There’s nothing quite like reading poetry to stimulate writing – something it took me many years to discover. So I was very pleased when Brighton Stanza member Miriam Patrick proposed a new monthly group devoted to reading poetry. Our first meeting was last night – we were a small but perfectly formed group! The formatRead more ⟶
Category: Books
Where were the ‘Best of British’ poems first published?
Poet friend of mine and soon-to-be-blogger Jo Grigg mentioned she had been reading The Best British Poetry 2012 so I invited her to write about it here. It is Jo’s first guest blog post on Poetgal. The second volume of this British version of a longstanding US anthology has now thundered through my letterbox. Hurrah! ItsRead more ⟶
Readings, launches, and the Carmen Rollers
Lots of excitement in the past week. First of all, National Poetry Day and the launch of the Frogmore Press anthology Poems from the Old Hill on Thursday evening. It was standing room only as we’d all brought family and friends to cheer us on. It was fab to see some of my non-poetRead more ⟶
Smith, McCullough, Curtis, Lasky at the Red Roaster
Lovely evening last week at the Red Roaster in Brighton, for the launch of Abi Curtis’s new collection The GlassDelusion. Not too crowded, some familiar faces and a really nice selection of work being read. I’ve a soft spot for Abi ever since she and I were involved with the University of Sussex ‘Poetry Soc’Read more ⟶
Upcoming poetry events in Lewes, Brighton & Seaford…
Very pleased to be invited by Tom Roper to be one of the poets reading at Seaford Live this year on September 12th. Last year I did the open mic. It’s an intimate venue – the Crypt Gallery – rather lends itself to ghost stories or something creepy. I’ll see what I can conjour up…Read more ⟶
Now all roads lead to France
My book group friends aren’t really into poetry. At all. But someone suggested we read Matthew Hollis’s biography of the last years of Edward Thomas, ‘Now all roads lead to France.’ So I’ve brought the book on holiday with me to Wales and am engrossing myself in the detail of the life of a poetRead more ⟶
T S Eliot prize winner
We saw him read on Sunday evening, alongside the other shortlisted poets. He was great, my money was on either him or Carol Ann Duffy to win (although I confess the only collection I’d read of the shortlisted ones was this…)
Am a bit of a fan
And he’s coming to town: Weds 23rd Nov 8pm, Red Roaster in Brighton. Ooer!