Places, books & other diversions
If I’m ever asked whether I’m into football, depending what mood I’m in, I sometimes reply: “No. I support Bristol City and England.” Poets are rarely associated with football. I’d imagine the Venn diagram intersection of poetry loving footballers and passionate footballing poets is not large. That said, Jude Bellingham shared a poem by the…
I blame a running tap, the boiler firing, as I washed up, for what the voice said...
How should one address a field? As a poet, as a person? Throughout this short, but deep pamphlet, Corinna Board sets out to explore what this question may involve.
Ever wondered would happen if a legendary force of nature, stepped out of myth, only to find itself subject to a grilling by the local council planning sub-committee? Well, I have...
The Dad-Map is, of course, never really settled: borders and landmarks can shift and change. Well-trodden paths can suddenly, unexpectedly, develop surprising new forks and turns. What follows is no definitive guide, simply a brief tour of some of my own most memorable destinations.
A poem about a shelf of books. Have a read, guess the books...
A month of poetry goings-on...
When off-stage, or screen, Actors ‘rest’. Copywriters read, or at least they ought to. So, yesterday, being in the latest in-between phase of the freelance copywriter life (a phase increasingly lengthier than the active project/gig phase itself, as the three-headed apocalyptic career assassins of AI, Age(ism) and Advertising Eating Itself advance upon my territory with…
Unwhispered Legacy is the first anthology published by The Book Bag X Write Here, Right Now. Edited by Paul Short, the anthology is raising money for Médecins Sans Frontières. It contains poems from an international group of poets including: Rishi Dastidar, Özge Lena, John Chmura, Leia Butler, Saraswati Nagpal, Samantha Terrell, Helen Laycock, Sarah Raybould,…
Brutal Blocks - a new poem of mine, you can read in Eche Poetry Issue Three.
London Underground's Northern Line is split into two branches, where its most central stations can be found. The Charing Cross Branch and The Bank Branch. Long ago, I thought there might be a bit of poetic fun to be had with it. Now, here it is.
Shh! A tale of library based vengeance...
Like many commentators, I found Jenrick’s bodged defection a bit funny. However, the rise of Reform, or deform as I have it here is not. At all. This bit of ‘fun’, below, is the kind of thing that happens when freelancers like me have too much downtime. Thanks to Dave Tokley for help with putting…
In the spirit of pointless, subjective artistic judgements, here's the roundup you've all been waiting for. Including the MOST BRILLIANTLY DESCRIBED MESS OF A BOOK FILLED, ASHTRAY CHOKED BEDROOM AWARD.
Back in March, I was interviewed by Andrew Stuck for the Talking Walking Podcast. Here it is, along with a cheering birdsong chorus.
Experimenting with poetic forms - here I have a go at a Villanelle - possibly the least 'me' form of all.
In praise of small things, especially a new cemetery gate.
Apparently, there’s a thing called ‘Performative Reading’ and the ‘internet’ or rather some Insta/TikTok 20-something lol-merchants don’t like it. Here's a blog on it with a bonus new poem.
My backhanded, somewhat grudging tribute to Bath, from a Bristolian.
Ok, I didn't win, but I'll happily take Highly Commended in Rialto Nature and Place Competition 2025 thank you very much.