My editorial for The Madrid Review...

Over 800 poems later, here I am, still in one piece after having read all of them. No sifting here! And no, the process wasn’t an ordeal. Instead, it was enlightening in terms of understanding my own subjective tastes.

As a reader and editor, I’m not wanting to be surprised, a desire I’ve heard several other poetry editors mention over the last few months. In fact, this feels like a worrying trend, driven by their understandable saturation. The consequent problem is that understated, restrained or layered poems are often penalised in the submissions process, and they tend to be among the most interesting ones.

Enough of what I don’t want though. What did make me select the poems that are included in this issue? Well, I’ve been drawn to a sense of line and its inherent tensions, to a concise, precise and fresh use of language (without the need for fireworks unless they play an intrinsic role in the poem’s purpose), to a naturally heightened cadence, to a delving into the universal via the specific, to an emotional awareness of the reader’s role. Not much to ask, I hear you say!

This means that self-expression on the part of the poet wasn’t enough when I was considering submissions. Instead, I believe the poems I’ve chosen are reaching out to us and are always aware of our presence. They invite us into their worlds, before encouraging us to revisit our own worlds in light of theirs. These poems moved me and changed me, which was a privilege. I’m delighted and proud to share them with you today.

Back on The Friday Poem

Some nasty people hacked The Friday Poem's website in April, but they're rebuilding via Substack and have now posted one of my poems for a second time (see here).

This one didn't quite make the cut for my last book. However, several people have said nice things about it on the back of the new reposting of it, which makes me think it might be worth a tweak or two with a view to inclusion in my third collection ms. Time will tell...!

On the cover of The Madrid Review...

I'm the Guest Poetry Editor for Issue 9 of The Madrid Review, and they've very kindly put my name on the cover too...!

Communication

I have the distinct impression that written-page poets and print-based publishers are currently suffering from a growing struggle to reach their readers and customers, having gradually shifted their means of communication from snail mail to email newsletters and then to social media over the past twenty years.

Insta has always been more focused on spoken word, so the poets and publishers in question tended to concentrate their efforts on Facebook and Twitter. The former is now weighed down by ads and reels, meaning that it’s hard for posts to gain traction. Meanwhile, the average age of its users is rising.

And as for the latter, Twitter became the social media of choice for umpteen publishers and poets. Many had huge follower counts, got numerous shares and likes on their posts, and managed to drive much of their online promotional, marketing and sales activity through it. However, Twitter’s change in ownership, name and algorithms has ripped all that asunder. Many people and organisations have given up on X or limited their use of it, while the reach of posts has dropped through the floor.

In this context, a lot of outfits and individuals in the poetry world saw Bluesky as a natural alternative and rushed to open up new accounts there. A few months later, the majority of those accounts have been abandoned. I’d argue that this is because barely anybody stopped to consider that Bluesky works differently from X/Twitter, and your posts will wither and die if you attempt to follow similar communications strategies on both platforms.

Nevertheless, whatever the arguments in favour or against Bluesky might be, the fact remains that the core of U.K. written-page poets and print-based publishers are scarcely using it. But what’s their alternative plan? How do they intend to maintain contact with their readers and customers over the coming years? Given the atomisation of social media platforms, many new titles, launches, reviews, sample poems, etc, seem to be disappearing into the void. As a poetry lover, I find this situation deeply concerning. How can we communicate better?

Readings in 2027...?

I'm currently scheduling readings for 2027 and would be delighted to hear from any lit/book fests in the U.K. that might be able to offer me a slot (see my contact details in my blogger profile).

I've a decent track record, having read to full houses at fests such as StAnza and Poetry in Aldeburgh, and I don't require travel expenses from Spain. Oh, and I promise not to scare off audiences who think poetry's not for them!

Guest Poetry Editor for The Madrid Review

I'm the Guest Poetry Editor for the October issue of The Madrid Review. Subs are open from now till 28/8, and I'd be delighted to read your poems (see the guidelines here).

A poem in Ecoshock...

I have a poem forthcoming in Ecoshock, an anthology of ecopoetry that's due to be published at the end of July by The Aftershock Review. The list of contributors is pretty impressive...