Yesterday evening Peter Kenny and I stood in the doorway of the wood-panelled hall at the Art Workers’ Guild in London and surveyed the throng: who were all these very tall, young people? I’ve no idea who gets invited to these shebangs, but it was a mystery to me – ten years ago the eventRead more ⟶
Category: Events
New book stuff, and other Spring shenanigans
Just back from a walk along the beach at Pevensey, part of the newly-established ‘England Coastal Path’. Sunny days at this time of year are so precious, aren’t they? Now I’m about to get down to some work, mostly to do with the forthcoming book (ahem! did I mention that before?) which is now putRead more ⟶
New Year, new book and other news
Oof! December was a blur of concerts and all that entailed, then family stuff and various resolutions. Between Christmas and New Year we managed not one but two mini-breaks: the first was a day in London which included an excellent guided walk of Nine Elms & Battersea with Hilaire. The next day we took offRead more ⟶
How the collection is going, and other news
People are asking me about the poetry collection forthcoming from Pindrop Press. Well, it’s a long way off yet. Sharon Black at Pindrop does a marvellous job of publishing and promoting poets, but being an editor as well as a publisher, it’s been a busy time for her. So although The Mayday Diaries is stillRead more ⟶
On National Poetry Day: getting autumnal, Medieval women, currently reading
An blog update for National Poetry Day! To celebrate, not only have I just recorded an interview with the immensely talented Tishani Doshi for Planet Poetry, but this evening I’ll be at Hastings Stanza for some poem sharing and workshopping. All very fitting. Everything’s cranking up now it’s the autumn: the publicity machine for variousRead more ⟶
Subs, poddie, choirs & a greenhouse
When you login to your blog and see there are 16 updates required it can only mean one thing – it’s been a bit neglected! So here’s a somewhat belated update… The podcast is nearing the end of its fourth season! When it comes to the home stretch Peter and I tend to get aRead more ⟶
On performing ekphrastic poems, Poetry Book Fair etc
I’m not sure I’ve ever really celebrated World Poetry Day, which was apparently adopted by UNESCO in 1999 with the aim of “supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard.” It’s held on March 21st each year, and this year in Eastbourne the indefatigable ‘Mister John’ whoRead more ⟶
All shall be well
I know, I know – not that Julian of Norwich quote again, I hear you say. But it’s the start of the year, I’m looking out at blue sky, and this is the first day since November 8th that I’ve felt properly well, and that the three colds I’ve had back-to-back since then are finallyRead more ⟶
Look to the future now, it’s only just begun
Ah, Christmas. Busy busy. I still haven’t made a nice door wreath but when it stops raining I’ll be up the garden gathering foliage and berries. Next week I’m Christmas-crafting with the granddaughters (cutout snowflakes? stars for the tree? I think the only no-no is glitter… not sure anyone uses that anymore anyway!) A meet-upRead more ⟶
All kinds of poetry news and shenanigans
I like the word shenanigans, don’t you? Although as I just check its meaning I see it can mean underhand goings-on. I don’t have anything underhand to report, but a few things happening now that Autumn is kicking in (just). And my birthday is approaching – always a time of fluidity and change. Poem submissionsRead more ⟶