Little Black Book: Exhibition Cards for Imaginary Paintings

 

Mini anthology: 'Exhibition Cards for Imaginary Paintings' - see here

 

These stylish Little Black Books arrived in the post today as my contributor copies from the Hedgehog Poetry Press. 

Participating poets were invited to write an imaginary gallery label for an imaginary artwork. 

Each of the eleven selected entries is accompanied by a few details pertaining to size of work, type of media etc. I don't want to give too much away, but my poem has something to do with a wild creature in the woods - or does it?

Little Black Books are staple-bound and the size of a postcard or pocket-book.

 

'Voices For The Silent', New Anthology from Indigo Dreams Publishing

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What can poetry do?  

There have been many who advocate art for art's sake, or l'art pour l'art, as the slogan was initially rendered in nineteenth century France. 

There have also been many, and indeed there are an ever-increasing number, of artists (in the broadest sense) who see their work as a focus for, or extension of, their activism. 

I feel fortunate to have had poems included in a variety of charity anthologies over the years, raising funds and awareness for Macmillan Cancer Support, Welney WWT and the Born Free Foundation, to name but three. 

I am delighted to add another to the list in the form of Voices for the Silent (Indigo Dreams Publishing, 2022), the new companion volume to For the Silent (Indigo Dreams Publishing, 2019), edited by Ronnie Goodyer, Poet-in-Residence at the League Against Cruel Sports. These companion (or stand-alone) volumes have been produced to aid the work of this charity, and not surprisingly some of the selected poems concern animal cruelty. Others focus on habitats and the wonders and complexities of the natural world. 

The new book includes poems by well-known names such as Margaret Atwood, Gillian Clarke, Pablo Neruda, Philip Larkin, John Clare, Mary Oliver, William Cowper, William Blake and Thomas Hardy, alongside a host of contributors who are part of the contemporary poetry scene.

Voices for the Silent costs £15 in Great Britain. Prices for other parts of the world are listed on the Indigo Dreams Publishing website. The book includes six wonderful pages of illustrations by Sam Cannon. The superb cover photographs are by Andy Parkinson.  

Subjects in the anthology range from a stag to a sparrowhawk, from a Chequered Skipper butterfly to an elephant. My poem, 'Basking Shark Blues', was inspired by the brooding Hebridean waters off the coast of Skye where I spent an evening watching one of these gentle giants of the ocean.

 

Evening, Loch Scavaig, Isle of Skye

  

'On a Knife Edge', a new anthology from Suffolk Poetry Society

 

This book has just been published by Suffolk Poetry Society as a response to the diminishing state of nature. It forms part of a collaboration between the Society and The Lettering Arts Trust (Snape), where an exhibition of the same name opens in July. I am delighted to have two poems and a micro-poem about IUCN red-listed species included. 

The topic resonates closely with Robert Macfarlane's work (supported by Jackie Morris and her artwork) in response to an increasing concern over the fact that 'nature words' (the 'lost words': see here) were being removed from the 2007 edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary. Apparently space was needed for words deemed more valuable in a digital and technical age. You can read my post here about a previous exhibition at The Lettering Arts Trust on this subject. 

On a Knife Edge was primarily created by Derek Adams, Lynne Nesbit, Beth Soule and Colin Whyles. It can be purchased here.  

My Latest Poetry Round-up

 

Linnet, RSPB Red Conservation Status

My forthcoming poetry collection, due out later this year with The Seventh Quarry Press, has been announced in the latest issue of The Seventh Quarry magazine by editor, Peter Thabit Jones. 

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I am looking forward to reading at the online launch (Tuesday 30th March, 7.30pm) of the Locked Down anthology, published by Susan J. Sims of Poetry Space Ltd. The event is free but donations afterwards to Dr Mark Sim’s fund for Cancer Research UK will be very welcome on this Just Giving page. 

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I have just heard that three of my short 'endangered species' poems, including one about the Linnet, will be published in a booklet produced by Suffolk Poetry Society as part of a collaboration with The Lettering Arts Trust, who will be holding an exhibition in July called On a Knife Edge - Nature in Peril UK. 

Cookham Festival Launch of 'Stanley Spencer Poems: An Anthology' (Two Rivers Press)

me (left), Jan Dean (middle) Alwyn Marriage (right, with red bag)

We have just returned from a wonderful launch and reading event at the Cookham Festival in Cookham Dean, Berkshire. A big thank you to all who organised the evening.

The launch with readings took place in the Village Hall at Cookham Dean, which is opposite Cookham Moor, a large area of grass (like a village green) in the care of the National Trust. 

We arrived very early, not wanting to be late on account of the Friday rush hour in Maidenhead, which gave us the chance to visit the churchyard and Church of John the Baptist.

There were several Red Kites overhead, but they were a bit fast for my camera!

This is the evocative view of the churchyard, with the Berkshire countryside rolling out into the distance.

We felt there were a lot of excellent poems read out during the evening. Congratulations to those whose work has been shortlisted for the three Stanley Spencer Competition prizes, which will be awarded on Friday 19 May. Eleven out of the 79 poems in the anthology made the shortlist. 79 out of over 200 entries made the anthology.

I read my poem, which was inspired by Spencer's painting, 'The harbour, St Ives' (1937).

St Ives - rather an old photo as I haven't been there for rather a long time!

• The anthology costs £9.99, and can be bought from Two Rivers Press - here

'The Migrant Waders' from Dunlin Press

This is the day on which The Migrant Waders will be launched in Colchester.

This beautiful book is lavishly and exquisitely illustrated by designer Ella Johnston. You can see some of her drawings on the accompanying poster here in the Dunlin Press shop. The book, beautifully produced and edited by MW Bewick and Ella Johnston of Dunlin Press, is 'a collection of illustration, evocative prose, poetry and reportage that follows the migration routes of wading and shore birds from the high arctic to the tropics.'

One of the contributors, Samantha Franks, is a Research Ecologist with the BTO. Martin Harper is the Conservation Director of the RSPB.

My Bittern poem has been included; and in a serendipitous way, I see the RSPB have just posted a piece by Rachael Murray about this elusive bird, known more often by sound than its sighting. The Bittern, as I recall, was one of the threatened species to feature in the RSPB 'Conservation' board game that we used to play in the mid 1970s. I saw my first Bittern some thirty years later at Minsmere, and have since seen - and heard - a few more on the reserve. 

P.S. You may have found the same post on both my main blogs today. Birds and poetry seem to cover and span two key points of my (blogworld) focus. I was going to throw a link here (or over at Wild and Wonderful), but I decided it made sense to me to re-post in full.

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

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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.

Launch of the Emma Press anthology, 'Slow Things'

We attended the launch of Slow Things yesterday evening. Slow Things is the latest poetry anthology from The Emma Press. It features poems on such diverse subjects as 'ice, traffic and a giant wooden boulder'. It also includes my poem, 'Dear Loris', about the Slow Loris, probably the only poisonous primate. 

The book launch took place in the Archive of Rambert on London's South Bank.

Ballet Rambert

I would like to thank publishers Emma Wright (owner of The Emma Press, above) and Rachel Piercey (regular co-editor, third from left below) for another wonderfully unique and diverse anthology.
  

There was plenty of opportunity for browsing on the book table; and given that the evening also included a launch of The Dead Snail Diaries by Valley Press founder and publisher, Jamie McGarry, it was hardly surprising that there was a trail of mollusc shells among the publications!

The photo below shows Jamie in full flight, regaling us with his witty gastropod poems.

It was a delightful and well-supported occasion, with a lively atmosphere, clear readings and plenty of opportunity for conversation.

Fellow Suffolk Poetry Society member, Alex Davis (front right)

Rachel Piercey with Alison Brackenbury

A buzz of conversation!

Alex Davis reading

 ... Alex and me, part of the Suffolk contingent ...

Thank you, Emma and Rachel, for a memorable occasion. 

• About The Emma Press
• About Slow Things
• About The Dead Snail Diaries by Jamie McGarry of Valley Press
• The EP/VP Blog (shared by The Emma Press and Valley Press)

Slow Things Anthology at The Emma Press

Editor Emma Wright and co-editor Rachel Piercey at The Emma Press are compiling an anthology on the theme of Slow Things.

It will include one of my poems about a slow creature (but not a Roman snail, as pictured!). More details to follow.