When I first tried out Other Women's Kitchens as a title for my debut poetry pamphlet, I was surprised to find how many of the poems in it are set in kitchens, or makeshift kitchens. I continue to draw on kitchens for inspiration in my writing, particularly in some of the recent poems that have … Continue reading Hearth at Gladstone’s Library – A Kitchen of one’s own
It was a huge privilege to be invited to lead a workshop for the wonderful Mslexia Salon last month on assembling and submitting a poetry pamphlet. I have a lot to thank Mslexia for, as the first magazine to publish one of my poems, back in 2004, and then as the launch-pad for my debut … Continue reading Assembling and submitting a poetry pamphlet – Mslexia Salon
It was a lovely treat to be invited to read at the Out and Wild Festival earlier in June. In just its second year, Out and Wild is a wellness festival aimed at LGBTQ+ women which takes place in the beautiful coastal setting of Lawrenny, in south west Wales. The Spoken Word tent was a … Continue reading Out and wild
Last February, whilst on a walking holiday in Haworth with Her on a Hill, I discovered Wave of Nostalgia, a wonderful independent bookshop which specialises in books by and about strong women. I dropped off a copy of 'Other Women's Kitchens' in the hope that the shop might be willing to stock it, and by … Continue reading Wave of Nostalgia, Haworth
I'm honoured to have been chosen as the Selected Poet for Issue 85 of Magma, especially because the theme of this issue is 'Poems for Schools'. Copies of this issue have been sent to all the GCSE exam boards in an effort to tempt them to widen the range of poems and poets included in … Continue reading Magma 85: Poems for Schools – Selected Poet
Things move slowly in the poetry world - especially compared to my day job in the classroom, where things generally feel as if they're moving on fast forward. It's sometimes frustrating, but it's a rhythm I'm learning to get used to. And since I started submitting poems to literary magazines a few years ago, I've … Continue reading On perseverance and publication
On 30th September 2021 a pair of hikers became the first people to walk the longest straight line in the UK without crossing a paved road, after spending four days crossing 78.55km (48.8 miles) from the Pass of Drumochter to Corgarff in north Scotland. Their route passed through the Cairngorms National Park, which is home to … Continue reading The Ginkgo Prize for Ecopoetry 2022: Straight-line mission
The run-up to Christmas 2021 was a tricky time at school, as elsewhere. The Omicron variant of Covid was spreading rapidly, resulting in a lot of staff and student absence and creating an ominous sense of deja-vu, as questions were being raised about whether there might need to be another national lockdown to combat this … Continue reading Heeling in at Lower Wood
I'm delighted to be able to share two early reviews of my poetry pamphlet, which was published by Seren Books in September. Many thanks to previous Mslexia Pamphlet Competition winner Sarah Wimbush for this review on the Butcher's Dog blog: https://www.butchersdogmagazine.co.uk/post/sarah-wimbush-reviews-alison-binney-s-debut-pamphlet-other-women-s-kitchens And it's lovely to discover the rich resource that is Judy Darley's website, full … Continue reading Reviews of ‘Other Women’s Kitchens’
I'm delighted to announce the publication of my debut pamphlet, 'Other Women's Kitchens', by Seren. It's available for purchase from the Seren Books website for £5 here. I'm hugely grateful to Seren poetry editor Amy Wack, firstly for selecting this pamphlet as the winner of the Mslexia Poetry Pamphlet Competition, and then for making the … Continue reading ‘Other Women’s Kitchens’ – Mslexia Poetry Pamphlet Competition Winner