Lifesaving Poems has arrived Well, it has finally arrived. The anthology which began life as a blog, which began life as … More
Tag: Remission
Why do it?
because of the words and because of the books because of the woman in the anorak at the swimming baths … More
Ghost chemo
It’s hard to describe. One day your are fine, not quite the same (age will do this to you), then … 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
Just another Wednesday
Days Each one is a gift, no doubt, mysteriously placed in your waking hand or set upon your forehead moments … More
On writing and illness
Reading Arthur W. Frank’s astonishing At the Will of the Body recently has given me pause to reflect on the relationship … More
Open letter to Arthur Frank (on reading At the Will of the Body)
Dear Arthur Frank I’m writing to say thank you for your extraordinary book At the Will of the Body. It is … More
On not relapsing
A year ago I had a relapse of my cancer. Except I didn’t. For a week or so I knew … More
Then this
I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More
When one poet rescues another poet
I am taking a break from writing brand new blog posts over the summer. Instead of posting new work I … More
The Year of Drinking Water, seven years on (free download)
Seven years ago I published The Year of Drinking Water, a pamphlet of poems, about my experience of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Exeter … More
Probably better
A scan, with different initials. The train journey to it, biting nails; the one back pretending not to be radioactive. … More
This isn’t happening
Don’t forget, this is inside us every day -Stephen Berg This is not happening. It happened. Past tense. One … More
On not being grateful for cancer
An old friend of mine wrote to me the other day, out of the blue, to tell me about … More
Life Begins With Cancer
This is the recording of my reading ‘Life Begins With Cancer’, recorded at the Greenbelt Festival on Sunday 25th August, … More
Remission anniversary seven
Today is the seventh anniversary of the day I was told I was officially in remission from cancer. The popular … More
An interview: Putting Words to Cancer
Thank you to Julia McGuinness for posting this interview with me on her Creative Connections blog. In it I discuss … More
Lifesaving Poems: Clare Best’s ‘The bookbinder’
A year ago I went to hear Clare Best read from her extraordinary book Excisions (Waterloo Press, 2011). Clare … More
Lifesaving Poems 