It's a month since Stephen Graham and I took delivery of our booklet indoors looking out. I'm delighted that I've already sold enough copies to be able to donate £25 to Refuge. Wandsworth Heritage Service interviewed us - remotely - for their Archives from Home blog. Emma the Archivist emailed me some questions and I texted …
indoors looking out – out now!
Fanfare!! Here it is, the fruit of my collaboration with the artist Stephen Graham, an A5 booklet of haiku and tanka written under lockdown. The poems draw on observations from my second-floor window of minute changes and fleeting interactions. Stephen has created a new script inspired by a book of St Cuthbert's held in the British …
Archives at home, part 15 — Wandsworth Heritage Service
When Wandsworth Heritage Service's Archivist asked if I would answer a few questions about the community garden I'm involved with, as part of a series of 'Archives at home' blog posts, I was happy to oblige. Read on to find out my favourite, and least favourite, gardening tasks... This fortnight would have been the Wandsworth …
Continue reading Archives at home, part 15 — Wandsworth Heritage Service
meet my teapot
May I introduce you to my teapot? I made this teapot when I was a teenager, still living at home in Melbourne. In fact, the date I inscribed on the bottom of the pot tells me it was on the eve of my 18th birthday that I crafted this rather lovely object. I have very …
indoors looking out
Recently I've been working on a collaboration, indoors looking out, with the artist Stephen Graham, and I'm delighted that some of our work has been selected for the online exhibition Covent-19 - Voicing Responses Under Lockdown. You'll be able to view the exhibition on Instagram from 8th May to 5th June. The collaboration began on the eve …
Lady Marmalade
A hopefully diverting account of my first - and possibly last - attempt at making marmalade. The weekend before last, and the COVID-19 news was getting on top of me. I thought a spot of home cooking might help me calm down and focus on something practical. We had loads of oranges from Waste Not …
on World Poetry Day
Thought I would share the poem I wrote on Sunday and took to my Stanza group on Monday - now looking like this will be our last gathering for some time. Hope you are managing to stay grounded and safe. staying grounded small piece of glass pyramidal soothing to roll between fingers parakeet feather plucked …
starting the day with a poem
For some time now, Nick and I have taken it in turns to read a poem aloud before we get up. I'm not quite sure when this habit started, and we don't stick to it every day, but more often than not now we start the day with a poem. Sometimes I've read from The …
End of November round-up
Wowee. I've been busy. I sat down yesterday morning and began a list of things I've been up to since I last blogged: Words for the Wild - I've had two poems published on this beautiful site, as part of their autumn 'Fruit' themed issue. I love the mix of poetry and fiction, and the …
tenth time lucky
I'm feeling very lucky, and rather giddy, and very grateful. My poem A Cure for Rosesickness is one of three highly commended in this year's Live Canon International Poetry Prize, judged by Zaffar Kunial. It's also published in the competition anthology, which features all 50 longlisted poems. The giddiness may be due in part to a …
Hilaire 