Biography
Winston Plowes is a poet resident on the Rochdale Canal in Hebden Bridge. Amongst other things his work is inspired by The Calder Valley, his interaction with the local landscape and by his ten year old daughter.
Winston appears regularly as a compére and performer at open mic events in the Northwest and also works in cabaret and runs workshops in schools and for other organisations.
As well as his self-published work, his poems have being aired on BBC Radio 4 and 5.
You can get hold of copy of his self published little book 'First Draught' for £3.50 by sending him an email.
Winston is also an author in the new book 'Misery Begins at Home' a collaboration with Rachel Bond, Marianne Daniels and John Darwin which is now available for £5. Available at the cornerhouse Manchester, www.amazon.co.uk or any of the authors at many of the gigs listed on the site or email me for details.
Or you can book him for a workshop or reading by ringing
07986 222678
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PUBLICATIONS
1st Draught – An Anthology of Poetry 2008 (Self published)
InTheRed 7 (2009) – Crosswind
Scribble Magazine Issue 8 (Winter 2009) – Walking Away From Platform 6.
Mental Virus 6 – www.date & Oil and Cheese – Chalk & Water
Bards in the Bog – 2009 – Poems form the Shetlands
Worlds Within Words 6 (March 2010) – Leeds Trinity University College Anthology of New Writing.
Misery Begins at home – July 2010 – Jointly Self Published
COMPETITIONS
Mike Haywood Creative Writing Competition 2009 – Highly Commended – Unsynchronised Manual Transmission.
Bards in the Bog 2009 – Winner – Gutter Gourmet
International Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine 2010 – Commendation – MRI Scan.
Where For Art Thou? – Winner – Just Passin’ Thro’
ON LINE
Writeoutloud.net – Poem of the Month June 2010 – Best Before
Rainy City Stories.com – M62, J22
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SOME RECENT PERFORMANCES (LAST 6 MONTHS)
Jan 6th - WOL, Hole in't Wall, Hebden Bridge
Jan 9th – Calderdale Theatre School Performance Poetry Workshop 1 of 2
Jan 16th - Calderdale Theatre School Performance Poetry Workshop 2 of 2
Jan 16th - Cabaret BoomBoom, Sheffield
Feb 1st - Puzzle Hall Poets (Guest Poet)
Feb 3rd - WOL, Hole in't Wall, Hebden Bridge
Feb 13th - Calderdale Theatre School, year 9&10 Performance Poetry Workshop
Feb 14th – Where For Art Thou, Stockport Art Gallery
Feb 21st – Bolton WOL, Howcroft Inn
Mar 1st - Puzzle Poets, Sowerby Bridge
Mar 3rd - WOL, Hole in't Wall, Hebden Bridge
Mar 10th – Eclectricity, The Bar, Bolton(Guest Poet)
April 7th - WOL, Hole in't Wall, Hebden Bridge (Compere)
May 5th - WOL, Hole in't Wall, Hebden Bridge
June 2nd – WOL, Hole in’t Wall, Hebden Bridge
June 26th - Glastonbury Festival, Poetry & Words Open Mic
July 3rd - Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, Stanza Room Only
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ
Samples
ON MONDAYS I FALL IN LOVE
(1)
Red leather uppers.
Open top shoe tour of Leeds.
Splashing through puddles.
(2)
She took me upstairs.
Nicely untouched by the world.
Adelphi settees.
(3)
Her eyes, black with love.
Brighter than wet fairy lights.
Burning with a kiss.
(4)
Time has turned to silk,
and all the flowers open
Every time we touch.
© Winston Plowes 2009
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COMING HOME WITHOUT YOU
(For M)
Yesterday, this full room
was driven by your eyes.
And the sweet rattle of you
bouncing off its walls.
But now a low hum thickens from
the chamber of a sour museum.
Too still for peace I slam
the door without reaction.
Two cream breakfast bowls
stare back through
the hang of the air
with dried on chocolate-milk tears.
Today, this full room sighs
as I wade through your designs of untidiness.
I screw myself into a chair like a cat
And wait for you to stroke me
From three hundred miles away.
© Winston Plowes 2010
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GHAZAL
Dreaming of her dad,
She’s part of her dad.
Lost peg, heart-shaped hole,
her first love, her dad.
Her wish list complete,
none above her dad.
You’re all things Winston,
hand and glove, her dad.
© Winston Plowes 2009
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BEST BEFORE END
The family assortment that soften.
The rubbery remnants of vedge.
The only Satsuma that’s rotten.
The sandwich that curls at the edge.
The strawberry punnet that’s mouldy.
The granary bread that’s gone green.
The grape in the bag that’s all lonely.
The cracked egg in the box unseen.
The cracker that’s packaged in pieces.
The apple that’s bad to the core.
The aubergine with purple creases.
The things that were better before.
© Winston H. Plowes 2009
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ON SEEING A BOY'S FACE
He was a raw choir angel.
An early ripening fruit,
tapioca faced, unblemished.
Sang like a frozen harp,
he slipped through life
as lathered hands, untouched.
Until the parting from his skin -
When Dublin showed its broad back
and turned its pumice gaze.
Burning him to ash.
His voice broken – Muted
His body forced – Greyed.
By lies.
By fingers.
By laying on of hands.
© Winston H. Plowes 2010
All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.
Last blog entry
Posted on Wednesday 11th August 2010 10:04 am
It’s past Picasso’s bedtime
sucking absinthe through his straw.
Bending brains and shaking rattles
at one another’s throats.
Walking the white lines on the road
Painted onto bed-wetted tarmac.
Spain’s a tiny playground for a
Brain this big.
For a brush this broad.
For finger-painting adultery.
Suckle on the nose out of joint
Gawp at the teat in oils.
It’s past Picasso’s bedtime
sucking absinthe through his straw.
© Winston Plowes 2010
Previous: Tyne – Dogger – German Bight (OS LR NZ783189)
View or make comments. (9 comments)
Dave Carr
Mon 16th Aug 2010 23:43
Win,
Explained the Eyam comment on Heather's page. Just a misunderstanding.
Good luck with the new book.
Dave