Decorated my new notebook, ready to plant words in. Here’s hoping they grow into poems, to replace the ones that were stolen. 🌱🌸💜🤞

Devastated: a thief stole my bag with my laptop, 3 years of notebooks, all my MA work, wallet, house & car keys etc. I’ve lost 5 yrs of writing (not backed up, yes I know) despite CCTV police closed the case. I’m sure these went in a bin but in case, pls keep an eye out. 🙏

What a night at the 50th anniversary of the Cambridge Poetry Festival!

Creative genius middle son spent the day in London practising graffiti stencil art. It reads, ‘To the future, You’re Welcome, from us.’ Love seeing his tag signature out in the world. ❤️🙌

Looking forward to reading at tomorrow’s Wordsworth Grasmere open mic before the brilliant Erica Hesketh reads from her debut collection ‘In the Lily room’. #GoToThePoets wordsworth.org.uk/blog/events/...

It’s safe to say we smashed it at last night’s CB1 poetry reading! A phenomenal evening sharing poems workshopped in our Cambridge Seminar group with Stav Poleg. Absolutely loved reading alongside my fabulous friends. 🙌👏😘

Delighted to be a Spotlighted Poet this Sunday at CB1 poetry alongside my fabulous Cambridge feedback group. Come along to watch or sign up for the open mic!

Brilliant evening at the Magma competition Reading last night. Popped to the poetry library to read Grassroots issue first, filled with stunning poems, like this one by Lianne O Hara. 💔

Hilarious evening catching up with the fabulous Laurie Bolger & Harry Baker. Haven’t laughed that much since I last saw Harry. These two ought to be available on prescription. Like a comedy-poetry pill. My HRT does a great job, but an evening with Harry & Laurie fills your poetry soul. ❤️😘🙌

Wonderful to meet @pascalepetit.bsky.social this week at Cam Lit Fest. I’m still processing the brilliant discussion that followed a phenomenal set of readings from Pascale and Gwyneth. 👌🙌👏👏👏❤️

Made it into the garden for the sunny Spring equinox. Began this mesmerising book by @pascalepetit.bsky.social read every snatched second this afternoon, carried it in my hand -my thumb as bookmark- during the school run. Literally couldn’t put it down. Absolutely stunning. #BrokenLegBookClub

Projected Government cuts, particularly to PIP. One thing not even seen mentioned by them: it will drive up the number of unpaid carers, remove people from the workforce and place strain on resources because long-term unpaid care is intersectional with poor health and with poverty. And on PIP -

So close to my aim of raising £1000 in tribute to my wonderful brother-in-law Martin for his chosen charity @pancreaticcanuk.bsky.social Please donate in his memory if you can. Thank you. www.justgiving.com/page/martin-...

Wow, what an evening! CB1 Poetry with the inspirational @carrieetter.bsky.social ❤️ Such a moving performance thanks Carrie! My first time reading at an Open Mic in my home town. Loved it.❤️

Really looking forward to hearing the wonderful @ruthpadel.bsky.social read from her brilliant collection ‘Girl’ this evening. Us open miccers will be reading poems of girlhood too. #GoToThePoets ❤️ Book tickets here: www.trybooking.com/uk/events/la...

We laid him to rest next to Dad, in a grove of Birch trees. The drizzle stopped as the final poem was read and the sun came out. Yesterday I returned to larks singing a hymn above him. Goodbye Martin.❤️

One day at a time. 💔 #grief

Proud to say my pamphlet has been longlisted for the Disabled Poets Prize 2025.

Heartbroken that my wonderful brother-in-law Martin died yesterday after a 3yr battle with pancreatic cancer. We are all devastated by his loss. He was the kindest soul I knew. He was surrounded by love in his final hours.💔

For @afterpoetry.com's final #ekphrastic poem of 2024, here's @annashelton.bsky.social's 'Motherhood'. ' ... he never knew the pains she rode through as she birthed him, how she oohed and aahed and ouched inside the room where hell became a hospital ... ' afterpoetry.com/poem/dec-30-...

A smart poem that deals deftly but honestly with a traumatic personal experience.

Delighted to round off the year with my poem ‘Motherhood’ published on @afterpoetry.com tonight! Inspired by Jon Stone’s ‘Mustard’ - a variation on Terrance Hayes’ ‘A Gram Of &s’, I explore motherhood after birth trauma. #PoetsOfBlueSky www.afterpoetry.com/poem/dec-30-...

You can read my poem at 9pm tonight! A wonderful way to end a brilliant year of poetry! @afterpoetry.com #BlueSkyPoets

Read @shotscarecrow.bsky.social's 'Not Receiving Visitors' here – and look out for @annashelton.bsky.social's 'Motherhood' from 9pm (GMT) on December 30th. afterpoetry.com/poem/oct-17-2024-jon-stone

What a wonderful Christmas gift to open this email today. 🎄❤️👏#GivePeatAChance Support the book of bogs here www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/give-peat-...

‘Shame must change sides.’ Gisèle’s husband only got 20 yrs, for over a decade of the most horrific sexual abuse. Most of her attackers also got less than the prosecution requested. Is it any wonder most women don’t report? #shamemustchangesides Beautiful embroidery care of Victoria Villanova ❤️

Only 14 days to go! I’m so excited! Get your ticket here! #BlueSkyPoets www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/january-wr...

A powerful piece about grief and the process of a parent dying by Rebecca Tiger in @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social CW: death, dying

Write a poem inspired by nature at its rawest—untamed and unfiltered. Share it with us by tagging @alanparry83.bsky.social and using #PoemsAbout #WildWind #PoetrySky #PoetryCommunity. We’ll provide personalised feedback! 📝

Can’t wait to read at tonight’s Open Mic before Hannah Lowe’s reading - online for Wordsworth Grasmere. #BlueskyPoets #GoToThePoets

Loved hearing the talented @jennymitchellgo.bsky.social reading poems this evening for Fire River poets. ‘Black Men Carry Flowers’ is replaying in my head, ‘their words fall out as petals’🌺 gorgeous! May more of your poems flourish Jenny! ❤️

Excited to read at Fire River Poets tonight before the talented Jenny Mitchell! @jennymitchellgo.bsky.social sign up to watch here fireriverpoets.org.uk/register-for...

Want to know why #16DaysOfActivismAgainstGenderBasedViolence is so important? Today’s talk was zoom-bombed (targeted sexual harassment) during a discussion of gender inequality in marginalised spaces. Some men just can’t stand women discussing our lived experience. Team Bear all the way.

And last, but not least, our third book this year is #KeepTellingOfGaza, a book of call-and-response poems about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, written by @khawlabadwan.bsky.social & @alisonphipps.bsky.social edited by @missyerem.bsky.social .The breathtaking artwork was gifted to us

using the proceeds to donate eSIMs to Gaza and to support campaigns in Gaza. Special shout out to our wonderful contributor @annashelton.bsky.social who got the book into the National Poetry Library!🥳🥰 sidhe-press.eu/books/to-lig...

Our books 2024, a🧵: we started off with `To Light The Trails – Poems By Women In A Violent World" My fabulous co-editors were Mo Schoenfeld @suefinch.bsky.social Giovanna MacKenna @sarahsouthwest.bsky.social Róisín Ní Neachtain. In the first few months, all proceeds from this book went to UNRWA,

Took my current #BrokenLegBookClub read into the garden ❄️ Beautiful book by @wendypratt.bsky.social 🙌 Wonderful to hear Wendy read some of her new poetry yesterday. #theghostlake

Wonderful to hear the brilliant Grace Reid perform at the Winter Fire reading yesterday.👏❤️💋 Thanks to host @miriamo77.bsky.social #BrokenDuckPoets #BlueskyPoets

SUBMISSIONS CALL: We are open for submissions of poetry pamphlets (up to 40 pages). Email: Include a short biography, brief synopsis, & poetic influences. Subject Line: Poetry pamphlet Submission - [Name], [Title] Full details & guidelines: brokensleepbooks.com/submissions

Today’s Broken Leg Book club read: the stunning White Cloud Over Purple by @jpseabright.bsky.social I love how this poem Cold Dark Matter explodes sentences like splinters across the page. ❤️ #16daysofactivismagainstgenderbasedviolence

Not gonna lie: if you get Memed as a Poet that is some S-Tier love RIGHT THERE. For those of you who don't speak Internet? GO SIGN UP AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE :D

38 days until Poetry Heaven! 🙌 What are you waiting for? Get your ticket here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/january-wr... #JanuaryWritingHours

Today’s Broken Leg Book Club read: Susie Wilson’s brilliant pamphlet - well deserved winner of the Disabled Poets Prize. ❤️🙌 @concordmoose.bsky.social #BlueSkyPoets

Mourning moon. Time to write of light in the darkness. 🌕 #moon

Today’s read. Poems of witness & heartbreak by @alisonphipps.bsky.social @sidhepress.bsky.social 💔🙌🍁 #Gaza

My attempts to edit a poem this week are like the Hokey Cokey. Put something in, take something out, in out in out shake it all about… 🤦‍♀️😂 #editing

Please give me examples of compliments/rejections you received about your writing that really weren’t. All ‘we loved your poem but…’ examples gratefully received. It’s for a thing…

Incredible Fire River Poets evening! Poetry came full circle: I started with a poem about removing men’s names from the landscape of my body, Joelle ended with ‘the topography of body/a woman’s body is always a man’s business’🙌 Lucky to hear Joelle read exceptional new poems. I’m still buzzing!

Wish me luck🤞- I’m on 1st tonight at FireRiverPoets before the poetry powerhouse that is Joelle Taylor🙌7.30! Register here fireriverpoets.org.uk/register-for...

This is your reminder that writing is a political action.