On Wednesday evening a brand new literary journal landed in south London. The Battersea Anthology, founded and edited by writer and Battersea resident Priscilla Yeung, was launched at Battersea Bookshop inside Battersea Power Station. What more fitting venue could there be? As well as poetry, short stories and creative non-fiction by writers with a connection …
three magical workshops
I had the pleasure of leading three magical poetry workshops for young adults earlier this month, as part of the Heritage Open Days Festival. These were held at 575 Wandsworth Road, a beautiful and unusual National Trust property. The building is a Georgian terraced house, which was bought by Khadambi Asalache, a Kenyan-born poet, novelist …
ruminating while running
While I was running around Battersea Park this morning, I started thinking about how much I hated exercise and sport as a child, and then well into adulthood. My younger self would have been amazed, and possibly appalled, to see me pounding along paths between trees and gambolling down grassy knolls. Running isn't my favourite …
a year since found ~ flow ~ flux was launched
A year ago today the found text poetry pamphlet found ~ flow ~ flux was launched at a celebratory event at the ROSE Community Clubroom in Nine Elms. It was the culmination of my commission from Wandsworth Council to create new art in Nine Elms. I loved the whole process. The first part of the …
Continue reading a year since found ~ flow ~ flux was launched
looking ahead to September… and feeling more positive
After the low of no one turning up for my first flying-solo Nine Elms walk earlier this month, I had the pleasure of leading a lovely group around the route on Sunday. I really enjoy sharing information about the area's rich history, and I'll often also pick up an interesting new nugget or two from …
Continue reading looking ahead to September… and feeling more positive
a washout
Two people turned up for my Open Spaces in Nine Elms walk: Nick & me. Well, the weather was more like October than August; cold, gusting winds and heavy downpours. And I know London is half empty in August, so maybe it was the wrong time to try my first walk under my own umbrella …
A poem in the Morning Star
My poem Hotel Braverman was published in the Morning Star on Thursday, and you can read it online here: Hotel Braverman It's a poem I wish I hadn't had to write. I wish our government would live up to its obligations under the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that 'Everyone has the …
Proms encore
To celebrate the start of this year's BBC Proms, I thought I'd dust off a poem I wrote many moons ago after my first couple of visits to the Proms, and which I posted here nearly a decade ago! Nowadays, I enjoy following the Proms in the comfort of my own home, where I can …
In praise of Pennine Platform
I recently had a poem published in the long established Pennine Platform magazine. The whole experience has been a joy. I got a prompt response to my postal submission, with helpful feedback on poems not taken, and a suggested tweak to the accepted poem, which definitely improved it. Post publication, the editor has passed on …
Hilaire 