'The Gloucester Fragments', a Poetry Collection by Neil Leadbeater

I was delighted when Neil Leadbeater asked if he could use my Redwing photograph for the cover of his latest poetry collection, The Gloucester Fragments, recently published by Mervyn Linford of Littoral Press. 

I first met Neil at Swansea's First International Poetry Festival, organised by Peter Thabit Jones (The Seventh Quarry Press, Wales) and Stanley H. Barkan (Cross-Cultural Communications, New York). 

Polly Stretton in her back-cover blurb decribes The Gloucester Fragments as 'a real treat' and helpfully informs the reader that the new collection includes poems on the themes of 'nature', 'language' and 'myth'. And indeed, I am greatly enjoying poems 'inhabited' by the Shoveler ('Frampton Pools'), poems that 'play' with the building blocks of language to singular effect ('Errata for an English Pangram'), and a clever shape-shifting poem that re-casts the Homeric tale of Odysseus and Circe. 

There is so much more: take, for instance, Neil's clever allusion to nursery rhymes or the way in which he moves deftly from serious subject matter, such as detritus in the Severn, to the magical botanical names of wildflowers like 'periwinkle', 'fumitory' and 'hemp agrimony', which we find sprinkled, or scattered, throughout this vivid and compelling collection. 

Gloucester, and perhaps particularly Gloucestershire, will doubtless evoke different images among Neil's readers. I think especially of Edward Thomas, and am immediately taken in my mind to Adlestrop, which I visited some years ago on a frosty morning when there were certainly no 'haycocks dry' in evidence. Neil's delightful and inventive response to this well-loved poem by Thomas took me by surprise and put a wide smile on my face.

 *

The Gloucester Fragments costs £8.50. 

Neil's previous collection, Reading Between the Lines (2020), with my puffin photo on the cover, is also available from Littoral Press. I mentioned it here shortly after its publication. 

The publisher, Mervyn Linford, suggests that those wishing to purchase a Littoral Press collection should email him in the first instance.

   

Previous post: #DylanDay 2022 ... here

'Dear Dylan'

Cwmdonkin Park, Swansea

My poem-and-letter submission [9/2019] has been accepted for the 2020 Indigo Dreams Publishing 'Dear Dylan' anthology (to be edited by IDP poet and Cheltenham Poetry Festival Director, Anna Saunders). My poem has a Cornish setting since Dylan and Caitlin got married in Penzance, but my letter is based in Swansea, which was my home for nearly twenty years.   

And, on the subject of poets with a Swansea link and the surname Thomas, we have just ordered a copy of Jeff Towns' new edition of 'Swansea Village' by Edward Thomas. My copy has been tucked away until my birthday, but I'm told it includes contributions from Jeff Towns, Peter Thabit Jones (who published my chapbook), Andrew Green and Peter Stead.

Judging a Remembrance Poetry Competition

My task for today (well, for this week, but I must make an immediate start) is to judge a local poetry competition linked to the centenary of the end of the First World War.

I knew from a fairly early age that the relatives of close family friends and indeed members of my own family had served in the conflict, but somehow the days around Remembrance Sunday were strange ones for my teenage self. They were evidently days that made people I knew well 'feel' something that I sensed was still beyond my grasp and strangely beyond my reach.

I studied the Peloponnesian and Persian wars at university in a detached historical way. I took courses on Homeric warfare in which we tried to link archaeological artefacts with passages in the text, thereby building up a rounded picture of the ancient world from the range of primary sources available. I loved the challenges presented by this approach, but war itself remained an enigma. Perhaps war is always an enigma.

Some years later I had the chance to study work by the war poets; and seeing, well, almost experiencing, conflict and service through their eyes lifted a veil from my own. The poems that spoke most directly to me about the aspiration for peace (something I felt deeply) and the reality of 20th century hostilities (something I almost wished to avoid) were those that tackled the subject from a slightly oblique angle. 'The Owl' by Edward Thomas would be a case in point.

I have returned to that poem many times. In four brief quatrains, the speaker presents a world of war that is vividly evoked but barely described. As I have mentioned above, I live with aspirations of peace, but at a moment when I was finally receptive to the exploration of modern notions of conflict (with the aim of increasing my understanding), it only took a handful of well-chosen words to extend my appreciation of human loyalty and sacrifice in the face of battle. The poet's employment of a double entendre, or play, on the word 'barred' is, to my way of thinking, a stroke of genius - and ironically it was one of the words in this poem that became a personal key, unlocking empathy and gratitude for those caught up directly or indirectly in the atrocities of the First World War.

Aldeburgh Poetry Festival 2015 (Post 2)

We have just returned from a second day at Aldeburgh Poetry Festival. We were mainly out at Aldeburgh, where there were some strong autumn gusts at lunch time by the iconic Scallop, followed by a stormy panorama as we left the town on our journey back to Snape this evening.

Highlights included an excellent and lively talk by John Burnside on the poetry of birds. We were riveted by his selected bird poems from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and by his engaging commentary. I particularly connected with the poems by Edward Thomas and Marianne Moore.

Alison Brackenbury delivered a delightful reading and brought great illumination to 'Christmas' by John Clare from December in The Shepherd's Calendar.

I have been particularly thrilled to find much of this year's poetry linking back to the land in a variety of ways. This, of course, is a personal preference, and perhaps it is not surprising that land in all its guises (edges, boundaries, borders, soil, seasons, owned land and wilderness ...) has played a significant part when you consider that one of the official festival themes for 2015 is 'poetry and freedom'.

Perhaps my ear was acutely attuned to this current (was it an overcurrent or an undercurrent? The emphasis seemed to waver) as a result of my visit only three days ago to the extraordinary exhibition of Ai Weiwei at the Royal Academy.  

11 November - Laurence Binyon and the British Museum

David in the British Museum

'They shall grow not old ...'

from 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon

Many will have seen the poppy installation at the Tower of London. David and I attended a fascinating event in honour of (Robert) Laurence Binyon (1869–1943) at the British Museum on 11 November 2014. Binyon's granddaughter, Sophie Gray, assisted a member of staff from Prints and Drawings with the delivery of a presentation about the War Poet's life and work. 

Binyon, who was immensely interested in art from Europe, China and Japan, was invited to head up the new Department of Oriental Prints and Drawings in the British Museum in 1913, just before the outbreak of war. His career at the British Museum spanned 44 years.

Binyon was too old to enlist as a soldier in the Great War, but was keen to serve and volunteered with the Red Cross as an Orderly. He became a stretcher bearer. 

Basil Gray, Binyon's son-in-law, took over his British Museum work. The new Department of Oriental Antiquities was created in 1933.

We were able to listen to a recording of Binyon's voice and to see documents in the poet's hand, along with prints and watercolours that he had acquired for the Print Room. Two portraits of Binyon by William Strang were on display.

• Feature on Edward Thomas, Western Daily Press

Anthology Launch at the Winchester Poetry Festival 2014

I heard some months ago that my Edward Thomas tribute poem, 'Literally, for this', had been selected for inclusion in an anthology to mark the centenary of the First World War. The book, so too have the doves flown, was edited by Stephen Boyce, Pam Job and Judith Wolton and published by Jardine Press. The poems were largely written by poets residing in Essex and Suffolk.

I initially came across the name, Edward Thomas, many years ago through the poet's most widely known poem, 'Adlestrop'. Since then I have visited the site of the small village station that fell victim to the Beeching cuts and I have also visited Dymock.

Prior to fighting in France, Thomas spent the last years of his life in the small Hampshire village of Steep. I knew the village through two other tribute poems, 'All day it has rained' and 'To Edward Thomas' by Alun Lewis, but had never had the chance to visit.  

so too have the doves flown was being launched at the Winchester Poetry Festival - and with Steep only twenty miles from the venue, the opportunity finally presented itself.

We found the Norman church of All Saints in Steep, nestling under Stoner Hill and the Shoulder of Mutton. The door opened and we were able to take a look around.

It did not take long to spot the poet's name. There was also commemorative stained glass by Laurence Whistler. We left the church and drove past Bedales before proceeding on our way up Stoner Hill, under the leafy canopy of Ashford Hangers.

We arrived at the Discovery Centre, venue of the Winchester Poetry Festival, the following morning, in time to have a cup of coffee, buy from the secondhand bookstall, check out the Magma stall, vote for a favourite painting and peruse the Edward Thomas exhibition curated by the Petersfield Museum.

David checking out the exhibition area

We came across Pam Job and Judith Wolton with Stephen Boyce, who is not only editor of so too have the doves gone but also trustee and co-Artistic Director of the Winchester Poetry Festival.

Judith Wolton (with hand on top of board), CG, Pam Job and Stephen Boyce

It was soon time to wander across the road to the Green Room ... 

... before taking our seats back in the Discovery Centre in preparation for the event.

Stephen Boyce gave a welcome and an introduction before Judith and Pam delivered their presentation on the inspiration behind the anthology project.

Reading 'Literally, for this' ... with Pam Job behind the table

It was soon time for the readings.

The poems in the book are very varied and cover different eras and geographical locations, but all address the theme of conflict and our human response to times of war and unrest.

My thanks are due to the editorial team and to Stephen Boyce for inviting us to take part. The 2014 Winchester Poetry Festival 'had three interwoven themes: to commemorate the poetry of the First World War, to celebrate Hampshire’s contribution to our literary heritage and to bring together a fine array of leading contemporary poets.' I hear a rumour that a second festival is planned for 2016 ... 

* * *

Postscript

I was sorry to miss the Edward Thomas talk by Edna Longley, but I was delighted to sample a small slice of what the festival had on offer. As David's biscuit poem below demonstrates, there was something to suit all tastes ...

A little light relief was provided by the two Poetry Posties, who allowed a certain intruder ...

... to pedal off on their tricycle. I hope he delivered the pile of special poem packets. I, for one, was delighted to receive one of these from the Poetry Posties at The Poetree. I'm hoping the surprise contents will bear fruit in organic ways, both in my garden and at the tip of my pen. 

David riding off on The Poetree Poetry Postie tricycle

• More on Edward Thomas and Steep
• Helen Thomas and Bedales
• David Gill and Caroline Gill, 'Leaving Town' and 'Swedes': Edward Thomas and Amen-Hotep, Notes and Queries 50 (2003), 325-327. [Online from Oxford University Press]

 Festival Blog Posts

• Magma (with contributions from Stephen Boyce and others)
• Isabel Rogers
• Josephine Corcoran

Poetry Anthology ~ 'so too have the doves gone'

The anthology, edited by Judith Wolton and Pam Job, explores the subject of conflict and marks the centenary anniversary of the outbreak in 1914 of World War I. It includes my Edward Thomas tribute poem. 

Further details of the launch event and of the Essex Book Festival can be found here.

Poets on Poet: Matthew Hollis on Edward Thomas

Matthew Hollis

I have been thoroughly gripped by 'Now All Roads Lead to France' by Mattthew Hollis. It is an excellent study of the years and days leading up to the Great War. I have almost finished the book, and was delighted to have the chance to hear Matthew presenting his subject in an illustrated talk for the Suffolk Poetry Society.

Book-signing time ...

You will not be surprised to hear that the presentation included 'Adlestrop', a place I visited many years ago on a frosty morning. After Matthew had finished speaking, members of the audience were invited to ask questions and to choose a favourite Thomas poem. David and I selected 'Swedes', a poem we had written about way back in 2003. We ventured to show how this poem emerged from prose. You can find a link to our 'Note' in OUP Notes and Queries here.

'Adlestrop - The name' Edward Thomas

Writing Workshops (1): Gainsborough Community Library, Ipswich

The lamp post in Narnia? 

I joined others at Gainsborough Community Library in Ipswich yesterday for a Creative Writing Workshop. We were considering the topic of 'plot', which is not something that crosses my path very often in my poetry endeavours, although it certainly has a bearing on narrative poems. It made me realise (again) just how fundamental the concept of 'story' is to our lives.

The ancient Greeks knew this all too well, with their epic ring cycles that would allow the same yarn to be narrated in fresh ways. A child's version of Homer's Odyssey captured my own imagination at a young age. I went on to study and teach Classical Civilisation. We also think of Beowulf and of countless other myths and legends that became part of the warp and weft of our human society. The New Testament parables, stories told for a purpose, rely heavily on narrative. Think of 'The Sower' or 'The Prodigal Son'. Journalists tell stories. Most of us do.

But how often do we employ story-telling techniques in our poems? Should we be telling more stories if it is these tales that help us to come together and forge connections? We were talking yesterday about 'martyrdom' (among other things) as a feature that is common to many well-loved tales.'The Chronicles of Narnia', which we cited by way of example, speak for themselves at one level but also probe the heights and depths of something more - the Christian story, of good over evil, of the laying down of life for others.

The employment of an extended metaphor has been recognised as a popular and successful poetry ploy in recent years. Epic is 'out' in the traditional sense - or is it? There have been exciting re-workings of the old sagas and tales, but archaic language and sentiment have largely been abandoned or, at least, re-cast. I am currently reading 'Now All Roads lead to France' by Matthew Hollis, about the life and last years of Edward Thomas. It is fascinating to read about the Georgian poets and how very different they were to the emerging Imagists. Edward Thomas had a great gift for sharing small insights into the world of nature with his readers. Of course, he often employed narrative along the way: think of 'The Owl'. Today we worry whether it is 'enough' for a poem simply to paint a picture. Our response has sometimes been to use poetry as a vehicle for (often political) change. Adjectives and adverbs are treated with extreme caution - sorry, with caution - but are we sometimes in danger of aspiring to an art that is losing touch with its recipients? Poets may be driven to write for any number of reasons, but I found it helpful yesterday to be reminded that 'plot' is occasionally a useful tool to select from the work(shop) box.

P.S. And in case you were wondering, my organic writing in the workshop yesterday focused on an orphan, a multi-cololoured explosion and a rift in the cliff face ...

• Do check out the Magma feature on Imagist poetry here

Ars Poetica (4): Nature and Ecopoetry ... Our 21-Word Responses

Some days ago I invited those who read my blog or Facebook page to join me in penning a sentence (or so), defining the difference between nature poetry and ecopoetry, in not more than 21 words. What follows are the responses I received from friends on both sides of the Atlantic, and a bit of commentary from me. I hope something may strike a chord! 

(Re)connection ...

 Nature poetry extols the beauty and splendor of the natural world without sending a warning that it is being ruinously exploited.

Belva Rae Staples, USA

  

I teach a creative writing class devoted to environmental writing versus nature writing! I'll try and think of a neat 21-word definition ... I think in general that you need to be careful with poetry that is trying to deliver a message: too much focus on the message and it becomes a political rant rather than poetry. Having said that, I read so much poetry these days that seems to not really have anything to say that sometimes it's quite refreshing to find an overtly political poem.

Juliet Wilson aka Crafty Green Poet, Scotland, UK

What is Nature?

I liked the six year old’s simple answer to that huge question: 

“Grass and insects.”

Beyond, it gets too romantic.

Kay D. Weeks, USA

Poetry is thoughts in words, not necessarily political, making a point, or angry, but always personal, passionate and always emotionally touching.

Rose Kelland, England, UK

Nature poetry is not didactic per se.

P. Mc Daid (via Facebook)

I think nature poetry is where one takes time to spend in their natural surroundings recording their sightings, etc... and eco poetry asks one to look at nature from a green perspective and identify a way of change, possibly. 

Naquillity, USA  

 

Ecopoetry pushes us beyond our normal landscapes to a world in which our relationship with the universe affords possibilities for change.

Caroline Gill, England, UK

*** 

My thanks to all who sent in their thoughts ... and also to those who read the post and began to think, without formulating a specific statement. Belva's answer takes me right back to Wordsworth and the way in which he claimed that his times of engagement with the natural world were later 'recollected' at an emotional level 'in tranquillity'. There are those these days who find or make little time to 'stand and stare' (or as Naquillity expresses it, to 'take time'), preferring instead to write 'in the raw' and to depict the natural world 'red in tooth and claw'. Interestingly. this second expression, employed by Tennyson in his poem, In Memoriam A. H. H., 1850, originally referred to the nature of human beings, despite the fact that the phrase 'tooth and claw' was in circulation as early as 1837 as a description of wild (animal) nature. 

Those who read my blog posts will know that I struggle with politics, but since this word appears in the statements from both Juliet and Rose, I feel I must make some reference to it! I think we are all pretty much agreed that the poems that work best (in our opinion) as poems tend to be those that allow the reader to feel that he or she is left with the lingering thought along the lines of 'yes ... and if only I had been able to express that nuance/position/thought/point of view myself'. There may also be poems that cause us to shout a resounding 'No!', but we may actually admire the quality of the work, even if we find ourselves in definite disagreement with the sentiment. 

Shelley famously hailed his fellow poets as the 'unacknowledged legislators of the world', but I fear that this may be at best a sweeping statement in our current climate. Speaking personally, the closest I have (probably) come to writing political poems has been when I have touched upon subjects that stir strong negative emotions in me, such as those triggered (sorry!) by the atrocities of war or by unhelpful portrayals of disability. The former example brings me back, of course, to Wilfred Owen and his much cited dictum, 'all a poet can do today is warn. That is why the true poet must be truthful.' 

Speaking of 'truth', I am taken back to a favourite childhood collection that included two very different poems by William Blake, namely 'The Lamb' and 'The Tyger'. And yet, of course, Blake's poems of Innocence and Experience were probably two sides of the same coin. This brings me to the delightful and pertinent response from Kay. 

It is my personal opinion that Nature poems have - and always will have - their place alongside other types of poetry. However, I feel Kay is right to hint at a line somewhere between the bounds of sentimentality or romance and that fresh vision of the world that we can sometimes see or appreciate in work that exudes a fresh childlike (but never childish) vision of the world around us. I'm sure, if we are honest, most of us can name a couple of favourite 'nature' poems that have little to do with saving the whale (important as that may be!) or picking up litter. P. Mc Daid feels that poems of this type are 'not didactic, per se', which is an interesting observation, and not one the ancient Greeks would have taken to readily, as for them the poet (or playwright) was 'teacher'. By the same token I would be astonished if any of our favourite choices were pastorals in which shepherdesses skip lightly through an Arcadian landscape.

But the story doesn't end there. Poetry - or some poetry - has been a vehicle for change for a very long time. Only last month I read a lively section from the Frog Chorus by Aristophanes at our local Poetry Cafe. You can read a summary of the plot here. 

So, zooming forward in time, where do we go from here? Perhaps we need to read more broadly. I suggested that contributors to this topic might like to share the title of a favourite nature poetry/ecopoetry volume, and a few suggestions have been made by Juliet, so thank you for these. 

Juliet recommends Earth Shattering, edited by Neil Astley. 'A wonderful anthology of eco-poetry and nature poetry'. Juliet also recommends the following poets (among others): -

• W.S.Merwin
• Chrystos
• Ruth Padel
• Margaret Atwood

A short selection of my own recommendations - in no particular order - would include:

• Creatures of the Intertidal Zone (Cinnamon Press) by Susan Richardson
• Where the Air is Rarefied (Cinnamon Press) by Susan Richardson, with prints by visual artist, Pat Gregory
• Unthinkable Skies (Calderdale Press) by Juliet Wilson
• The Annotated Collected Poems of Edward Thomas (Bloodaxe), edited by Edna Longley
• The Tree House by Kathleen Jamie (Picador)
• The Thunder Mutters, 101 Poems for the Planet (Faber), edited by Alice Oswald  
• Animated Nature: Selected Poems 1989-2009 (Coypu Press) Richard Bonfield. Sales from this book support the Born Free Foundation
• Heno, wrth Gysgu | Tonight, While Sleeping: Poetry on Climate Change (Royne Tree Press), edited by Emily Hinshelwood 

I have purposely not divided the list above into 'nature poetry' and 'ecopoetry' because the boundaries are blurred in some cases, and it goes without saying that when Edward Thomas was writing, the term ecopoetry had not been coined! 

Many would say that the concept of ecopoetry really began to take shape in the years leading up to the turn of the Millennium, initially in the work of UK writer, Jonathan Bates, and in the writing of the American, Gary Snyder.

And finally, some weblinks that seem helpful to me ...

• Octopus Magazine, 'The Language Habitat: an Ecopoetry Manifesto' by James Engelhardt, who begins by stating that 'ecopoetry is connection'.
• Verse Wisconsin Online, 'Ecopoetry', a highly thought-provoking essay and argument by Laura-Gray Street and Ann Fisher-Wirth.
• EarthLines magazine
• UEA's Ecopoetry in Schools Initiative
• Peter Abbs: Eco-poetry
• The International Times ... highlighting the four elements of (re)connection, witnessing, resistance and visioning.
• The poetry of conservation (USA) 
• Ecopoetry: poems of purpose from the Peabody Institute Library Lectures 
• A truly multi-faceted and fascinating piece by Ruth Padel about her new book on migration

I would like to express my sincere thanks to all who participated in this post. I take a personal interest in ecopoetry, but am certainly no eco-expert. I wear my L-plate on my sleeve, but am keen to learn and share! 

***

P.S. This post has made me realise that I would like to do a follow-up at some point on favourite prose books that have had an impact on our own nature poetry or ecopoetry writing ... Please watch this space. Meanwhile, you might like to contribute to the WWF's Earth Book project here. 

Poetry Matters (15): Cafe Poets in Woodbridge

We joined the Cafe Poets at the lovely venue of Browsers' Bookshop in Woodbridge last night for the first time, and enjoyed an eclectic evening of poetry. The November themes of 'war' and remembrance' ran through the programme, with the chance to focus on works by Edward Thomas (hence my photo above), Siegfried Sassoon, Milton and others. Some members had brought their own work, and a good time was had by all. We enjoyed the coffee and cake, too! Thank you to all concerned.

Meme Moment (2): A Favourite Book

The Weaver of Grass is inviting us to post on a favourite book. I am treating this a bit like Desert Island Discs in the sense that on this occasion I am assuming that I may also squeeze the Bible and the Complete Works of Shakespeare on to my raft.

I have blogged recently about the poem, Cadgwith, by Lionel Johnson; and since I can recite this by heart, I do not need to take a copy of this poem with me.

This whittles my choice down to:

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (perhaps I could smuggle this slim volume aboard after all)
  
• my John Buchan books (including his Collected Poems),
  
• the anthology of 1930s poetry that includes the poem Zennor by Anne Ridler.

... but on this occasion I shall opt for The Collected Poems of Edward Thomas.

Of course there are many other books that spring to mind. I might have to exchange my raft for a cruise ship.

Why Edward Thomas? The book is weighty and has a satisfying feel to it. I knew little of Edward Thomas, possibly just his wonderful poem, Adlestrop (and here) before I moved to Wales seventeen years ago, but I have since grown to love his writing. I attended an excellent course under the aegis of the Swansea University Department of Adult Education, entitled 'Three Thomases: Dylan, RS and Edward'.

Edward Thomas was a deep thinker who engaged with the natural world. He went on long walks and noticed the birds, the nettles and the country ways of life.

I am not a great supporter of wars, but I admire the fact that Thomas chose to enlist for the Great War, despite being of an age at which subscription did not apply. He was killed by a stray shell when he had only been writing poems (as opposed to prose) for a very few years. I have probably mentioned it before, but his poem The Owl encapsulates for me so much of what Thomas was about. It was written when the poet was at home in Steep in Hampshire on 24 February 1915. He appears to have been troubled by the fact that young men had no choice but to join the war effort. Perhaps Thomas was wrestling with his own conscience. By 8 April 1917 he was dead.

My chosen volume shows the text of the poem on one side with notes on the facing page. I find this fascinating and very helpful. Thomas made few alterations to this poignant poem. There is certainly a wistful note in many of the poems (one is called Melancholy), but there are poems that are less pensive.

David and I became fascinated by the colourful poem Swedes (number 26 in my volume) a few years ago. We wrote a short article (link to first page) about the ancient Egyptian background to it, which was published in OUP's Notes & Queries.

So for a number of reasons, Edward Thomas wins out, and - providing I can find a waterproof cover - his Collected Poems edited by Professor R. George Thomas will join me on my raft.

• Friends of the Dymock Poets
  

Beautiful Birds (7): Name that poetic bird!

Little Egret
(just to get you thinking 'bird'!)

There is a bird-in-poetry quiz on the Poetry Society website. Have a look when you take a coffee break and see how you score! I found it quite difficult, though there were a few firm favourites in the nest. Can you name a favourite bird poem?

• The Owl by Edward Thomas has to be one of mine. A truly poignant poem.
  
• Thanks to Matt of Polyolbion for listing the following (see 'Comments' below): The Nuthatch by Bernard O'Donoghue, Emmonsails Heath in Winter (and other poems) by John Clare and The Seafarer (7th century).
  

Poetic People (4): Brian Turner

'My subject is ... the pity of War'
Wilfred Owen

I enjoy the challenge presented by unusual writing opportunities, and today I joined a stimulating workshop led by Brian Turner. Brian has served abroad with the US forces, and his poetry book, Here, Bullet (Bloodaxe 2007) was awarded the Beatrice Hawley Award.

I disregarded war poetry for many years, preferring environmental, topographical and historical themes, until I discovered the craft of Owen and the way in which Edward Thomas used his experiences of the natural world (e.g. his encounter with an owl) as a springboard for speaking about conflict. Today's fascinating workshop was my first encounter with a contemporary war poet. I have come away with a notebook full of poetry ideas on topics as diverse as the sea and the Antipodes. Thank you, Brian.

• Here, Bullet in The New York Times
• Brian Turner in The New Yorker
  
• Brian Turner in The Times
  
• Interview with Brian Turner
• Brian Turner's UK tour and Brian on Radio 4 (iPlayer)