Out of Time

Delighted that my Out of Time poem has just been published on Dwelling During the Pandemic, Ohio State University’s Poetry … More

Spring Learning

This poem was written last spring as streets fell silent and we peered out warily. It was one of very … More

What they left behind

Thinking of all friends in Japan today (August 6th) a very difficult seventy fifth anniversary day. I wrote this poem … More

Dollies: an animation by Carina Barber

For this final example of design work based on my poems by NTU Graphic Design students, I have chosen an … More

Testing the Water

A delightful short poem film by Maria Vidal

Squid Squad by Matthew Welton

Here’s a review of Matthew Welton’s vibrant new collection Squid Squad: A Novel, which I wrote recently for the Nottingham … More

Fringeless Steven: poetry in the salon

Our Hair comes the Science Bit project team participated in the British Science Festival in Coventry on a very lively Friday night. We were really pleased to engage so many people in creative, scientific discussions about hair. Visitors viewed strands of hair under the microscope, asked questions about its structure, talked to our resident genetics and psychology experts about hair related issues, explored hair advertising, took a VR journey into keratin and visited me, the Poetdresser, in the Rock ‘n’ Roller parlour, to write collaborative poems about their hair.

Hair comes the science bit…

On 13th Sept I’ll be at the British Science Festival in FarGo village, Coventry with University of Leicester science colleagues. From 17.00 – 20.00 we’ll be based in two hair salons: Rock ‘n’ Roller Parlour and Dashing Blades for: Hair comes the science bit. Come and have a hair raising time with us!

First Japanese publication

‘Collaborative Research between UK and Japan on Poetry Writing Pedagogy in the Global Age: Trialling Poetry Writing Workshop techniques now published in The Science of Reading. vol.61, No.2., July 2019, pages: 97-109.

Stanley Middleton in Sherwood

It is my honour to pay tribute to one of the dearest writer friends I have known: Stanley Middleton. Today, Thursday 1st August 2019, marks the centenary of his birth and a plaque will be unveiled on the house in Caledon Road, Sherwood which was the family home for over forty eight years.