31 July. Huffington Post has chosen to publish my poem 'The Corset' in the next few weeks as part of their global campaign to find good poet voices over fifty years of age. Dead chuffed.

Another Guardian letter today- this time on the baby photo-shoot and body image. The present letters- page editors cut more than the previous ones, so my comments on the crude and brutal nature of this appalling rite got left out.  However, the basic feminist point got across.

Latest NS.Poem:Paying off the Mortgage

My latest New Statesman poem, 'Paying off the Mortgage' is now up on-line. It can be read at:
http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/06/paying-mortgage

I will put it on the New Work page in a few weeks.

Also, brief letter in The Guardian yesterday. Taking a new view of /approach to, feminism

Reading - Ashmoleum

15 June.

I'm joining two poetry tours of the Ashmoleum at 12.30pm and 2.30 pm with an old student of mine,  Andrew Smardon, who is an excellent poet,  I will be reading (twice), 'In True Colours',  a poem from my recent book, Strange Horses, that was inspired by the famous and weird painting, 'The Forest Fire' by Piero di Cosimo.

I'll be reading it, in the gallery in front of the actual picture.
Andrew will also be reading his fine poem, 'Aestel', on the Alfred Jewel, which is also in the museum  -
should be fun!

new poem published

The New Statesman say they plan to publish a new poem of mine called 'Paying the Mortgage', this Friday, 7 June, 2013.  This will be the fourth poem of mine they've published.

New Review: 28 April found at the Poetry Library, London - another positive review of Strange Horses, one I hadn't seen before. Had it photocopied and added to Reviews page today. It was published by Orbis Quarterly International Poetry Journal last year.

Also really enjoyed the graffiti undercroft art space at the South Bank Centre - fantastically colourful and inclusive and  full of kids skateboarding and cycling; Norman Parkinson's elegant and beautiful photos and of course, Alan Bennett's 'People', the closest thing to Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' I've come across in art.. not really my news, but had to mention all this! Super birthday treat!

20 April: Pleased to be guest poet at a concert given by Voice Box choir at St Barnabas Church, Jericho for the charity Freedom from Torture. Did a set in each half of the performance. Great singing, a good evening and an important cause!