Book news for 2023

I am delighted to announce that Blue Diode have accepted my new poetry manuscript and will publish my sixth collection, … 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

As the book might say, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? As the book also might say, I have been … More

Dear Friends Like the closed down (but still creative) shop window of Top Shop I saw on an early morning … More

One of the touchstones that I would add to those I blogged about last week is a marvellous section from … More

The problem with having had the gleam is that for it to mean anything, work has to ensue. I hate … More

Young Poets’ Stories project update: Today we add a reading resources for young poets page to the Young Poets’ Stories website. … More

Calling all Winning & Highly Commended Foyle Young Poets 2012 – 2019 If you are a young writer who … More

For reasons I cannot go into here, I am finishing 2019 in a tired frame of mind. (I am not … More

Greenbelt Festival, Friday 23rd August Outside, it is a very warm 28º. Inside our tented venue the canvass and stage … More

‘Hello,’ says the book. ‘I’ve missed you.’ ‘I’ve missed you, too,’ I say. I look at the book for a … More

Thank you to the heroic bloggers and poets Josephine Corcoran and Robin Houghton for their recentish posts about their desks. … More

Shute Festival, 13 September, St Michael’s Church The audience in pews. September sunlight and warmth still in the air, light … More

I am delighted to announce that my new book of essays Deck Shoes is now on sale. You can buy it direct … More

Settee in Autumn The leaves change colour and fallon the russet settee. Sticky buds are stuckdown the back of the … More

I nearly went back on Twitter the other day. Not once, but several times. One of my very lovely relatives … More

Paul Brookes at Wombwell Rainbow has posted an interview with me about my reading and writing life, my influences … More

Bike You, who have borne three sons of mine, still bear my weight routinely, transporting me. An odd … More