A very happy birthday to my dad, who turns 97 today!

Reading this delightful book by @fugitiveink.bsky.social on Kindle in Brazil and instantly transported to Norfolk. 🌘🪾🦉⚓️🪦🕯️🌬️ (also astonished to find out Jack O' Lantern's Toby and I share a mother)

As well as today being Larkin's birthday, this year it's 70 years since the publication of his first mature volume, 'The Less Deceived'. The poems in it were mostly written during his five relatively happy years in Belfast, and the volume would be published in 1955, the year he moved to Hull. 1/2

Creamed Meat Quickie, anyone?

Sixteen Famous British Plays 🤔

Delighted to have this latest from @greeningpoet.bsky.social and @renardpress.com. Contents are even more intriguing than this brilliant cover design!

Point Loma peninsula

San Diego

Some time in the past century, I lived on the second floor. (My name was not Luca.)

Immaculata Church, San Diego

Last bit of #bookpost for the weekend, and it’s a real pleasure to see this glorious hybrid book navigating poetry with @greeningpoet.bsky.social in print. ✈️ (Signed copies available in limited supply.) renardpress.com/books/a-high...

Catastrophic flooding hit Kerrville overnight. Fourth of July revelers and campers are feared lost in the floodwaters.

Blanco, Texas. Water buffalo gelato 😲😋. Ciaio, y’all.

Our Rings of Saturn film has been in production for about a year but has now finally arrived. Beautifully narrated by @simoninsuffolk.bsky.social and scored by @dukether.bsky.social 👇 youtu.be/hELnfok0BzI?...

Anthony Thwaite #BTD in 1930. www.baylorpress.com/978148132183...

You've heard of the Bard of Salford: well, Ron is the Bard of Norwich. Only £10 inc UK P&P. 👇 waterlandbooks.co.uk/shop/

Incredible piece. Required reading.

Pierre Nora obituary in the New York Times (gift link): www.nytimes.com/2025/06/03/b...

Police, Bandits, Marine Society and Coffee Houses - exploring plaques in the City of London at alondoninheritance.com/london-histo...

New from Baylor UP: selected poems by Fanthrope (ed. @greeningpoet.bsky.social) and by Thwaite (ed. by me). Discount code in @thetls.bsky.social ad.

Alexander Pope died #OTD in 1744. Heroes and Kings! your distance keep: In peace let one poor Poet sleep; Who never flatter’d folks like you: Let Horace blush, and Virgil too.

New Orleans, part deux

New Orleans

Alexander Pope was born #OTD in 1688 (OS). No poet has ever surpassed his ability to craft a line. To Lord Byron, Pope was ‘the most faultless of poets’. Eliot: ‘Unless we are able to enjoy the work of Pope, we cannot arrive at a full understanding of English poetry.’

At 951 ft, Castle Crag is the lowest Wainwright. But what it lacks in stature, it makes up for with stunning views over Derwent Water and the Skiddaw range beyond. If you love the Lakes, you might well love our Lakeland poetry anthology which is available from @samreadbookseller.bsky.social

This is the fab Bookends of Keswick who now have signed copies of 'Trailing Clouds of Glory'. In fact, a lady bought a copy while I was there signing them. Fame at last.🙂 And they play Nick Drake while you browse. @kg520.bsky.social @bookendscarlisle.bsky.social

Breaking news: ChatGPT confesses to lying.

Without a doubt, the greatest novel by any living English author (or by any contemporary novelist writing in English, living or dead). I defy all claimants to this throne.

Rustic sphinx

My latest for @theguardian.com, a round up of poetry collections coming in May; some fine work here: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

Waterland Books: waterlandbooks.co.uk

Texas in May means storms of biblical proportions. Here, the four horsemen of the apocalypse are lightning, hail, torrents, and tornados.

If you're in Keswick or Carlisle why not pick up a copy of our fab Lake District poetry anthology: www.bookscumbria.com/product/cumb... @kg520.bsky.social

St Mary the Virgin, Twickenham. Has been on my bucket list for more than twenty years.

An encore. Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair. Plain Georgian exterior does not hint at the Comper surprises inside.

Have just arrived in London and am hoping to shed the jet lag with a brisk walk around the City. Aiming to see as many churches as possible. How many can I get to today? A thread of images to follow.

Just finished the excellent CHURCH GOING by Andrew Ziminski @old-church-going.bsky.social. Structured as a complete church tour from lychgate to crypt, with insights only a seasoned conservator could give. Many splendid passages capturing both the beautiful and the numinous. A fantastic book.

A celebration of the life and poetry of Anthony Thwaite, with readings from my new edition. Free entry! Open image for details.

A free event on Friday pm at St James's, Sussex Gardens) commemorating Anthony Thwaite. Many distinguished poets contributing: hosted by @kg520.bsky.social who's edited a new selection of his poetry for Baylor UP www.southbankcentre.co.uk/venues/natio... www.baylorpress.com/978148132183...

Paul Fussell. BAD poetry.

A celebration of the life and poetry of Anthony Thwaite, with readings from my new edition. Free entry! Open image for details.

Coming soon from Waterland Books. Reticent Ron Nevett.

[This is the second of two threads on Benjamin Britten's adaptation of the Dunciad.] Did Edith Sitwell encourage Britten? Perhaps she gave the idea to Peter Pears in the first place! In any case, in his notes Britten contemplates how to give physical form to Pope’s nebulous goddess Dulness ...

Did you know? Alexander Pope’s mock-epic poem The Dunciad was almost developed into an opera by Benjamin Britten. What follows is the fascinating story of a failure by one of our greatest musical geniuses. [This the first of two threads.] 🧵

An old man on the Old Man of Coniston. Trailing Clouds of Glory is available from Waterland Books or from @samreadbookseller.bsky.social cc @kg520.bsky.social

This week, I stick my neck out to say I think Adolescence was quite good. www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle-co...

Post a warning

Great reviews here of @ravoon.bsky.social 's and @camself.bsky.social among others including Ron Nevett, compared with Sebald which is an insult to Ron, in my view. wildcourt.co.uk/from-the-shi...