Issue 5 of the literary journal ionosphere is now available on Amazon! Read poetry and essays by @fadingbetty.bsky.social, @bigjosh84.bsky.social, @zoomburst.substack.com, @misshalcyon.bsky.social, @suzannafitzpatrick.bsky.social, and many others.

Off to the @tseliotprize.bsky.social readings at @southbankcentre.bsky.social What a shortlist, going to be an absolute treat.

Issue 2 of #thedeeperread is out on substack! Featuring a poem by @marymulholland.bsky.social from her @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social pamphlet 'the elimination game'. Her debut collection is out from @ninearchespress.bsky.social this Oct, can't wait! suzannafitzpatrick.substack.com/p/the-deeper...

26 Tory defectors to Reform, every one of them in it for themselves, not this country.

Excited to be Featured Writer at the Cowden Pound Open No-Mic on Thurs 22 January, reading from my collection Crippled: www.redsquirrelpress.com/product-page.... Thanks to @poetryschool.bsky.social MA alumnus Kevin Scully for inviting me! All welcome.

Issue 2 of #thedeeperread drops tomorrow! Featuring "The Regretting Room" by @marymulholland.bsky.social from her @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social pamphlet 'the elimination game'. This one got very psychological. suzannafitzpatrick.substack.com

Elon Musk thinks he can get away with letting his AI chatbot Grok make sex abuse images of women and children. I’m calling for a full ban on X here in the UK and you should too - add your name to the petition now: 38d.gs/pqac

Elon Musk thinks he can get away with letting his AI chatbot Grok make sex abuse images of women and children. I’m calling for a full ban on X here in the UK and you should too - add your name to the petition now: 38d.gs/pqac

One of the delights of last week's Finished Creatures issue 9 in-person launch was that those of us who could make it each read a poem by a contributor who couldn't. I chose "The Escaped Jay" by @calebparkinpoet.bsky.social, a blazing light in the already shining constellation of this issue.

A privilege to be in Finished Creatures 9 and to attend the Zoom and in-person launches last week. Jan Heritage is a born curator; each poem speaks to the next. There's even a blank page at the back labelled 'Notes'. Sheer class, get your copy here: www.paypal.com/paypalme/cre...

🕰️ With the year coming to an end, we asked a selection of our contributors to give us their favourite poetry books and pamphlets of 2025. Next is Sharon Black's pick: watch it slowly fade by Sue Burge (Yaffle Press). Thank you, Sharon!

@southwarkcathedral.bsky.social evensong: Cecelia McDowell, Amy Beach Nunc, Walton's Make We Joy Now in this Fest, Janet Wheeler's Magnificat (on 1.5 rehearsals; glad I didn't know she was there) L'Estrange Song of the Angels. "Stupendous Babe" is the best line ever. May all your epiphanies be epic.

Singing Epiphany evensong at Southwark Cathedral with Fever Pitch today. I adore Southwark, home of poets, players and generally spicy types. Got to love a cathedral whose mission statement is "radical love". Top quality arm-waving from Elinor Corp as ever.

Busy tonight. Read at the launch of Finished Creatures 9 then dashed to a Fever Pitch rehearsal for the Epiphany evensong at Southwark Cathedral tomorrow (4pm Sat 10 Jan, all welcome). Sad I couldn't be at each completely but delighted to be able to do a bit of both!

An amazing analysis of a poem of mine by Suzanna Fitzpatrick. She share things that I see and I go ‘ohhhh yehhh!’… Crazy when that happens. And joyous.

The first issue of The Deeper Read has dropped! Featuring "Everything you ever gave me was Purple" from Try To Find Me by @tessafoley.bsky.social : suzannafitzpatrick.substack.com/p/the-deeper... Buy Tessa's books here: www.tessafoley.com/books.html or here: www.livecanon.co.uk/store/produc...

I am impeaching Secretary Kristi Noem, who is an incompetent leader and a disgrace to our democracy. She wreaked havoc in the Chicagoland area and has brought her reign of terror to Minneapolis. One of her rogue ICE agents shot and killed an innocent woman today. It must come to an end.

3. Her name is Renee Nicole Macklin Good. She was murdered by her own government, who are now lying about it and trying to drag her name through the mud. You can read her work: poets.org/2020-on-lear... And I'll just leave this here, from Macbeth.

2. Her name is Renee Nicole Macklin Good. The Trump administration is executing its own citizens as they go about their lives: state-sanctioned violence against women. Howl her name, think of her children, read her poems: poets.org/2020-on-lear...

1. Her name is Renee Nicole Macklin Good. In her own words: "writer, poet, mom, wife, mom". She was murdered in cold blood by a Trump administration ICE agent. She was coming back from the school run. She was no threat; video footage shows that claims of 'self-defence' are lies.

🥁Thrilled to share our 2026 #poetry list. Full details and tantalising glimpses into these new titles are here: ninearchespress.com/about-us/news Including books by @jennywcreative.bsky.social @betarish.bsky.social @kymdeyn.bsky.social @marymulholland.bsky.social & @jessmookherjee.bsky.social

The Deeper Read is a new Substack series in which I close-read a contemporary poem - @tessafoley.bsky.social is up first. You can subscribe here if you're so minded. I had fun, hope you do, too! open.substack.com/pub/suzannaf... Tessa's book available here: www.livecanon.co.uk/store/produc...

Resolutions? More poetry, more (pre-loved) sparkle. So I'm off to the @reddoorpoets.bsky.social winter party at the CAA in my latest charity shop acquisition. Looking forward to hearing Jennifer Wong and Annie Haytor, and hopefully nabbing an open mic spot.

Thrilled to have won the 2026 Edward Thomas Poetry Competition! Huge thanks to judge Daljit Nagra. Great to see fellow @poetryschool.bsky.social MA alumna @marymulholland.bsky.social Highly Commended: edward-thomas-fellowship.org.uk/the-edward-t...

Been doing housework listening to Lady Gaga so channelling that energy for the Yes We Cant zoom tonight. @pandemonialists.bsky.social always put on a good gig. I'll read an icy poem from Crippled, available from Red Squirrel Press, or DM me for a signed copy. www.redsquirrelpress.com/product-page...

What a wonderful way to end 2025, with people I love writing with, working with and listening to ❤️ Thanks Mary Wilson, Sarah Gibbons, Glyn Maxwell and Urve Opik x

Off for a New Year's wassail with the poets. Should have considered the cold before selecting diamante fishnets. Oh well, go hard or go home ;)

2nd poem in @finishedpoetry.bsky.social 9, thanks Jan Heritage. Another from @thepoetryschool MA, thanks @merylpugh.bsky.social for insightful comments. Written on a train musing on my son's obsession with @timeteam.bsky.social, and everything became a metaphor for mental health, because poetry.

So happy to have two poems in @finishedpoetry.bsky.social issue 9, huge thanks to Jan Heritage. This came out of a @poetryschool.bsky.social MA workshop with the one and only Joelle Taylor. Still running ;)

Delighted to be in The Brick, the @kebleoxford.bsky.social alumni newsletter. Keble have been so supportive, including hosting the Oxford launch of 'Crippled' from Red Squirrel Press: thebrick.keble.net/issue-83-con... Copies from: www.redsquirrelpress.com/product-page... or DM me for a signed one.

I'll be MCing for this, and reading with (so far) Glyn Maxwell, Sarah Gibbons, @tessafoley.bsky.social @suejohns.bsky.social. The @poetryschool.bsky.social @newcastleuni.bsky.social MA alumni are an ever-growing smorgasbord of talent, come and enjoy! Free, no need to book.

Deeply happy to feature in Glyn Maxwell's poetry Advent calendar on his substack. Glyn is incredibly generous with his attention; watching him listen to poetry is an experience in itself. I really appreciate his kind words here. open.substack.com/pub/glynmaxw... Check out the other amazing poets!

Excellent night for the launch of @blackirispoetry issue 5. Every reading was an absolute banger, including Glyn Maxwell and the @poetryschool.bsky.social MA guest readers. Huge thanks to Lauren Thomas and Sarah Gibbons for editing, organising and MCing. www.blackirispoetry.com/issue-5

Vintage vibe for the launch of Black Iris 5 with guest readers from the @poetryschool.bsky.social MA. 7pm tonight, upstairs at The Cheshire Cheese, 5 Little Essex St WC2R 3LD. FREE, just turn up. Books for sale! www.blackirispoetry.com/issue-5

Absolutely stoked to be in Black Iris issue 5. Founded by @poetryschool.bsky.social MA alumni Sarah Gibbons and Lauren Thomas, it's rapidly become a destination magazine. www.blackirispoetry.com/issue-5 Launch tonight, 7pm, The Cheddar Cheese, 5 Little Essex St, WC2R 3LD. FREE. I'll be reading!

Another singing gig, in aid of @dogstrust.bsky.social This one is outside. It's currently pouring and blowing a hooley. Please send mulled wine (luckily I think there will be some!). #feverpitchchoir #adogisforlife

You know it's a good gig when the sopranos come at the punters with the descant like a wall of sequins #feverpitchchoir

'a brilliant, luminous work that blends the mystical and the contemporary, interrogating power, gender, and transformation with precision and lyric grace.’ - @elainefeeney.bsky.social, Sunday Independent, on @jesstraynor.bsky.social's New Arcana. @independent.ie www.independent.ie/entertainmen...

Official MA graduation photo! I was so happy. Thank you @poetryschool.bsky.social @newcastleuni.bsky.social @merylpugh.bsky.social Glyn Maxwell @tessafoley.bsky.social and all my MA friends for everything. 'Poet' necklace from Wear and Resist, who donate a to women's charities #persisterhood

We are collectively responsible for standing up for the world we want to live in. GB News’ recent Trump interview was outrageous - completely biased and full of lies. And GB News didn't challenge him ONCE. Ofcom MUST investigate them for breaching its rules. Sign now if you agree: 38d.gs/l_kt

Very excited to be in issue 5 of @blackirispoetry.bsky.social. Thanks to editors Sarah Gibbons and Lauren Thomas. I'll be reading at this with Glyn Maxwell and guest readers from the @poetryschool.bsky.social MA. Free, do come along!

Yes, I walk the wrong way at the end 😜 @newcastleuni.bsky.social @poetryschool.bsky.00psocial

Just been sent this by a friend. Waiting at Newcastle Station for the Kings X train, tired but happy. MA done. What's next? @poetryschool.bsky.social @newcastleuni.bsky.social

This has made me laugh immoderately. But every poet needs a showreel. @poetryschool.bsky.social @newcastleuni.bsky.social

Thank you @imtiazdharker.bsky.social for my MA and for a rousing speech on the importance of words as witness. It's why we do what we do. @poetryschool.bsky.social @newcastleuni.bsky.social

So proud to graduate with Distinction today in the @poetryschool.bsky.social / @newcastleuni.bsky.social MA in Writing Poetry. Having an absolute blast.

On the train to Newcastle for the graduation for @poetryschool.bsky.social @newcastleuni.bsky.social MA in Writing Poetry! Can't wait. Already written a poem and edited another. Lady Hale tribute spider brooch from Wear and Resist #traintimeiswritingtime #persisterhood

23,000. That's how many deaths can be blamed on Boris Johnson's chaotic Covid decisions and delays. Enough is enough, he must be stripped of his annual £115,000 handout. Sign the petition today: 38d.gs/clhk