Author Archives: Tom Chivers

Conceal me what I am

Winter is starting to creep in amidst the leaderless tent village of St Paul’s. Many of the unhappy campers wear the smiling face of a seventeenth century Catholic [freedom fighter] [martyr] [terrorist] Guy Fawkes as a mask. They are inspired by the futuristic film V for Vendetta, in which a masked genius attempts to dislodgeContinue reading “Conceal me what I am”

Desert Island Discs: No.6 ‘Magnum Mysterium’

Continuing with my obsession with choral music, though this extraordinary piece of contemplative liturgical music is by a modern composer – Danish-American Morten Lauridsen. It helps that this recording is from Westminster Cathedral and is high quality (for Youtube). One to play with the lights off, and no interruptions.

Poem Set in a Remote Outpost of the British Army

** We go to bate the jauntier hun, the pearl that grows in the wadi. One jaunt leaves half the team without toenails, just shims in obis sucking up toxic puds and fingering the pearly hafts of their rifles. So we spar amongst ourselves, eke out our wraths in full gillie, knees against the dashboardContinue reading “Poem Set in a Remote Outpost of the British Army”

Indy, cover your heart!

Yes, I am involved in co-organising this brilliant and brilliantly silly homage to Indiana Jones – celebrating this year its/his 30th birthday. It’s Saturday 22 October, from 7pm. Jazz star Gwyneth Herbert will open the show with a rendition of “Anything Goes” from Temple of Doom, poets including Jack Underwood and Kirsty Irving will performContinue reading “Indy, cover your heart!”

The Herbals

3:AM Magazine has published a poem of mine: The Herbals. Thanks to Poetry Editor SJ Fowler for that. Written last year sometime, this piece now seems strangely prescient. Then again, you can stretch a poem pretty far. In any city or text-based practice to be confined in such articulated coffins collapses desire & its attainmentContinue reading “The Herbals”