Having answered a call for volunteers on Facebook, I found myself yesterday at Conway Hall in London, donning a blue badge and helping out at the Free Verse: Poetry Book Fair. Organised by Chrissy Williams and CB Editions, with a lot of help also from Joey Connolly, the Fair is in its third year andRead more ⟶
Category: Books
BlueGate Poets Anthology
Swindon is a hotbed of poetry! I actually live 130 miles from there, but this year I’ve been drawn into its orbit and am very pleased to be a member of BlueGate Poets. Founded in 2008 by the extraordinary and indefatigable writer and arts event organiser Hilda Sheehan, BlueGate Poets hosts events, readings, workshopsRead more ⟶
A bit of a rave about Sam Willetts
On the train to the Poetry Review launch the other week I looked through the magazine to remind myself of the poems which I’d enjoyed on first reading, or that I remembered (not always the same thing of course). Consequently I found myself re-reading Claire Crowther, Sam Willetts and Jean Sprackland, checking their biographies inRead more ⟶
I mislaid my poetic mojo in a Ghent hostel
Having been away for four days ‘helping’ with a college trip to Belgium (my husband was the tour leader – his A level students) I’m finding it hard to get back to poetry. I suppose it’s partly because I’m having to catch up with work as well, and not having a proper night’s sleep theRead more ⟶
Unaccustomed as I am
(So sorry about the weird asterisks etc in the following – just that last time I mentioned the B word I got immediately spam-commented and spam-followed by some decidedly un-poetic peeps.) It’s been quite a busy week, easier to do it in reverse order – yesterday and Friday I was in London at the BritMumsRead more ⟶
Getting poetry out there
As I sit down with a cup of tea in my favourite mug (pictured above – just an excuse to feature it, really! I inherited it from my mum, it used to be one of pair but the other got broken, and I’m so attached to this one I dread anything happening to it. It’sRead more ⟶
Where my poetry pocket money has been going
June 3rd and I think I’ve already blown my poetry pocket money for this month. First of all I’ve subscribed to Poetry London which I’ve been meaning to do for ages, and I asked to start with the Spring 13 issue, which has resulted in both Spring and Summer issues arriving within days of eachRead more ⟶
Dear poets: publishing is a business
I’ve been emailing with a poet friend today who drew my attention to this piece in the Guardian, about Salt’s decision to stop publishing individual poetry collections and to concentrate on anthologies. I know it’s been a big topic of debate this week. But something about the way it’s been reported makes me see red.Read more ⟶
More new reading material, and some happy happenings
Some classic internet-enabled moments this week. Firstly, my post about having received a free copy of Poetry magazine was picked up by Steven Critelli who alerted Don Share, senior editor of that venerable publication, who promptly lived up to his name and tweeted it … Then one of the other participants going to the TyRead more ⟶
Frogmore Press 30th birthday readings
It was an intimate affair: in the round at the New Venture Theatre in Brighton yesterday evening, the first Sunday of the Brighton Festival and an unusually sunny (if not balmy) evening, with poet friends and friends of poetry, all to celebrate the 30th birthday of the Frogmore Press. The evening brought some thrilling readingRead more ⟶