My first collection How To Build A City was launched alongside new books from Abi Curtis and Luke Kennard two Saturdays ago, and here is the video evidence. It was a great night, hosted by that charming genius Ross Sutherland – the venue (The Slaughtered Lamb) was absolutely rammed, and consequently pretty hot andContinue reading “The Triple Launch”
Category Archives: Poetry and writing
Hack Writing
Tony Williams has reviewed The Terrors on his poetry blog. He describes it as an ‘exuberant, coherent and original pamphlet’. I’m really pleased that readers have responded so positively and creatively to this little sequence – opening up new avenues of thought, responding liberally to the material I set down. I believe Jane at Nine Arches has doneContinue reading “Hack Writing”
How To Build A City – Now Available to Buy
If any of my readers (ha! what a notion) are interested, my debut collection of poetry How To Build A City is now available to buy online from Salt Publishing. You can, presumably, also order it from Amazon, your local bookshop and so on, but in my experience ordering direct from the publisher is best forContinue reading “How To Build A City – Now Available to Buy”
The World Today – Poetry goes Primetime
There is nothing cooler than being chauffeur-driven across London, east to west, to Television Centre by a requisitioned BBC car. The sense of temporary authority – an invitation from the Establishment – is palpable. As we rose onto the Westway, the outside world was something else, below me – minions, peasants, plebs. They have nothing to say. I am on theContinue reading “The World Today – Poetry goes Primetime”
Salt Shaken
Some readers may already have heard that independent poetry press Salt Publishing has been going through some pretty nasty financial difficulties of late. They have started a campaign to save their business, spearheaded by this irreverent YouTube viral. It’s difficult to exaggerate the impact that Salt has made on UK (and to a lesser extent US and Australian)Continue reading “Salt Shaken”
Launch of How To Build A City
My first collection, How To Build A City (Salt Publishing), is being launched on Saturday 13th June at The Slaughtered Lamb in Clerkenwell. Joining me to launch their own new books are Luke Kennard and Abi Curtis. Ross Sutherland will also be appearing, in the combination-lock role of poet/compere. It’s shaping up to be a goodContinue reading “Launch of How To Build A City”
Ephemera of the month
Recent cultural consumption has included – Generation Kill – 7-part mini-series from the makers of The Wire which follows a company of US marines during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Brutal and very funny. See clip below. In the Loop – biting political satire with creative swearing and the best cameo ever by Steve Coogan.Continue reading “Ephemera of the month”
More Terrors reactions
Jane Holland has reviewed The Terrors over at Raw Light. This is contemporary elegy, then, for the long-dead, the unknown, many of them victims of a clumsy, unjust and barbaric legal system. […] The Terrors is a bold, dark, and deeply unsettling collection which introduces a strong new poetic voice. [more] Reviews also at Gists & PithsContinue reading “More Terrors reactions”
Poets take up a new muse – modern technology
‘The poet’s muse is traditionally a goddess with long flowing hair, emblem in hand – but for a new generation of poets the muse is a digital native with WiFi access and an iPod. Tom Chivers is a 26-year-old poet living in East London who in recent years has found he wants to let technologicalContinue reading “Poets take up a new muse – modern technology”
Terrors in the City
Here’s a little video I shot to promote my pamphlet The Terrors. It includes two of my ‘imagined emails’ to inmates at Newgate Prison. The first is addressed to the Waltham Blacks; the second to John Price, aka Jack Ketch.
Tom Chivers 