Significant Wow: Emily Cotterill, Seren
This first full-length collection by Cardiff-based poet Emily Cotterill follows on from her debut poetry pamphlet The Day of the Flying Ants published by Smith / Doorstop in 2019 which was selected by Carol Ann Duffy as part of the Laureate’s Choice series. Both deliver with a large dose of originality and wit keen observations on, among other things, celebrity culture, identity, place and small-t...
13th March 2025
Pupils add voices in telling Marsden's story with Simon Armitage
In October last year a unique creative venture involving Marsden-born poet laureate Simon Armitage, his LYR band and Marsden Mechanics was launched. The project invited the people of Marsden to engage in a series of workshops, where together they aimed to uncover untold stories of the West Yorkshire...
10th March 2025
Teesside poets say fond farewell to Smokestack
It was a foggy night on Teesside and a warm if slightly melancholy evening for the final farewell of Smokestack Books, which publisher Andy Croft closed for new titles last Christmas after 20 years. P...
10th March 2025
‘We’ll be back …’: closing words of compere at Words on the Wall ‘finale’
All good things must come to an end – or at least, a pause, in the case of Hexham’s very popular poetry event Words on the Wall. There was an impressive turnout for what masterly compere Joe Williams ...
10th March 2025
Foyle Young Poet Lewis Corry featured on Poems on the Underground
This year’s Spring Poems on the Underground posters include Foyle Young Poet Lewis Corry. The poster set was launched with readings outside the tube station at Covent Garden by Lewis, plus poets Niall...
6th March 2025
Simon Armitage returns to Marsden on latest leg of libraries tour
The poet laureate, Simon Armitage, is lining up the next leg of his 10-year tour of the UK’s libraries. Each spring this decade, Armitage is giving readings in libraries across the UK and his journey...
3rd March 2025
‘I’m always thinking of lines and looking for inspiration’: learning lessons from youngsters in school’s poetry group
Most readers coming to this site will be interested in the future of poetry in changing times. The Bookseller announced in December 2023 that poetry was “on course for a record year”, partly due to an...
3rd March 2025
Janus: Catherine Ayres, Indigo Dreams
Sometimes slim volumes open up much bigger worlds and pack a punch beyond 30 pages of text. The title and the cover of Janus suggest a gaze, both forward and backward. The structure of the book, thoug...
3rd March 2025
