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Book illustration: Q&A with Kate Heiss
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…
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…
Limehaven poetry book useful for teachers
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…
‘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…
Written in the landscape
The author David Almond set his third children’s novel Heaven Eyes on the banks of the Ouseburn where it winds down towards the Tyne. The post-industrial wasteland that inspired the book is slowly transforming into something else. People have come…
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…
Poem of the North
I’m proud to be contributing to the Poem of the North, a growing online artwork commissioned to celebrate the Northern Poetry Library’s 50th anniversary. The Poem of the North includes the work of fifty selected poets, each writing in a…
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…
Making space to create
Carving out space to create is not always easy. I journey from creative chaos to fresh beginnings and discover seven ways to make space for inspiration. Emerging from chaos Spring is a good time for new projects. But fresh shoots…
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…