It is exciting to have two poems in Irish literary magazine Survision. Survision describe themselves as: SurVision is an international biannual online poetry magazine established in Ireland in March 2017 as a platform for new Irish and international Surrealist and Irrealist poetry in English. They are surreal poems, as you can see Survision is a surrealist […]

How exciting! My poem ‘Is Gertrude Stein’s Frog Smoking in Your Attic Too?’ is now live at the excellent London Grip in their Winter issue along with many excellent poets. Many thanks to editor, Michael Bartholomew-Biggs. Take a look at London Grip here and why not look at my poem while you’re there. I am […]

I love Fitzcarraldo‘s books so it is fabulous news to discover that my novel has been shortlisted for the prestigious Fitzcarraldo Editions Novel Prize. It is a list of only five books so it’s a huge honour to be shortlisted, particularly since it is for the entire manuscript rather than an excerpt. I thank the […]

The marvellous Atrium Poetry has published my poem ‘Watching a Fish on a Cutting Board‘ today. Very many thanks to Holly and Claire for picking it. I am so pleased. I wrote this one a while ago, I can’t remember why or when but I imagine I had been preparing fish for dinner. I always […]

The Ofi Press, edited by Jack Little, is based in Mexico. I am thrilled that they have published my poem ‘Squid of Nondescript Household Places’. Very many thanks to Jack. Here is the link to The Ofi Press Magazine Issue 63. I hope you enjoy it. ‘Squid of Nondescript Household Places’ is a poem in […]

My poem ‘this party isn’t free’ is in Issue 17 of Riggwelter, I am proud to say. Many thanks to the marvellous Riggweltarians for picking it. What a great magazine. It is full of gorgeous art, stories and poems. It’s a peculiar poem, I think I must have been quite annoyed when I wrote it. […]

‘The Great Eel of Jazz’, has been included in the fantastic Humanagerie anthology, brilliantly edited by Sarah Doyle and Allen Ashley. The Great Eel actually has a mention in Storgy’s review of the anthology, which is very exciting. Thank you to Emily Harrison who wrote the review. The poem is also mentioned in the London […]

  The image is one Simon Ryder’s brilliant ‘Giants of Albion’ chalk on blackboard artworks. I am thrilled that Lonesome October Lit has published another of my pieces, ‘Girl Who Spiralled‘, a flash inspired by Simon’s work. Many, many thanks to wonderful Kate Garrett – probably the busiest woman in the world. The story mentions […]

‘Brica-brica-brica on Mount Anvil‘ is now online, published by Queen Mob’s Tea House. Many, many thanks to Jessica Sequira. I am thrilled they got this one. It’s a particular kind of madness. I suppose, when you write, you choose your focus and you choose your lens, and you also decide how much to include in […]

It’s a gruesome little poem all right! Just right for Halloween! Tired Old Meat is popping up it’s nasty little nose tonight at Lonesome October Lit. Many thanks to Kate for including it.  

‘Concert at the Doge’s Palace with Fans’, is now published on Ink, Sweat and Tears. Huge thanks to the fabulous Helen Ivory for selecting it. What’s more, it has been shortlisted for their Poem of the Month. Gosh! I’m so pleased that they picked this particular poem because it actually happened unlike most stuff I write. […]

‘Girl in a Borrowed Cloak’ was written for the 10Days project and was displayed for a while in Winchester Cathedral (see below). I am so pleased it has found a strange and lovely home at Lonesome October Lit. I don’t really know in which genre it’s written. It is both a prose poem and flash fiction, […]

Words for the Wild is a website and print publication edited by myself and Louise Taylor. It is dedicated to writing rooted in the countryside with all profits from the sale of the book going to ADD – Action Against Destructive Development.   We began all this because of Eastleigh Borough Council’s plans to build […]

‘This Land of Dill’ is in the latest issue of Under the Radar Issue 21 published by Nine Arches Press. Many thanks to Jane Commane. It is very exciting to be included in such a great literary magazine. What’s more, I am accompanied by friends Raine Geoghegan and Sue Spiers, which is a pleasure and an […]

It’s such brilliant news that this story has found a publisher, and extra great that it should be LossLit. ‘My Greenland Halibut‘ is about a door-to-door fish seller. He really does love his stock. On his rounds he comes across Terry, a poorly man and they establish a relationship of a kind. The fish seller’s […]

‘Temptation No. 3: Sunrise’ is now published in The Cabinet of Heed. Many thanks to Simon Webster and his fabulous cabinet. ‘Sunrise’ is one of several poems in a series of temptations of varying kinds, let’s face it, it’s a rich vein, and is the second to be published. Hurray! You can read it here. I’ll […]

  I am thrilled that my story, ‘Five Parts‘, has finally made its home in Storgy. They’re a brilliant magazine and I love reading the stories they publish. Many thanks to them. ‘Five Parts’ means a lot to me. When I first submitted it to (inflicted it upon) the Taverners writers’ group, they were kind, […]

‘White-Eyed Bird with Red Beak’ is an unusual story and I am absolutely delighted that the woniderful people of Cosmonauts Avenue have published it.  Many thanks to them. It has been published on the same day as another story ‘Five Parts’, which is now live on the Storgy website. Amazing and surprising; I’ll write another post on […]

  ‘Girl Wrapped in Beads‘ is now published by the marvellous Ellipsis Magazine. I have written a few of these ‘Girl…’ vignettes, flash fiction, stories and poems. It started with the 10 Days arts project a few years ago when ‘Girl in a Borrowed Cloak’ was displayed in Winchester Cathedral. Later ‘Girl who Climbed’ was […]

Firstly, it’s a beautiful book to hold and touch, and the cover image by Anna Raspopva, of a stylised olive tree, is striking. Leaves fill the top third of the front cover with no space between them for sky or birds or sun, just leaves crammed in – almost spilling off the cover; just as […]

The richness and beauty of this painting by William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) belie its subject matter. It is entitled ‘The Awakening Conscience’. The young woman in the picture has been sitting on her lover’s lap singing Thomas Moore’s Oft, in the Stilly Night, when she has a moment of spiritual revelation. My poem ‘Bells and Marigolds’ re-enacts the […]

  A double success in The Winchester Poetry Prize! One poem was highly commended overall and won the Hampshire Prize; another was commended. What a fantastic surprise! Many thanks to WPF for a wonderful occasion. I’m so thrilled Sarah Howe enjoyed the poems. It was great to hear her read and to meet everyone. The […]

‘Close but no cigar’ is how the folk at The Molotov Cocktail describe their shortlist. Thank you to Molotov. I’m proud, and marginally healthier even, without the cigar, and am glad they enjoyed the poem. Here is the link to the shortlist. They had their biggest entry yet, with submissions from the United States, U.K., Ireland, […]

 It seems I have two successes in the New Welsh Review Awards! Two! Happy days! Many thanks to Gwen Davies and her team. Extracts from my novella, ‘Carving Strangers’, set in 1950s South Africa, and a memoir I’ve written about Bob’s childhood in South Africa will be published later this year. It has come as […]

Many thanks to Sandra Tyler at Woven Tale. I’m thrilled that my poem is included in the latest issue of The Woven Tale Press. It’s a stunning fine art and literary magazine. A visual banquet. You can subscribe here, it’s free and fab.  I’ve picked out a few items in this issue that struck me […]