lewes singers – Robin Houghton

Art/ 21/06/2025

Book promo: readings, reviews, articles… plus other stuff

A couple of weeks ago I did a reading with Peter Kenny at at Arundel Arts Junction, a lovely eclectic event which also included a comic improv act, jazz for keyboard and sax, a photography presentation and more – it’s all happening in Arundel, people!

Peter and I are doing another joint reading at In-Words this coming Tuesday 24th June from 7.30 at West Greenwich Library, together with fellow Telltale Poet Sarah Barnsley. As well as reading our poems we’ll also be chatting & taking questions about Telltale Press. It’s free, and there are refreshments – come if you can!

Yesterday I was reading in the home of a very good friend. She basically asked me to come and talk about the book, and read a few poems, for a group of her friends. Susan’s enthusiasm and unwavering support for my work are both astonishing. So there I was with a small group of women, telling them a bit about the book, reading some of the poems and answering questions. It was a lovely intimate event. And I sold ten books! Much gratitude to Susan.

Meanwhile off the back of the book launch I’ve had a couple of writing commissions, the first being this blog article on the Writers & Artists website, about getting poetry published. Another piece, ‘Top Five Poetry Books with Unusual Themes’, is due to appear in The Big Issue. There are also a number of reviews of the book forthcoming, and I was delighted to get an endorsement for the book from Rishi Dastidar on the socials.

Coming up I’m reading at an event unrelated to The Mayday Diaries. Here in Eastbourne we have the wonderful Towner, a gallery of contemporary art, cinema and general arts hub. The current show is ‘Sussex Modernism’, and next month I’m one of five poets who have been invited to read work inspired by the exhibition. It will be an interesting evening; members of the public are invited to come along and listen, and (I think) add their own contributions if they wish (not sure how that will work, with the time restrictions, but hey. I’m scheduled to read last (a very common occurrence!) so I’m just hoping I don’t get squeezed out or that people will have drifted off by then (out of the gallery I mean, not fallen asleep, teehee!) Even if you can’t come to the readings (Friday 4 July, 6.30 – 8pm), do try to get to the show if you’re able, it’s really interesting and wide-ranging. It goes on until September 28th.

I’ve not been able to sideline the singing. The big and lovely East Sussex Community Choir is doing a mini-tour to East Anglia next weekend and singing an informal concert in Blythburgh Church, then a small group of The Lewes Singers are off to Ely at the end of July to sing the weekend services in Ely Cathedral. Some tricky music – we had the second of our three rehearsals today. It’ll be lovely!!

Blog/ 29/05/2024

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 a bit exhausted, but the last couple of interviews of the season will be goodies and in July we’re going to try for an ACE DYCP grant. The chances of getting one are probably zero, but we have to try. Running the poddie isn’t cheap – we have two very kind regular supporters but would need about a hundred to cover our costs. Anyway, wish us luck.

I’ve also been doing some editing of the new collection, looking at where there might be holes and what I need to write to fill them. Which has led to more writing, and I’ve been submitting again after a hiatus. Despite a few rejections, I’m delighted to say there’s work forthcoming in The Frogmore Papers and Ink, Sweat & Tears, two of the longest-running poetry zines, still going after many years while so many others crash and burn. If running a magazine is anything like running a podcast I can empathise!

On the novel-writing front my medieval mystery hasn’t yet had any interest from agents, but a second book is in the planning stages and it’s quite different, so it will be fun to get stuck into that when the time feels right.

Meanwhile I’m just back from a short trip to the Netherlands with the Lewes Singers: great singing, very social and lovely to be in Leiden. But the awfulness of airports and flying is so depressing. Yes, we should have gone by train, but last time we did that the journey was a nightmare. It’s all a matter of luck I suppose.

Now I’ve got to finish my end of month submissions alert email. And next there’s the spreadsheet to update. It’s a good time to sign up if you haven’t already. Plus a programme to create for the East Sussex Community Choir’s Haydn concert on June 29th. Oh, and seedlings to pot on, tomatoes to worry over and courgettes to encourage. Did I mention that Nick and I recently erected a little greenhouse, on the three hottest days of the year? The garden is calling…

Angst/ 21/02/2024

And there goes February flying past…

This is not my favourite time of year I confess, although I love all the early signs of Spring – the first sunny days, the first buds, daffodils and birdsong. Just look how grand the beach looked the other day! We even had breakfast outside on Friday! But this month in particular I’ve been plagued by asthma. Struggling to swim, or jog, or even walk uphill is a bit depressing. I’m managing to do a little yoga, and I’m still singing, although my chest sometimes hurts afterwards. Roll on warmer and dryer weather.

But what about the writing, you might ask. I’m kind of in a no-man’s land at the moment. I’m not writing poetry with any great intent. But I feel as if I might be moving towards writing something. Hard to describe the feeling really but it’s there.

As regards the prose, I’ve had two rejections so far of my manuscript, with four more probably to come. I will send it out to another six agents, but unless I get a bite I’m not spending any more time on it now. I feel as if that ship has sailed. On a positive note, I’ve already started on the characters and an outline plot for another book. I’ve got a list of the mistakes I think I made in the first one, and the things I could do better this time, starting with characterisation. I’m also setting this one in the present day. I’ll let you know how I get on.

Meanwhile I’ve started putting out feelers for readings early next year when my poetry collection will be coming out with Pindrop Press. So if you have any suggestions of places I might read, please let me know. I will travel (within reason!)

And of course Planet Poetry is my regular connection to the poetry world. I’m continual kept on my toes by our excellent guests, and by my co-host Peter. Interviews I have planned in the next few weeks include Roy McFarlane and Seni Seneviratne, both of whose work I’ve really enjoyed getting up close with.

Coming up: This Friday 23rd I’ll be in Seaford to hear my poetry pal Antony Mair reading his work at the Seahaven Poets Open Mic, then on Sunday 25th at 4pm my group The Lewes Singers are giving a concert at St Saviour’s Church Eastbourne. The church is huge, so I hope we have at least fifty people in the audience or else we shall be rattling around! The interior of St Saviour’s is gorgeous – Victorian ‘arts and crafts’ red brick, beautiful mosaics all around the walls and an amazing painted ceiling.

Blog/ 10/10/2023

All kinds of poetry news and shenanigans

"Bird in a Wilderness" Hastings Stanza Poetry Anthology

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 submissions

The blockage has finally cleared! Poems that had been gathering dust in numerous in-trays have finally come back to me, all with a polite ‘no thanks’ attached. Oh well. Although having said that, I’ve two poems forthcoming in South magazine and another two in the Hastings Stanza Anthology ‘Bird in a Wilderness’ which we’re launching on Friday October 20 at The White Rock Hotel, Hastings at 7 pm – if you’re anywhere near, do come! The book is partly in aid of The Refugee Buddy Project that does wonderful work in welcoming refugees in the Hastings area.

Readings/launches

Clare Best is launching her new book Beyond the Gate from Worple Press this evening in London, compered by none other than my old poddy mate Peter Kenny, so I am braving the train journey north and dodging the replacement buses to be there.

On Thursday I’m looking forward to Needlewriters in Lewes, which I haven’t managed to get to for a while, and it’s always a lovely social Lewes event. Reading from their new collections will be Janet Sutherland and Richard Skinner.

Also on Thursday is the ‘season opener’ of Planet Poetry Season Four – yup! We’re still going strong…and as befits the first episode we have a special guest… poetry royalty, you could say…

Novel stuff

My ‘hot new bestseller’ is at a crucial stage – basically I’m re-writing the ending. It will be much better for it, and transition coolly into Book Two. I’m a month behind schedule but will definitely be submitting to agents before the end of October.

Music stuff

My choir the Lewes Singers has its concert this coming Saturday which I know will be lovely, but that doesn’t stop me checking bookings every day and hoping we will cover our costs with ticket sales! Next month I’ll be taking part in a big Verdi Requiem in Brighton with two big choirs which will be fun. Plus, on my birthday can you believe, I’ve been press-ganged by a friend to take part in one of her musical soirees in which friends and neighbours agree to listen to various musical turns by amateurs. So I’ll be donning some dreadful costume and hamming it up on something called ‘The Stepsisters’ Lament’. Gawds, I can’t believe I’m admitting to it.

Blog/ 20/09/2023

On spirituality, a submission and the wonder of lists

Wow, I felt a lot of love for RS Thomas after my last blog post.

I wonder if we need more spirituality today, generally I mean. I speak as a moderate atheist. I think I used to call myself an ‘agnostic’ – wanting to leave the door open I suppose – but we all grow older, and so our thoughts and beliefs mature one way or another. I now love a lot of things about the church of my upbringing (although I hated it as a child!), but it stops well short of faith. The only church service I enjoy is Evensong, but I love the architecture of churches and can’t resist going inside any I come across. I’ve often sung the services in cathedrals with my choir the Lewes Singers: I will sing anything, but I never say the creed. It’s always a moving experience, but perhaps that’s the feeling of being in the presence of faith: people who truly believe. I don’t just mean those participating in the service, but also the thousands of souls who have worshipped there for centuries, right back to the stonemasons and labourers who built the massive edifices. I respect all that, and feel privileged to be a part of it.

But spirituality feels much wider, more inclusive than religion as such. My impression is that RS continually questioned his faith. Isn’t that what many of us do, even the atheists? What do we believe in? Surely it can’t just be Gaia, politics, football or reality TV?

On the writing front

Poetry latest: I’ve sent the full collection to a publisher for consideration. They’ve already seen about a third of the poems and asked for more. Yes, I had an offer of publication a couple of years ago from another publisher but for various reasons that never happened. So here’s hoping.

This has freed me up to finish the rewrites on my novel. Having had an excellent critique by Beth Miller of my query letter, synopsis and first page of manuscript, I knew I had to make some fairly significant changes. I started on it, but then got sidetracked by a holiday, putting together and submitting a poetry collection, plus a number of other time-critical projects. BUT I am back on it!

In parallel to the rewrites, I’m gearing up for submission by reviewing my list of literary agents. I started with a list based on the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook, but as it always is with print publications not all the entries were up to date. So I augmented it by searching, visiting websites, identifying potential individual agents who seem interested in my genre, noting their requirements, Twitter names, email etc. Yes! A spreadsheet!

I’ve also created a Twitter List of Literary Agents. I love Lists on Twitter, and I think it has always been a much-unused facility. Once you have a list, you can browse tweets just from that list. Which means (in my case) you find out very quickly when an agent puts out a call for submissions, or who they have signed, or what they’re looking for, or when they’re closed and for how long, and so forth. Lists, people! They are useful!

Blog/ 16/07/202316/07/2023

Round up: poems, podcast, garden, new photos…

News round-up time… written in haste, before the Wimbledon Men’s final…

The Pod

Peter Kenny and I have just wrapped up the last episode of Season 3 of Planet Poetry. Our guest was Richard Skinner, a fitting ‘finale’ as he led us through a fascinating poetry landscape in which OuLiPo, curtal sonnets, Caedmon and cutups all made an appearance. Then Peter and I had a chat and a beer in the potting shed. It’s been an exciting but exhausting season and we can hardly believe the poddy is still going strong!

You couldn’t make it up

Well, I did actually, but will anyone buy it? My novel submission materials are undergoing a beady-eyed review by author and book coach Beth Miller, whose expert opinion I need and value, prior to leaping into the lion’s cage of literary agents. Gulp!

Other things that have been keeping me busy

The Hastings Stanza Anthology coming along and the nit-picking finally done I think, writing reviews for the Frogmore Papers (delectably short!), cranking up plans for the Lewes Singers next season, producing a 4-page advertorial for the East Sussex Community Choir and DementiaUK, trying to get a front door replaced on my late sister’s flat in Guildford… and so forth.

Poetry forthcoming

I’ve two poems appearing in Ben Banyard’s excellent Black Nore Review tomorrow (17th July). Ben is a rare editor – one who promises (and delivers, certainly in my case) to respond to submissions within two weeks – !

Murder in the Garden

No, not the next novel, just an admission that I managed to kill one of only two courgette plants that made it to maturity, by mistaking the main stem for a dead leaf, and cut it… after months of nurturing (when it was small I even sheltered it from the hot sun with an umbrella tethered to the ground), I was truly upset. And now its remaining mate is struggling to produce any courgettes, so I can only assume it’s in mourning too. Bad Robin!

Ready for your headshot

Yep, last week I got some new photos done (in readiness for all that Booker Prize publicity – tee hee!) Nothing makes you feel more confident (in my humble opinion) than a professional photoshoot. I’ve rubbed along with selfies and ancient headshots for a number of years, but as Nick needed photos too we asked photographer Sarah Weal for help. I can only describe her as an absolute magician, making us look like we mean business, but still very much us. I couldn’t help myself but use one of the shots she took as a featured image to this post. Forgive me! Anyway, even if the book deals never happen, I will love looking at these photos in ten or twenty years’ time (fingers crossed) and say “look how amazing and young we were!”

Angst/ 15/11/2022

Self-sabotage, womansplaining and other poetry joys

I should be preparing for a recording session this afternoon, for a Planet Poetry episode that’s going out on Thursday, but I’m feeling a bit guilty about neglecting this blog. So herewith a quick update. Subheadings are here to help you skip forward (or skip it all if you so wish!)

Reasons/excuses for not writing much poetry right now

Mid-November and everything’s kicking off as regards Christmas – I mean for those of us involved in concerts. I’m personally only singing in one, but my choir-director husband is full on with more ensembles and gigs than I can keep up with. In his wake, here I am helping out by creating posters & programmes, placing adverts, liaising with concert organisers and ticket selling outlets, managing ticket sales and worrying about things like whether the heating will be working at the venue and have I got someone’s up-to-date biog, have I got the right date and time on the posters, managing the music hire and allocation for The Lewes Singers and making sure we have enough tea, coffee and gluten-free biscuits for our rehearsals. Etcetera. I’m also knee-deep in executor stuff, trying to sell my sister’s two properties & dealing with buyers pulling out, estate agents/managing agents/solicitors and endless questions to answer and forms to fill in. Not a great time to be selling a flat, or two. But hey. I’m alive. I’m healthy. Neither my home nor my livelihood is on the line, so it ain’t really stressful, just time consuming. Then again, I’m such a self-saboteur that I’m probably secretly quite happy not to have too much writing time on my hands.

Recent and forthcoming poetry gigs

On Sunday I was at the Eastbourne Poetry Cafe to hear Karen Smith give a reading – Karen is a class act I have to say, she lit up the room. I think I first met Karen on a New Writing South course, then she had a collection Schist published by Smith Doorstop, and that set her on her way. There’s a very nice interview with Karen here. It was also great to meet Christopher Horton and hear him read, someone I’ve not come across before.

I’m looking forward to hearing my Hastings Stanza pal Antony Mair at Needlewriters in Lewes this coming Thursday. Another classy poet who always gives engaging and entertaining readings.

At least I am writing a BIT…

Bill Greenwell’s online workshop has forced me to come up with some new poems, hurray! I will try to send something out this month. I have a few poems ‘out there’, some of which are due back soon I think, so that will be an added impetus. I may even try sending a pamphlet submission to Broken Sleep before that deadline passes.

and reading…

There’s always reading to be done to prepare for Planet Poetry interviews. I read somewhere recently that writing poetry reviews (the traditional kind, for poetry mags) is a good discipline as it makes you really read closely and engage with poetry collections. I have to say that interviewing a poet on a podcast takes all that and then some – thinking up relevant questions to ask, talking with the poet about your reading/understanding of their work, suggesting which poems they read and commenting in a way that listeners may find interesting… it’s not easy, and I often curse myself for sounding like an idiot, a sycophant or a ‘womansplainer’, sometimes all three in the same episode. It’s all good fun though!

Blog/ 27/08/202126/08/2021

Meet-ups, currently reading & other distractions

Nothing wrong with distractions, and goodness I’m certainly welcoming them with open arms. But scroll down if you’re only here for the poetry stuff.

Distraction #1: Singing

A couple of weeks ago I was at Westminster Abbey with members of the Lewes Singers, for the fifth time, where we sang two evensongs in a spookily empty quire. We rather rattled around in there. But it was so fantastic to be able to sing again in one of our magnificent cathedrals. If you’re interested I’ve written a more detailed blog post about it here.

That’s my man! Nick rehearsing the Lewes Singers in Westminster Abbey

Distraction #2: London

A few days in London was a real tonic. And it’s still pretty quiet and tourist-free. We visited some more of the fascinating City churches, also the much-revamped Museum of the Home, and just enjoyed exploring London on foot.

We also went to the David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy, The Arrival of Spring. It’s two (or three?) rooms of the paintings Hockney did in France during Spring 2020, recording the same trees, plants and landscapes as they transitioned from bare and cold to full greenery and colour. I was quite taken aback – the colours are just indescribably beautiful, and the whole idea of Spring and how it always comes back, no matter what… I don’t know why but I started welling up and before I knew it I was standing in the middle of the room completely in tears. I’ve never had that kind of reaction to any art, so it rather took me aback. I guess the last 18 months have been harder than I thought.

David Hockney number 209, 17th April 2020 — David Hockney, The Coming of Spring number 209, 17th April 2020

Gorgeous Huguenot houses in Fournier Street, Spitalfields, London — Gorgeous Huguenot houses in Fournier Street, Spitalfields

Distraction #3: Gardening

Actually I’ve been taking less care of the garden recently other than deadheading, sitting looking at the wonderful hibiscus that only flowers for one week in the year, and picking tomatoes. These are mostly the variety ‘Romello’, and they’ve been so soft and sweet – highly recommended.

And so to poetry…

I’ve had a few weeks of full-on Planet Poetry stuff, getting our new website up but mostly reading and preparing for interviews with (spoiler alert) Kim Addonizio, Martina Evans, Di Slaney and Sharon Black – you heard it here first! Series Two kicks off at the end of September. Subscribe in iTunes or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recent poetry by Sharon Black and Di Slaney

I’ve also actually been writing some new poems – hurrah! – as well as receiving the odd rejection email, including one addressed to ‘Dear Francesca’ – ! Dear oh dear. Sorry about that Francesca – do you have my rejection email by any chance?

Last month Hastings Stanza had its first in-person meetup since – well – you can imagine – and I can report it felt quite momentous. Glorious in fact. And a few days ago I met up with my Telltale pals in a Brighton pub garden and downed many pints of beer, as well as being very loud and lairy. Sadly I don’t have their permission to share a photo here, though I am sorely tempted!

And finally, not poetry exactly but kind of – my bedside reading is currently A Length of Road by Robert Hamberger. It’s an utterly absorbing and very personal account of Rob’s walk in the footsteps of John Clare. It’s a meditation on Clare’s poetry, and also nature writing but mostly a beautiful and honest memoir, and perfect reading for the quiet night time journey down into sleep. It’s published by JM Originals. Definitely recommended.

Angst/ 27/11/2020

– and + and so it goes

A teeny bit of a moan

How’s things with you? Well, I hope. During the first lockdown I was happy to enjoy the garden and revel in the novelty of it all. I trusted (more or less) what we were being told. I admit I’m feeling a bit ground down by it all now.

I’ve just deleted an entire paragraph I wrote here, as I deemed it too negative. All the planning and hoping is what keeps me going I think, but it feels exhausting trying to stay glass-half-full while under what feels like the constant attack of glass-half-empty people. I don’t want to add to the negativity with my own angst, so let’s move on.

So now the positive

My booklet on getting published in UK poetry mags is selling even better than the first edition – wowsers! And THANK YOU for buying it, telling your friends/students/social media contacts all about it.

Planet Poetry, the podcast I co-host with Peter Kenny, is generating some lovely comments. Thank you for that too! Working with Peter on the podcast has been one of the things keeping me positive.

There’s so much I’m enjoying about the course I’m doing, not least of all how it’s opening my eyes to so much great poetry and ideas about poetry that I’d never have encountered otherwise. My bookshelf is bulging. There’s enough reading there to keep me going for the rest of my life, I think.

We’re still planning on having a scaled-down Lewes Singers Christmas concert: venues and singers booked, music distributed. It’ll be intimate. But OH HOW MUCH Nick and I want it to happen, even if we’re only singing to ourselves and a handful of friends and family.

Right, I’m off to a Zoom seminar on the poetics of Don Paterson and Ben Lerner (whose novel 10:04 I absolutely loved.)

Have a good weekend, and here’s to the free life that we took so much for granted. May it return.

audio/ 12/02/2016

Music and words, what alchemy

I am singing for a funeral next week, in a quartet – and although these are sad occasions, it is wonderful to be able to sing some beautiful music, and of course in such a charged setting. While re-acquainting myself with Byrd’s Ave Verum I found myself listening to the CD our group made in 2013, and I was reminded of the power of words plus music. I know, why would I need reminding?

Nevertheless I feel moved to post a link to the recording, at least of this track – a piece by Thomas Weelkes, an interesting character who was organist and director of music at Chichester Cathedral back in the day (the early 16th century), a troubled soul and not a ‘star name’ perhaps, but a composer of some wonderful music.

I sang on this recording but now I listen to it, it has its own life, and it strikes me yet again how the combination of music and words is so, so powerful. I can’t listen to the bass entry at 2.10 without my eyes pricking with tears. See what you think.

The words are from the bible, the book of Samuel, when King David sends his son Absalom into battle, asking that he be protected from the front line, but Absalom meets a terrible accident (worthy of Thomas Hardy) whereby his hair gets caught in the branches of a tree and he basically is hanged to death. David is brought the news and it’s heartbreaking.

“When David heard that Absalom was slain, he went up to his chamber and wept. And thus he said: Oh, my son! Absalom my son. Would God I had died for you.”

Tag: lewes singers