All Blogposts

  • Writing against the clock

    Writing against the clock

    In a bid to be productive, to keep you updated about what I’m up to and to fulfil my goal of writing a post a week on this blog, I’m writing this article with the clock ticking.  More specifically, I’m using the timer app on my iPhone and when the 15 minutes are up, that’s it! (3… Read more

  • Six month pamphlet anniversary

    Six month pamphlet anniversary

    It’s been six months since my poetry pamphlet The Misplaced House was published by tall-lighthouse.  Here’s what I’ve learned, so far: Just because a poem is published in a collection doesn’t mean it’s completely finished, never to be changed again.  I think I agree with whoever it was who said “a poem is never finished.”*… Read more

  • Reading old notebooks – and cringing

    Reading old notebooks – and cringing

    I’ve been tidying up, in an attempt to make my writing space less cluttered and, inevitably, I got distracted.  This time I was waylaid by some of my old notebooks. The ones pictured here are from 1983, when I was 21, living and working in Paris as an au pair – ah! Paris! *settles into a… Read more

  • A few recommendations

    A few recommendations

    I’ve run out of time to write a post this week.  Instead, here are a few links to pieces I’ve enjoyed reading.  Hope you might enjoy them too. One A good interview between Abegail Morley and Jo Bell about Jo’s most recent poetry collection Kith (Nine Arches Press). Jo talks us through submitting to publishers, waiting… Read more

  • Post #GE2015: Trying to find my way back to poetry

    Post #GE2015: Trying to find my way back to poetry

    I feel devastated that the Tories have won an overall majority in the UK General Election, meaning that we are in for five more years of their callous, uncaring policies, cuts to the social welfare system, to the Arts and to public services.  Usually, when I’m feeling down, I try to pull myself together by telling… Read more

  • Some poems on Soundcloud

    Some poems on Soundcloud

    Thanks to comments from Kevin, David, and Tom, that my poems are not accessible to people who are blind, I’ve  uploaded two poems from ‘The Misplaced House’ to SoundCloud.  There’s also a video link here of me reading ‘Three Ted Hughes Stories’ at Swindon Open-Mic. Here’s my poem ‘Honeymoon’ which was a runner-up at Bridport… Read more