'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.  

Christmas Anthology

It may be a bit soon to be mentioning the 'C' word while we are still in October, but members of the Association of Christian Writers have just brought out this anthology of stories, poems and reflections about the true meaning of Christmas. I am delighted to have a poem in the volume. 

'Towards the Light' Poetry Anthology - Readings Update

Forthcoming events at which I hope to be reading my Christmas Truce poem from this anthology ...

1. Thursday 8th November, evening - Quay Place (Ipswich)
2. Saturday 10th November 2018 at 2.30 pm - The Minories Gallery (Colchester). This is part of an exhibition exploring aspects of the War and the Home Front in Colchester. On at the same time is an exhibition at Firstsite entitled 'Not Yet at Ease', depicting the history of psychological disorders resulting from conflict and the stigma attached to them.

On the subject of Remembrance, I am due to judge a poetry competition for those who live or attend educational establishments in the (ecclesiastical and civil) parish in which I live.

'Towards the light', a new poetry anthology on 'reconciliation'

There are a number of artistic projects commemorating the end of the First World War, and this book, Towards the light, represents one that is particularly close to my heart.

Pam Job and Judith Wolton embarked on a poetry enterprise that would lead to the production of two anthologies, one on conflict (so too have the doves gone) at the beginning of the commemorative period, and now this one on reconciliation to mark the end of the hostilities.

Sadly the snow meant that a number of us had to miss the launch at the Essex Book Festival, but there will be other events as the year goes by.

Poets who had been involved in the initial anthology project were invited to submit work for the second. Editor, Vivien Whelpton, selected my acrostic poem, 'Et in terra pax', about the surreal yet hopeful time when strains of 'Adeste fidelis' rang out across No Man's Land.

The new anthology, published by Kapaju Books (2018), sports a cover design by Karen Dennison. It includes a Preface by the editor, who writes that...

'Vivid metaphors bring home to us both the pain and difficulty of reconciliation and the joy it brings...'

Poetry in Aldeburgh, 2017... and 'Herrings', the Festival Anthology

'I hear those voices that will not be drowned...' (from 'Peter Grimes', Britten) on The Scallop (Hambling)

Poetry in Aldeburgh took place this last weekend, with The Poetry School as the festival's headline partner. There were poetry workshops on the Friday afternoon, followed over the weekend by readings, presentations and collaborations of various kinds. There were walks along the beach, gatherings of friends, books to buy, swarming gulls and, of course, the essential whiff of fish and chips along the Crag Path.

A year ago I was sitting in the Aldeburgh Beach Lookout during the previous festival, enjoying Anne-Marie Fyfe's excellent workshop about the sea, when she told us that there would be a Poetry in Aldeburgh anthology called Herrings, and that we could submit our festival poems.

Fast forward twelve months, and Herrings has not only taken shape as an ocean-blue hardback, thanks to Nancy Warburg Astor and Andrew Hewish, but has now been launched. It has been produced and published by Blue Door Press; and contains 100+ poems, each written by a different poet as a snapshot, not only of Aldeburgh in 2016, but also of the festival itself. 

Internationally renowned and novice poets alike are represented in the volume. It is lovely to have my poem, 'Treasure Hulk', in such diverse company; and thanks are due to all those who created the book and organised the festival. The contributions to Herrings reflect festival visits to, and visions of, this seaside town that owes so much not only to the ocean and its bounty, but also to the influences of artists of various kinds such as Crabbe, Britten, Pears and Hambling.

My haul, Poetry in Aldeburgh, 2017

Herrings, the anthology

The Aldeburgh Beach Lookout

Dusk descends

Looking north

Illuminations

Publicity

Essential sustenance...

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

St Govan's Chapel Poem published in 'Seeing Beyond The Surface'

 

St Govan's Chapel © D&C Gill

I have just had a poem, 'Above St Govan's Chapel', published in a rather unusual book.

Seeing beyond the Surface is 'a lighthearted and uplifting compilation of short stories and poems by and about people with disabilities'. Joanna Swank, the editor, writes in the context of assessing our fellow human beings, that 'it is a great thing to see what is beneath the surface.'

This volume has just been published and proceeds will benefit Abilities Solutions in Westville, New Jersey, USA.

Most of the contributors are based in the USA, but there are a couple of us from the UK. Another volume is in the pipeline, and if you might be interested in making a submission to Joanna, please visit the Seeing beyond the Surface website here.

My poem arose out of a visit to the chapel in a cleft in the cliff at St Govan's in Pembrokeshire, Wales. I was both elated (by the scene, and also by the Choughs that clipped the turf) and frustrated (by the access to the chapel itself). 'Above St Govan's Chapel' was written as part of a Disability Arts Cymru project, which resulted in the publication of Hidden Dragons/Gwir a Grymus, an anthology published by Parthian and launched at the Hay Festival in 2004.  

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.

Poems for a Liminal Age - edited by Mandy Pannett (SPM 2015)

The photo above may seem somewhat unseasonal on a mild (if somewhat grey) August afternoon in the UK, but it seems to fit a poem of mine, 'Weddell Seal at the Ice Edge', which has been included in the forthcoming anthology, Poems for a Liminal Age, published by SPM Publications, the publishing arm of the Sentinel Poetry Movement.  

The book was published on 24 August 2015. Sales from the volume will raise funds for Médecins Sans Frontières, UK. 

You can find a list of poems and poets here. The book will be launched in London.  

'Days begin ...', an Anthology from Poetry Wivenhoe

We attended the Wivenhoe launch last night of a rather special anthology.

Days begin ... was edited by Peter Kennedy of Poetry Wivenhoe, who masterminded the celebrations. The book is set to raise funds for the new Colchester Cancer Centre, which will provide much needed (post-treatment) resources for those who have received cancer care.

The publication has already been funded so all profits from the sale of this book will go to the cause. Copies can be purchased from Wivenhoe Books.

Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy has described the enterprise as “a wonderful project with some stunning poems by some of our brightest talents.” The title is taken from Penelope Shuttle's poem. Other contributors include Rebecca Goss, Martin Malone, Kim Moore and Kit Wright.

'Poems for a Liminal Age'

My poem, 'Weddell Seal at the Ice Edge' has been accepted for a new anthology, Poems for a Liminal Age. The book will be edited by Mandy Pannett and published by SPM Publications (Sentinel Poetry Movement). Profits will support Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

• Weddell Seals (National Geographic)
• James Weddell, Antarctic explorer

Valentine Haiku in Bilingual Anthology from Romania

This 'eye-catching' international anthology arrived through my letterbox this morning from Romania. The book is bilingual, beginning at one end with pieces and translations in Romanian and at the other with texts in English.

The English title is The Light Singing, with lyrical mosaic as a subtitle. The editors are Olimpia Iacob and Jim Kacian. The cover image is entitled 'Floating Eyes' and is by Italian artist, Gianpiero Actis. The book has been published by Emia in Romania.

Peter Thabit Jones, editor of The Seventh Quarry, has written the dedication to Aeronwy Thomas (1943-2009), and the anthology begins with three Haiku by Aeronwy, written in response to the cover artwork.

The anthology contains my Valentine Day Haiku, which appears in English (one end of the book) and in Romanian (the other), thanks to the work of Olimpia Iacob. 

Anthology Alert ~ Pre-Raphaelite Poetry II ed. Serena Trowbridge

There is a new poetry anthology out from the Pre-Raphaelite Society, edited by Dr Serena Towbridge. The blurb on the back runs as follows,

'Collected here in Pre-Raphaelite Poetry II are the entries to the Pre-Raphaelite Society's second poetry competition. The poems offer a myriad of pleasantly surprising responses to the Pre-Raphaelites, their successors, paintings, poetry or lives.'

The anthology contains my sonnet, 'Strayed Sheep on our English Coasts'. You can see the painting of 1852 by William Holman Hunt that inspired the poem by clicking the link here.

Copies of the anthology are for sale here.

'so too have the doves gone' ~ anthology launch at Essex Book Festival

We had an excellent evening at The Minories in Colchester last night, launching the new poetry anthology, so too have the doves gone, to mark the anniversary of the Great War.

The book, published by Jardine Press, was edited by Stephen Boyce, Pam Job and Judith Wolton. It contains contributions from a range of poets, largely but not exclusively from Essex and Suffolk. The evening began with a slideshow of the new Wilfred Owen Memorial at Forester's House in northern France, a building summed up in the metaphor, 'bleached bone'.

The event was part of the Essex Book Festival and was very well supported. Poems spanned wars from Homer to the present day. There were many different 'takes' on the theme of conflict and peace. I read my Edward Thomas poem about the poet's decision to enlist.

The evening afforded guests the opportunity of viewing the complementary artwork produced by students of Fine Art at Colchester Institute. Many of the images have been reproduced in the book.

The anthology concludes with a poem called 'The Standard of Ur' by Julia Brady. It draws to a close with the thought that 'art ...builds up some clear-cut arguments for peace.' If the poems and ekphrastic images in the book promote something along these lines, they will surely have done their work. 

Postscript: see here for a review by Dave Martin.

Anthology Alert: Micro Fiction and Poetry

The publications in the photo above have all come out in time for Christmas.

*

Four Word Stories, edited by Mai Black, is for sale on Amazon at £4. The volume contains a selection of micro-fiction produced by members of Ipswich Writing Group. The stories were written in five minutes during a workshop, with a little time thereafter for editing. Each writer was given four random words from a pile created by participants.
My story is called 'Jupiter  |  basket   | today  | creature' 

* 

Flight, edited by Jean Salkilld, is the latest anthology of poems from the Tuesday Poetry group. I was a member of the group when I lived in Swansea. It contains airborne poems about birds (wild geese), heroes (Superman), bats, fairies and aircraft (air ambulance).

The volume includes two of my poems, 'The Bumblebee Bat' and 'Glossy Ibis near Welney'. 

 * 

Slants of Light, named after a poem by Emily Dickinson, contains the winning, shortlisted and longlisted poems from the 2013 Paragram Poetry Competition. It also contains full adjudication notes from Adrienne Dines, the competition judge. 

The volume includes my shortlisted poem, 'Meteor Shower'. 

Anthology Alert ~ 'Glass Cases & Curios'

Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

We had a great night out in the Cambridge University Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences on 5 December, launching 'Glass Cases & Curios', an anthology of poems and artwork inspired by artefacts in museums in the east of England. The launch was organised by Karen Harvey and Leanne Moden, 2013 Fenland Laureate, with Elaine Ewart, 2012 Fenland Laureate in attendance. 

There is always something rather special about being in a museum after hours!

Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

 Do email Karen Harvey (email on poster) if you would like to buy a copy of the anthology ... Christmas is coming. It includes my poem about a cat in the Woodbridge Tide Mill ...

Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

 Above: Pete 'Cardinal' Cox reads his poem.

Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

 Above: Elaine Ewart, 2012 Fenland Laureate.

Elaine Ewart, Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

Elaine Ewart, Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

 Above: Peterborough Laureate, Peter Irving reads his poem.

Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

 Above: J.S. Watts reading.

Leanne Moden, Photo credit: © Karen Harvey 2013, used with permission

The large company we keep!

With Leanne Moden, 2013 Fenland Laureate on left and Karen Harvey on right of photo

Left to right: Leanne Moden, me, Karen Harvey ... and a dinosaur tail!

• Press report and photo in The Ely Standard, 10 December 2013.

Anthology Alert ~ Book Launch and Reading at Ystrad Fflur aka the Abbey of Strata Florida

We are just back from Strata Florida, where we attended a  Beirdd a Thywysogion / Poets and Princes Day,  laid on by CADW in conjunction with the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.

David peeping through the arch

The ruined abbey nestles in the Cambrian mountains, and is one of our favourite corners of Wales. We were treated to bilingual talks on the 'manuscripts and princes' (Ann Parry Owen) and 'food in medieval Welsh poetry' (Alaw Mai Edwards). Martin Locock led tours of the site, and I was surprised to learn that Bath stone had been used in this remote location for part of the entrance. 

Preparing for action ...

Medieval fayre was available at lunch time, thanks to the Cegin Cartref chefs. A potter and printer were on hand to help with the production of pots and decorative printed pages. I was fascinated by the 'smelting' work of a 'Medieval' metal-worker and by the weaving and cording techniques of the costumed textile artisans. 

Martin Locock launched his new anthology, Poetry from Strata Florida, an Anthology inspired by the Ystrad Fllur Landscape, 1350-2013 (Carreg Ffylfan Press 2013). The anthology includes my poem, '1st May: Red Kite at Strata Florida'. The illustrations in the volume are by Linden Fletcher, with photographs by Scott Waby. 

Martin Locock, editor of 'Poetry from Strata Florida'

Martin writes, 

"This volume brings together medieval and contemporary poetry inspired by Strata Florida Abbey and the supposed grave of Dafydd ap Gwilym. The landscape of the area has provoked a powerful response in writers, whether from the natural and architectural beauty, sympathy with nature, meditations about the Welsh nation and language, sombre thoughts about mortality, or closeness to God. 

The volume is mainly English language, with those poems originally written in Welsh presented as parallel texts with a translation.  It contains poems by Dafydd ap Gwilym, Hedd Wyn, Harri Webb, Ruth Bidgood, R S Thomas, Gillian Clarke, Gwyneth Lewis and members of Red Heron: Lampeter Writers' Workshop, with an introduction summarising the landscape's heritage.  The volume is illustrated with historical prints and new linocuts and photographs."

Martin introduced the book, before handing over to Professor Dafydd Johnston, Director of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, Aberystwyth. Dafydd gave an introduction to the Medieval poems about the Abbey. 

Professor Dafydd Johnston introduces the Welsh poets in the anthology

Time for the launch. Anthology illustrator, Linden Fletcher, in light blue rain jacket.

 

Martin reading his poems

I read my Strata Florida poem from the new anthology, and appropriately we spotted a number of Red Kites gracing the higher slopes of the Cambrian hillside behind the Abbey arch. 

Yours truly ...

I stuck with the theme of poets and their resting places, reading two of my chapbook poems, 'Monte Testaccio: Mound of Potsherds' (about the feral cats who live near the grave of Keats in Rome) and 'Elegy for Idris Davies', the colllier poet from Rhymney. As it happens, Professor Dafydd Johnston is the editor of The Complete Poems of Idris Davies (University of Wales Press, 1994).

Readings from Kathy Miles and Josie Smith followed. In one of her poems, University of Wales Trinity St David Librarian and poet, Kathy Miles, homed in on the exquisite work of illuminated manuscript preparation in the Scriptorium. 

Kathy Miles

Josie Smith's piece, 'A Last Farewell' (from the Lampeter Writers' Workshop anthology, A Star fell from Orion), was inspired by Keats' final journey, and resonated with my Monte Testaccio poem. 

Josie Smith (left)

Martin brought the poetry proceedings to a close with samples of his own work. His poem 'Scribe and Scripture' evokes so much of what this place means to me ... a sunlit cloister and a poised quill. 

The Taliesin Stone (words by Gwyneth Lewis, stone art by Rob Turner) ...

... and a Medieval tile, showing person with mirror

Do consider buying a copy of this anthology. It covers almost all known poetry works about the site, with perhaps the notable exception of 'Lament for a Leg' by John Ormond. Ormond's Strata Florida poem pays tribute to the inscription on a grave containing 'The left leg and part of the thigh of Henry Hughes, Cooper', which 'was cut off and interr'd here, June 18, 1756.' Henry Hughes subsequently crossed the Atlantic, leaving the severed limb behind him . . .




Thank you, Martin and the Strata Florida 'team', for organising a truly inspirational day!