Ten Years of Notebooks

It’s been ten years since I started writing again, after a long spell of not writing. I suppose I stopped … More

The gift of an empty house

Sometimes it’s sad when everyone leaves but sometimes it’s just what you need.  It’s not always possible to go away … More

Finding your way into a poem

It’s been really helpful to read these posts by poets writing about how they find their way into poems:  “Writing” … More

New Year’s Eve Musings

I was about to tweet a happy tweet and post a happy post about my happy year, when our washing … More

Claudia Rankine in conversation in Bristol

I wanted to jot down some thoughts while they’re still fresh in my head after hearing Claudia Rankine in conversation … More

In which I send off a poem 

This week, I’ve spent a lot of time working on one poem for a competition.  I sent it off yesterday, … More

Mostly waiting

There have been a lot of lovely things going on in the UK poetry world recently, including festivals in Birmingham … More

A visit to The Poetry Business in Sheffield

…and other thoughts about being away from home. I’m just back from three nights away in Sheffield where I met … More

In which I entertain a charming visitor

This week has mostly been about me being ill – not seriously ill, just an annoying cold with horrible flu-type … More

So, I’ll say, let’s have coffee

So, I’ll say, let’s have coffee and we’ll go to a small café on a side-street in Italy or Spain or Portugal … More