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

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

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

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

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

In terms of my poetry world, 2015 has turned out to be a year of endings and legacies. The Poetry … More

One of the great joys of writing this blog in the last year has been to invite some of my … More

Dear Michael I picked up your book the other day and wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying … More

It’s complicated. There I am in the bookshop, the one we all love, looking for a book. No one is … More

I am grateful to Victoria Field of NAWE for reviewing Lifesaving Poems in the current edition of Writing in Education. You can download … More

‘There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as … More

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

‘80% of success is showing up.’ -Woody Allen I was chatting with a student the other day when I said … More

The Soho Hospital for Woman (IV) I am out in the supermarket choosing – this very afternoon, this day … More

A few weeks ago I was writing in my own blog, the great fogginzo’s cobweb, about the way I … More

Goulash A crucial ingredient is the right frame of mind so abandon all ideas of getting on. Stop pedalling, dismount, … More

The afternoon was drawing to a close when I knew I had hit the wall. On its own terms there … More

After Reading Tu Fu, I Go Outside to the Dwarf Orchard East of me, west of me, full summer. … More