Author Archives: Tom Chivers

Ethical reading, ethical publishing

A few weeks ago I attended a conference called The Space Between Us, which was about the intersection between literature and technology. The exceptionally interesting  James Bridle gave the keynote. I was especially curious, though, to hear Sophie Rochester of The Literary Platform speak about ‘Ethical reading’. Her provocation, so to speak, was that theContinue reading “Ethical reading, ethical publishing”

The White Review: Make, Write, Argue, Dream

My copy of The White Review (No.4) arrived today. This literary and arts quarterly is a handsome and hefty 17 x 24cm softcover, wrapped in a thick paper poster which has been cunningly folded to present the title, barcode etc alongside Jackson Pollock-like abstract artwork by Landon Metz. And then the whole thing is shrink-wrapped.Continue reading “The White Review: Make, Write, Argue, Dream”

My Top Five Strange Poetry Readings

5 On a Routemaster bus Spitalfields Market, 2009. There were only five people in the audience, which was about as many as you’d want in a bus. I sold two books though, which is a good ratio. 4 In a curiosity shop in Hackney I think it was run by artist collective LE GUN. TheContinue reading “My Top Five Strange Poetry Readings”

Collaboration with a Ceramicist

I am in the early stages of a collaboration with the ceramicist Joanne Ayre. Initial ideas have been around < the island > – a theme I have been writing on and which interests Joanne too. I’ve started to make some experiments by ‘translating’ the processes by which clay becomes a ceramic material (wedging, forming,Continue reading “Collaboration with a Ceramicist”

This is what a love poem looks like

You are underfloor heating. You turn my insides to so much packable meat. You are thoughtful in dreams. You make secret signs. You swim with impunity. You are speculative. You are radio & tides. If the cuckoo sings you sing right back. You wake to this. You have the qualities of snow. You are spaceContinue reading “This is what a love poem looks like”

Belatedly, some words on my departure from London Word Festival

2011 was a frantic, exciting and, ultimately, exhausting year. For a start, I tied the knot with Sarah, my girlfriend since university, over two beautiful days in May (a Muslim nikkah at her family home in North London followed, a week later, by a Roman Catholic wedding at St Etheldreda’s, Ely Place). I then spentContinue reading “Belatedly, some words on my departure from London Word Festival”

Putting together your first collection

I’m running another one of those “So, you think you’re a writer?” sessions for writers’ organisation Spread the Word. Date: Monday 12 March, 4-7pm Venue: The Poetry Library, London £30 / £20 concessions Info and booking This is what the blurb says. Are you a poet looking to put together your first collection; or perhapsContinue reading “Putting together your first collection”