Poetry in Aldeburgh and the launch of the 'Port' anthology from Dunlin Press

Friday Evening

I have arrived back home after a wonderful day in Aldeburgh, which began with a picnic lunch by the North Lookout and ended with a take-away meal near The Scallop. There was much poetry in between. 

I attended Patricia Debney's stimulating Prose Poetry workshop, and completed a first draft of a new piece (which includes the word 'elephant'). An hour or so after the workshop, David (Gill) and I found ourselves on the Crag Path, making our way towards the Peter Pears Gallery for the launch of the new Port anthology from Dunlin Press.

Ella Johnston and MW Bewick of Dunlin Press introduced their new volume before Rosemary Appleton, Julie Hogg and I each presented a small coastal set including our Port contributions. Thank you, Ella and Martin, for inviting us to be part of this occasion.

The photograph below shows the book along with three of the Portpatrick photo-images that fed into my Port poem.The bird, in case you were wondering, is a Black Guillemot: these birds have red feet and are often referred to as Tysties on Shetland and in some mainland parts of Scotland.

Here we are, with the sea only metres away from the Peter Pears Gallery...

 

... making it seem very natural that the Port launch should share space with the launch of 48 poets write at the coast, an exquisite pamphlet edited and produced by Maria Isakova Bennett of Coast to Coast to Coast. 

In between the workshop and the launch David and I refuelled with cups of Earl Grey. No prizes for guessing who chose the slice of chocolate and ginger cake...

After the launch, a few purchases from the book table and a short time at the festival party, we left the gallery and crossed the road for two 'Aldeburgh essentials', otherwise known as two bags of fish and chips, which we devoured by the light of the November moon.

And finally...

...here are a couple of brooding sky photos.

Do visit the...

• Dunlin Press online shop, from which you can order copies of Port.

PORT, a new volume from Dunlin Press

I am delighted to have a poem in this new book from MW Bewick and Ella Johnston of Dunlin Press. The cover artwork is by Ella Johnston and the volume will be launched in November. More details to follow soon.

For The Migrant Waders, also Dunlin Press and also featuring one of my poems, see an earlier post 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

...
 

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.