There has been a slight hiatus in blogging over the summer but autumn brings my blog again (now once a month) alternating with Holly Gilson who is the Trust’s new Marketing Support Officer alongside her studies at University reading History. My summer was taken up with finalising poems I had been writing since last October with Rebecca Goss as my mentor. Hopefully I will have a good collection manuscript going forwards. I was also proof reading my new pamphlet, Once There Was Colour, which has just come out with Palewell Press. The last few weeks have been very taken up with planning launch events, seeking readings, social media posts, sending out invitations and press releases. It is easy to forget how much administration is involved in promoting a new book! The poet has to do most of it, though in my case, my publisher Palewell Press has been very good at sharing information on their website and also part-funding my launch.

The launch took place in London on 27 September at Marchmont Community Centre (a lovely venue near Russell Square) and I have an Ipswich launch on 17^th October. I also read for poetrywivenhoe and will be reading for The Causley Trust on 25^th October 1pm at Merchant House in Launceston. In November, I will read at the Two Sisters Arts Centre in Trimley, Felixstowe. An intriguing event that I have just agreed to take part in will be held at the House of Commons 20th November, run by TM Ahmed Kaysher as part of the Saudha International Festival. It is always lovely to get unexpected invitations! The theme of that event is ‘poetry to heal’.

With all this activity, I haven’t had time to do much new writing. The regular poetry group run by Tamar Yoseloff that I attend in Suffolk starts up again this month, so I must get myself into creative mode. I know there are a few ideas I have been storing in my mind to write about and I also have quite a few older poems that need to go through the rigour of peer reviewing.

It has been interesting getting feedback on my new pamphlet about the effect of the crisis in Sudan on my family. One review came out recently with London Grip (thank you Pat Edwards). Pat wrote: ‘The act of bearing witness is very evident in these poems, each a snapshot of reminiscence, sorrow, regret, sometimes even hope’.  At one reading, I was asked whether I might express anger when writing about the terrible situation in Sudan. Generally, I am a very calm person and do not express strong emotions in my life, so I guess this translates into my writing. I do express empathy. There is clearly a spectrum of engagement with one’s subject and I know I sit at the observer end. Other listeners liked the way I let readers make up their own mind. I don’t think I should change my style of writing, though I can see that sometime I could delve more deeply into what I feel. It was an interesting intervention.

If you would like to contact me to comment or follow up, please send me an email via the contact box on my website . You can also contact me to buy a signed copy my books

Once There Was Colour (Palewell Press, 2024), Sleeping Under Clouds (Clayhanger Press, 2023) and A City Waking Up (Dempsey and Windle, 2020).