All Blogposts

  • On not making assumptions about what people will enjoy reading.

    On not making assumptions about what people will enjoy reading.

    One of the highlights of reading for a living is choosing which poems and stories to bring to my weekly, read aloud, shared reading groups. Whenever and whatever I’m reading at home (or on the move) my weekly groups are in my mind: will they find this story/novel extract/poem interesting? Will it get them talking? Read more

  • University of Iowa’s Writing MOOC

    University of Iowa’s Writing MOOC

    How Writers Write Poetry I’ve signed up for the University of Iowa’s free, six-week MOOC (massive open online course) called ‘How Writers Write Poetry’, which started on June 28th. There’s still time to sign up and take part – details here. There are two 30 minute videos to watch each week, presented by poets who Read more

  • An update about my pamphlet

    An update about my pamphlet

    After the happiness that came with an email from Gareth Lewis telling me that tall-lighthouse would like to publish my pamphlet (which I mentioned here) there was a time of staring. Staring at my computer screen (sometimes on, sometimes off), at my hands, at the wall, out of the window, at a sea of printed Read more

  • Putting on my poetry head.

    Putting on my poetry head.

    Tomorrow I will put on my poetry head so I can write poems. It will be so easy. My work colleagues have already snapped my working head inside a polypropylene wallet. No emails to be spat out until Monday. My children will sit on my mother head while they’re doing their homework or being driven Read more

  • Antony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’, Crosby Beach

    Antony Gormley’s ‘Another Place’, Crosby Beach

    I was in Liverpool for a few days recently and taken to see Antony Gormley’s public art piece ‘Another Place’, on Crosby Beach.  This installation comprises 100 life-size, cast iron figures looking out to sea – to “another place”.  The sculptures, which are of the artist’s own, naked body, are spread along three kilometres of the shoreline and Read more

  • Reading with people who have dementia in Wiltshire

    Reading with people who have dementia in Wiltshire

    It’s about six months since, working for The Reader Organisation, I set up four, weekly, read aloud, shared reading groups for people with dementia (or other illnesses affecting their memory) and their carers.  Three of the four groups, at libraries  in Warminster, Mere and Pewsey, are still up and running, but I’ve moved the fourth group from Purton Read more