicine The black hair of my Chinese doctor gleams like combed ink as he leans over his desk, with quick … More

Reading Thomas Lux’s magnificent new Selected Poems reminded me recently that I first heard his poems before I read them. One of … More

Well, it’s happening. Happened, I mean. Stuff I thought would last forever -film titles, the actors in them, scenes of … More

I have been asked to judge a thing. A good thing. A serious thing. (But this isn’t about that. We … More

I first heard Thomas Lux’s poems before I read them. In the autumn of 2000 I was sent a tape … More

She started as a name. There I was, following my nose, minding my own business, trying to ignore all instincts … More

I am delighted to be included in Issue Twelve of Antiphon poetry magazine. You can read my new poem, ‘S’, … More

The other day I was asked what I look for in poetry. Needing to give a quick answer I said: I … More

I am delighted to be included in Lyrical, a new anthology of poems with my friends Cole Moreton, Katherine Venn, … More

Below is a collection of my blog posts for the 2014 Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. I will update it as I … More

In 1991 we moved to a house in Brixton, south London. Of all our welcomes, that of our neighbour, the … More

Photograph © Bloodaxe Books Ltd I am delighted to announce that my Lifesaving Poems series of blog posts has now become … More

I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work … More