The Kevin Jackson Award

I was privileged to meet and work with the late writer and critic Kevin Jackson in 2011. We tutored a … More

Open letter to Alicia Stubbersfield (LentBlog31)

  Dear Alicia I can’t believe it is three years since I got to hang out with you at Totleigh … More

Writing in the cracks

I was having a coffee with a new writer friend the other day. Not having known each other for very … More

#NaBloPoMo 12 – The Alan Booth method

I have been thinking a lot recently about Alan Booth, my English teacher from the ages of 11 to 13. … More

Life beyond the door

Last week saw an important milestone for Teachers as Writers. The CPD/feedback day gave everyone involved in the project – … More

What we talk about when we talk about writing

The more I talk about writing with students, teachers, colleagues and other writers, the less I am sure that we … More

Stealing

  One of the joys of working on the Teachers as Writers project is that I get to steal. As … More

Living and breathing Arvon

  ‘I’ve been at the field.’ This, spoken by one of the teachers on last week’s writing residential at Totleigh … More

Thirteen ways of remembering Ted Hughes

Teachers’ words should not be ‘How to write’ but ‘How to try to say what you really mean’ – which … More

Why poetry matters

The value of poetry is that it should matter … first to the writer and then to the reader.  Michael … More

Influences: Alan Booth

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

Writing and silence

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

Lifesaving Poems: Yevtushenko’s ‘Damp white imprints dog the feet’

Damp white imprints dog the feet; snowbound trolley, snowbound street. Her tip of glove to lip and cheek, “Goodbye.” Go. … More

Mike Ferguson reviews Making Poetry Happen

  ‘Making Poetry Happen is a fundamental resource for all English teachers for the way if collates both thinking about … More

Why do it?

because of the words and because of the books because of the woman in the anorak at the swimming baths … More

Making Poetry Happen

  Announcing the publication of Making Poetry Happen: Transforming the Poetry Classroom (Bloomsbury, 2015). Making Poetry Happen provides a valuable resource … More

Poetry highlights of 2014

  I have so much to be grateful for in 2014. The year began in one of my temporary fits … More

The most read Lifesaving Poems of 2014

Here are the most read Lifesaving Poems of 2014. For the first time I have been able to compare last … More