All Blogposts

  • I spoke poetry aloud

    I spoke poetry aloud

    I had to write a follow-up to my previous post after having a brilliant time yesterday evening at The Torriano Meeting House, Kentish Town, London NW5. Lisa Kelly the incredibly friendly and kind organiser of poetry readings (or at least one of the organisers, I’m not quite sure who organises what and who’s in charge… Read more

  • Speaking Poetry Aloud

    Speaking Poetry Aloud

    An imminent poetry reading (Sunday, 2nd March 7pm at The Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town, London NW5 2RX – come along if you’re around) and some comments by Robin Houghton about open-mic slots in her recent blog post have made me think about speaking poetry aloud: how I love some events but… Read more

  • A poem of protest

    A poem of protest

    On Wednesday, 19th February there was a day of peaceful, national protests against the French company, Atos SE, a multinational IT services corporation which has received millions of pounds from the UK Government for contracts to carry out public services, including a £500 million contract with the Department for Work and Pensions to carry out… Read more

  • Poetry trickles in

    Poetry trickles in

    Poetry trickles in between the fault lines of this working and family life; like water it finds openings. (Philip Gross, from an interview in Iota, Issue 88). I’ve had one of those tricky weeks when I’ve struggled to find time for myself,  especially for reading and writing.  It’s more than that, though, I’m also craving… Read more

  • Shad’s Reader Story

    Shad’s Reader Story

    Originally posted on The Reader Online: Shad has been coming to Book Break, one of our shared reading groups, for two years. He is Kurdish, originally from the north of Iraq. This is Shad’s story, in his own words. I’m very ill, sleeping all day if there is nothing to go to. I get up for… Read more

  • A poem for every occasion?

    A poem for every occasion?

    Last week’s post made reference to ‘Cut’, the poem Sylvia Plath wrote after cutting her thumb, and it made me think that there seem to be poems about every subject.  Also, just as some people always say the right thing at the right time, there are others who always come up with the right poem… Read more