news blog

In exciting news, Karen Pierce Gonzalez's and my hybrid micro pamphlet has won Hedgehog Press' Little Black Book competition. Publication due in Autumn this year.  Karen and I had great fun collaborating on this 4 poem and 4 collage micro pamphlet. Titled 'City Companions' the work isn't ekphratic but companion pieces, exploring 4 City districts.

We have started receiving some wonderful testimonials, and will have a launch date very soon. Thanks to Mark at Hedgehog Press, and of course Karen, who is a very accomplished poet, as well at artist, more on her work can be found here:  https://karenpiercegonzalez.blogspot.com/.

We were joint winners, on this final round of LLB with Carmella de Keyser. Congrats to Carmella @carmellapoetry.

More details soon!

The Broken Spine new Coffeehouse podcast episode 2 is now live, and my poem 'first date, again' in included, alongside 9 other fabulous poets. Alan Parry expertly hosts and reads the poems, which can be heard here. The Broken Spine Coffeehouse Podcast.

I'm really pleased have a Byron inspired poem 'This forest, a confidant' in a new online poetry collection. The poem focuses on themes within Byron’s poetry of confession, rebellion, nature and the pursuit of freedom. The last couplet references his enduring love of correspondence. Read it here.

From Gothic Keats Press:

Two hundred years ago today, 16 July 1824, the one and only Lord Byron was buried in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. We are remembering him today by publishing a collection of poetry in his honour. Read these beautiful and wonderfully Byronic poems here.

Wonderful evening at the online launch of Black Bough's 'In flight' edition, which I guest edited.  It was lovely to host over 30 poets who read their poems from the anthology and the open as mic as well.  I shared the selection process, talked emerging themes, companion artwork, flight, and poetry in the time of global conflict.  

Thanks to Matthew MC Smith for arranging and intro-ing. 

The Spring '24 edition 'In flight' from Black Bough is now ready for print. It has been a pleasure picking the poems and guest editing this edition, the call out was via #toptweettuesday, and Black Bough online open mic events, mid last year.

The title of the anthology came from the cover artist Emma Connolly and the series the cover image was chosen from.

'Guest edited by Welsh writer Marcelle Newbold, featuring illustrations by Emma Connolly and poems by Gillian Clarke, Mark Antony Owen, Sarah Connor and Saraswati Nagpal, and a whole host of stellar talents, Black Bough Poetry's imagist poetry edition 'In flight' features stunningly nuanced, vivid poems.'

'In flight' will be released on Sunday 14th April via Amazon. 

On Saturday 2 March the inaugural Cambrian Mountains Society poetry competition prize giving took place at Pontrhydfendigaid. I read my poem 'Day trip to the mountains', which was highly commended. 

Over the past couple of months I have been working on editing a competition anthology for the Society, which includes background to the prize, judges comments and of course the winning, highly commended and longlist poems. Cover illustration by the talented Lowri Bowden. The anthology is pocket size and available to purchase from cambrian-mountains.co.uk.

It was a lovely afternoon, and wonderful to hear poems in English and Welsh, and lively discussion about poetry in Wales. 

Delighted to have a poem 'After dinner' in the Black Bough Christmas Winter edition. Once again its a gorgeous print edition, with illustrations from Emma Bissonnet.

Issue Seven of the online Propel magazine, conceived by Anthony Anaxagorou is out now. Link here. Each issue is guest edited, my poem 'radiator bleed key' was selected by Pascal Petit for Issue Seven. I have been a long term fan of Pascal's work, and am very grateful to be one of 20 poems within this issue. Pascals introduction is here, extract below:

'The trawl through the thousands of poems from almost four hundred entries took weeks. I read slowly, hoping not to miss a stunner, alert to new ways of making a poem. If there was any doubt in my mind I stopped and read it again as open-mindedly and attentively as I could.... I had to go by instinct – when I reread, if a poem gave me a pleasurable feeling of recognition, I sensed that here was something special. I’d switch into learning mode. What new world is this writer creating? Why does the imagery and tone feel like a good friend? Even if that friend is having a hard time, I wanted their company.

My twenty selections are an eclectic bunch and I admire them all. There are three long poems interspersed by one-pagers and shorts. Very short poems are hard to write well – I admit I was on the lookout for these, and was amply rewarded.'

The Wales based Black Bough poetry has published its Christmas-Winter Volume III - the third year for this evocative anthology, packed with imagist, 10 line or less poems, accompanied by Emma Bissonnet's beautiful linocut prints.  Delighted to have a poem included again this year. Anthology available from Amazon.  

Very excited to reach the Bridport Prize poetry shortlist this year. My second year of entry. My poem 'Dad was a typesetter.' is a 8 line love letter to craft and heritance, and of course family. An extra special accolade. 

Many thanks to Matthew MC Smith, and Black Bough Poetry, for my Best of the Net nomination from the Silver Branch Project. My poem 'With my last exhale on this Earth' comes from my debut pamphlet, which is on submission at the moment.

Pandemic Love & Other Affinities : an icefloe press anthology is now available for preorder from Icefloe Press. I have two pieces included alongside Canadian and international contributors, 'the Anthology, edited by Moira J. Saucer, Robert Frede Kenter, Anindita Sengupta & Jakky Bankong-Obi, is an amalgam of the work chosen by our guest editors in collaboration with Moira and Robert, expressive of the nature of the evocative call & its theme: how do we conceive of ‘love’ in the midst of global pain, suffering, illness, confusion, loss; the tireless business of care in the midst of the international COVID pandemic crisis. We believe the results formulate an evocative picture of our times, a collection of depth and breadth to cherish in these complicated years and for the future.'

Delighted to be included.

Many thanks to Isabelle Kenyon and Fly on the Wall Press for including my watery poem in Issue 10.

'Issue Ten of the Fly on the Wall Press magazine series plunges us under the sea. Sixteen international writers and artists explore pull of the deep.  Women fall in love with the tides; whales dance for joy.  Some creatures grow sea urchin hearts, whilst others eat human hearts raw... '

Pre orders available now for August delivery:  https://www.flyonthewallpress.co.uk/product-page/issue-10-under-the-sea

Iamb –  wave 8 launch

On the 15th December Wave 8 of Iambapoet will be live, and I am delighted to be included alongside 14 other poets. Mark Anthony Owens has created a gorgeous interface where you can view and listen to 3 poems by each poet. 

Nikki has revealed the cover of the MumWrite 2021 anthology – such a beauty! Delighted to have a collaborative poem with my lovely writing buddy Emma included, alongside another poem of mine. Thanks and congratulations to all. Looking forward to getting my hands on a copy, and the online launch 16th December, free tickets here.

Thankful that my ‘Wassailing Spirits’ poem has found a home in Black Bough Poetry‘s Christmas and Winter edition, Volume 2 ( Volume 1 came out Christmas 2020 including my poem ‘Field Margins’), once again beautifully illustrated by Emma Bissonnet‘s linocut prints.   I’m very happy to be sharing a page with the talented Gaynor Kane. My gorgeous copies below.

May 14th, International Dylan Thomas Day, saw the publication of the long-awaited ‘Dear Dylan: letter to, and poems after, Dylan Thomas’ by Indigo Dreams Press, edited by the talented Anna Saunders. A fascinating collection of poems, and insights through the letters from the poets to Dylan, into the lasting impact the Welsh poet enjoys.  

I’m delighted that my poem ‘Weeping Willow’ and letter to Dylan about the dramatic landscape of The Boathouse in Laugharne, which I had the pleasure to revisit with my parents, is included alongside fantastic poets. The book really is a treat.  Available now.  

The ever-inventive and original IceFloe Press headed by the multi-talented  Robert Kenter is running a Pandemic Dispatches series on their website which now features my poem ‘Dwelling’, alongside one of Robert’s original paintings. I am so pleased to be part of this initiative.

Words for the Wild latest theme was the extraordinary Gilbert White. My poem  ‘We understand, Gilbert White and I, while in Selborne architecting’ now features on their website here. This is such a special poem to me as 20 years ago or so I used to work in Hampshire, very close to Selborne (Gilbert White’s village) and spent most of some very happy years exploring the manmade and natural environment there. I was privileged to work for the delightful Richard Ashby at his architectural practice, just outside the village. This poem was written for Richard, as a memory of the reverence he instilled in history, careful study and his love of the Hampshire Hangers.     

I’m thrilled that the north of England based The Broken Spine will be publishing my poem ‘Thanking Nan for a Souvenir Christ on the Cross’ in their Third Edition of The Broken Spine Artists Collective in the Spring. TBS is run by the talented duo of Alan & Paul.  Cover reveal below! 

On Friday 11th December, Sarah Barr will be launching her new collection ‘January’ via zoom. Sarah will be reading alongside other Maytree Press poets including myself, for a festive night of celebration. I will be reading ‘A reflection on the dreaming collective’ from Maytree’s ‘Green Fields’ anthology. Details here. 

I’ve always been interested in ekphrastic poetry, and was lucky enough to attend some of Rachel Carney’s inspiring sessions in Cardiff. My poem ‘Walking Home’ inspired by Moses Salihou‘s ‘Unbreakable’ artwork (below) has been accepted for publication in The Ekphrastic Review‘s 5 year anniversary anthology, which I’m very excited about. The free ebook can be downloaded here. 

The lovely Kate has decided a bonus ‘Joy’ edition of the Failure Baler is required, and I couldn’t agree more. It will be out and about mid December, including my joyful poem ‘ Mid-engined 1990 Mazda Bongo’ (which is now in van heaven.) This edition can be received by request from: thefailurebaler@outlook.com.

And it’s me!

Back in March Cardiff City of Arcades launched a poetry competition, with the brief ‘a celebration of Cardiff’. The winning poem is displayed in one of the 7 historic Cardiff shopping arcades, alongside 6 commissioned Welsh poets. My poem is now up, in Morgan Arcade, and I’m so delighted it is alongside the lovely Mab Jones’ poem ‘Summer city’. Having grown up, and now living back in Cardiff it is a very special competition to win.  Happy days.

The hardback Pandemic Poetry anthology is now out in world. I’m so pleased that my poem ‘Looking for Dad’ has been included. Proceeds from the sales go to NHS charities and frontline workers PPE. The anthology, which features over 70 poets can be ordered here.  

And we are at the printers! Charlie Markwick of Yarn Whispering has done a fantastic job of formatting and layout, and alongside artwork, chosen by Ziggy, by Glen Vaudrey and Steve Samsara, and a cover by Jason Conway, we are good to go. 

It has been an enjoyable six months or so, working remotely alongside Ziggy and Charlie:  discussing submissions, editing, section arrangements, proofs, and corresponding with the contributors.   

Copies are available to order from the Gloucester Poetry Festival website, raising funds for NHS charities and frontline workers PPE.

The online launch of The Pandemic Poetry Anthology will be on Tuesday 10th November at 7.30pm GMT. We are really excited about this celebratory evening, with lots of poets reading from the anthology. Free tickets can be ordered here, the event is also on Facebook. 

Matthew Smith of Black Bough Poetry has curated 2 volumes of wonderful poems inspired by Robert Macfarlanes’s ‘Underland: A Deep Time Journey’. 

Delighted to see my deep time poem ‘Precious’ in volume 2, under the section ‘Liquid walls’. Both volumes, which include fabulous artwork by Rebecca Wainwright, are available from Amazon, details can be found here.

I have a little poem ‘shopping list’ in the latest issue of Perhappened zine, their ‘heatwave’ issue. This relatively new zine is steered by the lovely Isaura, and aims to give a snapshot of the now.

Wild Pressed Books recently had a call out for poems for a New Towns anthology – which explores the in between spaces that these peripheral places now inhabit. I was delighted that there are officially a couple of ‘new towns’ in South Wales that I know quite well and really enjoyed investigating them further in the process of creating the poems.

‘Map of Llandarcy / Coed Darcy 2008’ has been accepted for publication, it explores the deindustrialisation of landscapes for housing, and the scars that are left.

Publication is due September, pre order now here

My poem ‘Precious’ has been accepted for publication in Black Bough Poetry‘s first anthology – ‘Deep Time’, which is inspired by Robert Macfarlane’s thought provoking ‘Underland: A Deep Time Journey’ book. I’m so pleased to have a poem in this collection, amongst so fantastic poets.  There will be two volumes, with a guest artist and composer. The first volume is due July and Volume 2 which my poem is in, available from August. Amazon link here for Volume 1.

The generous Kate Dowling has kindly included my poem ‘Life is a mantelpiece’ about my low level gripe, of the constant task to keep just one surface in my house just for me (yes a 4 inch by 30 inch plank of wood) in the second issue of the Failure Baler. Beautiful sunny photo of the glorious cover below, on my writing desk. The premise of the magazine is really heart-warming ‘If you know what it’s like to fail, then come and join the bale.  This zine is open to submissions of writing and artwork about your failures, whatever they may be’.   I really enjoyed this issue, as well as the inaugural one. Available to purchase here.

Black Bough Poetry are hosting a ‘Deep Time Day’ on twitter, and across facebook and instagram, to celebrate the publication of their Deep Time poetry anthologies, volumes 1 and 2. All the poems, musical compositions and artwork, by Rebecca Wainwright,  were inspired by Robert Macfarlanes’ ‘Underland: A Deep Time Journey’. Contributors will be sharing their readings, photographs and poems. Poems can also be heard on Soundcloud.  Here’s mine, with Rebecca’s artwork:

I’ve had a small,  tongue-in-cheek, poem ‘I Love..’ published in the 5th Nightingale & Sparrow issue, titled ‘Love’, which was published on Valentine’s Day.  It can be viewed online here, or a hardcopy ordered from their online shop.

I’m delighted that Maytree Press and The Poetry Village have chosen my poem ‘A reflection on the dreaming collective’ to be part of their ‘Green Fields’ anthology – all about music festivals. My poem came from our last visit to Lakefest in the grounds of Eastnor Castle, and was imagined in a slightly sleep deprived state. Groovy cover art below! The anthology is to be launched at Huddersfield Literature Festival on 28th March 2020, details here.  It is also available for pre order now.

Pleased to have my poem ‘Stepping out’ published in Re-Side’s Winter issue, which can be read here. Re-Side is an online literary and arts zine steered by the talented Elizabeth Kemball and Beth Longman.

Anti-Heroin Chic magazine

The lovely James Diaz has included two of my poems ‘Hot Chocolate’ and ‘The Day After’ in his very emotional ‘Grief & Loss’ issue of Anti-Heroin Chic magazine, which can be read here. It has been a brave endeavour on his part and the contributors. It is comforting to think that so many loved ones, now gone, are united here. Very proud to be a part of it.

Absolutely delighted that my poem ‘Weeping Willow’ has been accepted to appear in Indigo Dreams, ‘Dear Dylan, an anthology after Dylan’, due for publication in May 2020. It is going to be a very interesting format as a letter to Dylan Thomas and a poem was required from each submittee.

The weather was absolutely glorious on my inspirational visit to Laugharne in September, and the views – Wales at its best.

The cover has been released for the ‘International Anthology of Womxn’s Poetry’ titled ‘From the Ashes’ and it is gorgeous. I am so pleased to have two poems included: one within the Chapter ‘On knowing’, and one within ‘On how we love’.  ‘Editors Amanda McLeod and Mela Blust have curated a collection of poems that tell the stories of the journey, trials, and triumphs of womxn. In this book, womxn share their most authentic, inner selves; their challenges and their victories; the words they wish they could say; the legacy they dream of for the womxn of the future. With over 50 poets, some internationally acclaimed and others making their publication debut, this stunning anthology captures the voices of womxn around the world.’

All proceeds from the sale of the anthology will be donated to international womxn’s charities. Available for order from Animal Heart Press.

Black Bough Poetry Magazine

In response to the anniversary of the Moon landings, Black Bough Poetry opened a call for cosmic influenced haikus, and I’m excited that two of mine have been selected for their 2.5 Cosmic issue! Gorgeous cover. Magazine here.

A fantastic turn out at Chapter meant the anthology launch was held in the Seligman Theatre. Claire Syder introduced the collection and each of the nine authors read to the audience.   It was a lovely event, with a great turn out.

Delighted to finally hold The Dipping Pool collection of poetry and prose. Nine authors contributed a section each, with mine being the first which comprised of a prose piece and ten poems including: Reunited, Gone, Great Granny, The salt breeze.

‘The dipping pool’ weekly writing group, with Claire Syder, are in the process of publishing their first anthology. There are nine authors in total, and I am very pleased to say my collection of nine poems and one prose piece has been chosen to appear first in the book. First run off the press July 2018, ready for the book launch August 2018.

I am delighted to say that a selection of poems will be published in each forthcoming issue of  Cardiff Baby and Toddler Magazine, starting with the December issue and  ‘I’m here with you’.

online The ‘two drops of ink’ family have kindly published my poem, on their literary blog ‘Go away morning‘.

essay publication online and print

Landmarks is the Design Commission for Wales’ autumn 2015 conference, events and exhibition which explore the relationship between the natural resources of the Welsh landscape and human intervention, with the aim of informing and inspiring a future for design in the rural landscape. This publication serves as a lasting reference to the themes and thoughts which have been uncovered through Landmarks.  My essay ‘How we made our way‘ starts on p104.