I am delighted to announce that Blue Diode have accepted my new poetry manuscript and will publish my sixth collection, … More
Tag: Writing Poetry
A list of found poems
Here is a list of various found poems that I have made over the years. Happy holiday reading and looking … More
Lone wolf
I am deeply grateful to Hilary Menos and Andy Brodie at The Friday Poem for taking a new poem of … More
Writing prompts (blog post ending with a line by Shawna Lemay)
after Shawna Lemay Write a poem about the rain. Or the wind.Write about what you learned at university.Or did not … More
Praise the Rain
Praise the Rain Praise the rain; the seagull diveThe curl of plant, the raven talk—Praise the hurt, the house slackThe … More
The fear of poetry -by Muriel Rukeyser
The Fear of Poetry In this moment when we facehorizons and conflicts widerthan ever before, we want our resources,the ways … More
Courage
Courage It is in the small things we see it. The child’s first step, as awesome as an earthquake. … More
Reading and writing resources for young poets
Young Poets’ Stories project update: Today we add a reading resources for young poets page to the Young Poets’ Stories website. … More
A Call Out for Foyle Young Poets
Calling all Winning & Highly Commended Foyle Young Poets 2012 – 2019 If you are a young writer who … More
Goodbye to being a poet
For reasons I cannot go into here, I am finishing 2019 in a tired frame of mind. (I am not … More
Afterwards
Greenbelt Festival, Friday 23rd August Outside, it is a very warm 28º. Inside our tented venue the canvass and stage … More
A beautiful thing
‘Hello,’ says the book. ‘I’ve missed you.’ ‘I’ve missed you, too,’ I say. I look at the book for a … More
Kind of to a desk
Thank you to the heroic bloggers and poets Josephine Corcoran and Robin Houghton for their recentish posts about their desks. … More
In service of silence
Shute Festival, 13 September, St Michael’s Church The audience in pews. September sunlight and warmth still in the air, light … More
Where to buy Deck Shoes
I am delighted to announce that my new book of essays Deck Shoes is now on sale. You can buy it direct … More
Workshopping Settee in Autumn
Settee in Autumn The leaves change colour and fall on the russet settee. Sticky buds are stuck … More
An interview at Wombwell Rainbow
Paul Brookes at Wombwell Rainbow has posted an interview with me about my reading and writing life, my influences … More
‘Clear of the wheel of myself’: Workshopping Michael Laskey’s ‘Bike’
Bike You, who have borne three sons of mine, still bear my weight routinely, transporting me. An odd … More