April by Mary Oliver

Cynthia Cruz ⸻ from the iowa anthology of new american poetries (2004)

One of my faves from Shakespeare Okuni’s (@i-shakespeare.bsky.social) brilliant A Twist of Rotten Silk, which I’m really enjoying today.

Join me and Rachel Long for a week of ‘love and terror’, a week long online course for The Writing School, May 11th-15th. JOIN US (she said in terrifying yet lovely voice) thewritingschool.co.uk/love-and-ter...

The last lines of this wreck me in the best of ways. From Kim Addonizio's book, Tell Me: bit.ly/tellmeBK #poetry #books #writing

Ada Limón

Really, really happy to have a new poem in one of the first literary journals I ever read as a teen trying to find poems in the world. Here’s “After A Few Beers, My Uncle Asks Me How” in The Southern Review.

If you fancy ‘thawing creative blocks’ in the new year and writing a flurry of new poems, I’ll be tutoring this residential with the wonderful Romalyn Ante (plus guest speaker Kostya Tsolakis!) from 26th-31st Jan. Join us! ❄️⁦‪⁦‪⁦‪⁦‪ @romalynante3.bsky.social @kostyatsolakis.bsky.social ‬⁩

Always this poem at this time of year. One of Michael Donaghy's startlers.

My favourite new year James Tate poem: The Immortals None of us have felt good this year: pus around the eyes, sores that come and go with no explanation. But we still believe we will come through it! I signal this news by lifting a little finger.

In the company of other poets, @carolinebirduk.bsky.social explored the silences when it feels like poetry has abandoned you in our BBC Radio 3 documentary ‘When the Words Leave’, produced by Eleanor McDowall m.soundcloud.com/fallingtreep...

If you fancy ‘thawing creative blocks’ in the new year and writing a flurry of new poems, I’ll be tutoring this residential with the wonderful Romalyn Ante (plus guest speaker Kostya Tsolakis!) from 26th-31st Jan. Join us! ❄️⁦‪⁦‪⁦‪⁦‪ @romalynante3.bsky.social @kostyatsolakis.bsky.social ‬⁩

Tomorrow!

So chuffed to hear Maxine Peake is nominated for ‘Best Performer’ by @whatsonstage.bsky.social awards - for the title role in my play “The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse.” It really was a phenomenal performance. @nottmplayhouse.bsky.social

The Poetry Detective with Vanessa Kisuule is back 4pm today @BBCRadio4 looking for poems that can help us think through the things we wrestle with. Today: Doomscrolling. With help from @carolinebirduk.bsky.social among others. Producer Ellie Richold www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

🕰️ With the year coming to an end, we asked a selection of our contributors to give us their favourite poetry books and pamphlets of 2025. Next is Jane Clarke's pick: Something New: Alternative Poems for Alternative Weddings, edited by Caroline Bird & Rachel Long (Picador). Thank you Jane!

One Source of Bad Information, by Robert Bly (quoted in Wild Things: A Geography of Grief by Barbara Wansbrough)

There is hope. / There is hope everywhere. Anne Sexton

Tomorrow! I’ll be performing at Soho Poly alongside the poetry-forces-of-nature that are Joelle Taylor and Will Harris. Tickets here: sohopoly.co.uk/events/soho-po…. Hosted and curated by the brilliant Hannah Copley @hannahcopley.bsky.social

The Only Yak in Batesville, Virginia … Stephen Sexton shared this Oni Buchanan poem on a recent arvon course we taught together about obsessions… and now I am obsessed with this poem. The tragedy of a yak falling in love with a horse…

If you haven’t booked this yet, do JOIN ME on Dec 16th for our Christmas tradition of writing a frankly ridiculous amount of new poems… 🎄

‘All through Tuesday the air smelled like one big orange slice’ - Hannah Copley @hannahcopley.bsky.social

One week to go until Soho Poly Poetry & this ⭐️superstar⭐️ lineup 👀 Get your 🎟️ to see the brilliant @carolinebirduk.bsky.social , Joelle Taylor & Will Harris next Thursday @thesohopoly.bsky.social (and if you need a free student ticket get in touch!) tinyurl.com/sohopolypoet...

January - Grief with @no1emily.bsky.social & @pascalepetit.bsky.social February - Parents with @carolinebirduk.bsky.social & Jack Underwood March: Eros with @kimaddonizio.bsky.social & Oluwaseun Olayiwola April: Resistance with Joelle Taylor & @aanaxagorou.bsky.social

...listen to @carolinebirduk.bsky.social's documentary through BBC Sounds (or in the Falling Tree archive) www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

"Being poets, they were able to explain what creativity and creative silence feel like in ways that lingered on the ears, not least because many of their metaphors and similes sprang from the radio..." When the Words Leave is reviewed in today's Spectator www.spectator.co.uk/article/was-...

In the company of other poets, @carolinebirduk.bsky.social explores the silences when it feels like words have left you. Listen to When the Words Leave on BBC Sounds www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m... @oliverinthenorth.bsky.social @hannahcopley.bsky.social Music - Phil Smith Prod - Eleanor McDowall

Was a pleasure to talk to Caroline Bird about how it feels when the words leave.

Tonight at 7.15 on Radio 3. Writer’s block, dry spell, fallow period, worrisome silence, that terrifying, lonely time when you *cannot* write a poem. I speak to Liz Berry, Oliver Carmichael, Hannah Copley, Marie Howe, Vanessa Kisuule and Jack Underwood! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Friends, I'm grateful to have a poem from my forthcoming book, IF YOU LOVE THAT LADY, in this week's New Yorker. 🤍

Happy launch day to @antoshwojcik.bsky.social Here’s one of my favourite poems from his new collection ‘Suburban Locust’

A new poem in the new issue of Agni @agnimagazine.bsky.social 🫨

Congratulations to Vidyan Ravinthiran, who has jointly won (with Karen Solie) the Forward Prize for Best Collection with Avidyā (Bloodaxe). Its brilliant final poem, "as a child", describes how an early speech impediment led him to be "a scrutineer of sound" with a love of "the avid void of English"

‘This poem is me at my beast’ Huge congratulations to all the winners and shortlistees (is that a word?) for the @forwardprizes.bsky.social. The readings last night were a triumph. I love this poem from Isabelle Baafi’s ‘Chaotic Good’ (winner of best first collection)…

Are you free on the evening of December 16th? 🎄 Join me for this masterclass all about finding multiple (infinite?) ways in to the same subject matter. We’ll write a ridiculous amount of poems in 2 hours…with brand new exercises ⁦‪‬⁩ www.arvon.org/writing-cour...

Final night of “The Last Stand of Mary Whitehouse” by @carolinebirduk.bsky.social . I doubt there’s any tickets left but it’s a fantastic play. Maxine Peake and Samuel Barnett are superb. Let’s hope there will be another run.

'Incredibly powerful' ★★★★★ WhatsOnStage 'Witty and timely' ★★★★ Guardian The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse by NHB author Caroline Bird is now on @nottmplayhouse.bsky.social. Get your playscript copy at the venue or online: www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/the-last-sta...

If there are ANY tickets left for this, I advise you to snap em up. Standing ovation on the first night. It’s feckin brilliant. Caroline Bird’s THE LAST STAND OF MRS MARY WHITEHOUSE nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/the-l... Starring Maxine Peake and Samuel Barnett. Mind blowing.

👓 Take a first look at The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse, with our fabulous production photos. 💐 Sending love and best wishes to our wonderful cast, creatives and crew for press night tonight. 📷 Helen Murray Writer @Carolinebirduk.bsky.social

‘The one thing it doesn’t have is actual sex’: the new Mary Whitehouse play that would have infuriated Mary Whitehouse

Straight from rehearsals, brand-new photos of world premiere The Last Stand of Mrs. Mary Whitehouse. Starring Maxine Peake & Samuel Barnett, @carolinebirduk.bsky.social’s wickedly funny new play about a highly controversial figure. bit.ly/NPMaryWhiteh... 📆 Fri 5 – Sat 27 Sep 📷 @helenmurraypix

Samuel Barnett to join Maxine Peake in The Last Stand of Mrs Mary Whitehouse Read more: www.westendtheatre.com/297883/news/... #MaxinePeake to star as Mary Whitehouse, with #SamuelBarnett playing 15 other roles By Caroline Bird, directed by Sarah Frankcom #NottinghamPlayhouse from 5 – 27 Sept

Final 20 tickets for our 11 June @queer-poetry-co.bsky.social evening with @carolinebirduk.bsky.social Richard Scott, Sophie Robinson and Roberto Salvador Cenciarelli x It’s going to be an amazing night that I personally can’t wait for ❤️ www.outsavvy.com/event/27015/...

Beyond hyped for this one, the first in our summer event series! Join us for an incredible pride poetry night with @carolinebirduk.bsky.social, Richard Scott, Sophie Robinson and Roberto Salvador Cenciarelli ❤️ www.outsavvy.com/event/27015/...

So, I’ve written a new play about Mary Whitehouse, The Gay News Blasphemy Trial and homophobia in the 70s and 80s. Also, Maxine Peake is in it… 🤯

Relating to this quote at the moment… ‘I write so slowly, I could write with my own blood and not hurt myself.’ - Fran Lebowitz

‘They eat their oats in their sleep’ I love this prose poem by Rita Dove

‘Your father’s father’s father poisoned a beautiful horse’ - Dane Holt