Letter to a younger poet

Listening to the wonderful array of speakers at the Foyle Young Poets symposium on Monday, I tried to think back … More

Poetry writing as a socially mediated process

‘Even the poetic world is social’ (Bakhtin, 1981, 300). This time next week, Saturday 23 June, I will be presenting … More

It is odd to speak of missing someone you never met, but this is how I feel about the American … More

My first reader was a man called Fergus. A friend of a flatmate at university, I never got to … More

Here is a story about a recent failure of mine. It all started with an idea, which I knew, just … More

‘What else are you guilty about?’ ‘Most things,’ I say. ‘It doesn’t stop with poetry, you know. Or those unread … More

’Anything else?’ the book says. ’What do you mean?’ ’That you want to tell me?’ There is a long silence, … More

‘What else are you not telling me?’ says the book. ‘Nothing,’ I say. The book rolls its eyes, gives a … More

‘What you reading?’ says the book. ‘Nothing.’ ‘No need to be shy,’ says the book. ‘Go on, what is it?’ … More

‘What’s wrong?’ says the book. ‘Nothing,’ I say. ‘Liar.’ ‘Am not.’ ‘Are.’ ‘Aren’t.’ ‘Pants on fire. You’re hopeless. You should … More

Towards the end of my treatment for cancer in 2006 I had one of the most profound conversations of … More

I went home the other day. I mean home-home, where I was born, and where my parents still live. … More

Dear Friends Here are the blog posts which you read most often in 2017, according to my WordPress stats: … More

There’s a problem with that title, isn’t there? While I have not been completely silent (fifteen blog posts at most? … More

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

For a number of reasons –too much grief in my life, too sedentary, too much television, too out … More

Rupert Loydell is shouting at the countryside. I have got up at sparrow-fart to drive him to the Blandford … More

Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo, that month in the year when someone decides it is a nice idea … More