Do or die: poetry in politics
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…
Free poetry pack available to download now
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…
Tidings: A Christmas Journey by Ruth Padel
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…
‘Tyne undertow’ published in Poem of the North
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…
Rocket: the ghost of the machine
Robert Stephenson's Rocket has returned home. It stands in pride of place at the Discovery Museum, Newcastle, just a few streets away from Stephenson's works. It is on loan, of course. A star attraction of the Great Exhibition of the…
His master’s voice: David Almond mythophone
Imagine this... It's the hottest day of the year. You are meandering through the hordes of sun-scorched drinkers, eyeing up their ice cold pints, when you spot it. Slap bang in the middle of the village green! A giant ear…
Spring picks from World Poetry Day
Last week, World Poetry Day heralded the beginning of spring here in the Northern hemisphere. People shared lines from their favourite poems and journalists penned poetry-related pieces. Here are five weird and wonderful World Poetry Day picks from around the…