Category Archives: Poetry and writing

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”

Random Acts

Tonight – Tuesday 2 October – my poetry made its TV debut on Channel 4’s  Random Acts. My poem ‘The Event’ has been turned into an animated short film by the horrendously talented New York-based artist Julia Pott. Here it is above, on Vimeo. I think she’s done a great job of bringing the poem,Continue reading “Random Acts”

For sale: two meticulously hand-inscribed hardback copies of How To Build a City

I’ve spent the morning inscribing two copies of my first book How To Build a City with detailed notes about the poems. These notes range from clarifications of references and obscure allusions (many to London history) to thoughts about the contexts of the poems. I have also provided some very candid insights  about the moreContinue reading “For sale: two meticulously hand-inscribed hardback copies of How To Build a City”

The Failure of Digital – Mix Conference in Untweeted Tweets

I’ve just returned from two days at Mix – a conference exploring transmedia writing and digital creativity organised by Bath Spa University. Predictably the conference venue, the beautiful Jacobean mansion Corsham Court, had no public Wifi and even 3G coverage was incredibly patchy (although the cakes were plentiful). Not one to be deterred from emittingContinue reading “The Failure of Digital – Mix Conference in Untweeted Tweets”

An introduction to my work by Theodoros Chiotis

‘The construction, or if we want to be more accurate, the excavation of the multitude of realities lurking underneath the practice of everyday life has come to be seen as a basic writing tool of writers and poets dealing with urban life. The mechanical nature of urban time and usability as urban life’s ultimate preconditionContinue reading “An introduction to my work by Theodoros Chiotis”

Light-filled Visions from a Dark Past

The latest issue of Poetry London is out now, with the now-customary spray of brilliant poems and reviews. I’m glad to have been asked to contribute a piece on two new translations, Simon Armitage’s The Death of King Arthur (Faber) and Jane Draycott’s Pearl (Carcanet).     On Pearl: Draycott opts for a flowing, contemporary freeContinue reading “Light-filled Visions from a Dark Past”