Calling poets who create poetry film - there’s a call for international poets for this Spanish festival. (Must be subtitled in Spanish.) HelenDewbery

Train journey through the dawn dark of Spain. The fog is hugging the stone houses and green fields close. Through tunnel after tunnel we are heading fast away from the Atlantic and towards Madrid.

Delighted that the wonderful Professor Catherine Pickstock Catherine Pickstock Faculty of Divinity has agreed to give this year's Gore Lecture, 'The Poetics of Life: Life as Poetry' as part of our autumn season exploring poetry. 18th Sept, 6.30. Come and join us! ⬇️ westminster-abbey.org/abbey-events/l…

If you’ve reached the time of life when you reluctantly recognise the need for varifocals, this poem by Nia Broomhall might cheer you. Maybe it needs to accompany every prescription?

Stuck on a half-written novel. I asked a friend of mine for writing advice and she told me that she wrote her PhD by drinking a lot of red wine at lunchtime and then writing all afternoon. So I am going to attempt this today.

First glass of wine drunk. 971 words written.

Second class of wine. Some number of words written. Can’t be bothered to check how many. Not entirely sure about this new approach to writing a novel.

Continuing the new strategy of ‘finish the half-finished novel by writing while drunk’ today. Halfway through the first glass I did have the inspirational realisation of “come on, just write it, how hard can it be?”

Harriet Truscott PapaHem Method Drink lots of wine the whites cooled in a stream the reds in pain (or Italy) keep the music of the type writer rat a tat tatting (edit sober)

Today I tried the fresh approach of writing while drinking tea rather than red wine. The downside is that I can immediately see the flaws in my writing.

Me, struggling to write a verse novel, met a friend struggling to edit a creative non-fiction work. We were both in a cafe which was maybe where we were going wrong.

My ex-boss Laura James is looking for new employment. She will take tech organisations that don’t work and make them work. Also she will listen to would-be poets moan and give them helpful advice.

I have just sent four gloriously deranged poems off to Zoë Brigley at Poetry Wales for their Innovative Poetry call. Hooray for fun in poetry!

‘When it’s sunny, we get the barbecue out’: urban gardeners transform foul alleys into verdant havens. An uplifting and inspiring story for difficult times. theguardian.com/environment/ar…

I searched Abe Books for “First Steps in Letterpress: a beginner’s guide.” Abe Books suggested “Micropenis.”

Poems on the Underground Poem of the Week August 24th Everything Changes by Cicely Herbert poemsontheunderground.org/everything-cha…

Entire Seeley Library to myself as I read about Puritan theology…

The new issue of #14magazine is now available at just £7 incl. UK p&p. Featuring brand new work by: Details of how to purchase your copy: richardskinner.weebly.com/14-magazine

I am VERY sceptical that Gertrude Stein said “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping” as the Ashmolean Museum exhibition claims. She wrote a lot about money and consumerism - but this…? Can anyone prove me wrong?

He and the earth he made were never closer, Divinity and dust come face to face. We flinch back from his via dolorosa, He sets his face like flint and takes our place, Good Friday: the first 12 Stations of the Cross malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2025/04/18/goo…