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 …
Category: writing
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
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 …
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 …
shedding light on (older) women poets
The Second Light Network aims to promote, encourage and highlight women poets, who traditionally have been underrepresented in the 'canon' and still struggle to pack the same punch as the big boys of the poetry world. As women still largely bear the burden of childcare, and caring more generally, finding the time and resources to …
warming up into 2023
Daffodils are already opening in the community roof garden where I volunteer. Those yellow trumpets certainly lift the spirits, heralding the promise of spring just around the corner. I've had a quietish start to the year and have used this to reflect and think about how I can build on the workshops and walks I …
a poem for Wombat Day 2022
I promised (threatened?) in my post celebrating last year's Wombat Day, to post my wombat poem here this year if it hadn't been accepted for publication by now. So here, in all its earthiness, I present to you: Wombat Scat The wombat is a curious species.Of all the creatures known on earthwombats alone drop cube-shaped …
busy as a Battersea bee
Once upon a time large areas of Battersea were covered in market gardens and lavender fields. The air must have thrummed with bees and other pollinators. Bees feature in the mosaic tiled floors at Battersea Arts Centre, no doubt referring back to these earlier times, but also, like Manchester, an acknowledgement of the role of …
found ~ flow ~ flux launched into the world
It's just over a week since I launched the found text poetry booklet found ~ flow ~ flux into the world. This was the culmination of my project, which was commissioned earlier this year by Wandsworth Council. Held in the same room where I'd run the workshops back in June, the launch was such a …
Continue reading found ~ flow ~ flux launched into the world
and (belatedly) the winner is…
I began writing this post on Thursday 2nd June, but life, specifically Covid*, intervened. Now, very belatedly, here's my account of the Manchester Writing Competition Gala Prize-giving Ceremony... which has the aura of a dream to me. An almost out-of-body experience. And I was only a judge! After months of reading hundreds of stories, rereading …
Hilaire 