Cyclone Virtual Tour – Legs IV-V

Yesterday poet and blog-queen Katy Evans-Bush asked me questions for Baroque in Hackney Today I waxed lyrical about sci-fi trilogy The Matrix for Mercy Recommends That’s it. Tour over. Thanks to everyone who made it possible – my agent, my manager, miscellaneous roadies, the big man, &c. &c. Errata The Poet of Sparty Lea is beingContinue reading “Cyclone Virtual Tour – Legs IV-V”

Cyclone Virtual Tour – Legs I-III

On Monday I was interviewed by Julie Palmer-Hoffman (aka The Book Grocer) for Londonist.com On Tuesday poetry blogzine Gists & Piths aired my ‘Statement of Intent’ and a short film Today Michelle McGrane interviews me for Peony Moon It’s all in aid of promoting me book: How To Build A City. It’s available from Salt PublishingContinue reading “Cyclone Virtual Tour – Legs I-III”

A Poem for Barry

A poem for Barry MacSweeney, in time for Sunday’s BBC Radio 4 documentary (4.30pm). This is from my collection How To Build A City and was written, I think, in 2003.   On Kinder Scout   All the skies are leased anyway – Barry MacSweeney, Pearl   We marvel how the peat bog got this highContinue reading “A Poem for Barry”

The Mystery of Love

The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death Back from Latitude Festival. My highlights were: Lykke Li, again Ben Moor performing Coelacanth in the woods Bishi accompanying the screening of the 1923 silent film Salome (starring Nazimova – see video, above) Jeffrey Lewis in the poetry tent The poetry tent in general is coralledContinue reading “The Mystery of Love”

Making Strides

Phil Brown has reviewed How To Build A City and The Terrors alongside Luke Kennard’s The Migraine Hotel at Stride. Chivers’ erratic flitting between forms reflects all the disjointedness of London’s myriad selves – think Tobias Hill’s Nocturne in Chrome and Sunset Yellow reinterpreted by the Sex Pistols. Kennard and Chivers are two of theContinue reading “Making Strides”

Ordering How To Build A City

Just a quick note to say – if you haven’t already got a copy of my debut book, How To Build A City, please do consider ordering one! Not only will it make me very happy indeed, it will also contribute to Salt Publishing’s campaign to get themselves out of the red. It’s a beautifully producedContinue reading “Ordering How To Build A City”

The Triple Launch

   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”

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”