It has been a while since I posted here, or, to be honest on social media. It has been a hectic few months with family and poetry stuff, mostly good, but also some not quite so good on the health front. The latter though only makes the good things feel more important to celebrate and feel grateful for. On this score, I’m delighted to share that my poem Fruitful has been awarded first place and another poem, Deep meadows, the Poet-in-Residence’s commendation in The Pre-Raphaelite Society Poetry Prize 2025. The first of these is inspired by William Morris and his wallpaper designs and the second by John William Waterhouse’s ‘Windflowers’. The wonderful news came as I was celebrating a Spring Launch of Darling Blue (Indigo Dreams, 2025), at Script Haven bookshop in Worcester, bringing even more light to a lovely day and evening. (More about the launch and pictures below.)

I’m very happy to have my poems Sky-tipped and One Jump / Many Jumps published in STOAT POETRY magazine, Issue 1, Spring 2026 and The summer before published in The Fig Tree, Women’s Poetry Special Issue 2, and my poem The Other Side of the Moon published in The Fig Tree Anthology 2025 (Crooked Spire Press), now available from here.

I’m very pleased too to have my poem Divine Lust taken for Clarion Poetry #6 and chuffed to to have my poem REDACTED published in Streetcake, issue 101. (The latter is part of a speculative fiction sequence of poems that I’ve written as part of a poetry collaboration with a wonderful poet, and which I’ll share more about in due course.)

Big thanks to all involved in organising, judging and editing these competitions and journals!

Resident Artist & photography news

As I mentioned in my last post, I have two Resident Artist articles with photos/animated gifs/poetryfilm on The High Window this year. The first of these is now live. PICTURE THIS IN MOTION – ANIMATED POETRY, a craft article, poems, photos and animated gifs published on The High Window as Resident Artist, Spring 2026.

I’m also excited to have three photos, ‘Need or Greed 2’ ‘Caught’ and ‘A Need for Nectar’, in the art section of Underbelly, issue 6. Another piece shortlisted for the journal front cover has been used as the inside heading artwork for the Poetry section. You can check all four pieces out here.

Big thanks to the editors of both these wonderful journals!

Reading & Reviewing

Although I’m still not getting as much time to read as I like, I’ve managed to use walks, journeys and odd half-hours in the evening to power through a few novels over the past two months. (No reviews but star-rated over on Goodreads.)

I’ve also been enjoying some new poetry titles. I reviewed Cia Mangat’s lobe(poetry chapbook, (Smith|Doorstep Books, 2025) for London Grip and also Jean Atkin and Richard Skinner’s CROSSING Paths (poetry chapbook, Black Cat Poetry Press, 2026), which can be found on London Grip here.The other two new collections in the picture here were for pure poetry pleasure and it has been a lot of pleasure dipping in and out of them, reading, re-reading and lingering on some of the lines. I’d very much recommend all four of these!

Darling Blue Spring launch

Even the sun was out for my Spring Launch of Darling Blue (Indigo Dreams, 2025), at Script Haven bookshop in Worcester, though I’ll admit it was still quite cold/awakening outside!

A big thank you to Leena Batchelor at Script Haven for hosting and organising and so many other things that made it such a lovely venue and wonderful day. Big thanks too to everyone that came. I was publisher/poet in residence during the day, reading a poem on the hour, chatting with people I knew and many I didn’t. I wrote some haiku for those who wanted them — a small selection below. There was also a poetryfilm anthology with poetryfilms by myself, Kathy Gee and Nina Lewis running on a loop and an impromptu poetry workshop. Then to round it all off, a wonderful selection of poems in the open mic, followed by a reading from me. A small selection of photos, with some of the haiku interspersed, can be found below.

streets bright with spring light
& laughter beckon me out —
I brr back inside.

 
here I am, shelved books
around me — becoming part
of today’s new story

Leena Batchelor

Jenny Hope

Kathy Gee

Andy Hoaen

just in for coffee,
cake & a slice of haiku —
intense, sweet & light
 

 

Sylv’s granddaughter plays
guitar; spring music in leaf,
young love blossoms

 

Headlining, Cheltenham Poetry Festival Reading & Free Verse

 
 

I had a wonderful time headlining at the Worcestershire Litfest & fringe in February. It was a great night with lots of wonderful poetry from all the readers and performers. My set had a pre-Valentine’s Day, ‘love me, love me not’ theme to it, including poems from Darling Blue (Indigo Dreams, 2025), Blood Sugar, Sex, Magic (Verve Poetry Press, 2022) and plenty-fish(Nine Arches Press, 2015).

Big thanks to Jenny Hope and Justin Leavesley for the photos above and to Jenny Hope for the video below. The video footage is live from the night, at a distance, so is quite quiet and may need volume levels turned up high in order to be heard properly.

Reading ‘Raindrop on a Red Leaf’ from plenty-fish(Nine Arches Press, 2015)

Despite a few family health things, I also had an amazing time at my Cheltenham Poetry Festival reading, Ways to Say We Are Not Alone, with Simon Alderwick and Duncan Forbes. I’ve always loved the festival but it’s the first time in a while that I’ve had chance to read there. Their sets were great — ranging through some very moving moments and pieces to others with a light, humorous touch. I read mostly from Darling Blue (Indigo Dreams, 2025), with a couple from Blood Sugar, Sex, Magic (Verve Poetry Press, 2022). Big thanks to Cheltenham Poetry Festival for having me and to the audience for their warm and welcome support. It was so lovely to see so many smiling faces and great to catch up with some old friends. I definitely came away feeling far from alone!

From Cheltenham, it was on to Free Verse Poetry Book Fair, run by The Poetry Society, in London. The picture below gives a taste of the V. Press stand, where I was happy to showcase Beth Osmond’s forthcoming (as of 1 May, now published) chapbook Hatchery, offer some new limited edition ‘Spice of Life Poetry Pots’ and throw in some freebies of Kaleidoscope and Always Another Twist, thanks to Mantle Lane Press sending some remaining stock on to me. There aren’t many left now, so if you’d like one, head over to my website pages for them while you can.

Here, this May bank holiday is a now much-needed rest, as well as a special family celebration. Whatever you’re doing, wherever you are, I hope you’re enjoying some light and sunshine. More from me soon…well, soonish!