This week’s Thursday Throwback is Wild-swimming by Sarah James/Leavesley. @sarahleavesley.bsky.social It's a beautifully authentic, tender piece that stands out for the way it reframes ageing as a process of becoming, rather than decline. Read it in Issue 4.

Because One Thing Leads to Another or Creative Work Flow (writing life & some seasonal prompts)

“For all those that paint the way  – the blues  & the deeper shades  which change the love we thought we knew” IDP: https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james Or https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191 #IndigoPoets With thanks to Dawn & Ronnie at Indigo Dreams

Check out my new post — a brief intro to a new series of posts I’ll be sharing on Substack. Happy New Year!

Check out my new post! — a brief intro to a new series of posts I’ll be sharing on Substack. Happy New Year!

“The white storm of my eyes is clouded by miles,  by hours in relentless waves, pounding out miles.” Sarah James, from Darling Blue (Indigo Dreams) https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james / https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191 #IndigoPoets

Merry Christmas to poets and poetry lovers everywhere! As a seasonal gift to you all, @iambapoet.com has a new, simpler web address: iamb.uk It's not yet 'official' across the site – but it works right now. URLs for individual poets' pages may misbehave for a while till everything settles in. 😉🎄

“Tracing my lips like the brimming rim  of a wine glass learning how to sing.” Sarah James, from Darling Blue (Indigo Dreams) IDP: https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james Or https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191 #IndigoPoets With thanks to Dawn & Ronnie at Indigo Dreams

Don’t muss out on the chance to win!

“[…] James is endlessly fascinating as she explores the nature of love and desire, relationships and the difference between fantasy and reality.” Thanks to Gary Day for his great review of Darling Blue https://thehighwindowpress.com/category/reviews/ More: https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=1719

Stuck for Christmas presents for the poetry lover in your life? Or the person who doesn't yet know they're a poetry lover? Take a browse of our archive of Featured Publications... atriumpoetry.com/featured-pub...

“Every loving glance at a piece of art is a coded message, though precise meanings are difficult to decipher. The light kiss of artists’ brush-tips to their painting’s skin, the liquid flow” Sarah James https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james / https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191

Big thanks to the @preraphaelitesoc.bsky.social & Serena Trowbridge for her wonderful review of Darling Blue in PRS Review! Darling Blue: https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191 PRS Review is part of PRS Reader membership (from just £15 a year):

December teasel is combing the wet, bright air I've got warm, walking #haikusaturday

I've long admired Sarah James's poetry, and since she has been my publisher, Sarah has become a friend as well. A privilege, then, to endorse Sarah's innovative and beautiful new collection, Darling Blue – and wonderful to see @serena-t.bsky.social's appreciative review in the new PRS Review! 💙⚡️🩵

For the fifth day of our #ArtistAdventCalendar, Edward Burne-Jones’ ‘The Summer Snow’, c.1863, @royalacademy.bsky.social. This wood engraving appeared in the May, 1863 issue of the magazine ‘Good Words’ to illustrate a poem called ‘Summer Snow’: …

A wonderful surprise to see that, due to recent interest and demand, my @vpresslit.bsky.social pamphlet '(m)othersongs' has just gone to a fourth print run – two years after publication! Get 'em while they're hot... ❤️‍🔥🍂❤️‍🔥

Seasonal greetings, lovely news & micro-reviews!!! sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=7 @heatherwastie.bsky.social @drruthstacey.bsky.social @jirobb.bsky.social @ditheringchaps.bsky.social

“[...] James’s finely crafted and intelligently controlled poems brim with vivid imagery and lush sensory detail, reminding the reader ‘how brightly sunlight shines through // when freed from a cracked mirror’.” TY @poetsarahdoyle.bsky.social‬ https://indigodreamspublishing.com

The very very warmest of Seasonal Greetings & thanks to all our readers, writers and supporters, plus news of our final anniversary-year celebration!!! vpresspoetry.blogspot.com/2025/12/seas... @jennyhope.bsky.social

V. v. excited to have another new print run of @poetsarahdoyle.bsky.social’s beautiful (m)othersongs in time for Christmas -- It’s rare to do a new run 2 years after publication & this may well be the last, so get a copy while you still can! vpresspoetry.blogspot.com/p/mothersong...

"The fictional narrative is compelling while the ekphrastic poems dazzle [...]" Big thanks to The Lake and reviewer David Mark Williams for his wonderful and detailed review of Darling Blue: https://www.thelakepoetry.co.uk/reviews/dec25/

“A man known without knowing his kin  is more than partly still a stranger.  I only have a fraction of your smiles,  not those you were born with, or return  home to. […]” Sarah James, Darling Blue https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james / https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191

10 Years of publications -- celebrating 2025! vpresspoetry.blogspot.com @laurabesley.bsky.social & more!

“Merlin's eyes marble. His arm droops  as his scarf and tunic tighten, their dark green  taking on a deeper blue than he’s ever seen;” Sarah James, from Darling Blue (Indigo Dreams) https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james / https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191 #IndigoPoets

JOIN US for the FREE launch of Darling Blue with Worcestershire Poetry Society Stanza Guest Poets at Droitwich Library TODAY Sat, 22 Nov 2025 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/darling-blue-launch-with-worcestershire-poetry-society-stanza-guest-poets-tickets-1832358707219?aff=oddtdtcreator #poetry fun

JOIN US for the FREE launch of Darling Blue with Worcestershire Poetry Society Stanza Guest Poets at Droitwich Library on Sat, 22 Nov 2025 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/darling-blue-launch-with-worcestershire-poetry-society-stanza-guest-poets-tickets-1832358707219?aff=oddtdtcreator #poetry fun

Super excited my poem 'Hand to mouth' and story 'The Knife Sharpener of Alzira' have been shortlisted for the 'Walking In The Dark' comp by @walklistencreate.org judged by @marcellenewbold.bsky.social and Damaris West for poetry, @chantallyons.bsky.social and Matthew Beaumont for prose Whoop 🥳

Congratulations and good luck to other short-listed authors: @thepaulconnolly.bsky.social @erinbondo.com @elizafevwrites.bsky.social @eleanorholmes.bsky.social @sarahleavesley.bsky.social l @rosaleenlynch.bsky.social @lauratheis.bsky.social Krista Carson, Isabella Mead Husain, Emily Wilkinson

Thrilled to be SHORTLISTED for @walklistencreate.org's WALKING IN THE DARK competition supporting the great 'Women Walking, the City, at Night' cause. My thanks to judges @marcellenewbold.bsky.social & Damaris West. Shortlist below. My poem Devon Gothic in the thread #poetrycommunity #poetsonbluesky

Long list of our #Walking #InTheDark competition announced - terrific poems and stories beautifully penned - read them here wlc.zone/ark

Liked or disliked, that is the question: writing vulnerabilities, nature as a perspective-giver & creating personal paths through https://open.substack.com/pub/moresarah/p/liked-or-disliked-that-is-the-question?r=7ajma&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Absolutely delighted to hear that The art of cutting and stitching has been shortlisted for the Ink Sweat & Tears 'Pick of the Month' for October 2025. I find voting things slightly awkward. But do check out the shortlist and enjoy all the poems, then vote if you feel so inclined.

“I could fall in love with her youth and beauty,  have fallen into the daydream of her gaze –  her eyes are warm wood which could be  kindled to flame, but not a votive candle.” Sarah James, Darling Blue https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james / https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191

JOIN US for the FREE launch of Darling Blue with Worcestershire Poetry Society Stanza Guest Poets at Droitwich Library on Sat, 22 Nov 2025 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/darling-blue-launch-with-worcestershire-poetry-society-stanza-guest-poets-tickets-1832358707219?aff=oddtdtcreator #poetry fun

JOIN US for the FREE launch of Darling Blue with Worcestershire Poetry Society Stanza Guest Poets at Droitwich Library on Sat, 22 Nov 2025 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/darling-blue-launch-with-worcestershire-poetry-society-stanza-guest-poets-tickets-1832358707219?aff=oddtdtcreator #poetry fun

Looking forward, as always, to teaching for The Poetry Business on January 5th: buytickets.at/thepoetrybus...

“I don’t know who I am at this moment, nor the man  at my side. Suspended here like an exclamation mark  that doesn’t have to fall towards a full stop, I curve into  the wild escape[...]” Sarah James https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james / https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191

My NIF ‘An Inheritance’ was published by V.Press in 2020. There’s just a few copies left (available from V.Press or my website). You might want to check out all their other publications too!

A big plus of having a new book/anthology published: doing book swaps & enjoying fellow contributors’ poems! @drruthstacey.bsky.social @ditheringchaps.bsky.social @yaffles-nest.bsky.social @jirobb.bsky.social #indigopoets

10 Years of Publications – Revealing the real boss, meet N…& lots of thanks! vpresspoetry.blogspot.com

🎉💚🥹 Delighted to be longlisted this morning Thankyou to the judges @marcellenewbold.bsky.social , Damaris West, @chantallyons.bsky.social & Matthew Beaumont Congrats to all long listers 🌚 I've just had a lovely morning reading through the pieces ☕📜 @rachelape.bsky.social 🧵1/3 #NatureWriting

Big news, poetry, film, thanks & fun stuff… https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=7

JOIN US for the FREE launch of Darling Blue with Worcestershire Poetry Society Stanza Guest Poets at Droitwich Library on Sat, 22 Nov 2025 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/darling-blue-launch-with-worcestershire-poetry-society-stanza-guest-poets-tickets-1832358707219?aff=oddtdtcreator #poetry fun

“Three days is too long  to go unanswered,  and yet still I hang around  for your call.” Sarah James, from Darling Blue (Indigo Dreams) IDP: https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james Or https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191 #IndigoPoets With thanks to Dawn and Ronnie at Indigo Dreams

Excited to share Darling Blue & my unboxing video! Would love to see you at my free local launch on 22 November & to get more readings lined up. If anyone’s looking for a guest poet, would like to review Darling Blue or do a book swap, please DM me. Links below. #poetry #books

Celebrating 10 Years of Publications -- 2024! Poetry, flash and our new book bundles! vpresspoetry.blogspot.com

“James uses the lyric and ekphrasis to create a profound and moving collection on the cost of love; what endures and how we survive its wake.[...]An unmissable collection.” TY @lukekennard.bsky.social https://indigodreamspublishing.com/sarah-james / https://www.sarah-james.co.uk/?page_id=17191