We're down to our LAST FOUR tickets for Henry Normal at #Louder2025! Join him with @ralphdartford.bsky.social Saturday 15th November, 4.15pm, Manchester All tickets and info here: tinyurl.com/4u43jzyf We canNOT wait! x

20 years. www.facebook.com/share/r/1BFF...

I’d like you to buy my book… I know this is shameless promotion. If you like it, I’ll send you a free filmed poem! X amzn.eu/d/aoGdd3D

This Thursday in London. I’ll bring books! X www.eventbrite.com/e/forest-poe...

This is your final warning!

Hebden Bridge last Thursday. Poem from the collection my first collection, ‘Recovery Songs’. Still available from most high street bookstores or signed from me directly. X

In our little garden this morning.

Super article from @mattabbottpoet.com here on how to negotiate as a freelancer in the arts. Especially literature, but it’s transferable to all art forms. Stand firm and get the minimum of what you deserve at the very least. This is a great Substack for poets. Honest, insightful and generous.

Still very proud of this film. Have any of you seen it? youtu.be/OvBtJ5DTRrM

Simpler times.

I really enjoyed writing this blog piece about working in prisons with the wonderful John Killick for my publisher, Valley Press. open.substack.com/pub/valleypr...

Poem.

Yorkshire Times Poem of the Week: 'Brass' by Ralph Dartford @ralphdartford.bsky.social www.yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/Poem...

Pleased to be ‘’Poem of the Week’ in today’s Yorkshire Times. Thank you Steve Whittaker for such considered analysis. If you’d like a signed copy of ‘House Anthems’, please contact me. I’d love you to own a copy. mail.yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/Poem...

Edward Thomas, Adlestrop and me! northerngravy.com/the-poem-and...

The ‘House Anthems’ paperback have arrived. They look quite beautiful. We’ve also had some lovely postcards made up as bookmarks. If you’d like a signed copy, please DM me. I’d be thrilled to send one to you. XX

This very interesting poem from Ralph is our Social Media pick of the day. Please share where you can ... www.abctales.com/.../alfredos.... Check out Donaghy's poem which inspired it, too.

Delighted to announce! After the incredible success of the hardback of my 3rd collection, ‘House Anthems’, the paperback is to be released on June 6th. June 6th is relevant. It is the birthday of my late beloved brother Joseph, whom the book is really about. DM if you are interested in a copy x

Apathetic political poem..

Sunday poem. From Basildon to Bradford. www.instagram.com/reel/DJB-0ih...

As it’s Sunday and it’s Spring, we thought you you’d like to see and hear this from our poetry editor Ralph Dartford. Taken from the book and album ‘House Anthems’ and in cahoots with musician, Gary Clark. youtu.be/GxmJwnT4HtA

There’s only 1 left now, I just bought mine😁

There is! Thank you so much x

The poetry scene encapsulated brilliantly by Meg Cox.

Only 2 of these left on Amazon. I think my publisher will need to put some more on there (I don’t know how it works). It’s now in Amazon’s top 500 poetry books). My second collection and very proud of it. Beautiful cover by artist Pete McKee. amzn.eu/d/hroQ2jH

Enclosed poem.

Very sad about the great Alex Wheatle. A kind and generous human. Here he is talking to us at the National Literacy Trust. wordsforlife.org.uk/zone-in/acti...

It's not Ralph's birthday anymore, but you should still have a listen..

Well that’s cheered me up.

The Northern Gravy Poetry Anthology. "This anthology is born in flickering light, playing among shadows and dancing with ghosts. Death whispers, birth sings- a dreamscape of endings and beginnings: Luminous, ephemeral, infinite.” - Toria Garbutt northerngravy.com/product/poetry…

I’m this month’s guest on the very special @plsoc.bsky.social podcast. And what fun it is! I’d love you to listen. Today is my birthday too so you are duty bound to listen! podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Tomorrow is all about our great Bradford playwright, Andrea Dunbar. Bradford 2025 are staging a celebration of her work at St George’s Hall in the evening. Here’s a short poem film about Andrea taken from the album ‘House Anthems’ by myself and Gary Clark. youtu.be/1A544n8Yy-U

‘House Anthems’. An album of words and music by Ralph Dartford and Gary Clark. As heard on @bbc6music.bsky.social open.spotify.com/album/7l8RCN...

Need an early night x

I hope you enjoy this little film we made with the students from ‘Southend University Centre’. It’s called ‘Mark Hollis’ and it’s from the album ‘House Anthems’ I made with the wonderful Gary Clark.Thank you to the excellent Jenny Carrington for making it all happen! m.youtube.com/watch?v=GxmJ...

Great afternoon talking all things Larkin and much more with the fantastic @ralphdartford.bsky.social for March's podcast episode.

Old film poem that supported my first collection, ‘Recovery Songs’. The collection is available at all good bookshops and of course, Amazon. Trigger warning: The poem has themes of abuse. X youtu.be/zUX37nE3YwU

I hope you enjoy this little film we made with the students from ‘Southend University Centre’. It’s called ‘Mark Hollis’ and it’s from the album ‘House Anthems’ I made with the wonderful Gary Clark.Thank you to the excellent Jenny Carrington for making it all happen! m.youtube.com/watch?v=GxmJ...

Love you to follow the ‘House Anthems’ project on Instagram. Details here. www.instagram.com/house_anthem...

If anyone had told me in 2019 that I would have had 3 collections of poetry published within 6 years, and that they all would be on sale in Waterstones, Blackwells, Foyles and great independent bookshops, well, I would say that you have been eating too much cheese before bedtime. Thank you all xx.

Love this collection by Maria Ferguson. Full of rage and love. Exquisitely restrained and crafted. @mlferg.bsky.social

Blimey! Only 1 of of the limited edition hardback left on Amazon. The paperback is out in a couple of weeks or so, apparently. amzn.eu/d/1xtYS69

Thank you! X

Been sent a batch of these. My first 2 collections for Valley Press. Still very proud of them both. If you want to buy a copy of either (or both), let me know. I’ll sign them of course x

From my second collection, ‘Hidden Music’. Thought of it after I saw ‘A Complete Unknown’ last night.

A live version of ‘Mark Hollis’. Original version can be heard on the album ‘House Anthems’ by myself and Gary Clark which is available on Spotify etc. It you are not familiar on who Mark Hollis was. Please Google him. Enjoy! X youtu.be/GxmJwnT4HtA

Breaking news! Astonishingly, my publisher has managed to locate 10 copies of the beautiful limited edition hardback of ‘Hidden Music’. I nabbed them off him. If you want a signed copy, let me know. They are £22.50 all in. Once they are gone, that’s it. The paperback is out soon though.

A new episode of the Northern Gravy Podcast is out now! Fiction editor, Nick Jones gets a grilling from Ralph Dartford on his desert island picks. You can listen wherever podcasts are available, or right here on our Substack: northerngravy.substack.com/p/desert-islan…

Poem.

Fun… www.facebook.com/share/r/1D1q...