I had a smashing time this morning chatting about #dialect & sharing some of the poems, monologues & songs from my brand new book. The invitation came from Sandwell Visually Impaired & it was a pleasure to entertain them in their West Bromwich base & share their love of the #BlackCountry.

All set up at Dudley Library Authors’ Market. I’m upstairs (there’s a lift). Do come and find me! We’re here till 3pm. This photo shows a hint of my brand new book WUM MED, WUM GROWED…

Happy #ShakespeareDay with apologies to the Bard wastiesspace.co.uk/2024/04/23/t... #sonnet #Shakespeare

The quietest announcement ever that copies of my tenth collection have arrived and will be on sale at Saturday’s Authors’ Market. (Woohoo!) Come and get a pre-launch copy! WUM MED, WUM GROWED is a celebration of the Black Country & its dialect. Here’s a sample of the 18 authors who will be there.

Thanks editors at @atriumpoetry.bsky.social for publishing this poem about my youthful misdemeanour by bicycle!

Apologies to anyone who has tried to order my books from Lapal Publications recently - there was a glitch with the payment link which has now been sorted. If you’re local to Dudley you can get copies direct from me at Saturday’s Authors’ Market. Here’s a taster of who will be there!

Come and browse books by lots of excellent authors at this Authors’ Market - Dudley Library, Saturday 25th April 11am to 3pm. I’ll be there!

This week’s poetry reading… The National Poetry Competition Winners’ Anthology 2025 ‘You Are Here’ by @heatherwastie.bsky.social ‘the elimination game’ by Mary Mulholland

‘Occasionally a picture can change the course of history’: 33 scandalous photos that shocked the world

Poetry mentoring with me? There are some April and May dates available! #writingcommunity #poetry Please share this about . . . @writerscentre.bsky.social nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/events/mento...

I noticed last night that all of the poems I have chosen for tonight’s reading were written in Spring.

Tonight at The Hive, Worcester 7.15pm laureates galore including me raising funds for charity

It’s 6 years since the first lockdown in 2020 and it will soon be one year since my diary of lockdown in poems and images was published. Today I shared a poem from the book to mark that anniversary. It’s all about #hugging.

On the sixth anniversary of the first Covid lockdown, here's a poem from my book You Are Here and a review by Sarah James wastiesspace.co.uk/2026/03/23/y...

My heart? Achy breaky.

‘In contrast to clock time, lived time expands the more we focus on it, becoming richer rather than narrowing or contracting.’ #time

💧 It's World Water Day 2026! World Water Day celebrates water and inspires action to protect this precious resource. The waterways of Britain give us so many reasons to celebrate water and IWA is protecting, restoring and championing, these vital networks #worldwaterday #worldwaterday2026 #ukcanal

Thursday evening at The Hive #Worcester 7.15 start - a panoply of #poets laureate.

It's #WorldPoetryDay so I decided to share this new poem which I came across in my notebook today. wastiesspace.co.uk/2026/03/21/h...

In 2025, Gautier Capuçon slipped on his skis, strapped a cello to his back & travelled to a snow-covered ridge on Mont Blanc in the French Alps with a film crew to capture his performance of Max Richter’s Sequence for Gaïa, & a close-up of the receding Mer de Glace glacier. youtu.be/8kCkwrtmwYI

Thursday 26th March, 7.15pm The Studio at The Hive, Worcester WR1 3PD Worcestershire LitFest fundraiser for St Richard’s Hospice. Former Worcestershire Poets Laureate: Maggie Doyle Heather Wastie Suz Winspear Nina Lewis Freddie Barker Current WPL Paul Robert and Headliner Matt Black

I joined a standing ovation for ‘Dear England’ at Birmingham Hippodrome last night. Phenomenal show. Catch it if you can! youtu.be/02xl00TqZB4?...

Spring is coming and soon there will be orange tips! From my book Butterfly Safari “Incredible photos, a beautiful book” The Guardian @omsystem.bsky.social @royalent.bsky.social @graffegbooks.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A few former Worcestershire Poets Laureate, myself included, are getting together for this performance in Worcester in aid of St Richard’s Hospice. #fundraiser #poetry #poetlaureate #Worcestershire #Worcester

Wing transplant Not every amputated thing grows back whole, not bone, not tree limb not the torn wing of an endangered butterfly. This is the story children tell in the tents, around candlelight after the bombardments cut their world.

Our online shop is THE best place to pick up any one of more than 50 titles we have in stock. Treat yourselves to some great writing about our region! www.blackcountrysociety.com/shop

Miserable Weather - a poem. Please click the link to listen. Hope it raises a smile… on.soundcloud.com/nypHO0nb7SQQ...

A trip to Cumbria beckons.

Miserable Weather - a poem. Please click the link to listen. Hope it raises a smile… on.soundcloud.com/nypHO0nb7SQQ...

‘Was I scared going back to China? No’: Ai Weiwei on AI, western censorship and returning home

Anyone who has read my poem Concert Etiquette will appreciate why I am sharing this dig at classical concert audiences: The Coughers of Cologne by Alfred Brendel www.theguardian.com/books/2011/f... With thanks to Michael Berkeley & Richard Stokes #BBCRadio3 #PrivatePassions @theguardian.com

#poemsabout #mouths #kiss

Atrium Poetry @atriumpoetry.bsky.social (Poetry; non-paying) opened to poetry submissions. https://duotrope.com... #amwriting

Day 5 #februllage the prompt is ‘star’. I’ve used a line from John Keats, paper stars, + moon and owl from an old calendar.

Very pleased to see you here @imcmillan.bsky.social

Web crawlers are stealing writers’ work on a daily basis. Soul destroying.

‘Downloading message 6 of 3…’ Oh dear, my poor old sick PC The situation’s getting worse I count the pennies in my purse

A short film, a song and some better news about Kidderminster’s Museum of Carpet wastiesspace.co.uk/2026/01/28/m... #Kidderminster #heritage #textilemuseum #localhistory #oralhistory #looms #singersongwriter #carpets

This poem is not…. The erosion of the right to protest and questions over what mainstream news does or does not cover are among our most pressing issues By Steve Pottinger @bigstevepoet.bsky.social

The man ICE officers shot and killed in Minneapolis is 37 yr old Alex Pretti Mr Pretti is a US citizen and worked as a nurse 10 shots were fired. The video of what happened is out there

“Wum med, Wum growed”, at Tipton Library this morning: ‘Thank you so much for a great morning. I wanted to be part of your audience but the room was just too crowded which is, of course, brilliant for you and the library’ (Treasurer, Friends of Tipton Library) #BlackCountry

The best political ad I think I've ever seen. Bar none.

We have made the decision to formally close our X social media account. Once a vibrant platform to promote the interests of authors, we feel X is no longer a trusted place for balance, community support, and reliable information.

A short found poem, overheard. wastiesspace.co.uk/2026/01/20/o...

“Emerson does not have a mother today because one of you murdered a woman in cold blood yesterday.”

My Sister Went to Live on the Moon – Sue Finch @suefinch.bsky.social atriumpoetry.com/2026/01/09/m...

Rory Bremner mocks President Trump's attack, "I don't believe in regime change except in Venezuela.. Iran.. Greenland"