I'm thrilled to be kicking off this year's Books on Tyne festival with fellow author Helen Bridgett. Join us for feelgood fiction, poignant poetry and more. Full event details below. 50 - Not Out! 11am Saturday 23rd November 2019 Newcastle…
Politics has little to do with poetry, you might think. But for weeks Boris Johnson has been repeating his intention to take Britain out of the EU by October 31st “do or die”. The quote comes from Robert Burns' patriotic…
INTERVIEW FEATURE: Poet John Challis talks to me about his pamphlet The Black Cab — plus work, fatherhood and the flickering shadows of film noir… You’ll find John Challis — the poet, not the character actor — busy behind the scenes…
Forget chocolate! Get creative this Easter with my free poetry pack. It's been a few months in the making and I'm excited to launch this colourful and creative poetry pack just in time for the holidays. So grab a bit…
British printmaker and illustrator Kate Heiss talks about her creative process and reveals how she approaches book illustration What inspires you? Nature: the flowers and birds in my garden and walks in the countryside. If I’m on a walk and…
Do you love a well-told Yuletide tale? I must admit I do. One of my favourite festive books last year was Tidings: A Christmas Journey by Ruth Padel (Chatto and Windus, 2016). This moving narrative poem has all the hallmarks…
The poetry book Limehaven: Poems for my grandparents has "lots of possibilities for English teachers" according to a recent review in The School Librarian. The book draws on childhood memories and celebrates the special bond between grandparents and children. Reviewer…
I'm excited to announce that my poem Tyne undertow is now available to read online as part of the Poem of the North. Commissioned by the Northern Poetry Library, this unfolding digital artwork serves up a gorgeous smorgasbord of new…