Michael Rosen to read at Smokestack Books farewell
Michael Rosen, who has published several poetry collections with Smokestack Books, will be reading at a special event to mark the poetry publisher ceasing operations at the end of the year. Other poets appearing at Smokestack Farewell at the Cockpit in Gateforth Street, north London, on 8 December from 5-7.30pm include Nancy Charley, Alan Morrison, Ruth Valentine, Martin Rowson, Richard Skinner, a...
30th November 2024
Debut poet sums up Write Out Loud Zoom night with sonnet
A debutant poet at a Write Out Loud Zoom night delighted his fellow poets with a fully-fledged sonnet … about poetry on Zoom. Jamie Thompson, pictured, had attended a previous gathering of Write Out Loud Northumberland on Zoom as an observer. On his second appearance he delivered ‘Writing Aloud on Z...
30th November 2024
Kit Fan to judge £1,000 Kent & Sussex Poetry Society competition
Kit Fan will be judging the £1,000 Kent & Sussex Poetry Society open poetry competition. The deadline is 31 January 2025. More details
30th November 2024
Wendy Pratt to judge Shepton Mallet Snowdrop festival poetry competition
Wendy Pratt will be judging the £300 Shepton Mallet Snowdrop festival poetry competition. The theme is 'Treasures of nature'. The deadline is 6 January 2025. More details
30th November 2024
Soul Feast: ed. Neil Astley, Pamela Robertson-Pearce, Bloodaxe
These are poems that you have to take time to, make time to read. I began by leafing through this Bloodaxe anthology – subtitled “Nourishing Poems of Hope and Light” – and thinking, these are all too ...
26th November 2024
‘Write, write, write’ … ‘poetry can be a weapon, or a wound’: thoughts from two leading poets
“Just write, write, write, into the void. You have your unique way of telling that story. Your way of telling that story is important.” … “I’m a slow writer. I’m reluctant to let drafts go out into t...
22nd November 2024
‘Grief never goes away … it is almost as raw now as on the day it happened.’ A mother speaks about losing her son in Afghanistan
In this month of Remembrance, Write Out Loud is giving space to poet and peace campaigner Antony Owen, who has interviewed the mother of a British paratrooper killed on active service in Afghanistan i...
22nd November 2024
'Great poetry endures': national newspaper editorial praises eco-anthology
A new poetry anthology has been praised in the editorial columns of a national newspaper. Earth Prayers, edited by the former poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, was highlighted in a Guardian editorial, wh...
12th November 2024
It’s not ‘woke’ to say this is a horror story – rich, lyrical, appalling
‘The Hottentot Venus’ was Sarah Baartman, a Khoikhoi woman from South Africa who was displayed at freak shows around 19th century Europe. It’s not ‘woke’ to draw attention to this; it’s an amazing and...
12th November 2024
Normal, or what? Gerry Potter's poem features in TV comedy
A well-known north-west poet has written a poem that was performed in the final episode of the hit TV comedy series ‘Alma’s Not Normal’. Gerry Potter told his Facebook followers: “The worst kept secre...
12th November 2024
Accessibility? Must do better. Shaun Fallows looks back on his Arts Council-funded poetry tour
I could have kicked myself back in the summer when I realised I’d written the wrong date on the calendar for disabled poet and wheelchair user Shaun Fallows’ gig at the Poetry Jam in Durham. I’ve know...
12th November 2024
Poetry of survival: new collections from two north-east poets
Two north-east poets, Marilyn Longstaff and SJ Litherland, will be reading from their new collections at Norton library, Stockton-on Tees, on Thursday 7 November from 6.30-7.30pm.
Marilyn Longstaff...
2nd November 2024
