The Migrant Waders, a new book from Dunlin Press

I am delighted to have a poem in this forthcoming poetry anthology from Dunlin Press ... 

The book has been compiled, edited and published by MW Bewick and Ella Johnston, and illustrated with Ella's exquisite artwork.  

Coming soon ... from Dunlin Press

Coming Soon: 'The Migrant Waders' from Dunlin Press

...
 

Those of you who know me will not be surprised to hear that David and I are members of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT). We joined some years ago when we were living in Swansea, not far from the WWT centre at Llanelli.

Since our return to East Anglia four years ago, we have had some lovely visits to the WWT centre at Welney, near Ely in the Fens. We have much enjoyed the excitement of the winter swan feed season, but have also had the thrill of watching dragonflies and water voles, damselflies and waders on summer visits.

Speaking of the eastern region, I am delighted to say that I have a poem coming out in an anthology of poems and artwork produced by MW Bewick and Ella Johnston, the Dunlin Press editors of Est: Collected reports from East Anglia (2015).

The new book will be called The Migrant Waders. You can read about it here at Dunlin Press.

Publication Pointer (4): Rivers of Britain by Stuart Fisher

Book Cover, used with permission

A new book, Rivers of Britain Estuaries, Tideways, Havens, Lochs, Firths and Kyles by Stuart Fisher, has just been published by Adlard Coles Nautical, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. A quotation from my sonnet, 'Egret on the Loughor Estuary', appears as an epigraph in chapter 8 on the River Loughor.

Little Egret,  Loughor Estuary

The photograph above was taken when we lived in Swansea and spent happy hours with our cameras and binoculars at the Llanelli Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre.   

Rivers of Britain is a beautifully produced volume, packed with glossy photographs of Britain's best known tidal, picturesque and industrial rivers. Small waterways are not forgotten. Stuart Fisher, editor of Canoeist magazine, is extremely well qualified when it comes to writing on this topic. He even undertook some of his research from the vantage point of his kayak. 

Most of the 70 chapters begin with a few lines of geographically topical poetry. These chapters are illustrated with an array of fine photographs, not only of the waterways but also of topical postage stamps and book covers (John Buchan Society member that I am, I was particularly pleased to spot The Thirty-Nine Steps on the pages relating to the Firth of Tay). There are wildlife pictures like the urban fox on p.84 and the young seal on p.149. Each river is described in detail. Maps are provided along with brown sidebars of factual information, such as the length of a given watercourse, its OS location and nearest rescue services. 

I was particularly pleased to find quality photographs of familiar haunts such as St Benet's Abbey, the King Harry Ferry, the nymph and dolphin mosaic from Fishbourne and the Chanonry Point Lighthouse, to name but a few. I wonder which of the featured places are favourites of yours, when it comes to 'messing about on the river' ...   

• Rivers of Britain, Estuaries, Tideways, Havens, Lochs, Firths and Kyles by Stuart Fisher can be purchased from the A & C Black online shop. Click here.

Prizes and Commendations (2): The T.S. Eliot prize

My thanks to Matt Merritt at Polyolbion for alerting me to the coverage of the prize ceremony on Jane Holland's blog, here. Derek Walcott won the prize with his Faber collection, White Egrets.

In case you have not caught up with the news reports, you can read The Guardian's feature here. 

Little Egret, Penclawdd, Gower, Wales, UK

 I recall a happy evening at Hay some years ago, when Derek Walcott answered questions and delivered his poetry to a packed auditorium. I was particularly pleased to have bought a copy of his 'Omeros' in the Poetry Bookshop that afternoon.

Above and below: Little Egret, Divari Lagoon, Pylos, Greece

N.B. My photos are not linked to locations or symbolic representations in the book, but it seemed a good opportunity to appreciate these fine birds! The Egretta alba, the Great White Egret, has black feet and a yellow bill, unlike the Little Egret on one leg in the Divari Lagoon photo. 

Anthology Alert (6): Writelink and my Puffin poem, 'A Chink in the Sky'

Puffins: the Clowns of the Sea

I wonder whether other poets find it increasingly rare to be sent a proof these days. I am always pleased to be given the opportunity to check my work once it has been prepared for publication. I am grateful to Sue at Writelink for allowing the contributors to do this for the anthology arising out of the Spring Fever competition. We hope the collection will be out in time for Christmas orders. 

• A Chink in the Sky

Poetic Places (5): Out in the Wild

Gannet flying inland from the Achiltibuie area,
north of Ullapool
[please click to enlarge]

I have just mounted a post on my new Wild and Wonderful blog about a Buzzard we saw in the Quiraing region of Skye. I have been thinking a lot about wild places and wilderness since we returned from Scotland, so it was a pleasant surprise to read Professor Morley's post about walking and writing. You can find it here: 'Rebounding Flowerheads'. His piece makes special reference to Scotland and the West Country.

• My Loch Coruisk post, with book suggestion etc.
• A 'wild' book I really enjoy is Britain and Ireland's Best Wild Places by Christopher Somerville
• Turnstone blog about walking and writing
  

Competition Corner (6): Writelink Poetry

I was thrilled and delighted to gain Second Place in the latest Writelink poetry competition on the theme of 'Rivals'.

My poem is about the creatures on the Burges wallpaper at Knightshayes Court, a National Trust property near Tiverton.

I've been 'bumping along' for days with my dominant [left] arm in a sling following a fall on Skye - so this news really cheered me up. Incidentally, the form I used was the French Quatern. It was not a form I had tried before, but as many of you know, I love to experiment.

Conservation Corner (6): Biodiversity Week, Wales

"Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a songbird will come."

Chinese saying

Better late than never: I have just stumbled across the fact that this is Biodiversity Week in Wales. If you live in Wales, you can find out about your local Biodiversity Record Centre here. You may have heard about the iSpot website on BBC Springwatch, where you can share information (and images) about nature. You may care to look at the Springwatch Wild Day Out page.

I noticed that Kenfig Nature Reserve celebrates the week with its first sighting of a Cypress Carpet moth, Thera cupressata: what a great name!

There are other initiatives and websites, too:

• Coed Cadw | the Woodland Trust has an ancient tree trail through Bute Park, with packs and sticker books.
• Activities in the Trefechan and Merthyr area, including bat detecting, poetry and bushcraft skills
• Swansea and Gower events include a number of Seashore Safaris.
• What biodiversity means in Swansea

N.B. Please don't forget the RSPB Make Nature Count survey of garden birds and mammals ... the details are here.

Magazine Moment (11): TIPS for Writers 77

The latest issue [77] of TIPS for Writers (Wendy Webb Books) sports a fine watercolour drawing of Norwich Cathedral on the cover, from the hand of John Tatum. It is a view I know well and love dearly, from my teenage years in Norfolk.

The magazine begins with congratulations to Tina Negus, 2010 winner of the Margaret Munro Gibson Competition for a Comic Poem, adjudicated by Alison Chisholm. In this week in which Matt Merritt of Polyolbion mused (after the appearance of a Marmora Warbler on a certain hill beginning with 'B' near Abergavenny) on the pairing of Blorenge with orange, it was a delight to read about the Green-backed Turple who rhymes with purple! Congratulations, Tina, on a worthy win. I defy anyone to read the poem with a straight face...

Congratulations also to Peter Davies and Pam Gidney, whose poems took 2nd and 3rd place respectively. Incidentally if shelled creatures are your 'thing', you will also enjoy The Turtle by Geoff Williams on p.13. Voice of the Turtle by Norman Bissett on p.17 turns out to be about a Turtle Dove.

Despite the very English cover scene, the issue has a European flavour to it. Wendy has written Fib and Pleiades poems about Italy, and I enjoyed reading Norman Bissett's 'jaffa-hued' interpretation of the Duomo in Florence. The wry humour of Schoolboy Poet by Gerald Hampshire brings us back to the tower blocks and pigeons of home.

In more Romantic mode, we find Claire Knight's majestic Summer Moon sonnet, with its 'owl in silence on the wing'. The issue ends with a Foreword by Pamela Trudie Hodge to Wendy's new publication, How the Mermaid Lost her Voice, and a review of the Mermaid series by Bernard Jackson.

TIPS for Writers costs £3 per issue and is a print magazine. eTIPS is a free pdf which can be delivered to your inbox on request. You can find Wendy's email here if you would like to receive the monthly ezine or would like to take out a subscription to the full print magazine.

Poetic People (37): Juliet Wilson

'Unthinkable Skies' (2010) by Juliet Wilson (aka 'Crafty Green Poet')
Calder Wood Press

28pp, £4.50 plus p&p - UK £1, Europe £1.50, Rest of the World £2
ISBN: 978-1-902629-28-5

Juliet Wilson*
author of

Unthinkable Skies

'poems reflecting Juliet's deep and wide-ranging concerns
for our planet and its inhabitants - human and animal.'

Juliet very kindly agreed to answer some questions about her new book, 'Unthinkable Skies'.

'All poetry should aim to be like birdsong' ~Juliet Wilson

1.) The title, 'Unthinkable Skies', is both evocative and arresting. At what point in the (writing/publication) process did you settle on this title, and why did you choose it?

Unthinkable Sky is a phrase from the poem Domesticated (p11) and I thought right from the beginning it would make a good title and loose theme (covering birds, the colour blue, galaxies, air pollution etc). I changed it to the plural at a later stage. Having a title and theme as soon as I started really helped to focus my mind!

2.) 'Unthinkable Skies' as a collection demonstrates your concern for our fragile world. At what age did you first become aware of 'green issues'? (I guess I have 'Drift' and 'Mistaken Identity' particularly in mind).

I was very interested in bird-watching and nature from very early on. I was probably seven when I did the jigsaw I mention in ‘Drift’. I first became aware of conservation as an issue through books and TV documentaries when I was about nine or so.

3.) As a left-hander, I instinctively turn to the back of a book. I was delighted to find a selection of your Haiku and Senryu on the last page. I also enjoyed your Ghazals, 'Malawian Moon' (p.3) and 'Endless Skies' (p.20). Why are form and poetic craft important (assuming that you feel they are); and what is it that appeals to you particularly about these forms?

I think all poets need to understand form and craft. This doesn’t mean that we should only write formal poetry and I write a lot of free verse myself. I think writing formally develops poetic discipline and a feel for the rhythms of language. I think also it’s a good discipline for poets to have a couple of favourite forms that they aim to ‘master’.

Haiku appeal to me because of their brevity, their traditional connection with nature and the seasons and the fact that there is so much more to them than meets the eye.

I discovered the ghazal relatively recently. There’s something magical about the repetition of the key word and the way the stanzas stand alone but interact to make something bigger.

4.) You edit the popular online poetry magazine 'Bolts of Silk'. How does your role as editor strengthen your role as poet - in your opinion, of course?

I really enjoy editing Bolts of Silk. Since the beginning I’ve had a steady stream of poetry to choose from, most of it excellent. This has offered me the chance to read quite widely from contemporary poets who I may otherwise never have heard of (I think it’s vital for poets to read a lot of poetry). Editing itself also has improved my critical eye which has probably helped me to improve my own writing.

5.) Like many others worldwide, I enjoy following your 'Crafty Green Poet' blog. Does blogging fuel your poetic output - and if so, in what ways? Do your recycled handicraft ideas go hand in hand with your writing?

Blogging helps to keep me going as a writer because I know I’ve got an audience! I’m always looking for things to blog about which helps me to find ideas for poetry. There are times though when I feel that blogging steals time from writing poetry.

Crafting gives me time to think and let my mind wander - I often have poetic ideas while I’m sewing or making collages. I hope to be able to make more collage versions of my poems in the future.

6.) Those of us who read your blog know that you regularly patrol a section of the Water of Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland, for conservation purposes. Wildlife plays a key part in your published poetry: do you make mental field observations while you are out and about, or do you use a dictaphone or notebook?

When I’m walking along the Water of Leith I always carry a notebook with me and record everything that way. At other times and in other places I’m often making mental notes rather than writing things down.

7.) Your poetry is concise and your words are chosen with care, sometimes with sound in mind e.g. 'scurry', 'shush' and 'skirr' in 'Turnstones' (p.29). You hint at more than you describe, and draw inspiration and imagery from emotion and the senses. Why is it more effective to 'show' than 'tell'?

I like poems that can be understood on a first reading but that reveal more on subsequent re-readings. I think showing rather than telling can draw a person into a poem and into the re-reading of it. Any poem should bring the reader’s imagination into play!

8.) Which poets - or authors - have been influential? In what ways (in a few words)?

a) Ruth Padel – who has wonderful stage presence
b) Margaret Attwood – whose poetry always gets to the heart of things
c) Edwin Morgan – the most imaginative poet in the English language

9.) We have mentioned 'Malawian Moon'. I know that my own year in Rome was life-changing. How did your two years in Malawi transform your view of the world?

Living and teaching in Malawi was an amazing experience. It gave me first hand experience of life in a very different culture and climate than the one I was used to, which helped me to see things in a bigger perspective. It was also a place that really inspired my writing.

10.) Those of us who follow your blog really appreciate your bird notes, with links to the RSPB site. Are there similarities between birds and poems?

Haiku are like songbirds in being small and perfectly formed and dependent on the seasons. All poetry should aim to be like birdsong, uplifting to the ear but with something worth saying too.

11.) Your publisher is Calder Wood Press. Please tell us a little about the press and about your part in the publication process.

Calder Wood Press is based close to Edinburgh, in East Lothian. I’ve known Colin Will (who runs the press) for several years. The press publishes a small number of poetry chapbooks every year, mostly by Scottish poets. Colin works closely with poets in producing their books. I sent Colin an initial selection of poems, we then worked together to select the final poems. I also provided the cover photo.

12.) What advice would you give to someone preparing a first collection?

Believe in your work. Place individual poems in reputable journals. Find a good small publisher, preferably a local one, to publish your first collection, which is more likely to be a pamphlet or a chapbook rather than a full length collection. Network a lot to create an audience for your work.

•••

Thank you, Juliet, very much indeed for your answers and information. 'Unthinkable Skies' has certainly made me want to continue to explore our world and our use of words. I very much hope that readers of this interview may care to visit the Calder Wood Press site (link) and order a copy of 'Unthinkable Skies' for themselves. This is a book that has made me think and feel.


* Photographs (under copyright) kindly supplied by Juliet Wilson

Window on Wildlife (10): Here, there and everywhere

At WWT Llanelli last weekend

Do take a look at the post about a Willow Warbler
on the Gower Wildlife blog here.

***

We took a few days to see some sights in Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall last week.
The following pictures are mainly from this trip, but there are a few taken at WWT Llanelli on our return.
Spring has arrived, and there is a huge variety of birds and butterflies to be seen.

***

I would be delighted if anyone could give us an ID
for the bird below, seen off Hartland Point in Devon.

A Green Finch in Sidmouth...
(below)

... and a Goldfinch

We watched these Shelducks
from Blue Anchor, near Dunster...

A Pochard at WWT Llanelli...

... and a Tufted Duck

Prospecting: the islands at WWT Llanelli
make a good breeding ground

Is this a Rook?
(I took the shot from a long way away:
we weren't even sure if there was a bird in residence)

I think this may be a Fox Moth caterpillar.
I noticed it on the cliff path at Hartland Point.
Do take a look at the Marsland Moth pages here.

A Speckled Wood butterfly at Hartland Abbey...

... and a Peacock Butterfly

This Red Admiral (below)
was enjoying the sunshine at Blackbury Camp.
It was the first butterfly of 2010 for me!

I wonder what Spring wildlife
you have been enjoying...

Puffin Quest (5): THANK YOU to all who voted!

It's those puffins again!

My sincere thanks to all who voted for my puffin poem, 'A Chink in the Sky' in the Writelink Spring Fever poetry competition. I am pleased to report that it made the 'grade for publication' in the anthology in the judge's eyes by the skin of its teeth (or should that be by the tip of its bill?).

'A Chink in the Sky' came in at number 10 in judge, Magdalena Ball's shortlist.

If my poem had been number 11, all your votes would in fact have saved my puffins from 'near-extinction' (as the final publication list comprised the judge's Top 10 poems plus the 10 poems with the most votes) - so thank you very much for your support.*

The poem will be published in the Writelink Spring Fever anthology in due course.


* Many of you will know that puffins are in the Amber category on the RSPB 'conservation' list...

Poems on the Web (5): My Poems on the Southbank Centre Poetry Library Site

'Egret on the Loughor Estuary' in 'The Seventh Quarry'

I was told yesterday that four of my poems were due (with my consent) to be posted on the London Southbank Poetry Library website. They have all appeared in 'The Seventh Quarry' (ed. Peter Thabit Jones), and you can read them here...

• 'Elegy for Idris Davies' in 'The Seventh Quarry' No. 3, Winter 2006 (ed. Peter Thabit Jones)
  
• 'Egret on the Loughor Estuary' in 'The Seventh Quarry' No. 3, Winter 2006 (ed. Peter Thabit Jones)
  
• 'Tide Fight' (1st Prize in Carmarthen Ottakar/Faber Competition 2005) in 'The Seventh Quarry' No.3, Winter 2006 (ed. Peter Thabit Jones)
• 'Stranger' in 'The Seventh Quarry' No. 2, 2005 (ed. Peter Thabit Jones)

Beautiful Birds (21): Gower Gyr-ations at Rhossili

Rhossili Down
is just behind the beach, off the photo to the right.
The visible wreck is the Helvetia.
Worm's Head is off the photo to the left.

There has been a further Gyr Falcon sighting in the Gower region. You can read about the Gyr here, with a great photograph, too.

• Earlier Gyr sighting, last Christmas in South Wales
  

Conservation Corner (4): Triffids? - Swansea's Japanese Knotweed Problem

The tricky issue of how to treat the swathes of Japanese Knotweed in Swansea has received coverage in the press. It is very hard to know the responsible way forward on this issue.

You might care to read the following blog posts, with links to the newspaper coverage:

• Professor P. Brain's blog (and here)
  
• Gower Wildlife (on a more cheerful note, how lovely to find a record of the first West Glamorgan sightings of Swallow and Sand Martin in 2010.
  

Competition Corner (3): Writelink Spring Fever

OVER TO YOU... (Spring is in the Air)

Along with a fair few others, I have entered a poem in the WriteLink 'Spring Fever' competition. The form in my case is a Rondeau Redoublé.

If we are members of forums or have our own blogs, we are encouraged to include a link to our poem (which also gives access to all the other contenders - so do look at these, too).

You will be able to cast a vote and/or leave a comment, if you would like to do so, up until the closing date of 21 March 2010. I suggest you do not use my name if you address a comment to me on the WriteLink site.

I am posting the link to my poem here. The organiser tells competitors that while 'lots of votes will get you on the Site Short List', the 'final judging will be by a human judge!'

The 10 poems with the most votes will be added to the judge's 10 favourites. The Top 20 poems will feature in an anthology. First, second and third prizes will be awarded by the judge. On behalf of those of us who are taking part, thank you very much for your interest and support!

P.S. For some wonderful definitions of poetry, you might like to follow this link. I wonder which works best for you...

P.P.S. Cathy of 'One Pink Goose' has a delightful puffin picture on her excellent site ... here. Don't miss it!

Beautiful Birds (20): On a Wing and a Prayer...

Owl-Eyed
(This is a Long-Eared Owl - I have yet to capture a Barn Owl on film...)

You may well have read A Gull on the Roof by Derek Tangye or Beasts in my Belfry by Gerald Durrell, but I wonder whether you have seen these statuesque juvenile Barn Owls in the stone quatrefoil. Do take a look here at the amazing shot by photographer, Richard Brooks. The church is Christ Church, Fulmodeston in Norfolk, the beautiful county where I lived during my teenage years.

P.S. I was browsing through the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust site for this post, when I came across a curious feature on the Mountain Chicken. How much do you know about this threatened creature? You can read about it here.

P.P.S. On the subject of wildlife conservation and literature, do read about Wildlife Poetry and the Born Free Foundation Poet-in-Residence, Richard Bonfield. Many of us have followed Richard's work over the years in magazines like Reach Poetry (Indigo Dreams Press).

Carnival Time (4): 'I and the Bird' from Australia to the World

Y Barcud, the Red Kite
seen above Aberglasney, Wales, UK
ten days ago

The carnival, 'I and the Bird', is now up and running over in Duncan's colourful back and beyond Australian backyard bush, 'Ben Cruachan'. You can read my entry or via the carnival site.

Do fly over to 'Ben Cruachan' to join in the fun and to sample a piece of bush damper*, before the birds demolish it all! You might also enjoy a visit to Seabrooke Leckie's carnival pond for January 2010 here.


* This reminds me of 'the drifting bread' in the poem, 'A Winter's Tale' by Dylan Thomas, who was born here in Swansea, Wales, UK.

Beautiful Birds (19): RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch ii

Welcome to my post for the carnival, 'I and the Bird'
hosted by Duncan at 'Ben Cruachan'

This is the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch Weekend.

Dawn broke over Swansea Bay.
It was a cold, snowy morning.

The first birds arrived.

We noticed a flock of Starlings,

then a Blackbird...


... and a Robin.
(Notice those small bud signs of Spring!).

Other birds began to perch on the roof and the larch,
forming flocks of mixed species.

We sat at our window for the specified hour,
with the RSPB bird form to hand,
a pair of binoculars each
and mugs of hot coffee.

We recorded the highest number of a single species seen at a time.
Birds were only recorded if they landed.
Birds who passed over our garden in flight were excluded from the survey.
Each species could only appear once in the list.

We were quite surprised at the range of birds.
These were are results:

1. 26 Starlings
2. 4 Chaffinches
3. 4 House Sparrows
   
4. 3 Blackbirds
5. 2 Bluetits
6. 2 Magpies
7. 1 Blackheaded Gull
8. 1 Dunnock
9. 1 Feral Pigeon
   
10. 1 Goldfinch
    
11. 1 Great Tit
    
12. 1 Herring Gull
13. 1 Robin
14. 1 unidentified bird, slight, a long tail, cream-pink chest, slender bill. This bird perched in a tree.
    

The RSPB will collate the statistics that have been submitted, and will publish the final results of the Big Garden Birdwatch survey 2010 in March. The survey will include the sightings of half a million people in the UK, representing 28,000 gardens surveyed. The results will give a 'snapshot' picture of bird numbers in each region, alerting the RSPB to species with declining numbers. I was surprised to find that Starlings, the most numerous birds on our form, are listed as 'Red Status' on the conservation list. The mixed flock syndrome we witnessed may have been largely due to the cold weather.

I wonder if you took part? Do leave a link or a comment if you have posted your results.

See also:

• Paul at Little Brown Job - don't miss the Meerkat!
• The Guardian
• The Interrupted Gardener
• Midmarsh Jottings

P.S. Tuesday 2 February is World Wetlands Day!

Beautiful Birds (16): Beautiful Books

Proud Peacock!

The cold weather has brought some surprising birds to our attention. A Bittern (Red Alert status) was sighted at WWT Llanelli in Penclacwydd last weekend, though David failed to hear its haunting boom when he was there. I gather there had been a sighting before Christmas, too. A Bittern (possibly the same bird?) was seen at Crymlyn Bog on 5 January 2010: you can read about it on the Gower Wildlife blog, along with news of other feathered visitors to my area of South Wales. The Rare Bird Alert site informs us that Monday 4 January saw a Black Kite (link here: then scroll down a bit for an image) flying among the Red Kites in Powys, and a Glossy Ibis appearing in Worcestershire. Wow!

If birds and books are joint passions, take a look at the Abe Books Beautiful Book Boutique, which is currently showcasing 30 Beautiful Old Bird Books. The covers alone are worthy of a glance: my favourite design has to be Wise and Otherwise. Peacocks and owls seem to be the most prevalent species. I wonder which designs you like best.