It’s fair to say that Heaney stood apart from many of the innovations of modern poetry, but he was a master of breath, and of the poised line-ending. His poems are always clean and efficient, but with sounds that leap off the page: his was a poetry of speaking, of a gently turned vernacular. TheyContinue reading “Seamus Heaney’s Human Touch”
Author Archives: Tom Chivers
Five new dates for The Walbrook Pilgrimage
Part historical/cultural research project, part exercise in acute environmental observation, Chivers’ ode to the Walbrook – “ghost and friend of the City” – is an immersive, beautifully executed exercise in urban psychogeography. (Wild Culture) If you missed the initial, sold-out run of The Walbrook Pilgrimage, it’s your lucky day – I am leading five moreContinue reading “Five new dates for The Walbrook Pilgrimage”
The Walbrook Pilgrimage
The Circus of Poetry: from Clowning to the Taming of the Lion
Three years ago I edited and published a collection of essays exploring new approaches to poetry. Stress Fractures is currently on sale for just five of your English pounds, so as a further temptation I am making my introduction to the book freely available right here. I envisaged the collection as a means of provokingContinue reading “The Circus of Poetry: from Clowning to the Taming of the Lion”
Exeunt
It slipped my mind to mention this, but over the last year or so I have written a number of reviews for the excellent online theatre magazine Exeunt. So far I have covered classical experiments, perambulatory music, spoken word and poetry-inspired theatre… Click here to read the latest, my take on a Spitalfields Festival walkingContinue reading “Exeunt”
Secret Spots
Time Out asked me to select five secret spots in London for their readers. Here are the results.
That an Horse hath no gall
A horse in a field is worth two in the hand Applejack is a reliable and hard-working pony, although headstrong about doing things on her own[1] take horses for an example, if you look closely you notice that all horses have exactly the same face[2] Glueing coconuts to your dogs feet so people think youContinue reading “That an Horse hath no gall”
Dark Islands Mood Board
I have started compiling my second collection, provisionally entitled Dark Islands. As part of the process (and, frankly, to make it a bit more fun) I’ve decided to share a few images that I think reflect the mood(s) – and in some instances subject matter – of the book. If I were to list theContinue reading “Dark Islands Mood Board”
Dear World & Everyone In It
Delighted to have four poems in a new anthology from Bloodaxe Books, launched last night at the Poetry Library, followed by a session of hard-drinking around Waterloo from which I am still recovering. Edited by Nathan Hamilton, Dear World & Everyone In It is described as the first British anthology to attempt to define aContinue reading “Dear World & Everyone In It”
Poetry and the boundaries of plagiarism
I’m fascinated by this recent story. Christian Ward, a 32-year old poet from London with whom I’ve communicated occasionally on social networking, has been found to have plagiarised a poem by Helen Mort (whom I also know – in the real world). Christian’s poem, ‘The Deer’, won a local poetry competition in Devon, where theContinue reading “Poetry and the boundaries of plagiarism”
Tom Chivers 