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

Just edited this old poem, some of you might like it/find it interesting. 'LEAVE THE BABY TO CRY' #BookSky #poetry

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"

Interesting choice of words on the BBC News app: ‘On Friday night, the Met Office expects sub-zero temperatures to blanket the country’. #EnglishLanguage

I relate to this! Thank you to anyone who reads, likes and comments on my blog wastiesspace.co.uk/blog/ and @andotheritems.bsky.social’s too!

Looking forward to my extended interview on @blackcountryradio.co.uk Xtra, Sunday 4pm & Monday 6pm. Talking about my love of Black Country dialect, my latest poetry collection & listening to music by my band, formed in mid 1970s, about to change its name!

Gearing up for my interview on Ian Henery’s show this Sunday 4pm. More details to follow! www.blackcountryxtra.co.uk

Breakfast with the Birds, 1934 by Expressionist painter Gabriele Münter, #womensart

Kidderminster carpet museum closure leaves artist 'heartbroken www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Keir Starmer is our most musical prime minister since Edward Heath. He must take up the baton for the arts | Martin Kettle

Word of the day, should you be feeling a little huffish, is ‘apanthropy’ (18th century): a love of solitude and the desire to be away from other people.

In 2013 I became Writer in Residence at the new Museum of Carpet in Kidderminster. I had the most wonderful journey, meeting lots of people & writing pieces for them. So it's especially sad for me that the Museum is to close. Please visit while you can! wastiesspace.co.uk/2025/12/11/m...

The Poetic Licence has a 24-day advent calendar event.... every day a FREE post with a poem to consider and the chance to discuss it with other members. Here's the first! www.patreon.com/posts/advent...

Many thanks for the review, Sarah!

It's #GivingTuesday, and CFTA's Big Festive Fundraiser has just begun ✨ This week, and this week only, your donation is doubled. Help us raise £25k and step it up for the arts in 2026. 👉 donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05...

A perfect demonstration of how the arts are crucial to life. @campaignforthearts.org

Ian Marrey has put together an 'eclectic mix of words and music' with a wintry theme to raise funds for Acorns Children's Hospice. Please go to his page to donate. Then you can listen to all the tracks, including one of mine. www.justgiving.com/page/from-ac...

Government’s last chance to keep control of digital Digital sovereignty isn’t optional anymore. We sold our water to foreign billionaires. Now we’re handing them our health data By Philip O'Brien

Word of the day is ‘quockerwodger’ (19th century): a puppet politician whose strings are pulled entirely by someone else.

Only a few days left to enter the Cafe Writers poetry competition. Our sole judge is Jessica Mookherjee. First prize is £1000 and there are other prizes too. #poetry www.cafewriters.co.uk/home/poetry-...

Here's a video of the v well organised Black Country poetry gig I was part of on Monday. Nice one @emmapurshouse.bsky.social! I especially enjoyed reading one of Dave Reeves' poems. Wish he was still with us to read it himself. www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2Ar... #BlackCountry #poetry #dialect #rhyme

we close at midnight tonight ( sunday ) please submit your best poems .... prizes include a slot at @cheltpoetfest.bsky.social on line - read more and enter www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheltenhampo...

Just one day left to send your poems to the @cheltenhampoetryfestival Festival's International Poetry Competition! We welcome poems from all over the world! To enter and find out more info visit: www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheltenhampo...

I’m struggling a little bit mentally at the moment. I hope this poem brings you love and light, wherever you are. #poetrycommunity

Shopping in #Worcester today? Do drop into @scripthavenltd.bsky.social and browse the #poetry shelves! My You Are Here is there.

The letter the BBC could send back to Trump - brilliant stuff from @davidallengreen.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/emptycit...

And while we're here... a reminder that this year's #WolvesLitFest poetry competition is now open. Judges @helenivory.bsky.social and @martinfigura.bsky.social. £400 first prize. All the info you need is here: pandemonialists.co.uk/wolves-lit-f...

If you're a poet looking for a top-quality competition, judged by the impeccably wonderful @helenivory.bsky.social and @martinfigura.bsky.social, then you're in luck! The #WolvesLitFest poetry competition is now open!! 😊 All the info's here: pandemonialists.co.uk/wolves-lit-f...

I wonder what this derelict, and rather creepy, canal lock is like today. Here's a poem I wrote after exploring it in 2017. wastiesspace.co.uk/2025/11/04/a... #FundBritainsWaterways