Today sees the launch of Every Boy’s and Every Girl’s Alphabet picture book editions. Illustrated by Luke Martineau and designed by Kate Holland, these books have been a decade in the making and we’re very proud of this beautiful hardback edition, published by Graffeg

The project was inspired by original paintings of Luke’s children and by the woodcuts of William Nicholson. As in traditional alphabets, every letter is illustrated by a simple object or action. Running alongside, my poem takes a less literal approach, responding to the mood of each picture in a loosely rhymed celebration of childhood.

 

 

 

‘Keeping her distance, every girl dares.’

Not long now till the launch of Every Girl’s and Every Boy’s Alphabets, set to coincide with an exhibition of all 52 original paintings by Luke Martineau, at Panter and Hall, 11-12 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5LU, on Tuesday November 14th 2017, from 12-8pm.

Archway. I’ve lived here 7 years, walking more or less the same small handful of obvious routes through every weather, season and mood. It’s not a lovely place, but I know my tiny bit of it as thoroughly as John Clare knew Helpston. Clare always finds something new to see in his landscape, which to us seems bursting with biodiversity, though to him it was painfully diminished by enclosure. And though Archway is poor by comparison, I have been trying to find something new and alive in its very different urban air, to write, if I can, nature poetry of the city. 

From 21st – 28th September, as part of ArchWay With Words, (a literary festival founded eleven years ago by Stephanie Smith, who also set up the Saturday market on Holloway Road and runs its fruit and veg stall with Olympic cheer and hardiness) 9 of these urban nature poems will be posted – postered! – at their original locations. If I was the Tate, I’d call it a site-specific poetry installation.

I like the idea of people bumping into them by chance. Of people who don’t read poetry reading poetry by accident, just because it’s there. But in case anyone wants to find all 9 and make a morning of it, here’s a map.

 

A beautiful day to be leaving London for a breath of Norfolk November air and a feast of poetry at The Green Dragon, Wymondham. The reading starts at 7.30 tonight.

A lovely green cover for my contribution to the Clutag Five Poems Series. There are only 100 of these, so hurry along to http://www.clutagpress.com/clutag-shop/ for your copy.

Monday 25th January, Coffee-House Poetry at The Troubadour, 263-267 Old Brompton Road LONDON SW5 9JA

From 8 to 10 pm, tickets £7
Book via PayPal on website www.coffeehousepoetry.org or by cheque payable to Coffee-House Poetry, PO Box 16210, LONDON, W4 1ZP

The classic Coffee-House Poetry prelude to spring, a scintillating winter salon of new voices & new collections:

• Jessica Traynor was awarded the Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary in 2014 & is a 2015 Troubadour Prizewinner. Her first collection, Liffey Swim (Dedalus, 2014), was shortlisted for the 2015 Strong/ Shine Award.
• Screenwriter & novelist Kate Bingham has had her poetry shortlisted for a Forward Prize twice. Infragreen (Seren, 2015) is her third collection: full of sensuous, imaginative and beautifully accomplished work (Poetry Review).
• Tamar Yoseloff’s collaborations with artists include Formerly (with photographer Vici MacDonald) which was shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award. A Formula for Night: New and Selected Poems (Seren, 2015) is her fifth poetry collection.
• Carole Bromley blogs regularly for digital mag YorkMix & teaches creative writing at York University’s Lifelong Learning Centre. She has won first prize in the Bridport Prize & Bronte Society Prize. The Stonegate Devil (Smith/Doorstop, 2015) is her second collection.
• Lesley Saunders is a featured poet in Carcanet’s latest New Poetries VI (Carcanet 2015): her latest collection, The Walls Have Angels (Mulfran, 2014) was inspired by a residency at Acton Court, & by its 1535 visitors, Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn.
• Physician & Columbia University professor, Owen Lewis has won a number of awards for his poetry including London School of Jewish Studies: his collections include March in San Miguel, Sometimes Full of Daylight, and Best Man (Dos Madres, 2015).
• Poet & former newspaper sub, Greg Freeman, is news editor for the essential poetry gigs & reviews website Write Out Loud. His 2015 Indigo Dreams pamphlet Trainspotters was launched in the pub at King’s Cross Station.
• Maura Dooley teaches at Goldsmiths’ College & has edited a number of anthologies including Making for Planet Alice: several of her collections have been Eliot-shortlisted & her latest The Silvering, due from Bloodaxe, in spring 2016, is a PBS Recommendation.

Really thrilled to see Infragreen reviewed by Martyn Crucefix in his blog today. ‘There is a side to Kate Bingham’s poetry that might be (and has been) described as steady, calmly observed, dispassionate, elegant and formally accomplished. But I see another writer…’

Have a read here:  http://martyncrucefix.com/martyns-blog-2/

 

Thank you Patricia, William and all the team at this year’s Torbay Festival of Poetry. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole day – reading and listening alike, especially your nursery rhymes in the the style of… competition.

 

 

Gregory Leadbetter, in this quarter’s Poetry Review, says ‘Infragreen is full of sensuous, imaginative and beautifully accomplished work. It succeeds in leading the consciousness beyond its deadened rounds’. Follow this link to read the whole (thoughtful, lovely) review.

http://poetrysociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/1053-Leadbetter.pdf

Delighted to be reading with Wynn Wheldon at this year’s festival. If you’re in Devon, come along to the Livermead Cliff Hotel, Torquay, on Sunday 25th October at 2.45. Tickets £5. http://www.torbaypoetryfestival.co.uk