What is a lifesaving poem?

Tomorrow I will be taking part at the Wenlock Poetry Festival in an event with Roz Goddard. We will be … More

Nine years ago today

Nine years ago today I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells. Even though I have … More

Reading Arthur W. Frank’s astonishing At the Will of the Body recently has given me pause to reflect on the relationship … More

Dear Arthur Frank I’m writing to say thank you for your extraordinary book At the Will of the Body. It is … 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 not at a thing. The things have dried up (or I have stopped going). I am thingless. I … More

A scan, with different initials. The train journey to it, biting nails; the one back pretending not to be radioactive. … More

Jörn Cann wasn’t my friend. He was my doctor. He was famous before we even met him as the doctor … More

This is the day we go the hospital as usual. We have banter with Jörn and Nadine while they inject … More