Is the rain to blame for a reflective start here to 2025? Probably not. There are generally, to answer the question in Pablo Neruda’s beautiful The Book of Questions, III, fewer things sadder than a train standing in the rain. But light and happy news hasn’t been so abundant on the world stage, as well as a personal health scare. The proverbial silver lining to the latter though is the immense sense of fortune and gratitude of coming through it, determined more than ever not to waste a second of my ‘one wild and precious life’ as Mary Oliver calls it in her beautiful poem ‘The Summer Day‘.

What that looks like here ranges from reading and quiet walks along the canal towpath to birthday celebrations with friends and family, and planning for my elder son’s wedding later this year. And March has brought some sunny days and signs of spring. Even when working, the extra light through the windows feels great!

This year also marks 10 years of V. Press publishing other writers’ solo poetry and flash fiction books, with lots of celebrations planned across 2025, highlighting past titles and new developments to come. Running the press has been a big thing for me, both wonderful and, at times, exhausting. I’m very grateful for all the talented writers who’ve trusted me with their work and proud to have published such stunning titles. You can find out more about V. Press here. And don’t forget to sign-up to the Mailchimp newsletters (in the right hand bar of the V. Press website) to keep up with what we’re up to.



AND 25 YEARS OF MY WRITING, 15 SINCE MY FIRST COLLECTION!



On a personal writing front, I’m really delighted to share that my poem Let sleeping peaches lie has won first prize in the Pre-Raphaelite Society’s Poetry Prize 2024. My poem is inspired by Sir Frederick Leighton’s ‘Flaming June’ and continues the Pre-Raphaelite ekphrastic poetry element of my collection Darling Blue, due out with Indigo Dreams later this year. It was an extra delight to see V. Press poet Nicola Warwick in the prize list too — with 2 poems! Big thanks to PRS and the judges, Poet-in-Residence Sarah Doyle and PRS Chair Serena Trowbridge.



I’m pleased to have started the New Year with a link back to 2024, when I had a haiku (‘From yesterday’s rain…’) and through our windows, 5-linked haiku, published (with audio) in Wildfire Words.

I’m delighted to have had my poem Closer to the roof, first published in The High Window last year, translated into Polish by Anna Blasiak for Babiniec Literacki.

Meanwhile, my first publication of 2025 was A new morning in The Fig Tree, issue 6, and I’m also very pleased to have another poem, The Other Side of the Moon, published in The Fig Tree, issue 7. Big thanks again to editor Tim Fellows.

I’m also delighted and very grateful to have From the ‘News of the World’ Astro-Desk and Our New Estate published in The Dribble Drabble Review Anthology 2: Issues VI-X in Jan 2025.

I’ve had a photo First Light and two eco-poems, The Leaves, Birds and Me and These warm days, published on the wonderful Mugwort Magazine here. Big thanks to editor Kate Garrett for this.

I’m also very pleased to hear this month that I have two images, A ghost of the past and Going softly into the light, and two poems, Dark Longings and “Now, about your room…”, accepted for the second issue of New Lyricist. Big thanks to the editors Ingrid Wilson and Nick Reeves.

Moving forward from looking back on a personal writing front is hopefully cracking on with my novel, using the creative energy of flash and poetry to fuel my progress. I’m not sure it’s the done thing to cry while reworking one’s own novel, let alone admit it. But I love my characters so much and would really love to be able to move on from re-writing to pitching soon. Only if they and the story are reading for that though. Please keep your fingers crossed for us!