Poetry
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How not to annoy a poet
In the granite cliffs of the south coast of Guernsey is a particularly beautiful spot called Icârt Point. I proposed to Lorraine my wife there two years ago, and I have known and loved the place all my life. I have written poems about it, with two even having been set to music. When it comes my time to join…
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Gripped by the octopus of obsession
Sometimes I wonder if other folks obsess on particular poems quite as much as I do. Ocean de Terre (Ocean of Earth) by Guillaume Apollinaire is one of these. For the last five years I have been unable to escape its tentacles. It was Apollinaire who coined the term ‘surrealism’ and this poem has that disturbing dreamlike clarity…
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Poetry: reasons to be cheerful
An imaginary helicopter is a valuable possession. When I finally stop ignoring the helicopter in the room, I clamber in and rise vertically to peer down at life. (Google Earth has diminished the freshness of this metaphor for ever, of course, but you get what I mean). I did it this morning, and this is…
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A bit of bardic business
Quite a bit of bardic business this week. On Wednesday I did a Telltale and Friends reading with Martin Mallone a top poet who also edits The Interpreter’s House and finished the evening by accidentally setting his poetry file on fire. He is currently writing about the first world war, and there was some laughter as he…
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In search of a new language
The poet Tomas Tranströmer died in March 2015. Six months before his death, I happened to buy New Collected Poems, translated by Robin Fulton and published by Bloodaxe. I immediately loved his writing. Here is a poem from that book which succinctly expresses something I have tried to define for years. From March 1979 Weary of all…
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Reading in Lewes on 15 April 15
Really excited to be doing this reading in Lewes, and to meet Martin Malone, editor of The Interpreter’s House, Helen Fletcher who is trekking from Carlisle to share her poetry with us and Ryan Whatley an exciting new poet whose work Robin Houghton and I read recently and really liked. A bonus is that it that the reading…
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Among School Children
Last week I spent a day working with 32 more able 11-year old writers from schools in Brighton. This was organised by my friend Dawn Daniel with Clare Blencowe at Downs School. The day was themed around contrasts, and I worked with them on poetry in the morning session. The warm ups were about locating…
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‘The Nightwork’ reviewed in The Frogmore Papers
Delighted to find The Nightwork reviewed in The Frogmore Papers by the excellent Charlotte Gann — whose poem In the classroom of touch in the last issue of Rialto absolutely blew me away. I particularly appreciated Charlotte noticing: “…how it (The Nightwork) invites the reader into its own world of atmospheres. I have real sympathy for the almost…
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Time travelling with Sue Rose
Recently I heard Sue Rose reading, and had a sense of recognition and that I shared some of her preoccupations. I love the way poetry gives you access to most interesting parts of people’s minds. For me, reading poetry is a way of feeling less alone in the world. One particular poem Sue read was called…
Peter Kenny: a writer's notebook 