Soul Erosion – A new poem, up now on Black Nore Review

I blame a running tap,
the boiler firing, as I washed up,
for what the voice said…

Mædwe, Corinna Board – A review

How should one address a field? As a poet, as a person?

Throughout this short, but deep pamphlet, Corinna Board sets out to explore what this question may involve.

Municipal Legend

Ever wondered would happen if a legendary force of nature, stepped out of myth, only to find itself subject to a grilling by the local council planning sub-committee?

Well, I have…

So Long and thanks for all the ghosts and hobbits: Robert ‘Bob’ Gilbert 6th October 1942 – 7th June 2026.

The Dad-Map is, of course, never really settled: borders and landmarks can shift and change. Well-trodden paths can suddenly, unexpectedly, develop surprising new forks and turns.

What follows is no definitive guide, simply a brief tour of some of my own most memorable destinations.

Field Guide To a Shelf

A poem about a shelf of books.
Have a read, guess the books…

Poeting in April

A month of poetry goings-on…

Stylish liars and petrol-pumps in pools of light: digressions on re-reading The Great Gatsby.

When off-stage, or screen, Actors ‘rest’. Copywriters read, or at least they ought to. So, yesterday, being in the latest in-between phase of the freelance copywriter life (a phase increasingly lengthier than the active project/gig phase itself, as the three-headed apocalyptic career assassins of AI, Age(ism) and Advertising Eating Itself advance upon my territory with…

Unwhispered Legacy

Unwhispered Legacy is the first anthology published by The Book Bag X Write Here, Right Now. Edited by Paul Short, the anthology is raising money for Médecins Sans Frontières. It contains poems from an international group of poets including: Rishi Dastidar, Özge Lena, John Chmura, Leia Butler, Saraswati Nagpal, Samantha Terrell, Helen Laycock, Sarah Raybould,…

Brutal Bristol

Brutal Blocks – a new poem of mine, you can read in Eche Poetry Issue Three.

An underground manifesto…

London Underground’s Northern Line is split into two branches, where its most central stations can be found. The Charing Cross Branch and The Bank Branch. Long ago, I thought there might be a bit of poetic fun to be had with it. Now, here it is.

Rewrite What You Know

Shh! A tale of library based vengeance…

28 Tories Later

Like many commentators, I found Jenrick’s bodged defection a bit funny. However, the rise of Reform, or deform as I have it here is not. At all. This bit of ‘fun’, below, is the kind of thing that happens when freelancers like me have too much downtime. Thanks to Dave Tokley for help with putting…

The Richly Evocative Meaningless Reading Awards 2025

In the spirit of pointless, subjective artistic judgements, here’s the roundup you’ve all been waiting for. Including the MOST BRILLIANTLY DESCRIBED MESS OF A BOOK FILLED, ASHTRAY CHOKED BEDROOM AWARD.

Talking Walking: Podcast interview

Back in March, I was interviewed by Andrew Stuck for the Talking Walking Podcast. Here it is, along with a cheering birdsong chorus.

An audience with angst: trying on techniques

Experimenting with poetic forms – here I have a go at a Villanelle – possibly the least ‘me’ form of all.

Three Cheers for a cemetery gate

In praise of small things, especially a new cemetery gate.

Performative Readers and Hypocrite Lecteurs

Apparently, there’s a thing called ‘Performative Reading’ and the ‘internet’ or rather some Insta/TikTok 20-something lol-merchants don’t like it. Here’s a blog on it with a bonus new poem.