In an interview, Hilary Mantel once said, "I like putting my hand out to the dead and seeing who will take it." I have much the same feeling about, Chosen Sisters, my current poetry project, which focuses on the lives of women from the past who lived in intimate relationship with other women, or wanted … Continue reading Putting a hand out to the dead
While I'm in Wales, working on my 'dead lesbians project' at Gladstone's Library, top of my list for a day trip was Plas Newydd, home to the Ladies of Llangollen. I'd already read Elizabeth Mavor's excellent account of their lives, 'The Ladies of Llangollen: A Study in Romantic Friendship', and the snippets from Eleanor Butler … Continue reading Plas Newydd, the Ladies of Llangollen, and a treasure from the archive
I'm delighted to share that I will be spending the whole of May 2026 on a writing residency at Gladstone's Library in Hawarden. It will be such a privilege to be able to live and write in such beautiful surroundings, and I feel very fortunate to be able to take a whole month away from … Continue reading Two events at Gladstone’s Library in May
I'm delighted to have a poem published in a new Faber anthology, Family Lines, edited by Simon Armitage and Rachel Bower. It's Muscle Memory, a poem inspired by a Christmas Eve service in Norwich Cathedral which I took my Dad to not long after he had moved into a care home. My Dad has always … Continue reading Family Lines
How can you teach creative writing unless you're a practising writer yourself? That sounds like a perfectly reasonable question to ask. But whilst most secondary school English teachers could probably tell you what book they're currently reading for pleasure without a second's hesitation, ask what they're writing and in most cases the reaction will likely … Continue reading CURATING THE LINE: the impact on trainee English teachers of belonging to a peer-run writing group
It was a dream come true to have the opportunity to read and talk about three poems from The Opposite of Swedish Death Cleaning on BBC Radio 4's The Verb, hosted by Ian McMillan, and alongside guests Fiona Benson, Boo Hewerdine and Yvonne Lyon. The show is available on BBC Sounds, and also as a … Continue reading Fathers, witches and things that fall out of books: The Verb, with Ian McMillan
Sometimes you read an article or blog post by another teacher and think, 'Yes! Thank goodness somebody else thinks that too!' That was the case this week when I read a post by Emma Turner called 'Powerpoint and IWBs - It's time to reclaim analogue teaching'. Turner, a highly experienced teacher, school leader and education … Continue reading Cut-out poetry – reclaiming analogue teaching